Franchises, with their established brands and business models, help budding entrepreneurs skip the early struggles new businesses experience—but not without a price. Initial investments can be hefty.

So it only makes sense to wonder, “What’s the best franchise under $50K?”

We’ll look at 21 different franchise opportunities with initial investments (or franchise fees) of $50K or less to help you decide which is best for you. We cover a range of industries, from pressure washing to fast food to real estate. You’re sure to find something that meets your needs.

Click on any of the links below to jump to the section you’re interested in or just continue reading:

What Is a Franchise?

A franchise allows you to run your own business with the support of an existing corporate structure. Brandon Vaughn, the founder of our top-rated franchise, told us:

Best Franchises Under $50K

UpFlip has interviewed the franchises listed below, and we’ve worked with them extensively to establish that they are the best franchises available in their field. All these franchises can be started with $50,000 or less in franchise fees.

#1. Wise Coatings

Here’s a chance to be your own boss in the home improvement industry. Wise Coatings is one of the premier businesses in epoxy and garage floor coatings. That brand recognition can help you quickly build customer loyalty.

• Franchise fee: $50K
• Total investment: $117.4K to $160K (including three months’ working capital)
• Royalty fee: 5%

While the initial cost of owning a Wise Coatings franchise is a bit higher than other options on this list, the low ongoing costs give it the potential for high profit margins. It can be run as a mobile business, and you’ll get access to exclusive products and exceptional support as a business owner.

You can learn more about how founder Brandon Vaughn started the company in his interview with UpFlip:

#2. Brown’s Pressure Washing: Best Franchise Under $50K Initial Franchise Fee

Service-based franchises make excellent low-cost opportunities. Brown’s Pressure Washing earns our No. 2 spot as the best franchise to own because of the top-notch support and training they provide to franchise owners.

• Franchise fee: $20K
• Total initial investment: $50K to $100K
• Royalty fee: 10%

There are several advantages to opening a Brown’s franchise. For instance, there’s high consumer demand for pressure washing services and their business model gives you flexibility to set your own schedule. Plus, overhead costs are low.

Founder Joshua Brown built Brown’s Pressure Washing from scratch and has turned it into a $2M-a-year business. His franchise model is designed to help other entrepreneurs with no industry experience achieve success with their own businesses. You can learn more about how Joshua started in this YouTube video:

#3. MaidThis

One way to save on your commercial cleaning startup cost is to operate as a remote business. That’s how Neel Parekh achieved financial independence with MaidThis, a 100% remote cleaning business that today brings in $1.5M in annual revenue.

After seven years of success, MaidThis started offering franchising opportunities in 2020 to help other entrepreneurs become their own bosses with a low investment.

• Franchise fee: $39K
• Total investment: $50.4K to $72.7K
• Royalty fee: 7%

One way Neel grew his business was by niching down on the booming industry of Airbnb cleaning, but there are multiple revenue streams you can explore with a remote cleaning franchise model. That versatility is another reason it made this list.

You can find out how Neel started this business opportunity in his interview with UpFlip:

#4. Spray-Net

Spray-Net’s patented pressure-spray technology offers homeowners and area developers a new way to renovate. Spray-Net provides several different services, including exterior painting, kitchen cabinet painting, and roof regranulation. Having multiple revenue streams can boost a franchise’s earning potential.

• Franchise fee: $45K
• Total investment: $170.8K to $241.8K
• Royalty fee: 8%

Franchisees get access to extensive training and the “Spray-Network” of fellow entrepreneurs. Add in the proven track record of success, and it’s clear why this is among the best franchises. You can learn more about Spray-Net in this interview:

#5. EverLine Coatings

Here’s another great service-based franchise with multiple revenue streams. EverLine Coatings provides pavement maintenance and line-painting services that help businesses and area developers keep their exterior spaces appealing to customers.

• Franchise fee: $49.5K
• Total investment: $164.7K to $332.4K
• Royalty fee: 9% or $500 per territory + 3% (whichever is greater)

It’s the leading parking lot and pavement service company in North America, as well as a regular Award of Excellence winner from the Canadian Franchise Association.

A recession-resistant business model and the potential for long-term recurring revenue are other advantages of franchising with EverLine Coatings. You can learn more about the company from this YouTube interview:

More Low-Cost Franchise Opportunities

#6. Grand Welcome

Grand Welcome is a property management company that has four tiers of franchises. These franchise opportunities are complex to analyze because they don’t use the same accounting as many other franchises.

• Franchise fee (by tier): $19K, $49K, $79K, $109K
• Total investment: $37.8K to $169.8K
• Royalty fee: 13% + additional costs (complicated model)

Grand Welcome documented the earnings of 25 locations and provided data on the following:

• Total charges (how much customers paid)
• Net charges (how much is left after paying property owners)
• Earnings after royalties (how much the franchisee receives to pay bills and keep profits)

However, they didn’t provide information on cost of goods sold or other expenses. I took the time to analyze them and found:

• Average total charges: $2.3M
• Average net charges: $1.1M
• Average earnings after royalties: $648K

That means franchise opportunities keep approximately 28% of the average total charges and 57% of the average net charges for running the business and taking profits. Given that most charges are passed on to property owners, this sounds like a pretty good return on franchise opportunities.

#7. Dryer Vent Wizard

Dryer Vent Wizard franchises help homeowners and businesses remove clogs from their vents that could increase utilities or cause fires.

• Franchise fee: $49.9K
• Total investment: $80.7 to $159.4
• Royalty fee: 22% + $120 monthly

These franchise opportunities have an average revenue of $164,439. Each job can be easily completed by one or two people.

#8. Oasis Senior Advisors

Oasis Senior Advisors franchises help families find senior care. Owners earn money from care facilities for making placements.

• Franchise fee: $50K to $90K
• Total investment: $67.2K to $112K
• Royalty fee: $4K + 10% monthly

The median franchise makes $375,643 per year.

#9. Senior Care Authority

Senior Care Authority franchises serve as placement agencies. They provide consulting services focused on helping elderly clients find the necessary healthcare.

• Franchise fee: $39.7K
• Total investment: $60.4K to $105.6K
• Royalty fee: 8% + $950 monthly

You can expect these franchise opportunities to take three to five years to start making enough to become a full-time business. Still, once you’ve established yourself in the marketplace, you should find success with this franchise business model.

Most of the costs should be labor, and the average gross sales are around $179,700.

#10. ACFN Franchised Inc.

ACFN is the largest provider of hotel ATMs in the U.S. and North America.

• Franchise fee: $25K + $8K per location
• Total investment: $39.2K to $63.8K
• Royalty fee: 43.12% + $12 monthly per machine

This form of business ownership is perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs who want a profitable business with mostly passive income. The franchise disclosure document shows that you can recoup the initial investment in as little as a year.

#11. Hommati

Hommati is a real estate service company. In addition to traditional services like sign placement, these franchises offer virtual reality tours, aerial videos, and other specialized support.

• Franchise fee: $46.3K to $46.4K
• Total investment: $69.4K to $84K
• Royalty fee: 16% (up to 48%) + $314 monthly + per-use fees

The median full-time franchise makes $78,026 with a 79% gross profit. That’s between 30% and 62% in profit after fees.

#12. Garage Force

Garage Force is a floor-finishing company that focuses on coating garages to protect the concrete and make it look better.

• Franchise fee (by tier): $49.5K, $84.5K, $114.5K, $139.5K, $164.5K
• Total investment: $127.9K to $195.6K
• Royalty fee: 6% + $1K monthly

Garage Force franchises make an average of $372,581 with a gross profit margin of 67%.

#13. Cleaning Authority

Cleaning Authority is a large franchise company that focuses on residential cleaning.

• Franchise fee: $26.3K to $65K+
• Total investment: $105.3K to $172.7K
• Royalty fee (tiered): 7% down to 5% + other fees

The average revenue for the franchises is $1,454,694 with gross profits of approximately 37% to 39%.

#14. Maid Brigade

Maid Brigade is a low cost franchise opportunity that focuses on business growth.

• Franchise fee: $27K to $47K+
• Total investment: $119.2K to $147.9K
• Royalty fee: 8.9% + $4.5K monthly

Average revenue is $932,061. The lowest third of franchises make between $24,864 and $442,530.

#15. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives provides outdoor lighting to accentuate buildings and lawns.

• Franchise fee: $32.2K to $59.5K
• Total investment: $99.7K to $214.2K
• Royalty fee: 9% + $5K monthly

The average franchise makes $405,503 in annual revenue. However, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives doesn’t include profit margins in their financial disclosure documents.

#16. Express Employment Professionals

Express Employment Professionals is one of the best staffing companies for both industrial and office workers.

• Franchise fee: $40K to $72K
• Total investment: $132K to $391K
• Royalty fee: 40% + additional costs (complicated model)

The average franchise makes $5,979,665 with a 25% gross and 16% net profit margin. These franchises are available in the U.S. and Canada.

#17. Pestmaster

Pestmaster is one of the leading franchises in pest management.

• Franchise fee: $42.5K
• Total investment: $84.6K to $188.8K
• Royalty fee: 9% + $750 monthly

These franchises help keep buildings free of bugs, rodents, and other pests by providing education and pest control services.

#18. Conserva Irrigation

Conserva Irrigation franchises provide landscape watering solutions for homes and small businesses.

• Franchise fee: $49.5K
• Total investment: $84.8K to $110K
• Royalty fee: 9.5% + $40K marketing annually + $300 monthly

The average Conserva Irrigation franchise makes $777,701 in annual revenue with a 56% gross profit margin and 23% operating margin.

#19. OxiFresh

OxiFresh Carpet Cleaning franchise owners benefit from the low startup costs and a reputable brand.

• Franchise fee: $46.9K
• Total investment: $52.8K to $82.8K
• Royalty fee: $475 + 3% monthly + other potential fees

These low cost franchises are some of the most affordable on the list. Plus, the work is simple and intuitive, making it an easy start to your entrepreneurial journey.

#20. Executive Home Care

Executive Home Care provides in-home health services for people recovering from surgery or managing other medical conditions.

• Franchise fee: $49.9K
• Total investment: $102K to $144.7K
• Royalty fee: 8% + $1.5K monthly

Their franchise disclosure document makes Executive Home Care one of the best franchises for financial disclosures. The lowest net profit margin from any franchise is $62K.

#21. Tootl Transport

Tootl Transport provides specialized transportation services for disabled customers who need additional cognitive or mobility support.

• Franchise fee: $49.9K
• Total investment: $106.4K to $144K
• Royalty fee: 10% + $350 monthly

These franchises help people safely travel to medical appointments, family gatherings, school, and other locations.

How We Pick Franchise Opportunities

At UpFlip, we aim to provide you with the best information available today. That means using multiple methods to identify and screen franchises. We identify franchise opportunities through the following resources:

• Interviews with franchise owners
• Franchise broker suggestions
• Franchise disclosure documents

Let’s look a little more at each of these.

Interviewing Franchise Owners

We find that interviewing franchisees and franchisors to understand how they do business is the best way to evaluate franchise opportunities. We frequently recommend the franchises that have allowed us to interview them and give you an inside look at their business.

Franchise Broker Suggestions

We work with multiple franchise brokers to get suggestions on which franchises are best to own. We don’t take their word as solid gold, though, because we know that brokers always earn a commission when they make a sale.

That’s why we check the franchise disclosure documents for every recommendation.

Franchise Disclosure Documents

A franchise disclosure document has most of the information you could want before buying a franchise. We specifically review initial franchise fees, ongoing fees, startup costs, and financial representations.

Any franchise that doesn’t clearly represent themselves is automatically eliminated. Learn more about our process.

Franchise vs. Own Business

You might wonder about the benefit of buying franchise opportunities over starting your own business. There are quite a few reasons why you might want to consider franchises under $50K before starting your own business:

• Proven business model: You don’t have to determine all the processes yourself. The franchisor has already established best practices.
• Higher success rate: Franchise businesses fail less often than startup businesses.
• Support: You’ll have a built-in support group of business owners who run the exact same type of business.
• Comprehensive training: Franchises come with initial and ongoing training opportunities for prospective franchisees.
• Marketing: You’ll have a private network of existing businesses that will help you get the most out of your marketing dollars. You’ll also commonly have national marketing campaigns.
• Faster business growth: In the first year, many franchises hit the $100K revenue mark and can reach $200K+ within the next three years.

There are some downsides to franchise opportunities, though. Some of the main reasons people might not want to start a franchise include:

• Start-up costs: Franchise costs are often higher than when you start a small business. If nothing else, you must pay the initial franchise fee and royalties, which can be a hefty investment.
• Freedom: Many aspiring entrepreneurs cite freedom as one of the main perks of business ownership. Top franchises don’t allow for as much experimentation as you’d have with a new business.

Which franchise business do you like?

By now, you should have a good idea of the types of franchises available. It’s time to consider which franchise opportunities could be a good fit for you.

Before buying any franchise, make sure to carefully read the franchise disclosure document and other paperwork. You want to make sure you’re investing your $50K wisely.

Which franchising business interests you the most?