Quick Answer
No, LA Fitness is not cheaper than Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness starts at $10 a month for the basic Classic plan and $25 for Black Card. LA Fitness starts at $35 a month for single-club access.
Once you factor in initiation fees and annual fees, LA Fitness is roughly two to three times the total cost of Planet Fitness, but it offers a pool, group classes and court sports that Planet Fitness does not.
Head-to-Head Monthly Pricing
Planet Fitness Classic: $10 to $15/month with a $49 annual fee. Planet Fitness Black Card: $25/month with a $49 annual fee. LA Fitness single-club: $35 to $45/month plus $99 initiation and $59 annual. LA Fitness Signature: $45 to $60/month.
Total year-one cost for Planet Fitness Black Card: about $349. Total year-one cost for LA Fitness single-club: about $577. LA Fitness is $228 more expensive per year at the entry tier.
What Planet Fitness Does Not Have
- No pool. Zero Planet Fitness locations have a lap pool.
- No group classes. The Small Group Training is 30 minutes of trainer-led circuits, not real classes like ZUMBA or Les Mills.
- No basketball or racquetball courts.
- No squat racks or bumper plates at most locations. Deadlifting is discouraged.
- No childcare.
What Planet Fitness Does Better
Planet Fitness beats LA Fitness on three things: price (obviously), cleanliness (newer clubs, tighter chain-wide standards) and consistent lighting (bright fluorescent everywhere). The Black Card includes tanning, massage chairs and hydro-massage beds that no LA Fitness offers.
The judgement-free zone marketing is real: Planet Fitness attracts a much more beginner-friendly crowd than LA Fitness, where the free-weight area can feel intimidating.
Who Should Pick Which One
Pick Planet Fitness if you are a cardio-and-machines beginner, you value low cost and consistent cleanliness, and you never plan to swim or play basketball at your gym.
Pick LA Fitness if you swim, play court sports, take real group classes, or lift heavy free weights. The extra $20 a month is money well spent for anyone who uses the full amenity set.
The Hidden Cost Gap
The initiation fee is the biggest sticker gap. Planet Fitness runs $0 to $49 initiation depending on the promotion. LA Fitness is $99, though it is regularly waived. Get the waiver and the year-one price gap narrows to about $150.
Prepay both for a year and Planet Fitness is about $180 while LA Fitness is about $429. That is a $250 difference over 12 months, or $21 per month.
Long-Term Cost if You Never Cancel
Over ten years, Planet Fitness Black Card costs about $3,490 (assuming steady rates). LA Fitness single-club costs about $4,700. The 10-year gap is $1,210 , about $10 a month, roughly.
For most people, spending $10 a month more for a pool, courts and classes is easily worth it. For a cardio-only user, that $1,210 stays in your pocket at Planet Fitness.
Pro Tips Before You Commit
- Tour on a weekday evening between 5pm and 7pm. That is the busiest window. If the equipment is still accessible then, it will be fine any other time.
- Ask for the promotional rate, do not accept the rack rate. LA Fitness runs quiet in-club promos almost every month; sales counselors have discretion to waive the initiation fee if you ask.
- Get every quote in writing. Verbal promises about future price locks are worth nothing once the sales rep leaves the club.
- Read the exact clause on annual fees. Most members are surprised in month 8 by a $59 annual fee they were never verbally told about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Planet Fitness Black Card at every club?
Yes, Black Card is nationwide. LA Fitness Signature is the equivalent tier and works everywhere too.
Is Planet Fitness open 24 hours?
Most locations are, weekdays. LA Fitness is not.
Which has better equipment?
LA Fitness has more heavy-duty free-weight equipment. Planet Fitness has more cardio machines per member.
Which is easier to cancel?
Both require an in-person or written cancellation. Planet Fitness is generally faster because there are fewer retention scripts.
Bottom Line
Planet Fitness is cheaper, full stop. LA Fitness is a better value only if you use the pool, classes or courts. Pick the gym that matches how you actually train, not the one with the lower sticker price.
