Franopolis
    PFvs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    planet fitness vs SPECIAL STRONG

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    PFplanet fitness2026 FDDSPECIAL STRONG2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    planet fitness

    $1,282,500 – $5,386,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31 · printed p. 24

    SPECIAL STRONG

    $89,750

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    planet fitness

    Not available

    SPECIAL STRONG

    $47,250

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Royalty · Item 6

    planet fitness

    7% · percent of total gross monthly and annual membership fees payable via EFT Dues Draft

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 · printed p. 12

    SPECIAL STRONG

    8%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (planet fitness: 3, SPECIAL STRONG: 14). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    planet fitness

    $1,282,500 – $5,386,000
    Total
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31 · printed p. 24

    SPECIAL STRONG

    $89,750
    Total one territory
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    planet fitness

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    SPECIAL STRONG

    $47,250
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11
    Royalty (Item 6)

    planet fitness

    7% · percent of total gross monthly and annual membership fees payable via EFT Dues Draft
    Royalty
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 · printed p. 12

    SPECIAL STRONG

    8%
    Royalty rate for monthly gross revenue
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    planet fitness

    2% of eft dues draft; during 2026, 2% of eft dues draft plus 1% of monthly eft
    National Advertising Fund Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 21 · printed p. 14

    SPECIAL STRONG

    4%
    Maximum Brand Development Fund Contribution — 4%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    planet fitness

    2,709
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 91 · printed p. 84

    SPECIAL STRONG

    20
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 42
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    planet fitness

    +254
    Calculated: 2,455 at end of 2023 → 2,709 at end of 2025

    SPECIAL STRONG

    +13
    Calculated: 7 at end of 2022 → 20 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    planet fitness

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    SPECIAL STRONG

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    planet fitness

    2018
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    SPECIAL STRONG

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    planet fitness

    2018
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 8

    SPECIAL STRONG

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    PFplanet fitness
    Franchised (764 locations) — revenue
    $1,863,300
    other Annual EFT Revenue
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 83 · printed p. 76
    Franchised (763 locations) — revenue
    $2,705,811
    other Annual EFT Revenue
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 83 · printed p. 76
    Company-owned locations — other measures
    2.3 – 2,025 percent of gross membership EFT
    range Monthly declines and returns
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 87 · printed p. 80
    SPECIAL STRONG
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Location 1, operating in one territory, January 1 through December 3…
    $9,952
    other Franchised Location 1
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Location 2, operating in one territory, January 1 through December 3…
    $2,245
    other Franchised Location 2
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 44
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Location 4, operating in one territory, January 1 through December 3…
    $157,335
    other Gross Revenue amount: $157,334.50
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 45
    +11 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    planet fitness vs SPECIAL STRONG: common questions

    Which costs less to open, planet fitness or SPECIAL STRONG?
    planet fitness: $1,282,500 – $5,386,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 31 · printed p. 24); SPECIAL STRONG: $89,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for SPECIAL STRONG. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do planet fitness and SPECIAL STRONG royalties compare?
    planet fitness: 7% · percent of total gross monthly and annual membership fees payable via EFT Dues Draft (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19 · printed p. 12); SPECIAL STRONG: 8% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, planet fitness or SPECIAL STRONG?
    planet fitness: 2,709 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 91 · printed p. 84); SPECIAL STRONG: 20 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 42). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do planet fitness and SPECIAL STRONG disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    planet fitness has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 location groups; SPECIAL STRONG has reviewed Item 19 figures for 14 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    PF

    Full planet fitness report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full SPECIAL STRONG report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Compare planet fitness with

    Compare SPECIAL STRONG with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item