Numerous websites help you find franchises—but they are not all the same. Some websites have in-depth reviews, list international franchises, and provide direct support. Other websites may specialize in franchise resales such as BizBuySale and BusinessBroker.net.
Here are the 11 best websites to find franchises:
1. Franchise Business Review
Locations: USA-only
Offer franchise resales: No
Contact franchisors directly: Yes
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Franchise rating system, gives awards for best franchises
Franchise Business Review has researched over 1,100 franchise brands covering all business segments. The directory lets you search by industry, investment, and special interests like innovation or second-career. Franchise Business Review also offers a top 200 list. You may get value from its learning center with guides and articles for franchise beginners and new owners.
This franchise website stands out from other sites because it provides excellent reviews. For each franchise, it grades them in areas such as training, leadership, core values, community, and the overall opportunity. Franchise Business Review offers a report card and score, along with a summary of the franchise. The website has unique questions and answers section for each franchise to know the business better.
Visit Franchise Business Review
2. Franchise Opportunities
Locations: USA-only
Offer franchise resales: No
Contact franchisors directly: No
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Useful links for startups, notes military discounts
Franchise Opportunities has been connecting franchisees and franchisors for over 30 years. The website is easy to use because it organizes popular franchises by industry, right on the homepage. Each franchise has extended summaries that include basic financial information, potential locations, notes on the best candidates, and whether the franchiser offers a military discount.
What separates Franchise Opportunities from the competition is its overall network. The parent company has a franchise broker website called BusinessBroker.net. So, if you’re interested in a particular franchise but don’t want to start from scratch, it can help connect you with a similar resale.
3. Franchise Gator
Locations: USA and International
Offer franchise resales: Yes
Contact franchisors directly: No
Support: Listings and links to additional resources
Standout Feature: Includes press releases, social media about the franchises
Franchise Gator lists hundreds of franchise opportunities around the world. After searching by industry, investment, or location, you will see an easy-to-read summary of the franchise. This franchise website offers an informational blog and lets you request information on multiple franchises at once.
What separates Franchise Gator from other websites is that the franchise summaries are thorough. If available, they will list recent information like the franchise’s Twitter feed, awards, and press releases. This is a great way to learn more about the franchise and its culture in a public setting.
4. FranchiseGrade.com
Locations: USA-only
Offer franchise resales: No
Contact franchisors directly: No
Support: No-cost adviser
Standout Feature: Free access to advisers, in-depth franchise industry reports
FranchiseGrade.com shines with its in-depth reports on over 2,500 of franchises in a large variety of industries. Its team has compiled in-depth reports for over 50 franchise industries. The reports include crucial information like the average initial investment for that industry and income potential. You can access these reports when you sign up for a free account.
What separates FranchiseGrade.com from competitors is its free advice with a franchise consultant. In addition to messaging them with a question, you can contact one of its experts in franchises, such as its chief customer officer, vice president of franchise development, or chief executive officer. Yes—all their direct lines are listed on the website.
5. Franchise Direct
Locations: USA and International
Offer franchise resales: No
Contact franchisors directly: No
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Dedicated section for work-from-home opportunities
Franchise Direct provides information on some of the most popular franchises such as Ace Hardware, Midas, and Huntington Learning Center. It’s a franchise portal searchable by location, investment, or industry. Also, you can browse the top trending franchises through the site.
While some sites let you filter by at-home opportunities, Franchise Direct’s website has a dedicated section for these businesses. Additionally, it provides several articles and resources to learn more about working-from-home. It’s an excellent place to start if you are concerned about the pandemic or prefer the at-home option.
6. All USA Franchises
Locations: USA-only
Contact franchisors directly: Yes
Offer franchise resales: Yes
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Franchise-specific resources such as lawyers, consultants, and brokers
All USA Franchises contains a searchable directory of over 3,000 franchises. Its software enables potential franchisees to make interview appointments directly with franchisors on the website. It also provides a curated list of resources for potential franchisees—lawyers, brokers, advisers, and consultants.
What makes All USA Franchises unique among competitors is that it’s largely ad free. There is only one small ad on the site. The company does not earn revenue by advertising franchises. The majority of their revenue comes from its digital marketing arm: WebFindYou, a marketing agency specializing in franchises. A franchise directory largely without ads provides a much more user-friendly experience.
7. America’s Best Franchises
Location: USA-only
Contact franchisors directly: No
Offer franchise resales: No
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Suggests alternate franchises within listings
America’s Best Franchises is a comprehensive directory of thousands of successful franchises. You can search by industry, cost, and state. Franchise summaries include general information about the business, finances, history, and the number of units. It also lets you know if financing is available in-house.
What makes America’s Best Franchises unique is its well-designed website. Its easy-to-read organization makes it a breeze to learn about franchises. This website also has an informative learning center with additional links to help you find more information. You can learn about securing financing, get recommendations for business groups and magazines, and find other useful advice.
Visit America’s Best Franchises
8. TopFranchise.com
Location: USA and international
Contact franchisors directly: No
Offer franchise resales: No
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Largest selection of international franchises
TopFranchise.com provides thousands of franchises from around the world. The franchise listings are well-curated and read more like a blog than a stale directory listing. If you’re considering starting your own franchise, it has quality resources and provide a no-cost consultation from an adviser.
What separates TopFranchise.com from other websites is its international reach. Browse available franchises in countries like India, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. If you’re interested in bringing a different, international franchise to the U.S., this is a great website to start your search.
9. BizBuySell
Locations: International
Contact franchisors directly: Yes
Offer franchise resales: Yes
Support: Broker
Standout Feature: Discover resale businesses and assets such as equipment
If you are unsure if you want a franchise or an established business, BizBuySell is a franchise and business portal worth exploring. Franchise summaries often include on-location photos, financial information, growth potential, and competition analysis. You need a paid membership to unlock further details, but you can contact the seller directly.
One aspect that makes BizBuySale unique is that you can look for asset sales in addition to searching for franchises and businesses. For example, there are several asset listings for restaurant equipment. You can also purchase intellectual property (IP) such as a food recipe.
10. Franchising.com
Locations: USA and Canada
Offer franchise resales: No
Contact franchisors directly: No
Support: Listings-only
Standout Feature: Great information for beginners, excellent resources for learning
Franchising.com offers a wide variety of franchise opportunities. You can search by industry, investment, location, and business type,such as eco-friendly, home-based, or franchises specifically for women. The summaries are not as detailed as other sites, however, and to learn more, you need to request information through Franchising.com rather than directly.
This is one of the best franchise websites for information about the industry in general. If you’re unsure what type of business you’d like to start, this info can help you make that decision. You can find guides, articles, links, and videos. Subscribe to its free newsletter to get the latest franchise industry info delivered to your inbox.
11. Franchise.org (International Franchise Association)
Locations: USA and International
Contact franchisors directly: Yes
Offer franchise resales: Yes
Support: Adviser and broker with membership
Standout Feature: One feature of an overall organization of franchisers
The International Franchise Association (IFA) operates franchise.org. It lists thousands of franchise opportunities from IFA members. It lets you search by industry, using filters to drill down to location, investment, and even veteran status. It’s a useful tool if you know where your passion lies. It also lets you compare franchises.
What separates the International Franchise Organization’s website from others is its resources. The downside is that the company is a dues-paying organization. However, members can take advantage of mentoring, networking, counsel, and more.
Bottom Line
Because of the effects shutdowns have had on small businesses, we are entering a buyer’s market for franchises. The pandemic will cause some franchise owners to sell, which means that you may be able to find a profitable and well-functioning business at a low-price. Instead of building the franchise from the ground up and hiring new employees, you could buy into a situation that makes your life as a franchisee much easier.
