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

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

Which earns more, PLANET FITNESS or Gold’s Gym?

PLANET FITNESS reports $1,873,895 average annual unit revenue vs $1,797,000 for Gold’s Gym (FDD Item 19). PLANET FITNESS is higher.

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

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

PLANET FITNESS vs Gold’s Gym

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both PLANET FITNESS and Gold’s Gym are health & fitness franchises. PLANET FITNESS requires an investment of $1.5M – $5.2M while Gold’s Gym requires $2.4M – $5.2M. In terms of revenue, PLANET FITNESS reports higher average unit revenue at $1.9M. Gold’s Gym has SBA lending data on file with a 15.5% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates PLANET FITNESS A (Strongest tier) and Gold’s Gym C (Average).

Metric	PLANET FITNESS	Gold’s Gym
Verdict Grade	AStrongest tier	CAverage
Investment Range	$1.5M – $5.2M	$2.4M – $5.2M
Franchise Fee	$20K	$40K
Royalty Rate	7.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$1.9M	$1.8M
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	15.5% (169 loans)
Total Units	2,568	182
Unit Growth (YoY)	+97 units	-27 units
Year Began Franchising	2018	1999
FDD Year	2025	2026