We’ve found many high-quality, low-cost franchises that have many locations nationwide and reasonable investment fees. They cover a range of industries, including fitness, cleaning, travel, and food service.
We’ve listed several affordable franchises in the US with at least 100 locations and an initial franchise fee starting under $25,000, sorted by the lowest possible initial franchise fee.
1. Stroll
Stroll is a monthly publication for upscale residential communities. The magazine features stories about the hobbies, travel adventures, and favorite local spots of other people in the reader’s neighborhood—all with the goal of fostering stronger community connections. Franchisees can also organize exclusive events for both residents and local business partners in the neighborhood, making Stroll a fantastic tool for networking. Stroll claims to have reached over 1.2 million households and has more than 18,000 advertising partners.
- Initial franchise fee: $0–$570
- Number of US locations: 500+ communities served
- Royalty fees: 15%
- Franchise term: 2 years
- Annual sales: $95+ million (company-wide)
2. Sign Gypsies
Sign Gypsies is a franchise company that creates personalized yard signs for purposes ranging from birthday parties and anniversaries to graduation ceremonies and corporate events. It caters to individual customers like families and business clients like schools and companies. Sign Gypsies is particularly good about providing franchisee support, with assistance available for ad templates, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, website development, and more.
- Initial franchise fee: $1,000 (Minimum of $5,000 in liquid assets required)
- Number of US locations: 800+
- Royalty fees: None; call Sign Gypsies for details
- Franchise term: 1 year
- Annual sales: $730,000+ (Estimate based on other franchisees in the retail industry)
3. Jazzercise
Jazzercise is a fitness franchise company established in 1969; it is present in over 30 countries and boasts more than 8,000 franchisees worldwide. Jazzercise offers two types of franchise: an Instructor Franchise in which you can focus on teaching exercise classes instead of running the business side of the franchise; and a Class Owner Franchise in which you run your own Jazzercise small business. Instructors hold their classes within the locations of Class Owners.
- Initial franchise fee: $1,250 (may be made in two payments)
- Number of US locations: 1,040
- Royalty fees: 20%
- Franchise term: 5 years
- Annual sales: $77 million in 2023 (company-wide)
4. Ameriprise
Ameriprise is a financial services, bank holding, and wealth management firm—one of the largest in the US. It offers planning and management services for estates, assets, insurance, and other financial products. Most of the company’s franchisees/advisors are brokers and insurance agents who may also sell investment and insurance products. If you join as an advisor, you’ll receive equity ownership opportunities, specialist support and mentoring, office space, and employee benefits such as life and disability insurance.
- Initial franchise fee: $1,500
- Number of US locations: 10,000+ franchisees/advisors
- Royalty fees: $750 – $2,000 monthly advisory fee (depends on advisor’s number of accounts)
- Franchise term: 3 – 10 years
- Annual sales: $15.4 billion in 2023 (company-wide)
5. Assist-2-Sell
Assist-2-Sell is a real estate brokerage firm that gives home sellers listings, with a focus on getting each listing enough attention to move the process along quickly. The firm prefers that their franchisees possess three or more years of experience working in residential real estate; franchisees may also need to have a broker’s license to begin working with Assist-2-Sell. That said, the firm is still a good choice for franchisees who meet these criteria; it demands only low royalty fees, and is doing well enough to begin expanding into Canada and Mexico.
- Initial franchise fee: $2,995
- Number of US locations: 122+
- Royalty fees: 5% (+1% ad royalty fee)
- Franchise term: 1 year
- Annual sales: $8.3 million (company-wide)
6. Chester’s Chicken
Chester’s Chicken is a quick-service restaurant (QSR) that offers fried chicken, sandwiches, and tenders in supermarkets, convenience stores, and truck stops. Initial fees and overall investment are relatively low for a food franchise, and previous experience isn’t necessary if you want to get started with your own franchise. Franchisees can expect classroom and on-the-job training for marketing, operations management, inventory management, and sales. Even after you open your location, an operations manager will check in with you regularly in case you need additional support.
- Initial franchise fee: $3,500
- Number of US locations: 1,200+
- Royalty fees: 5% – 6%
- Franchise term: 5 years
- Annual sales: $50,000 – $100,000 per franchise
7. Corvus Janitorial Systems
Corvus Janitorial Systems is a franchise company offering commercial cleaning and disinfection services for offices, clinics, fitness centers, daycares, and more. It uses eco-friendly cleaning products and follows green practices such as minimizing water and energy usage. Franchisees receive marketing and sales training from Corvus, including support for finding new clients. Company employees from any one of the 22 regional support offices will offer ongoing training for franchisees.
- Initial franchise fee: $6,500 – $16,500
- Number of US locations: 22 regional support offices; 1,000+ franchisees
- Royalty fees: 10%
- Franchise term: 10 years
- Annual sales: $1.7 million in 2023 (company-wide)
8. Fit4Mom
Fit4Mom is a fitness and recreation-focused company that targets women who want to improve their pre- and post-natal health, physical fitness, and overall wellness. The company offers a wide variety of exercise programs for women in all stages of motherhood—in some cases, even including the babies in the programs, such as with “Stroller Stride” workouts. Fit4Mom offers both in-person engagement as well as digital products and programs.
- Initial franchise fee: $7,500+
- Number of US locations: 1,800+
- Royalty fees: 4% – 7% of gross sales
- Franchise term: 3 years
- Annual sales: Around $276 million (company-wide)
9. Coffee News
Coffee News is a weekly publication distributed in restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and similar locations where people wait or linger for a period of time. The publication promotes and advertises local businesses and also includes local events, trivia, entertainment, and humor to hook readers in. The tone is light-hearted and family-friendly, intended to be a contrast to more serious or heavy news topics. Franchisees (also called publishers) network with and sell advertising to small businesses, engage in local organizations, and can also act as consultants for client businesses.
- Initial franchise fee: $9,900
- Number of locations: 400+ worldwide
- Royalty fees: $40 – $80 per week
- Franchise term: 4 years
- Annual sales: Not disclosed; the Newspapers & Magazines market in the US is forecast to exceed $41 billion in 2024.
10. Dream Vacations
Dream Vacations is a travel agency franchise that uses a virtual model; the company makes it as easy as possible for franchisees to sign up and work as travel agents from anywhere. It does not require franchisees to have any experience in the travel industry, and it provides support with lead generation programs, database growth, and 24/7 support—both virtual and in-person.
- Initial franchise fee: $10,500 (financing available; can start for $3,500 down)
- Number of US locations: 2,078
- Royalty fees: 1.5% – 3%
- Franchise term: 5 years
- Annual sales: $336,971 per employee
11. Computer Troubleshooters
Computer Troubleshooters is an international network of IT service franchise offices; each office is locally owned and operated by franchisees but remains part of the larger network. The company as a whole provides resources that allow its franchisees to offer customized technology solutions. Customers get solutions such as data backup and recovery, cloud services, security services, remote support, hardware troubleshooting and repair, and more.
- Initial franchise fee: $10,000 – $20,000
- Number of US locations: 425+ (worldwide)
- Royalty fees: $300 – $750 per month plus $150 per month ad royalty fee
- Franchise term: 10 years
- Annual sales: $124.2 million (company-wide)
12. Just Love Coffee
Just Love Coffee is an exception on our list as it has an initial franchise fee above $25,000 and fewer than 100 locations. I decided to include it because its $39,000 starting fee is relatively low for the food industry, and the company boasts impressive annual sales figures per franchise. The company is upfront about estimated expenditures for franchise owners and works with third-party financial institutions to help you secure financing if necessary.
You won’t need restaurant-specific experience when starting a franchise, and Just Love Coffee provides training for building customer relationships, marketing, and social media advertising. The company even helps you craft a full business plan before you get started.
- Initial franchise fee: $39,000
- Number of US locations: 29+
- Royalty fees: 6% plus 2% for system development
- Franchise term: 10 years
- Annual sales: $297,000 per franchise
How to Choose a Franchise to Open
We’ve put together a full step-by-step guide how to open a franchise, but in general, here are some questions to ask yourself when selecting a brand for which you want to be a franchisee:
- How recognizable is the brand name? A well-known brand that has good standing with the public is more likely to be a good investment and provide steady profits. Of course, such brands will also charge more for their franchise licenses.
- What support does the franchisor offer? Because franchisors want their franchisees to succeed (and subsequently pay royalties), they often offer various kinds of support to new licensees. This may include training in marketing and advertising, hiring and employee management, and proper accounting. Clarify what kind of training and support you can expect from a franchisor before you commit to them.
- What are the initial and ongoing costs? In addition to paying an initial franchise fee, you’ll need to pay royalties to the franchise owner. Royalty payments are typically made annually, and they can get expensive. Before committing, ensure you are crystal clear on what the franchise’s initial costs, royalty payments, quotas, and miscellaneous fees look like.
Learn more about this business model and its pros and cons in our small business guide to franchises. Or, read our guide on how to choose a business to start.
How We Evaluated Low-cost Franchises
With so many franchise options available for budding entrepreneurs, we had to be meticulous while crafting our list of the best low-cost franchises. Aside from the franchise fees and number of locations, we kept the following points in mind when making recommendations:
- Company information and disclosures: We combed through multiple sources such as the International Franchise Professionals Group while collecting data, as well as each business’ own website and disclosures about training, support, and franchise fees.
- Industry expertise: Where possible, we consulted colleagues who have experience in the particular industries we covered in our list (especially for food-based franchises).
Bottom Line
Franchises can be great starting points for people looking to start their own business. And, as you can see, there are many low-cost franchise opportunities to explore. If you’re planning on getting financing for either all or a portion of the startup costs, consider the options available in our franchise financing guide.
