The Top 15 Franchises You Can Buy for $25,000 or Less From cleaning to real estate, these franchises have low-budget buy-in costs.
By Entrepreneur Staff Edited by Jessica Thomas
Although buying a franchise can come with a hefty price tag, it doesn't always have to break the bank. Foodservice naturally comes to mind when thinking about starting a franchise, but there's a multitude of opportunities across various industries, many of which are mobile-based and therefore don't require as high of a buy-in.
Commercial cleaning, travel services and real estate — among others — are viable opportunities to engage in franchise ownership without draining your savings. For those looking to explore business ownership through franchising who want to keep their initial investment low, these 15 franchises are a great place to start, based on our 44th Annual Franchise 500 List.
Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.
Jan-Pro Cleaning and Disinfecting
Commercial cleaning
Initial franchise fee: $2,520-$44,000
Initial investment: $4,830-$58,070
Number of U.S. units: 10,418
![Explore Ownership with Jan-Pro](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/5dabeb9b-b123-456a-874d-8e591478d09d.png)
Stratus Building Solutions
Environmentally friendly commercial cleaning and disinfecting
Initial franchise fee: $3,600-$69,000
Initial investment: $4,450-$79,750
Number of U.S. units: 2,472
![Explore Ownership with Stratus](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/9f8573d9-e235-438b-93eb-887af272a0b6.png)
Anago Cleaning Systems
Commercial cleaning
Initial franchise fee: $5,015-$31,000
Initial investment: $11,265-$68,250
Number of U.S. units: 1,708
![Explore Ownership with Anago](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/c9056e91-b02b-4872-a764-5492e29a91ec.png)
Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.
Dream Vacations
Travel agencies
Initial franchise fee: $495-$10,500
Initial investment: $1,795-$21,000
Number of U.S. units: 1,616
![Explore Ownership with Dream Vacations](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/2f493bee-c5a2-41cb-9632-46fda835f4cf.png)
Cruise Planners
Travel agencies
Initial franchise fee: $695-$10,995
Initial investment: $2,295-$23,465
Number of U.S. units: 2,584
![Explore Ownership with Cruise Planners](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/866687f6-93dc-4ea2-8216-a8bf88019709.png)
Corvus Janitorial Systems
Commercial cleaning
Initial franchise fee: $8,500-$18,500
Initial investment: $9,575-$34,500
Number of U.S. units: 1,475
![Explore Ownership with Corvis](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/a1e94516-fdb4-4e86-9dcd-20e5fcb78dad.png)
Leadership Management International
Leadership and organizational training and development
Initial franchise fee: $15,000
Initial investment: $20,000-$27,500
Number of U.S. units: 114
![Explore Ownership with Leadership Management International](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/83b7fd7f-bc56-493b-8c32-0d08634065cc.png)
Related: Franchising Could Be the Secret to Reaping the Rewards of a Down Economy. Here Are 5 Reasons Why.
NextHome
Real Estate
Initial franchise fee: $4,500-$8,750
Initial investment: $16,250-$220,345
Number of U.S. units: 578
![Explore Ownership with NextHome](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/fb0457f8-4360-45fe-b91b-aac721bc79ad.png)
Brightway Insurance
Property and casualty insurance
Initial franchise fee: $10,000-$60,000
Initial investment: $23,100-$173,500
Number of U.S. units: 306
![Explore Ownership with Brightway](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/79558fd5-6603-4b33-b786-7e4724dde05c.png)
American Poolplayers Association
Recreational billiard leagues
Initial franchise fee: $10,000-$12,000
Initial investment: $22,936-$29,411
Number of U.S. units: 313
![Explore Ownership with American Poolplayers](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/20fa2bf3-d700-43fa-9e97-f5da0a30b8b2.png)
Estrella Insurance
Auto, home, and business insurance
Initial franchise fee: $10,000-$25,000
Initial investment: $12,250-$84,000
Number of U.S. units: 180
![Explore Ownership with Estrella Insurance](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/27cf5481-f9a0-4898-8207-67284607486c.png)
Related: The Top 5 Hot Franchise Categories for 2023, According to One Industry Expert
Jantize America
Facility services and commercial cleaning
Initial franchise fee: $5,900-$29,600
Initial investment: $8,200-$49,000
Number of U.S. units: 155
![Explore Ownership with Jantize America](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/17e03e69-455c-4af1-bd8f-ae1918701e2c.png)
Sign Gypsies
Special-occasion yard sign rentals
Initial franchise fee: $1,000
Initial investment: $4,150-$9,900
Number of U.S. units: 759
![Explore Ownership with Sign Gypsies](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/964776a2-3ec8-424d-b175-b22b1086344a.png)
Buildingstars
Commercial cleaning
Initial franchise fee: $995-$46,995
Initial investment: $2,245-$53,200
Number of U.S. units: 956
![Explore Ownership with Buildingstars](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/c3788325-cedd-4b42-acad-1c6d2cc63935.png)
Card My Yard
Special-occasion yard sign rentals
Initial franchise fee: $8,000
Initial investment: $9,800-$18,000
Number of U.S. units: 501
![Explore Ownership with Card My Yard](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/21266006/ddafb038-ccd0-4c7e-be81-4df406423e7e.png)
For more information on the best franchise opportunities of 2023, check out our 44th Annual Franchise 500 List — a comprehensive list of franchise leaders across various industries. If you're interested in a big-name brand with decades of history or hopping on the next emerging trend, there's something for every prospective franchisee.
Related: Here's How You Can Tell Which Franchise Opportunity Is Best for You