If you want something cheap, planet fitness. Otherwise Golds or ballys.

Try to get a no-frills gym and be careful of membership advertisements that seem too cheap, you will get the cheap price, but you might only have access to a gym on predefined days of the week. If you're not looking to compete in a body competition or professional sports, all you need is an aerobic machine of your preference and weight machines.

Keep in mind that your membership fee will take into account every service offered by that gym for free, even the ones you won't ever use. It may even help subsidize the services that the gym offers at a deep discount. Get a gym that offers just what you want and nothing more.

Depends what you are looking for. Personally, I like to workout at home. No waiting around to use the equipment. If you have or can afford equipment, but it and workout at home. In the long run it will be cheaper.

Depends on what you are looking for in a gym. From personal experience I prefer the YMCA. Great classes, good gym equipment(free weight and machines), and affordable trainers. Most YMCA's have month to month memberships, low or no sign up cost, plus they are there to help not make money like most other gyms. If you are looking to sign a long term commentment then look for a gym close to home or work that is convient and has the amenities you are looking for.

24 hour fitness is the best because they are open 24 hours a day and you can go any time. You can sign up online and get your card right away without a sales rep. A basic membership will run you about $24 a month. Keep in mind you can go any time.

It depends where you live, if you are in a big city where they have 24 hour fitness or LA Fitness I would go there, not all 24 hour fitness’s are open 24 hours and you have to get different membership levels to get access to all clubs they sometimes offer an online special of 29.99 for the sport membership but not in all areas and they are picky if you try to sneak in at the lower rate and they are charging more near your,
LA Fitness also offers special they are not open 24 hours but most of their clubs are sport clubs and unlike 24 hour fitness you will not see 20 + year old equipment in the clubs you have to ask your self do you really need to go to the gym at 1 am? If not just because LA Fitness has better equipment replacement policies I would go there, they always have Calf raise machines, 2 or more smith machines, 2 or more squat racks, always a decline bench which is less stressful on your shoulders, 24 hour does not always have these things even in a sport club like Horton plaza. And the La Jolla sport is small so why do they call it a sport. I personally go to both. But I think LA Fitness does a better job.
YMCA is okay but they are often pricy, its for people that live near by or want the activities they offer,
There are chains of small franchise gyms like snap fitness or anytime fitness that might be in a smaller city that cannot support a LA Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness. But franchises don’t always last. Bally’s filed bankruptcy twice and shut down some clubs so I don’t know what to say about them. Your best bets on a budget are 24 hour or LA Fitness. If you have more money and live near a nice club you might want to check out lifetime fitness or a big local club like Princeton in Madison Wisconsin.