Is Gold’s Gym or PLANET FITNESS cheaper to open?

Gold’s Gym costs $2,356,000–$5,162,000 and PLANET FITNESS costs $1,525,000–$5,221,500 to open (FDD Item 7). PLANET FITNESS has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Gold’s Gym or PLANET FITNESS?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 15.5% for Gold’s Gym and 0.0% for PLANET FITNESS. Lower is safer, so PLANET FITNESS has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Gold’s Gym or PLANET FITNESS?

FranchiseVerdict grades Gold’s Gym C and PLANET FITNESS A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Gold’s Gym vs PLANET FITNESS

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Gold’s Gym and PLANET FITNESS are health & fitness franchises. Gold’s Gym requires an investment of $2.4M – $5.2M while PLANET FITNESS requires $1.5M – $5.2M. Gold’s Gym discloses average revenue of $1.8M; PLANET FITNESS does not report Item 19 data. On SBA loan performance, PLANET FITNESS has a lower charge-off rate (0.0%) compared to Gold’s Gym (15.5%). FranchiseVerdict rates Gold’s Gym C (Average) and PLANET FITNESS A (Strongest tier).

Metric	Gold’s Gym	PLANET FITNESS
Verdict Grade	CAverageAverage	AStrongest tierStrongest tier
Investment Range	$2.4M – $5.2M	$1.5M – $5.2M
Franchise Fee	$40K	$20K
Royalty Rate	Greater of 5% of Facility's Gross Revenue per month or $2,000 per month minimum	7.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.8M	N/A
SBA Charge-Off Rate	15.5% (169 loans)	0.0% (173 loans)
Total Units	182	2,568
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	1999	2018
FDD Year	2026	2025