Methodology & About us
Fair for Fitness compares gyms by their real total cost rather than the advertised teaser price. This page transparently explains how we calculate, where the data comes from and why our ranking is independent.
Who is behind it
Fair for Fitness is an independent project from Germany. You can find the operator and full contact details in the legal notice; how we handle data is set out in the privacy policy.
How we calculate: the effective cost
The advertised monthly fee is rarely the real price. We spread all mandatory costs across the contract term (at least 12 months) into an honest monthly figure — the effective price:
We calculate flexible (monthly cancellable) plans fairly over a 12-month horizon, so their one-off fees don't distort the value in a single month. Pure day passes don't feed into the monthly ranking. Details in our guide “Hidden costs at the gym”.
The Fair-for-Fitness score
Every studio with an online price gets a fairness rating from 1 to 10 (10 = fairest). It bundles several factors into a single figure, so you can gauge offers at a glance:
- • Price fairness (greatest weight): How cheap is the effective cost compared with similar studios nearby? We always compare within the same studio type — so an EMS studio against other EMS studios, not against a discount gym.
- • Contract flexibility: Monthly cancellable counts as fairer than a long minimum commitment.
- • Standout amenities: Rare extras such as childcare, a pool, 24/7 access or a sauna nudge the rating up moderately — but they never lift a studio above a clearly cheaper one.
The rating is relative to the local market and therefore fair towards more expensive regions. Joining fees are already included in the effective price and aren't counted twice. Levels: Very fair (from 8.5), Fair (from 7), Average (from 5) and Less fair below that.
Important: the score rates the fairness of the offer (price, contract, amenities) — not the quality or cleanliness on site. It is unpaid and cannot be influenced by studios.
Where the data comes from
- • Exclusively publicly available rates from the providers (studio and chain websites). Every studio page links to the source.
- • Currently around 6,414 recorded studios in Germany. Not every studio has an online price — studios without a published price we honestly mark as such and never invent a price.
- • All prices without warranty, with an as-of date per studio. What matters is always the respective studio's terms — please double-check before signing a contract.
Independence
The effective-cost ranking is unpaid — there is no paid reordering. We clearly label promotional offers and ads as such and keep them strictly separate from the neutral ranking. If we earn a commission via partner links, that never changes the order of the results.
Limits & corrections
Data can become outdated or contain errors. If you notice something or a price is missing, feel free to help out via Contribute — we review tips and correct them.