Which costs less to open, Primrose Schools or Willowbrae Academy?

Primrose Schools: $2,152,500 – $7,960,300 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Willowbrae Academy: $2,401,500 – $3,987,000 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 16). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Primrose Schools. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

Do Primrose Schools and Willowbrae Academy disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Primrose Schools has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Willowbrae Academy makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Primrose Schools vs Willowbrae Academy

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.

Primrose Schools2026 FDD

Willowbrae Academy2025 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Primrose Schools

$2,152,500 – $7,960,300

2026 FDD · Item 7

Willowbrae Academy

$2,401,500 – $3,987,000

2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 16

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Primrose Schools

Not available

Willowbrae Academy

$85,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 8

Royalty · Item 6

Primrose Schools

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 35

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

Before you compare

Primrose Schools figures come from its 2026 FDD and Willowbrae Academy figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
Primrose Schools discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
Only Primrose Schools has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

Financial commitment

Disclosure

Primrose Schools

Willowbrae Academy

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Primrose Schools

$2,152,500 – $7,960,300

2026 FDD · Item 7

Willowbrae Academy

$2,401,500 – $3,987,000

New facility startup cost table page 16; remaining categories and total $2,401,500–$3,987,000

2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 16

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Primrose Schools

Not available

No single standard fee identified

Willowbrae Academy

$85,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 8

Royalty (Item 6)

Primrose Schools

Royalty rate

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 35

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

No reviewed royalty record

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Primrose Schools

Brand fund maximum rate — 3%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 35

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

System scale & health

Disclosure

Primrose Schools

Willowbrae Academy

Total outlets (Item 20)

Primrose Schools

557

Outlets at end of 2025

2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 97

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

No reviewed outlet counts

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Primrose Schools

+52

Calculated: 505 at end of 2023 → 557 at end of 2025

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

Only one year reported

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Primrose Schools

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Primrose Schools

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Primrose Schools

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Willowbrae Academy

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Primrose Schools

Franchised (520 locations) — other measures and revenue

94 percent

other Top Quartile average occupancy

2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 85

Willowbrae Academy

Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

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.

Primrose Schools vs Willowbrae Academy: common questions

Which costs less to open, Primrose Schools or Willowbrae Academy?: Primrose Schools: $2,152,500 – $7,960,300 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Willowbrae Academy: $2,401,500 – $3,987,000 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 16). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Primrose Schools. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
Do Primrose Schools and Willowbrae Academy disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Primrose Schools has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Willowbrae Academy makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. 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