Planet Fitness vs VASA Fitness: Which Gym Wins?

Planet Fitness wins if you want affordable memberships, thousands of locations, and a beginner-friendly environment, while VASA Fitness is the better choice for advanced equipment, premium amenities, and diverse fitness classes. 

Not sure which gym matches your goals? Read this article to compare pricing, locations, cardio machines, group classes, gym atmosphere, locker rooms, crowd levels, amenities, and the overall winner.

When comparing pricing and membership plans, Planet Fitness and VASA Fitness both offer affordable memberships, but they differ in the number of plans available.

Planet Fitness Membership plans:

• Classic: $15 per month

• PF Black Card: $24.99 per month

VASA Fitness Membership plans:

• Basic: $14.99 per month

• Fitness: $24.99 per month

• Studio: $44.99 per month

Overall, Planet Fitness is a great option if you prefer a simple membership structure with just two affordable choices. 

In contrast, VASA Fitness offers three membership tiers, making it a better fit for those who want more flexibility and access to premium fitness services.

When it comes to location, Planet Fitness is significantly better, as it boasts a vast number of locations, around 3,000 worldwide. 

On the other hand, VASA Fitness has only about 70 locations, making the difference in availability quite large. 

Neither gym’s basic membership offers multi-club access, but once you move beyond the basic amenities, both gyms allow you to access all locations with one membership. 

However, both do offer multi-club access, but Planet Fitness stands out because of its much larger number of locations across the U.S. Thus, this extensive accessibility gives Planet Fitness a clear advantage, making it the better option in this aspect. 

When comparing Planet Fitness and VASA Fitness cardio machines, you get strong options at both gyms, but the experience differs. 

If you prefer simple treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and rowers with easy controls, Planet Fitness is a better fit. 

If you want advanced touchscreens, performance tracking, water rowers, and specialized cardio equipment, VASA Fitness gives you more variety and technology.

When it comes to group fitness classes, VASA Fitness is the better choice because it offers a much wider variety of classes than Planet Fitness.

At VASA Fitness, you can typically find:

• Yoga classes
• Senior fitness classes
• Cycling classes
• HIIT classes
• Resistance training classes
• Aqua fitness classes
• Cardio workout classes
• Core training classes
• Studio LFT (strength training with certified coaches)
• Studio RED HIIT (heart rate-based cardio and resistance training)
• Studio FLOW (infrared yoga and recovery classes)

In comparison, Planet Fitness mainly offers small group training, including:

• New Member Orientation
• 30-Minute Express Circuit
• Chest & Biceps
• Back & Triceps
• Legs & Shoulders
• Core
• Stretching

If you are looking for a gym with more variety in group fitness classes and access to specialized studio workouts, VASA Fitness is the better option.

When you compare Planet Fitness and VASA Fitness, you get two very different gym experiences. 

Planet Fitness gives you a simple layout with cardio machines, basic strength equipment, and a relaxed atmosphere for beginners. 

VASA Fitness offers much larger gyms with dedicated lifting zones, functional training areas, group studios, and premium amenities, creating a more energetic environment for both casual members and serious athletes.

Both VASA Fitness and Planet Fitness provide locker rooms equipped with mirrors, sinks for washing your hands and face, spacious seating areas, showers, restrooms, changing rooms, and lockers.

At both gyms, members are generally expected to bring their own towels and locker locks. 

However, Planet Fitness has an advantage because many of its newer clubs feature lockers with built-in electronic or manual keyless combination locks, allowing you to secure your belongings using a personal code instead of bringing your own lock. 

In addition, Planet Fitness has far more locations and offers lower membership prices. So, if your main goal is to join a gym primarily for shower access, Planet Fitness is the better choice.

If you want a quieter workout, Planet Fitness is usually the better choice. Its relaxed atmosphere and fewer heavy lifters help keep crowds manageable throughout the day. 

VASA Fitness attracts more people, especially during peak evening hours, creating longer waits for equipment despite its larger facilities. You can avoid the busiest times by visiting early morning, mid afternoon, or late night.

Both Planet Fitness and VASA Fitness offer a wide range of amenities, but VASA provides more premium features and specialized workout options. Here's a quick comparison:

Planet Fitness Amenities:

• Cardio and strength training equipment

• Functional training area and workout spaces

• Small group training

• Touchless check-in and free Wi-Fi

• Locker rooms, showers, and drink stations

• Planet Fitness app

• Massage chairs and HydroMassage

• Tanning

• Vibration and Red Light Therapy

• Wellness Pod

VASA Fitness Amenities:

• High-end strength equipment, free weights, and performance lifting area

• Cardio deck and functional training turf

• STUDIO LFT strength, STUDIO RED HIIT, STUDIO FLOW yoga, cycle, and group fitness classes

• InBody body composition scans

• Indoor pool, hot tub, cold plunge, sauna, and steam room

• Basketball and racquetball courts

• Fitness Cinema

• Massage lounge, light therapy, tanning, and personal training

Overall: Planet Fitness covers the essentials with a few wellness perks, making it a great option for beginners. 

VASA Fitness, on the other hand, offers a more complete fitness experience with advanced training equipment, recovery facilities, and a wider variety of classes.

• Planet Fitness Wins for Pricing and Membership Plans: If you're looking for the simplest and most affordable membership options, Planet Fitness is the better choice. It offers just two low-cost plans, making it easy for beginners and budget-conscious members to choose a membership without paying for extra features they may not need.

• Planet Fitness Wins for Gym Locations and Accessibility: Planet Fitness has a clear advantage with around 3,000 locations worldwide compared to VASA Fitness's roughly 70 locations. Although both gyms offer multi-club access through higher-tier memberships, Planet Fitness provides far greater accessibility because of its much larger network of gyms.

• VASA Fitness Wins for Cardio Machines: VASA Fitness offers a more advanced cardio experience with touchscreen machines, performance tracking, water rowers, and specialized equipment. Planet Fitness covers all the cardio basics, but VASA provides greater variety and more modern technology.

• VASA Fitness Wins for Group Classes and Fitness Programs: VASA Fitness offers a much wider selection of group fitness classes, including yoga, HIIT, cycling, aqua fitness, senior fitness, Studio LFT, Studio RED HIIT, and Studio FLOW. Planet Fitness mainly focuses on small group training, giving VASA the clear advantage for class variety.

• VASA Fitness Wins for Gym Space, Layout, and Atmosphere: VASA Fitness provides larger facilities with dedicated lifting areas, functional training zones, group fitness studios, and premium workout spaces. Planet Fitness has a simpler, beginner-friendly layout, while VASA creates a more complete training environment.

• Planet Fitness Wins for Locker Room Facilities: Both gyms provide locker rooms, showers, changing rooms, and similar essentials, but Planet Fitness stands out because many newer clubs feature built-in keyless lockers. Combined with its lower membership prices and larger number of locations, it is the better option if locker room and shower access are your priorities.

• Planet Fitness Wins for Crowd Levels: Planet Fitness generally provides a quieter workout environment with fewer heavy lifters and less competition for equipment. Although VASA Fitness has larger facilities, it tends to become much busier during peak hours.

• VASA Fitness Wins for Amenities: VASA Fitness offers a more complete list of amenities, including an indoor pool, hot tub, cold plunge, sauna, steam room, basketball and racquetball courts, Fitness Cinema, InBody scans, advanced studio classes, and premium recovery options. Planet Fitness includes several wellness perks but cannot match VASA's overall range of facilities.

Overall: Planet Fitness is the better choice if you want an affordable gym with simple memberships, thousands of locations, a quieter atmosphere, and convenient locker room access. 

VASA Fitness is the better option if you prefer advanced equipment, larger facilities, premium amenities, and a wider variety of fitness classes. 

The right choice ultimately depends on whether you value affordability and accessibility or a more feature-rich fitness experience.