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McDonald's vs Subway

Side-by-side on pricing, features, and fit — then our verdict.

McDonald's

$4M average unit volume. The gold standard — at gold-standard prices.

$1.47M–$2.73M$1M+

Subway

The cheapest way into a major QSR brand.

$263K–$630K$50K – $500K

McDonald's — pros & cons

  • + Best unit economics in QSR
  • + Unmatched brand and systems
  • − $750K liquid required
  • − Rent is a % of sales — it grows with you
  • − 77 active litigation cases in FDD

$1.47M–$2.73M Fee $45,000. $750K liquid cash required to apply. Range per 2026 FDD. Verified Oct 2026.

Subway — pros & cons

  • + Accessible entry point
  • + Flexible formats
  • − 12.5% combined fees is the highest in QSR
  • − Unit count declining
  • − ~$490K AUV is modest

$263K–$630K Fee $15,000. Range per 2026 FDD Item 7; non-traditional formats run lower. Verified Oct 2026.

Our verdict

The classic QSR fork: McDonald's costs $1.47M–$2.73M and does $4M per unit with a 98% survival rate — the best system ever built, if you have $750K liquid. Subway costs $263K–$630K and does ~$490K per unit with the highest fee burden in QSR. McDonald's is the investment; Subway is the accessible entry. Different buyers, different math.