Anytime Fitness vs Planet Fitness
Both in Fitness
| Metric | Anytime Fitness | Planet Fitness |
|---|---|---|
| Investment (Low) Minimum estimated initial investment from the FDD, including franchise fee and build-out. Lower is better. | $459K | $1.5M |
| Investment (High) Maximum estimated initial investment. Lower is better for the buyer. | $908K | $5.2M |
| Franchise Fee One-time upfront fee paid to the franchisor. Lower is better. | $23K | $20K |
| Royalty Ongoing percentage of gross revenue paid to the franchisor, typically weekly or monthly. | — | 7% |
| Total Units Total franchised and company-owned locations. More units generally means a more proven system. | 2,301 | 2,568 |
| Growth Rate Net change in total units over the last year. Negative growth may signal franchisee closures. | -0.35% | 4.4% |
| Health Score Composite score (1-100) based on growth, fees, scale, and data quality. Higher is better. | 57 | 89 |
Green = better on that metric. Based on official FDD data.
The convenience play vs the real estate play
Planet Fitness isn't really in the fitness business — it's in the real estate arbitrage business. They lease 15,000-20,000 sq ft boxes (often former retail spaces available cheap), fill them with low-maintenance cardio equipment, and sign up members at $10-25/month who statistically visit 4-5 times per month. The business model depends on members not showing up. If all PF members used the gym regularly, the facilities would be physically overcrowded. Anytime Fitness is the opposite model: small 4,000-6,000 sq ft spaces, 24-hour unmanned access via key fob, and a member base that actually works out.
The royalty structure creates a hidden divergence in operator economics. Anytime Fitness charges a flat $820/month royalty regardless of revenue — which means as your revenue grows, your effective royalty rate drops. At $300K annual revenue, that's 3.3%. At $500K, it's 2%. Planet Fitness charges 7% of gross revenue, so their take scales linearly with your success. At PF's average unit volume of $1.89M, you're paying $132K/year in royalties vs Anytime's $9,840. That $122K annual difference is the cost of Planet Fitness's national advertising machine.
Planet Fitness's 'Judgement Free Zone' branding is a moat that Anytime can't replicate because it's not just marketing — it's operationalized through lunk alarms, pizza nights, and a deliberate policy of not catering to serious lifters. This attracts the exact demographic (infrequent exercisers) that makes the business model work. Anytime attracts a broader fitness spectrum but doesn't have a cultural identity that's equally defensible.
The saturation question matters more for PF than Anytime. Planet Fitness needs large-format retail spaces in specific trade areas with the right demographics (middle-income, car-dependent suburbs). Those spaces are finite, and PF is approaching saturation in many Northeast and Midwest metros. Anytime's small-format model fits into strip malls, office parks, and mixed-use buildings that PF can't occupy — giving them more real estate runway even in dense markets.
Choose Planet Fitness if you have the capital for a large-format build and want a high-revenue, marketing-driven model in an unsaturated market; choose Anytime Fitness for lower capital, flat-fee royalties, and more flexible real estate options.
Not sure which to choose?
A franchise consultant can introduce you to franchisees from both brands, verify the Item 19 numbers on the ground, and help you avoid a territory that's already saturated. Their fee comes from the franchisor — your consultation costs nothing.