Is The Shade or The Only Facial cheaper to open?

The Shade costs $295,250–$482,300 and The Only Facial costs $298,850–$459,500 to open (FDD Item 7). The Shade has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, The Shade or The Only Facial?

FranchiseVerdict grades The Shade C and The Only Facial C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

The Shade vs The Only Facial

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both The Shade and The Only Facial are personal care & beauty franchises. The Shade requires an investment of $295K – $482K while The Only Facial requires $299K – $460K. FranchiseVerdict rates The Shade C (Average) and The Only Facial C (Average).

Metric	The Shade	The Only Facial
Verdict Grade	CAverageAverage	CAverageAverage
Investment Range	$295K – $482K	$299K – $460K
Franchise Fee	$50K	$45K
Royalty Rate	8.0%	6.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/A	N/A
SBA Charge-Off Rate	N/A	N/A
Total Units	0	7
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2026	2024
FDD Year	2026	2025