Franchises under $50,000: low-cost franchise opportunities
Short answer: Across 437 brands in the SelectFranchiseList database (compiled October 2026), the median minimum initial investment is $31,300 and the median starting franchise fee is $15,000. The lowest starting investment in this group is Mood Media at $0.
This list includes franchises whose total initial investment starts below $50,000, based on the low end of each brand's Item 7 range. The high end of the range is usually the better planning figure.
What do franchises in this group cost?
Franchises in this group have a median minimum investment of $31,300, a median starting franchise fee of $15,000 and a median liquid cash requirement of $10,000, calculated from 437 brands in the SelectFranchiseList database. Medians use the low end of each brand's reported range.
Which franchises are on the list?
The table sorts 437 franchises from the lowest to the highest starting investment, 100 per page. This page shows brands 1 to 100.
| Franchise | Franchise fee | Total investment | Min. cash | US units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mood Media | $0 | $0 to $15,000 | $0 | 73 |
| Techy | $0 | $0 | $0 | 56 |
| Belocal | $735 | $1,925 to $10,910 | $0 | 143 |
| Real Producers | $735 | $1,925 to $11,910 | $0 | 138 |
| Cruise Planners | $695 to $10,995 | $1,945 to $20,505 | $0 | 3,009 |
| Stroll | $735 | $2,010 to $12,560 | $0 | 603 |
| Ideal Curves | $1,000 | $2,075 to $15,500 | $0 | 4 |
| Travel Leaders Network | $0 to $2,500 | $2,270 to $17,910 | $0 | 192 |
| Bento Sushi | $2,000 to $100,000 | $2,600 to $171,800 | $10,000 | 63 |
| Bosch Auto Service Shop | $30,000 | $2,695 to $37,685 | $0 | N/R |
| Loyalty Networking | $0 to $350,000 | $2,700 to $356,900 | $20,000 | N/R |
| Kuk Sool Won | $500 to $24,000 | $2,895 to $70,800 | $5,000 | 79 |
| College Pro | $0 | $2,925 to $14,010 | $0 | 120 |
| Integriserv Cleaning Systems | $2,520 to $44,000 | $3,145 to $50,005 | $5,000 | 89 |
| Winchell's Donut House | $0 | $3,400 to $71,700 | $5,000 | 31 |
| Poop 911 | $0 | $3,620 to $25,970 | $0 | 207 |
| Jazzercise | $1,250 | $3,935 to $40,725 | $5,000 | 5,251 |
| Sign Gypsies | $1,000 | $4,150 to $9,900 | $0 | 588 |
| Infinity Martial Arts Schools | $30,000 | $4,250 to $17,400 | $0 | 8 |
| Openworks | $2,500 to $72,000 | $4,250 to $134,480 | $5,000 | 414 |
| Dystopia Rising | $2,000 | $4,450 to $9,750 | $0 | 14 |
| Singers Company | $0 to $23,600 | $4,650 to $31,750 | $0 | 61 |
| Stratus Building Solutions | $3,600 to $69,000 | $4,725 to $79,750 | $5,000 | 3,786 |
| AmSpirit Business Connections | $1,000 | $4,900 to $15,600 | $0 | 19 |
| Jan-Pro Cleaning & Disinfecting | $2,520 to $60,000 | $4,920 to $78,140 | $5,000 | 9,974 |
| ApTask | $1 | $4,951 to $19,301 | $0 | 6 |
| The Garage Floor Company | $55,000 | $5,351 to $271,450 | $15,000 | 3 |
| Pritikin | $0 | $5,730 to $51,980 | $5,000 | 146 |
| Smile Source | $0 | $5,800 to $435,000 | $25,000 | 663 |
| Winzer | $3,500 | $5,950 to $16,153 | $0 | 274 |
| US Defense Solutions | $15,000 | $6,085 to $12,910 | $0 | 2 |
| Baby Boot Camp | $5,300 | $6,120 to $10,249 | $0 | 84 |
| Tapinto | $4,000 | $6,175 to $10,025 | $0 | 79 |
| Corvus | $2,000 to $17,250 | $6,330 to $38,071 | $5,000 | 241 |
| Proforma | $0 | $7,030 to $27,695 | $0 | 509 |
| CRUISE HOLIDAYS | $5,000 to $30,000 | $7,300 to $160,350 | $10,000 | N/R |
| DKI | $5,000 | $7,435 to $18,185 | $0 | 300 |
| Skin Type Solutions | $7,500 | $8,000 to $25,500 | $0 | 182 |
| Moms On The Run | $6,495 | $8,115 to $15,695 | $0 | 49 |
| Kangaroo Express | $0 to $12,500 | $8,150 to $2,084,650 | $105,000 | 95 |
| FIT4MOM | $1,995 to $13,395 | $8,245 to $28,685 | $5,000 | 211 |
| Gokhale Method Institute | $4,000 | $8,531 to $23,422 | $0 | 20 |
| The Brickkicker | $7,000 to $27,000 | $8,750 to $43,365 | $5,000 | 25 |
| Forte | $7,500 to $20,000 | $8,850 to $69,200 | $5,000 | 43 |
| Champs Chicken | $0 | $9,000 to $349,000 | $20,000 | 403 |
| Country Hearth | $4,000 to $14,094 | $9,000 to $609,094 | $30,000 | 32 |
| Parisi | $2,000 to $6,000 | $9,000 to $183,500 | $10,000 | 87 |
| 2B Organized | $5,000 | $9,150 to $14,250 | $0 | 13 |
| Itex | $0 to $10,000 | $9,700 to $37,500 | $5,000 | 35 |
| Chick Fil A (Franchise Program) | $10,000 | $10,000 | $0 | 2,684 |
| Tijon Fragrance Lab | $3,500 to $29,750 | $10,000 to $170,750 | $10,000 | 1 |
| Neurosculpting Institute | $7,500 | $10,100 to $130,650 | $10,000 | 58 |
| Mighty Kicks | $9,700 | $10,200 to $16,200 | $0 | 39 |
| KEI | $3,000 to $36,000 | $10,265 to $52,025 | $5,000 | 16 |
| Card My Yard | $8,500 | $10,350 to $18,550 | $0 | 545 |
| Jani-King of Madison | $5,000 to $195,500 | $10,500 to $223,050 | $15,000 | 4,928 |
| PRO Martial Fit | $0 to $1,000 | $10,850 to $54,185 | $5,000 | 1 |
| Pro One Janitorial | $5,000 to $8,000 | $10,850 to $78,000 | $5,000 | 117 |
| Safeguard | $1,530 | $11,080 to $65,130 | $5,000 | 45 |
| Coffee News | $9,900 | $11,150 to $12,250 | $0 | 171 |
| Sanford Rose Associates | $7,500 | $11,400 to $14,800 | $0 | 172 |
| Utopia Descending | $2,000 | $11,900 to $17,200 | $5,000 | 1 |
| Clearview Insurance | $10,000 to $25,000 | $12,000 to $17,000 | $5,000 | N/R |
| Ameriprise | $1,500 | $12,098 to $130,363 | $10,000 | 5,578 |
| Stickhouse | $2,500 to $40,000 | $12,100 to $694,900 | $35,000 | 4 |
| Estrella Insurance | $10,000 to $25,000 | $12,250 to $84,000 | $5,000 | 201 |
| Network Lead Exchange | $9,500 | $12,450 to $25,245 | $5,000 | 36 |
| Candy Bouquet | $7,000 to $35,000 | $12,470 to $517,800 | $30,000 | N/R |
| Cruiseone | $10,500 | $12,595 to $20,970 | $5,000 | 2,175 |
| Vanguard Cleaning Systems | $4,000 | $12,765 to $35,700 | $5,000 | 2,011 |
| Inter-State Studio | $12,500 | $13,100 to $48,950 | $5,000 | 44 |
| Allover Media | $7,500 to $10,000 | $13,445 to $78,750 | $5,000 | 24 |
| Accounting Practice Sales | $1,100 to $94,400 | $13,500 to $153,850 | $10,000 | 49 |
| Brooker's Founding Flavors Ice Cream | $45,000 | $13,500 to $210,000 | $15,000 | 4 |
| yorCMO | $7,500 to $67,000 | $13,682 to $117,321 | $10,000 | 30 |
| Global Business Advisory | $5,000 to $34,900 | $13,744 to $78,844 | $5,000 | N/R |
| GenCorp CleaningServices | $8,500 to $27,500 | $13,850 to $45,000 | $5,000 | 17 |
| Assist-2-Sell | $2,995 | $14,020 to $43,995 | $5,000 | 105 |
| The Doan Group | $10,000 to $50,000 | $14,050 to $68,000 | $5,000 | 26 |
| Bimbo Bakeries | $8,000 to $500,000 | $14,350 to $606,700 | $30,000 | 6,957 |
| Here We Grow Again | $7,500 | $14,385 to $22,950 | $5,000 | 10 |
| Resting Rainbow | $54,500 | $14,450 to $29,500 | $5,000 | 3 |
| Nextbite | $2,000 | $14,500 to $24,500 | $5,000 | N/R |
| Sperry Commercial Global Affiliates | $5,000 to $10,000 | $14,800 to $181,500 | $10,000 | 57 |
| Renters Warehouse | $1,000 to $10,000 | $14,819 to $50,405 | $5,000 | 25 |
| The Pet Gourmet | $15,000 | $15,000 | $5,000 | N/R |
| Tax Centers Of America | $5,000 to $35,000 | $15,300 to $67,450 | $5,000 | N/R |
| Earthgrains | $8,000 to $500,000 | $15,425 to $607,850 | $35,000 | 428 |
| Rexius Nutrition | $5,000 to $15,000 | $15,725 to $97,025 | $5,000 | 17 |
| Jackson Hewitt | $0 to $50,000 | $15,900 to $127,500 | $10,000 | 5,221 |
| Aerus | $1,000 to $3,000 | $16,000 to $417,790 | $25,000 | 132 |
| Grand Comfort | $8,800 | $16,000 to $29,700 | $5,000 | 1 |
| Lakeplace.com | $10,000 | $16,000 to $114,500 | $10,000 | 12 |
| Auto Appraisal Network | $12,000 to $20,000 | $16,700 to $44,275 | $5,000 | 26 |
| Thriveworks | $10,000 to $20,000 | $16,700 to $79,282 | $5,000 | 64 |
| Just Drive | $13,000 to $23,000 | $16,750 to $37,500 | $5,000 | 28 |
| Nexthome | $5,000 to $10,000 | $16,750 to $221,595 | $15,000 | 608 |
| Smallprint | $8,000 to $18,500 | $16,900 to $30,800 | $5,000 | N/R |
| The Compound | $8,000 | $17,250 to $39,900 | $5,000 | 8 |
| Unishippers | $1,500 to $30,000 | $17,365 to $233,300 | $15,000 | 203 |
N/R = not reported.
How do you compare franchises from this list?
Compare franchises from this list by putting each brand's Item 5 fee, Item 6 ongoing fees and the high end of the Item 7 investment side by side, then checking Item 20 for closures and transfers. The guide to franchise costs explains each line, and the 8-step selection process shows the order of due diligence.
Frequently asked questions
What franchises can you open for under $50,000?
Across 437 brands in the SelectFranchiseList database (compiled October 2026), the median minimum initial investment is $31,300 and the median starting franchise fee is $15,000. The lowest starting investment in this group is Mood Media at $0.
How much cash do I need to buy a franchise in this group?
The median minimum liquid cash requirement in this group is $10,000. Franchisors set their own capital requirements, and lenders usually finance part of the total investment.
Are these figures guaranteed?
No. The figures come from franchise disclosure data and public listings and change with every annual FDD. Confirm fees in Items 5 and 6 and the investment in Item 7 of each brand's current FDD.
Other investment levels
- Franchises Under $100,000
- Franchises from $100,000 to $250,000
- Franchises from $250,000 to $500,000
- Franchises over $500,000
Figures are compiled from franchise disclosure data and public listings as of October 2026 and may have changed. Brand names belong to their owners; listing does not imply endorsement. Not an offer to sell a franchise.