Independent franchise review

Anytime Fitness; Anytime Fitness Express Franchise Review (2026): Costs, Fees, Revenue Potential

Anytime Fitness is a Health & Wellness franchise built around fitness centers offering member access, one-on-one training, small and large group training, nutrition, coaching, and recovery services. The disclosure also states the system uses an access and security platform that allows members access across centers, and franchisees must staff the center for minimum weekly hours while offering training and coaching services.

Quick verdict: 👉 Mixed — mature unit base and detailed revenue disclosure, but startup costs and the recurring fee stack are substantial.


Snapshot

At a glance
  • Category: Health & Wellness
  • Initial Investment: $458,826 to $907,607
  • Franchise Fee: $22,500 disclosed as the selected minimum; the disclosure also lists higher franchise fee amounts depending on location count and structure
  • Royalty: Currently $820 per month per center; franchisor reserves the right to replace this with a royalty of up to 8% of Gross Revenue
  • Marketing / Ad Fee: Currently $600 per month per center; may increase up to the greater of $600 per month or 2% of Gross Revenue
  • Key additional recurring fees: $799 monthly base technology fee; Coaching Suite fee currently $149 per center for 1–3 centers and $109 per center for 4–9 centers, with stated caps for increases
  • Number of locations: 2,301 total outlets at year-end 2024, including 2,290 franchised and 11 company-owned
  • Best Fit: Owner-operator or manager-led operator with a designated on-premises supervisor

What does it cost to start?

The estimated initial investment ranges from $458,826 to $907,607, which places this in a high-cost startup range. The disclosure also lists additional funds of $46,620 to $48,000, suggesting a meaningful working-capital requirement beyond buildout and opening costs.

Major cost drivers appear to include the franchise fee, facility development, equipment, technology-related setup, and required launch spending. The disclosure specifically requires a Grand Opening and Ramp Up Program budget of $11,000 to $23,000 for an Anytime Fitness center.

The initial franchise fee is not presented as a single simple number across all structures. The disclosure includes multiple fee schedules tied to location count, and the selected minimum disclosed figure is $22,500, while other listed one-location amounts go higher. That means buyers should confirm which fee tier applies to their specific deal.


Fee structure

Key recurring fees disclosed include:

  • Monthly fee / royalty substitute: $820 per month per center, with the right to replace it with a royalty of up to 8% of Gross Revenue
  • General advertising and marketing fee: $600 per month per center, with the right to increase it up to the greater of $600 per month or 2% of Gross Revenue
  • Base technology fee: $799 per month per center
  • Coaching Suite fee: currently $149 per center for 1–3 centers, $109 per center for 4–9 centers, and a reduced structure for 10+ centers
  • Possible charitable contribution: $100 per month, though the disclosure states this is not currently required
  • Inspection fee: generally $50 to $100 if applicable

This is a layered fee structure. Even before variable or event-driven charges, the fixed monthly obligations are meaningful, and they sit on top of labor, occupancy, and other operating costs not summarized here.


Can you make money with Anytime Fitness; Anytime Fitness Express?

Yes, the FDD includes Item 19 revenue data for franchised Anytime Fitness centers.

Section I: Franchised centers operating with Coaching Suite

Sample includes 1,656 franchised centers that were open and operating for the 12-month period ended February 28, 2025, were using the Coaching Suite during that period, and reported training revenues.

The disclosure states it excluded:

  • 2 centers that were severely damaged and temporarily closed for rebuilding
  • 29 centers that permanently closed during the period

Average revenue by category:

  • Membership revenue: $339,064
  • Personal training revenue: $74,006
  • Pay-per-visit revenue: $29,615
  • Total revenue: $442,686

Median revenue by category:

  • Membership revenue: $301,444
  • Personal training revenue: $49,858
  • Pay-per-visit revenue: $24,011
  • Total revenue: $394,973

Quartiles for total revenue:

  • Top quartile average: $742,106
  • Top quartile median: $670,417
  • Third quartile average: $455,273
  • Third quartile median: $451,275
  • Second quartile average: $341,403
  • Second quartile median: $341,755
  • First quartile average: $231,962
  • First quartile median: $239,134

Range for total revenue:

  • Highest: $1,835,348
  • Lowest: $86,175

Membership count context:

  • Average monthly membership count: 677
  • Median monthly membership count: 604
  • Top quartile median monthly membership count: 976
  • First quartile median monthly membership count: 412

Section II: Franchised centers using all 5 SmartCoaching tools

This section covers 297 centers.

Average revenue by category:

  • Membership revenue: $375,551
  • Personal training revenue: $120,336
  • Pay-per-visit revenue: $35,863
  • Total revenue: $531,750

Median revenue by category:

  • Membership revenue: $337,067
  • Personal training revenue: $94,242
  • Pay-per-visit revenue: $28,189
  • Total revenue: $484,987

Quartiles for total revenue:

  • Top quartile average: $865,546
  • Top quartile median: $799,172
  • Third quartile average: $553,589
  • Third quartile median: $553,350
  • Second quartile average: $422,441
  • Second quartile median: $419,661
  • First quartile average: $286,901
  • First quartile median: $294,567

Range for total revenue:

  • Highest: $1,671,943
  • Lowest: $152,535

These figures show a wide spread between lower- and higher-performing units. In Section I, median total revenue is about $395k, while top-quartile median total revenue is about $670k and first-quartile median is about $239k. That suggests unit performance varies materially across the system.

The SmartCoaching subset reports higher revenue levels than the broader Coaching Suite group, but it is a narrower subset of 297 centers, so it should not be treated as the systemwide baseline.

Revenue is not profit. The disclosure excerpt here does not establish what a typical franchisee earns after rent, payroll, utilities, debt service, local marketing, and other operating costs. The disclosure also does not clearly establish from the figures provided here whether the reported revenue data is audited.

The Item 19 summary also references a Section III using company-owned centers to provide a statement of revenue, expenses, and earnings with adjusted franchisee costs, but the specific numbers for that section are not provided here.


Business model

  • Model: Primarily B2C fitness center business
  • Revenue pattern: Recurring membership revenue plus training, coaching, and pay-per-visit revenue
  • Operations: Physical location, staffing requirements, training/coaching delivery, access-control technology, and ongoing member management
  • Hours / access: The disclosure indicates 24/7-style access through the access and security system, while also requiring minimum staffed hours

This is an operating business with both membership retention and service delivery components. Revenue is not limited to dues; training and coaching appear to be meaningful secondary revenue streams in the disclosed tables.


Pros and considerations

Advantages

  • Large operating base, with 2,301 total outlets at year-end 2024
  • Item 19 includes revenue data for a large sample of 1,656 franchised centers in the main Coaching Suite group
  • Revenue is diversified across membership, personal training, and pay-per-visit categories
  • The disclosure does not require the franchisee to personally supervise the center if a Principal Operator is designated

Considerations

  • Startup cost is high at $458,826 to $907,607
  • Fixed monthly fees are substantial, including $820, $600, and $799 core monthly charges before some other fees
  • The franchisor reserves the right to shift the monthly fee structure to a royalty of up to 8% of Gross Revenue
  • Revenue dispersion is wide, with total revenue ranging from $86,175 to $1,835,348 in the main Item 19 group
  • Item 19 excludes 29 permanently closed centers, which matters when interpreting reported revenue outcomes

Who this franchise may fit

This franchise may fit an operator comfortable with a location-based fitness business, ongoing staffing, member service, and a relatively heavy fixed-cost structure. It may also fit someone who wants the option to appoint an on-premises supervisor rather than personally running day-to-day operations.

It likely does not fit buyers seeking a low-cost startup, a simple fee structure, or a business model with limited staffing and facility oversight.


FDD-based risk notes

  • Territory is non-exclusive, so the disclosure does not indicate protected exclusivity around the location
  • The system’s outlet count declined from 2,347 total outlets at the start of 2022 to 2,301 at the end of 2024
  • The franchise term is 6 years, which can matter when weighing buildout costs against the contract period
  • The disclosure indicates cross-default provisions between the Franchise Agreement and Area Development Agreement
  • Some defaults are curable with 30 days to cure, but the disclosure also references non-curable defaults

Final assessment

Anytime Fitness presents a mature fitness-center model with meaningful recurring membership revenue and a large Item 19 sample showing actual unit revenue levels. The main tradeoff is that the concept combines a high initial investment and layered ongoing fees with materially variable unit revenue, so the decision depends on whether an operator is comfortable underwriting a facility-heavy, staff-dependent business without assuming revenue will translate into profit.


FAQ

How much does it cost to start an Anytime Fitness franchise?

The estimated initial investment is **$458,826 to $907,607**.

What is the franchise fee?

The selected minimum disclosed franchise fee is **$22,500**, though the disclosure also lists higher fee amounts depending on structure and number of locations.

What revenue does an Anytime Fitness unit make?

In the main Item 19 group of **1,656 centers**, average total revenue was **$442,686** and median total revenue was **$394,973**.

Is that profit?

No. These are revenue figures, not profit, and the disclosure excerpt here does not establish typical net income.

Can this be run semi-absentee?

The disclosure says you do not have to personally supervise the center, but if you do not, you must designate a Principal Operator as the on-premises supervisor.

How many locations are in the system?

At year-end 2024, the system had **2,301 total outlets**, including **2,290 franchised** and **11 company-owned**. ---

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