Is Ducklings Early Learning Center or Maple Bear cheaper to open?

Ducklings Early Learning Center costs $993,400–$2,153,500 and Maple Bear costs $799,000–$2,394,365 to open (FDD Item 7). Maple Bear has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Ducklings Early Learning Center or Maple Bear?

FranchiseVerdict grades Ducklings Early Learning Center B and Maple Bear D, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Ducklings Early Learning Center vs Maple Bear

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Ducklings Early Learning Center and Maple Bear are education franchises. Ducklings Early Learning Center requires an investment of $993K – $2.2M while Maple Bear requires $799K – $2.4M. Ducklings Early Learning Center discloses average revenue of $1.8M; Maple Bear makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. Note: Includes company-owned outlets. FranchiseVerdict rates Ducklings Early Learning Center B (Above average) and Maple Bear D (Below average).

Metric	Ducklings Early Learning Center	Maple Bear
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	DBelow average
Investment Range	$993K – $2.2M	$799K – $2.4M
Franchise Fee	$55K	$85K
Royalty Rate	3.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.8MIncl. company outlets	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	N/A
Total Units	14	1
Unit Growth (YoY)	+3 units	-1 units
Year Began Franchising	2017	2019
FDD Year	2025	2025