Is McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A cheaper to open?

McDonald’s costs $1,472,000–$2,807,000 and Chick-fil-A costs $426,735–$2,339,525 to open (FDD Item 7). Chick-fil-A has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A?

McDonald’s reports $4,057,000 average annual unit revenue vs $9,317,007 for Chick-fil-A (FDD Item 19). Chick-fil-A is higher. For Chick-fil-A: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.

Which is the better franchise, McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A?

FranchiseVerdict grades McDonald’s A and Chick-fil-A A, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

McDonald’s vs Chick-fil-A

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are quick-service restaurants franchises. McDonald’s requires an investment of $1.5M – $2.8M while Chick-fil-A requires $427K – $2.3M. In terms of revenue, Chick-fil-A reports higher average unit revenue at $9.3M. Note: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. FranchiseVerdict rates McDonald’s A (Strongest tier) and Chick-fil-A A (Strongest tier).

Metric	McDonald’s	Chick-fil-A
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	AStrongest tier
Investment Range	$1.5M – $2.8M	$427K – $2.3M
Franchise Fee	$45K	$10K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	15.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$4.1M	$9.3MOutlet subset
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	Limited data
Total Units	13,706	2,684
Unit Growth (YoY)	+175 units	+135 units
Year Began Franchising	1955	1992
FDD Year	2026	2025