Digital Rocket: 4.9/5 on Clutch · Free tool
Cost per franchise sale is everything you spend on recruitment in a year, divided by the franchises you signed. Add your numbers below and see how you compare with the 2026 industry averages.
Cost per franchise sale
Averages: Franchise Update Media, 2026 AFDR (franchising.com, Sep 2026; sample size not disclosed). Under 25 units $14,795; 26 to 100 units $35,388; 501 to 1,000 units $11,000.
Book my free diagnosticUse the same 12 months for both numbers. Include everything you spend to recruit: ad spend, agency and tool fees, broker fees, portal and listing costs, events, and if you want the full picture, your development team's time.
A cheap lead that never signs is expensive. Cost per franchise sale is the number that tells you what growth actually costs, and it lets you compare brokers, portals and ads on the same terms.
Franchise deals take about 20 weeks to close (Franchise Update Media, 2025 AFDR). Spend from this quarter signs next quarter. Look at cost per sale over 12 months, and track each lead from first click to signed agreement, or the number will swing for no real reason.
The averages are published benchmarks with an undisclosed sample. Your own tracked number is the one to manage.
From our insights
Questions franchisors ask
One below the average for your size and falling. The 2026 AFDR average is $14,795 for systems under 25 units and $35,388 for 26 to 100 units (Franchise Update Media, sample not disclosed).
Yes. They're part of what it costs you to sign a franchisee. Track them by source so you can compare.
No. The calculator runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Yes. Tracking from click to signed agreement, by source, is part of the system build. See pricing.