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

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

To create this list, we conducted our annual survey of franchisors. We received responses from more than 1,100 brands this year, from newly emerging franchisors to those that have been at it for decades. These brands told us which suppliers they and their franchisees work with, and rated their satisfaction with those 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 can be a helpful jumping-off point, but it is not intended as a recommendation of any particular company. To find the suppliers that will best serve the needs of your unique business, it’s always important to do your own research. To learn more about these and other suppliers, check out our directory here.

See the full list here.