Brands · Compare
Compare franchise brands side by side
Pick two to four brands. Each column is that brand's own filing: what a unit cost to open, what it pays the franchisor, what the franchisor says a unit sells, and how many closed, with the FDD page under every figure.
| From the FDD | McDonald's2026 FDD · Restaurant | Subway2026 FDD · Restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low to high | $1,472,000 – $2,807,000Item 7 · p. 16 | $263,000 – $630,000Item 7 · p. 43 |
| Midpoint (site arithmetic) | $2,139,500 | $446,500 |
| Initial franchise fee | $45,000Item 5 · p. 9 | $15,000Item 5 · p. 21 |
| Royalty | 5% or 4% of Gross Sales depending on the circumstances, monthlyItem 6 · p. 10 | 8% of total gross sales, weeklyItem 6 · p. 28 |
| Advertising fund | not less than 4% of Gross SalesItem 6 · p. 10 | 4.5% of total gross sales, weeklyItem 6 · p. 28 |
| Median unit revenue, franchisor's figure | $3,887,000Item 19 · p. 34, 35, 36 · 12,212 units · calendar 2025 | No Item 19Item 19 · p. 84 |
| What Item 19 measures | annual sales volume | No representation made |
| Revenue ÷ investment midpoint | 1.82 (2.64 at the low end, 1.38 at the high) | Undefined |
| Franchised units closed over three years | 1.54%197 closures ÷ 12,764 at start of 2023 · Item 20 · p. 43 | 13.35%2,746 closures ÷ 20,576 at start of 2023 · Item 20 · p. 93 |
| Franchised units, net change over three years | +298 (2.3%) | -1,803 (-8.8%) |
| Franchised units, end of latest year | 13,062 | 18,773 |
Columns are in the order you picked them. Nothing is scored, colored or ranked: each brand's figures use its own measure, sample, period and Item 7 inclusions, so a bigger or smaller number in one row is not a verdict. The brand page says what each figure includes.
Every figure is from the brand's current FDD as filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, cited to item and page on its brand page. Informational only, not professional advice. Last reviewed: November 2026.