The Best Cheap Gym Memberships in the UK 2026

Keep fit and healthy for less with these cheap gym memberships across the UK.

If you're looking for a cheap gym membership, you've come to the right place. Getting yourself to the gym can improve mental and physical health, but when the average UK gym costs around £40 a month, it's not always an affordable option.

As a student, keeping costs low is the priority — which makes a student gym membership the ideal way to stay active without blowing your budget.

While genuinely free gym memberships are rare, some gyms offer free trials. We've done the legwork of rounding up the best cheap gym memberships in the UK for students — including price comparisons, alternatives to the gym, how to save on a gym membership, and more.

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The best cheap gym memberships for students
Compare cheap gym memberships
Are gym memberships worth the cost?
Cheap alternatives to a gym membership
How to save money on a gym membership
What cancellation rights do you have?
Gym discounts

The best cheap gym memberships for students

1. The Gym Group

The Gym Group offers student gym memberships with no joining fee across a range of plan lengths — 6-month, 9-month, and 12-month options are all available, with 25% off for verified students. Prices vary by location, so we've listed some examples across popular university cities below.

From our research, Leicester, Manchester and Birmingham offer some of the cheapest student memberships at under £15 per month, while Oxford, York, Brighton and Bath sit at the higher end (£18+).

The Gym Group student memberships include: no joining fee, 24/7 access, unlimited access to 2 gyms, and free classes.

Student membership price examples (6-month plans):

The Gym Leicester Highcross: from £129 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Leeds Headingley: from £149 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Manchester Old Trafford: from £129 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Edinburgh City: from £159 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Oxford Abingdon: from £179 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Bath City: from £179 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Brighton London Road: from £179 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym Cambridge: from £149 for 6 months + no joining fee
The Gym York: from £179 for 6 months + no joining fee

2. PureGym

PureGym is one of the most popular budget gyms for students, thanks to low prices and flexible no-contract memberships. With over 300 sites across the UK, you're likely to have one nearby.

Students can get up to 30% off their first 6 months with no joining fee.

Here are the current membership levels:

Off-Peak — from £17.99/month. Limited to quieter hours; book free classes 8 days in advance.
Core — from £22.99/month. 24/7 unrestricted access, free classes, multi-gym access from £2 extra.
Plus — from £28.99/month. 24/7 access, classes bookable 14 days ahead, multi-gym access, bring a guest up to 4 times a month, freeze membership free for up to 3 months.

3. JD Gyms

JD Gyms is another solid budget option with strong monthly prices and frequent no-joining-fee promotions.

Standard — from £21.99/month. No joining fee or contract. Free classes. Peak and off-peak access. Main gym only.
Plus+ — from £24.99/month. No joining fee or contract. Free classes. Access to any JD Gym site. 10% off JD Sports online.

4. Better

Better operates gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools throughout the UK. Their student membership offers access to over 200 locations, free PT sessions, a refer-a-friend scheme and more.

Better gym membership options include:

Better Health UK: UK-wide access to gyms, pools and fitness classes at over 200 centres
Better Health (area or centre): Anytime access to your local gym, pool and fitness classes
Better Health Saver (off-peak): Off-peak access at a lower price point
Student membership: No minimum contract, flexible payment, concessionary pricing

5. ClassPass

ClassPass sits at the slightly pricier end but is worth considering if fitness classes, spas or wellness centres are your thing — it gives you access to venues and class types that standard gym memberships don't cover.

It works on a credits system. London-based pricing:

£15 for 9 credits
£39 for 27 credits
£69 for 52 credits
£130 for 102 credits
£159 for 130 credits

Council-owned gyms

Local leisure centre gyms — typically run by operators like Everyone Active (200+ centres nationwide) — are often the cheapest option of all. Equipment varies, but student memberships are widely available and they cover the basics well.

Compare the cheapest gym memberships

Gym	Locations	Min. monthly cost	Day passes?	Student discount?
The Gym Group	241	From £14.99	Yes, from £7.99	Yes - 25% off
PureGym	300+	From £17.99	Yes, from £7	Yes - up to 30%
JD Gyms	89	From £21.99	Yes, from £10	No
Better	271	From £24	Yes, from £8	Yes

Are gym memberships worth the cost?

Whether a gym membership is worth it depends on your habits and circumstances. If you're likely to go regularly, the per-visit cost quickly becomes very reasonable. If you're not sure, consider starting with a free trial or a pay-as-you-go pass rather than committing to a monthly fee.

Pros: access to equipment and trainers, varied classes, structure and routine, social aspect.

Cons: the cost, needing to actually make the time to go, and the risk of paying for something you barely use.

Cheap alternatives to a gym membership

If a gym membership isn't viable right now, you can still stay active for free or very little cost:

YouTube workout videos
Exercise apps (Couch to 5K, Nike Training Club, 7-Minute Workout)
TikTok workout content
University gym or sports society memberships (often very cheap for students)
Home exercise equipment
Walking, running or cycling outdoors

How to save money on a gym membership

Use your student discount — always ask, even if it's not advertised. Sign up to Student Beans for verified gym discounts.
Go off-peak — off-peak memberships can be significantly cheaper if you can train outside of 5–8pm.
Pay annually — a lump sum annual payment often works out cheaper per month.
Take advantage of free trials — Nuffield Health, Village Health & Wellness, Total Fitness, Anytime Fitness and Fusion Lifestyle all offer free trial periods.
Switch to pay-as-you-go — if you're going less than once a week, this often works out cheaper.
Go basic — cut pool, spa or sauna access if you're not using them.
Ask about employer or placement discounts — if you're on a placement year, many companies offer corporate gym discounts.
Use referral codes — PureGym lets you refer friends and earn rewards.
Haggle — gym salespeople often have flexibility, and if you walk away you'll frequently get a better offer.

What cancellation rights do you have?

Freeze your membership — many gyms let you pause for a set period; useful for summer when you head home.
Check the contract — it's been illegal since 2011 for gyms to lock you into more than a 12-month contract.
Auto-renewal — gyms shouldn't auto-renew contracts, but check your terms.
Major changes — if your gym removes a key facility (e.g. a pool), this can be grounds for cancellation.

The best gym membership student discounts

PureGym student discount— up to 30% off
The Gym Group student discount — 25% off student gym memberships on 12-month plans
Psycle student discount — 37% off 1 studio credit, 39% off 10 credits, 40% off 5 studio credits
Nuffield Health student discount — 20% student discount
Anytime Fitness student discount — free pass
The Body Coach student discount — discounts on monthly subscription

Unlock even more with Student Beans

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