What a TAPinto franchise costs, and how a MailerDot town lease compares
Last checked 2026-10-08.
TAPinto is the best-known local news franchise in the U.S. If you are pricing it, this page sets its published costs next to a MailerDot town lease. They are different products, so the table compares what you pay and what you get, not what either might earn.
The short answer
Entrepreneur’s franchise directory lists TAPinto at a $5,000 initial franchise fee, a total initial investment of $7,775 to $11,325, an ongoing royalty of $600 to $700 a month, a 10% ad royalty, and a four-year term. A MailerDot town lease is $10.00 a month for a town’s first 1,000 subscribers, plus $5.00 a month for each additional 1,000, with no joining fee, no royalty and no minimum term.
Side by side
| TAPinto franchise | MailerDot town lease | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront fee | $5,000 franchise fee | None |
| Total to start | $7,775 – $11,325 | $10.00 (the first month) |
| Monthly cost | $600 – $700 royalty | $10.00, plus $5.00 per extra 1,000 subscribers |
| Share of ad revenue paid out | 10% ad royalty to the franchisor | None — you sell no ads |
| Term | Four years | Month to month; cancel from your dashboard |
| Who produces the news | You, as the local publisher | MailerDot writes and sends the daily edition |
| What you sell | Local advertising, under the TAPinto brand | Nothing. MailerDot sells and screens listings, and pays the operator 50% of each after fees |
TAPinto figures are from Entrepreneur’s directory listing (last updated December 2022). Franchise terms change, so treat them as a starting point and get the current numbers from TAPinto.
They are different things
A TAPinto franchise is a local news business: you report, publish and sell advertising for your town under the TAPinto name, with the franchisor’s platform and support behind you. TAPinto has also offered a license for existing publishers who want its platform under their own brand.
A MailerDot town lease is not that. MailerDot writes and sends the town’s newsletter whether or not anyone leases it. Leasing it gives you three things: your business in the spotlight at the top of every edition, the town to yourself while the lease runs, and a share of the listings MailerDot sells there.
A MailerDot town lease is a software subscription, not a franchise or a business opportunity. MailerDot makes no claim, promise or projection about what a town will earn — the listing share is a percentage of sales MailerDot makes, and a town may sell none.
Which one fits
- You want to report local news yourself and build an advertising business around it: a franchise like TAPinto is built for that.
- You want your own business in front of your town every morning, without writing, editing or selling anything: that is what a town lease is.
Before you sign either
- For any franchise, ask for the Franchise Disclosure Document. Under the FTC Franchise Rule, a franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign a contract or pay any money.
- Ask what happens to the subscribers and the site if you stop paying. On MailerDot, subscribers stay with the town and the edition keeps publishing free.
- Ask whether the price rises as the audience grows, and when. MailerDot’s does, by the published tiers, and only from your next billing period.
See whether your town is available →