LA Fitness vs 24 Hour Fitness: Which is better? We will compare both, but before that, I want to share some quick information with you: in 2020, 24 Hour Fitness faced bankruptcy, and they had to eliminate over 100 clubs.
In 2025, they only had 244 in total across nine states, though the number is rising in 2026 but is still less.
On the other hand, LA Fitness is more established, with over 500 clubs in the United States. If you live outside the West Coast or Texas, you will find many LA Fitness clubs.
But if both exist near you, then this guide will be very helpful for you, as I covered all important things such as membership types, equipment, amenities, locations, and more.
Where Each Gym Operates
24 Hour Fitness lost 167 clubs in California between 2019 and 2021, but as of early 2026, it still runs 167 clubs there, which means if you’re living in California, you’ll easily find 24 Hour Fitness.
Outside of California, 24 Hour Fitness is available in Texas, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii, and a few other states.
But besides this, 24 Hour Fitness largely doesn’t exist.
LA Fitness has more than 500 clubs spread across California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Georgia, and about a dozen other states.
So, it’s even present in the South and Midwest, where 24 Hour Fitness has no clubs at all.
| Region | LA Fitness | 24 Hour Fitness |
|---|---|---|
| California | Heavy coverage | Heavy coverage (167 clubs) |
| Texas | Heavy coverage | Moderate coverage |
| Florida | Heavy coverage | None |
| Arizona, Illinois, NJ, GA | Heavy coverage | Very limited or none |
| Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada | Some coverage | Moderate coverage |
| Midwest outside Illinois | Very limited | None |
| Deep South outside FL and GA | Very limited | None |
| Ontario, Canada | Yes | No |
If 24 Hour Fitness has no clubs in your area, then you can stop the comparison here and use my LA Fitness Plans guide to pick the right membership tier.
LA Fitness vs 24 Hour Fitness: Cost Comparison
Both gyms have hidden fees besides their monthly fee, and those are the initial and annual fees.
| Cost | LA Fitness Single Club | LA Fitness Multi-Club | 24HF Sport | 24HF Super Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly dues | $29.99 | $39.99 | $19.99 to $36.99 | $39.99 to $54.99 |
| 12 months | $359.88 | $479.88 | $240 to $444 | $480 to $660 |
| Startup fee | $0 to $99 | $0 to $99 | $0 to $99 | $0 to $99 |
| Annual fee | $59 | $59 | $49 | $49 |
| First-year total | $419 to $518 | $539 to $639 | $289 to $592 | $529 to $808 |
24 Hour Fitness pricing varies across its tier system, which I’ll cover in the next section.
However, you can negotiate LA Fitness initiation fees, and they’ll be waived during promotions. Otherwise, you have to be ready to pay within the next 45 to 60 days.
24 Hour Fitness Costco Deal
Costco sells a prepaid two-year 24 Hour Fitness membership for around $429.99 as of July 2026, which works out to around $17 to $18 per month.
If you go with this offer, you won’t have to pay any annual fee or startup fee.
For Costco members near a Sport-tier 24 Hour Fitness club, this is the cheapest full-service gym membership available at either brand.
Two things to verify before purchasing a 24 Hour Membership
First, the Costco deal covers Sport-tier clubs and below, so you can’t get the Super Sport or Ultra Sport.
If your nearest club is Super Sport, the Costco deal won’t get you in.
Second, 24 Hour Fitness temporarily suspended acceptance of Costco certificates in August 2023 and has done so before.
So, you’d want to confirm current acceptance directly with your local club and with Costco before buying, since the deal has flip-flopped in the past.
LA Fitness has nothing similar to Costco; you’ve just been getting initiation fee waivers through promotions. That’s the only alternative, plus it comes from timing and negotiation rather than a bulk deal.
If you want strategies on reducing LA Fitness costs, I recommend you see my post on membership deals and discounts.
The 24 Hour Fitness Tier Problem
The tier system is the most important factor when you’re evaluating a specific 24 Hour Fitness club, as two locations under the same brand can offer completely different facilities.
| Tier | What’s inside |
|---|---|
| Fit-Lite | Basic cardio and machines, no pool, basketball, or sauna |
| Express | A little larger than Fit-Lite, still no pool or premium amenities |
| Active | Full free weights, cardio floor, some group classes, usually no pool |
| Sport | Basketball court, sauna, complete equipment, larger group fitness room |
| Super Sport | Adds an indoor pool, bigger group fitness studios, and more premium finishes |
| Ultra Sport | Pool, whirlpool, steam room, upgraded locker rooms, sometimes a cafe |
Before evaluating 24 Hour Fitness, you have to look up the specific tier of the club you’d use.
We can’t compare Fit-Lite or Express clubs with standard LA Fitness, but we can do so with Super Sport.
LA Fitness has two tiers: standard clubs (which include a pool, basketball court, and sauna at most locations) and Signature Clubs (marked with “(Signature)” in the club name), which include premium amenities but are costlier.
So the baseline at LA Fitness is higher than many 24 Hour Fitness tiers.
Equipment: Where 24 Hour Fitness Pulls Ahead
At the Sport tier and above, 24 Hour Fitness offers better equipment quality than standard LA Fitness clubs.
The difference comes down to barbell brands: Rogue and Eleiko are the standard in competitive powerlifting circles, and 24 Hour Fitness carries both at higher-tier locations.
24 Hour Fitness Sport and Above
- Barbells and bumper plates from Rogue and Eleiko, the top brands in serious strength training
- Multiple squat racks and dedicated lifting platforms
- Turf areas with sleds, tires, battle ropes, and plyo boxes
- Chalk and dropping weights are allowed on lifting platforms
- Dumbbells typically up to 100 lbs
LA Fitness Standard Clubs
- Standard barbells and plates (functional but not premium brands)
- Dumbbells up to 120 lbs at most clubs, a heavier ceiling than 24 Hour Fitness
- Squat racks and deadlift platforms at most clubs
- Chalk allowed at most clubs
- Dropping weights discouraged
If you’re a competitive powerlifter, or Olympic lifter or you care about equipment brands, 24 Hour Fitness at the Sport tier or above is the stronger option.
For general strength training and hypertrophy, LA Fitness’s heavier dumbbell ceiling (120 lbs vs 100 lbs) actually makes it more practical for advanced lifters who train with dumbbells.
Amenities: It depends on the Tier
It’s a comparison of LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness based on amenities:
| Amenity | LA Fitness Standard | 24HF Sport | 24HF Super Sport / Ultra Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor pool | Most clubs | Rare | Most clubs |
| Basketball court | Most clubs | Most clubs | Most clubs |
| Sauna | Most clubs | Most clubs | Most clubs |
| Steam room | Many clubs | Rare | Many clubs |
| Whirlpool | Most clubs | Some clubs | Most clubs |
| Turf training area | Some clubs | Most clubs | Most clubs |
| Kids’ childcare | Included in most clubs | Extra fee at some | Extra fee at most |
| Juice bar | Some clubs | Some clubs | Most clubs |
- Against a sport-tier 24 Hour Fitness, LA Fitness standard wins on pools and steam rooms while losing on turf and equipment quality.
- Against a Super Sport or Ultra Sport, the comparison is much closer and comes down to equipment brands, childcare, and cost.
Note: LA Fitness includes childcare in the standard membership at most participating clubs.
24 Hour Fitness charges extra for childcare at both Sport and Super Sport levels.
So, if you’re a parent who relies on childcare while working out, then think about the cost. And you can also visit my LA Fitness family membership guide to know what Kids Klub costs and how it works.
Access Hours
24 Hour Fitness offers 24-hour weekday access at select higher-tier clubs in major metro areas.
Weekend hours are usually reduced even at these clubs, and lower-tier locations (Fit-Lite, Express) often operate standard hours despite the brand name.
LA Fitness closes between 10 PM and 11 PM on weekdays and at 8 PM on weekends at most locations.
Plus, there are no 24-hour LA Fitness clubs in the standard sense, so if you want overnight gym access regularly, 24 Hour Fitness is the best gym for you.
Canada and Travel Access
LA Fitness has clubs in Ontario, Canada, and nationwide plan members can use them.
24 Hour Fitness has no Canadian clubs, but members can use GoodLife Fitness and Energie Cardio in Canada through a reciprocity agreement.
If you’re a member who travels to Canada regularly, 24 Hour Fitness’s arrangement will reach more locations there than LA Fitness does.
But LA Fitness’s 500-plus clubs across more states reach markets where 24 Hour Fitness has no presence.
Planet Fitness’s 2,896-club network is the only gym offering genuine coast-to-coast coverage.
Personal Training
24 Hour Fitness requires trainers to have at least one year of experience plus a certification through NASM, ACE, or a comparable body, and many have exercise science degrees.
Sessions cost between $85 and $97 per hour.
LA Fitness requires certifications but not degrees or minimum experience beyond certification.
And sessions there cost $45 to $60 each; if you buy the package, then you can save money.
For a full breakdown of LA Fitness personal training pricing and how to navigate the contract, check my article about LA Fitness Personal Training Cost.
However, if trainer credentials and experience are important to you, I recommend you go with 24 Hour Fitness. If price is the priority, LA Fitness is cheaper at every package level.
Is 24 Hour Fitness Stable Enough to Join?
Yes, it’s way more stable than it used to be, as 24 Hour Fitness exited Chapter 11 in December 2020; at that time, it eliminated around $1.2 billion in debt under new ownership.
In 2025, the company secured a $305 million credit facility to refinance debt and fund capital improvements.
So, since then, it’s been financially stable, and no new wave of closures has been announced until now.
However, there are some locations that 24 Hour Fitness lost back in 2020, which it can’t get back, but they’ve opened new ones in 2026, so it’s stable.
Which One Should You Choose? LA Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness
| Situation | Better choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Hour Fitness has no nearby clubs | LA Fitness | No comparison needed |
| Nearest 24HF is Fit-Lite, Express, or Active | LA Fitness | LA Fitness’s standard beats these tiers on amenities |
| Nearest 24HF is Sport, a Costco member | 24 Hour Fitness | $17 to $18 per month for two years is hard to beat |
| Nearest 24HF is Super Sport or Ultra Sport | Compare directly | Tier-for-tier decision on equipment and amenities |
| Overnight or late-night access needed | 24 Hour Fitness | LA Fitness closes at 10 to 11 PM |
| Kids Klub childcare needed | LA Fitness | Included in membership; 24HF charges extra |
| Competitive powerlifting or Olympic lifting | 24 Hour Fitness Sport+ | Rogue/Eleiko equipment and dedicated platforms |
| General strength training | Either | LA Fitness has heavier dumbbells; 24HF has better equipment brands |
| Travel mostly within the US outside the West Coast | LA Fitness | Broader national footprint |
| Travel to Canada frequently | 24 Hour Fitness | GoodLife reciprocity vs LA Fitness Ontario clubs only |
| Personal trainer quality matters | 24 Hour Fitness | Higher credential requirements and more experienced staff |
| Personal trainer price matters | LA Fitness | much cheaper sessions at every package level |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LA Fitness bigger than 24 Hour Fitness?
In terms of club count, yes, LA Fitness has more than 500 clubs across more than 20 states.
24 Hour Fitness has around 244 clubs in nine states as of late 2025, which used to be over 400 before its 2020 bankruptcy.
LA Fitness also has a broader geographic advantage, as it covers markets where 24 Hour Fitness has no presence at all, for example, in Florida, the Midwest, and the Deep South.
Is the Costco 24 Hour Fitness deal still available in 2026?
As of July 2026, the two-year 24 Hour Fitness All-Sport membership is available at Costco for around $429.99 at select warehouse locations.
The deal has been suspended and reinstated, and 24 Hour Fitness temporarily stopped accepting Costco certificates in August 2023.
So, you would want to confirm current acceptance with both the Costco warehouse and your local 24 Hour Fitness club.
Which gym is better for weight loss?
Both gyms support weight loss; in fact, LA Fitness’s included group fitness classes, pool, and broader class schedule give more variety, which helps with consistency over time.
24 Hour Fitness at the Sport tier or above offers comparable classes and a stronger equipment setup for resistance training.
Do both gyms accept SilverSneakers?
Many locations of both gyms participate in SilverSneakers and other Medicare fitness programs.
LA Fitness’s broader club count means more participating locations overall.
However, you have to verify both with your insurance plan and the specific club location before joining, since not every club in either chain participates.
If you want more details on how senior fitness programs work at LA Fitness, I suggest you check the LA Fitness senior discount guide.
I’m Abraham, a researcher and writer. I’ve been going to the gym since 2019, and I started GymMembershipPricing after struggling to find reliable information about gym memberships, pricing, fees, amenities, cancellation policies, hidden charges, and more. I research and verify this information to help others find a suitable gym, understand what to expect, avoid unexpected costs, and make informed decisions before joining.
