Franchise Comparison Spreadsheet Template
By FranchiseFeast Editorial
Comparing franchises in your head does not work: the fees hide in different FDD items and the headline investment number means different things at different brands. This template gives you one row per brand and the columns that actually matter, each pulled straight from that brand's FDD, so you score them on the same basis.
Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. It ships with the column headers and blank rows; you fill in your brands.
What each column captures
| Column | What it captures | Where in the FDD |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | The brand you are scoring. | Item 1 |
| FDD issue date | Confirm the FDD is current (they refresh annually) before you trust its numbers. | Cover / Item 23 |
| Total investment low | The low end of the cost range to open. Check what each brand includes, since some bake in real estate or working capital and some do not. | Item 7 |
| Total investment high | The high end of that range. Budget toward this end, not the low end. | Item 7 |
| Initial franchise fee | The one-time fee at signing, and whether any of it is refundable. | Item 5 |
| Royalty percent and base | The ongoing fee, and whether it is charged on gross or net sales, so brands compare on the same basis. | Item 6 |
| Ad or brand fund percent | The national or brand marketing contribution. | Item 6 |
| Other required fees | Technology, transfer, renewal, and audit fees, and whether any can be changed at the franchisor's discretion. | Item 6 |
| Local marketing minimum | A required local spend, which is often separate from the brand-fund percent. | Item 6 / agreement |
| Item 19 provided | Whether the franchisor discloses a financial performance representation. It is voluntary, so its absence is not evidence of good or bad performance. | Item 19 |
| Item 19 figure, metric, sample size | The figure with its metric (such as average or median) and how many of how many units achieved it. A number with no sample size behind it is the most misread field in an FDD. | Item 19 |
| Units open | Current franchised and company-owned outlets. | Item 20 |
| Net unit change, 3 years | Whether the system is growing or shrinking. | Item 20 |
| Churn (closures, terminations, non-renewals) | Turn it into a rate by dividing by average units, so a 50-unit and a 500-unit system are comparable. | Item 20 |
| Territory type and carve-outs | Exclusive, protected, or non-exclusive, plus any reserved rights (e-commerce, national accounts) that narrow it. | Item 12 |
| Renewal term | The length and conditions of renewal. | Item 17 |
| Post-term non-compete | Its scope and duration, a real cost driver if you ever exit. | Item 17 |
| Litigation | The count and nature of material litigation. | Item 3 |
| Bankruptcy | Bankruptcy history for the franchisor, its affiliates, and officers. | Item 4 |
| Liquid capital required | Usually in an Item 7 footnote or the franchisor's qualification criteria, not a numbered line, so note where you found it. | Item 7 footnote / criteria |
| Net worth required | The franchisor's stated financial qualification bar. | Franchisor criteria |
| SBA Directory listed | Whether the brand is on the SBA Franchise Directory, which affects SBA loan eligibility. Record the date you checked, since it updates weekly. | SBA.gov |
| Franchisee validation calls completed | How many current and former franchisees you have called from the Item 20 list. | Your tracker |
| Your weighted fit score and notes | Your own judgment, weighted the way that matters to you. | Your synthesis |
How to compare, not just transcribe
Filling the grid is the easy part. Making the columns comparable is where buyers slip. A few rules keep the comparison honest.
- Normalize before you compare. A royalty percent means little without its base, and two Item 7 ranges can include different things.
- Turn churn into a rate. Add closures, terminations, and non-renewals, then divide by average units. Single-digit annual turnover is generally considered healthy; higher warrants a closer look. That is practitioner convention, not a rule.
- Do not average an Item 19. Read its metric and its sample size instead. A figure with no "X of Y units" behind it tells you very little.
- Weight each column by what matters to you. Give the financial and legal columns (Item 7, Item 19 credibility, Item 20 churn, Item 3 litigation) more weight than brand appeal, and set the weights yourself. If you need SBA financing, Directory-listed status becomes a gating filter rather than one more point.
- Check the FDD is current before its numbers go in the sheet, and validate against people: call current and former franchisees from the Item 20 list.
Once the grid narrows your list, our agreement red flags checklist and due diligence checklist take the finalists apart clause by clause, and thehow to read an FDD guide explains any item you are unsure about.
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Before you sign anything
This resource is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Franchise laws, the FDD, and franchise agreements vary by state and by brand. Review the full FDD and franchise agreement with a franchise attorney licensed in your state and a qualified accountant before you sign anything or pay any money.
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