When you think of the franchise industry, you probably think of two groups: franchisors and franchisees. But there is a third group that is just as important – franchise suppliers. These are the service providers that help make it possible for franchisors and franchisees to succeed and thrive, offering financing solutions, consulting, education, marketing, technology and more.

There are many of them! So how do franchisors and franchisees decide which suppliers to work with? To help with this, we present our seventh annual ranking of the top franchise suppliers. This year's list honors 162 leading service providers in 11 categories.

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To create this list, we conducted our annual franchisor survey. We received responses from more than 1,100 brands this year, from newly emerging franchisors to those who have been at it for decades. These brands told us which suppliers they work with and their franchises and rated their satisfaction with these suppliers in the areas of quality, cost and value. Each supplier was scored based on the survey results, and the top scoring suppliers are ranked within their respective categories.

For franchisors and franchisees wondering which suppliers to work with, this list may be a helpful starting point, but is not intended as a recommendation of any particular company. To find the suppliers that will best serve your unique business needs, it's always important to do your research. To learn more about these and other suppliers, check out our directory here.

See the full list here.