Franchise Comparator

Subway vs Arby's: franchise cost side by side

Subway is the cheaper of the two to open, from $263,000; Arby's starts at $868,550.

Every figure comes from the brand's FDD, the disclosure file it must hand you before you sign.

Subway is the cheaper to open, from $263,000.

Arby's starts at $868,550, the lowest cost to open given in each FDD.

From each FDDSubway logoSubwayArby's logoArby's
Total cost to open$263,000 to $630,000$868,550 to $2,456,600
Upfront fee$15,000$37,500
Royalty (ongoing fee)8% of gross sales4% of gross sales
Marketing fund4.5% of gross sales3.22% to 5% of gross sales
Published salesNone published$1,274,787 a year (average of 2,182 locations, 2025)
Outlets18,773 franchised, 0 company2,344 franchised, 921 company
Year filed20262026

Not sure which brands to pick? Get help choosing or browse the full table.

Read the full figures on the Subway franchise page and the Arby's franchise page, or read how to compare franchise costs.

Every brand's fee, royalty and Item 7 range is also in one table you can download: the franchise fee comparison.

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