Gym Membership Comparison Sheet

Who this is for

Compare gyms on what they will actually cost you. Enter the fees and terms each one quoted and how often you expect to go, and the sheet works out the first year, the whole contract and the cost of each visit.

Anyone choosing between gyms, leisure centres or membership tiers, and people deciding whether to stay on their current deal or move when a contract ends.

What this helps you track

• Monthly and joining fees for each gym or option, as quoted to you
• First-year cost and the cost over the full contract
• What each visit costs at the number of visits you expect to make
• Cancellation notice, classes, opening hours and distance from home
• Which option you chose and why

How to use it

1. Write your name, the date and the number of visits per month you honestly expect to make.
2. Ask each gym for its monthly fee, joining fee, contract length and notice period, and write them in the costs table.
3. Fill the terms table with classes, opening hours, distance from home and anything notable about the facilities.
4. First-year cost, contract cost and cost per visit are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, multiply the monthly fee out and add the joining fee.
5. Tick the option you choose and note the reason, so you can check it against your real visits later.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What should I put for a rolling monthly membership?

Enter 1 as the contract length, or the number of months you expect to stay if you want the contract cost to reflect that. Write rolling in the notice column so the difference from a fixed contract is clear.

Where do the prices come from?

From the gyms themselves: their websites, a sales visit or a written quote. No prices are supplied. Offers often change, so note the date you were quoted and anything time-limited.

How is cost per visit worked out?

The first-year cost divided by twelve times your expected visits per month. It is only as good as that estimate, so it can be worth running the sheet again with a lower figure to see how the ranking changes.

Does it check the contract terms for me?

No. It records what you were told. Read the membership terms yourself, especially the notice period, price rises and freezing rules, and check the rules on consumer contracts where you are.