Today's guests have a few expectations when booking a table. Not only do they want a seamless experience from the beginning of their reservation to its end with as few interactions as possible, but they also expect real-time waitlists, reviews and recommendations from other guests, and an option to make their preferences known. Using an online reservation system or restaurant reservation software gives customers the freedom to make a booking whenever they like without having to call you. This system helps manage table bookings efficiently and integrates seamlessly with the restaurant's website. A quick search on Google reveals there are several restaurant reservation systems in existence. How do you know which one is right for your restaurant? What are some popular options in the restaurant management space? To help you discover the right reservation system for you, I've reviewed the top 13 best online restaurant reservation systems and put together an in-depth analysis of each. Explore the options below: 1. Resy 2. Eat App 3. Tock 4. OpenTable 5. Yelp Reservations 6. Table Agent 7. Tablein 8. ResOS 9. Sevenrooms 10. Servme 11. The Fork 12. Resdairy 13. Toast Tables Resy is a versatile restaurant management tool designed to streamline reservations and improve guest experiences. Resy curates the restaurants it displays, so not all restaurants are visible to users. Your restaurant might not be featured even if you use their software. The discovery app for diners is only available in major cities. Customizable guest messaging, post-meal guest surveys, and POS integration are not included in the basic plan and can become expensive. You don't own your guest data. Resy offers three pricing tiers: Platform, Platform 360, and Full Stack. Starting at $189 per month and POS integration, the Platform tier offers unlimited users, devices, and covers. The Platform 360 tier costs $399 per month and offers extra features for branding and hospitality, including customizable guest messaging and a data and analytics package. The Full Stack starts at $899 per month, offering features like high-volume network configuration and API access for restaurants looking for enterprise scale. Note: For ticketed events, Resy charges a 3% fee from Platform users, which goes down to 2% for those upgrading to or investing in the Platform 360 or Full Stack plan. Resy stands out as the trendy newcomer with fantastic branding, especially in major cities. It doesn’t have network or cover fees, but its flat rate is on the pricier side—especially if you're looking to unlock all the features with the Platform 360 plan. Eat App is a cloud-based, cross-platform (you can use it on iPads, Desktops, and mobile phones), and a simple-to-use restaurant reservation system. Want to explore what Eat App has to offer? Book a free Eat App consultation to learn more. Eat App offers simple pricing for their restaurant reservation system: Free Plan - $0/month: Basic table management, access to online booking channels, and 30 cover limit. Starter Plan - $49/month: Full table management, access to online booking channels, automated messaging, 300 cover limit, and 25 free SMS monthly. Basic Plan - $129/month: Full table management, access to online booking channels, simple reports, guest surveys, automated messages, unlimited Covers, and 100 free SMS monthly. Pro Plan - $229/month: Everything in the basic plan, 300 free SMS monthly, CRM and guest database, reporting and analytics, customizable design and messaging, auto guest tagging, and marketing campaigns. For a fully integrated reservation system and table management with unlimited covers go for the $129/month plan or if you want more advanced restaurant management with rich analytics and full guest CRM the $229 plan is perfect. If you need help deciding which Eat App plan is right for you, take the quiz. We might be a bit biased, but at Eat App, we believe our reservation system is a game-changer for restaurants. We know how important a smooth reservation process is, so we’ve made it super simple to use on any device. Plus, we get that different restaurants have different needs—like high-end places that require prepaid reservations. Our app includes powerful table management, guest database, and CRM features to streamline your day-to-day operations and boost revenue. Think of it as an all-in-one tool to help you deliver the best hospitality. Setting up floor plans and managing party sizes is a piece of cake with our system. It even comes with a widget that shows real-time table availability, so your guests can book directly from your website or social media, capturing upfront payments for events or booking deposits. We also connect you to a global reservation network, helping you attract new guests through partners like Instagram, Facebook, Google, TripAdvisor, and American Express. This means more covers and greater visibility for your restaurant. Eat App simplifies online reservations, and seating walk-ins without the headache of pricey software. We offer flexible shift management, credit card holds to reduce no-shows, restaurant automation, and manager apps for iOS and Android for on-the-go management. Do you have multiple branches? No problem. Our system syncs data seamlessly across all of them. With integrations for POS, mobile phones, and payment systems, you’ll take your hospitality and marketing to the next level with advanced guest data, like spend per guest and itemized menu preferences. In short, Eat App puts you in control of your data and the reservation experience, helping you build direct relationships with your guests. Tock is a table management system that aims at improving restaurant revenue by reducing no-shows through a ticketing system that allows restaurants to take table reservation deposits and prepayments. Tock is available in three plans: Intro, Plus, and Pro. Intro is a free monthly plan with a 3% prepaid fee. It's geared toward pop-ups and prepaid culinary events that don't need table management software. The Plus plan starts at $249 per month with a 2% prepaid fee. It offers a complete table management and reservation system, including prepaid experiences like a chef's counter or tasting menus. The Pro plan starts at $749 per month. It's ideal for high volume or chef-driven restaurants, offering full features and 0% prepaid reservation fees. Tock introduced an innovative reservation model where restaurants take deposits upon booking, which is ideal for fine dining or unique culinary experiences like tasting menus and chef’s dinners. While Tock still emphasizes deposit-based and prepaid reservations, it has now expanded to include all types of reservations, as well as takeout and events. OpenTable offers table reservation software to organize shift summaries, automate reminders, optimize turn times, and more. Customers can see real-time availability and book tables online through your website. Table categories increase covers by allowing bookings for the patio, bar, and other areas. It saves customer details, such as guest history and visit notes, for personalized service. OpenTable also integrates with other platforms and provides access to 31 million diners to help fill more seats and manage reservations effectively. OpenTable offers a three-tiered system starting with the basic which gives you access to OpenTable's dining network for $39/month and a per-cover charge of $1.50. The Core package offers basic table management and waitlist features for $249 and a per-cover charge of $1. The full stack, priced at $449/month gives you access to all of OpenTable's extensive table management systems, with a per-cover charge of $1. OpenTable is the largest and original reservations marketplace, offering broad exposure to a wider audience. However, this exposure comes with a cost, as restaurants pay a fee per network cover for reservations. While the marketplace can attract new customers, it can be less appealing when you also pay for returning guests. Yelp's reservation software has the standard features you would expect that enable you to reach more diners, give accurate wait times, assign servers, and accept bookings on your Yelp business page. When it comes to booking, Yelp lets your prospective customers check availability and reserve places in just a couple of taps, directly from your Yelp page. In addition, you can set up a booking widget to accept online reservations from your restaurant website. Special configurations allow you to keep track of your floor and service activity from any device, any place in the world to save time. If you're already active on Yelp, this reservation system might be just what you need to turn your activity and presence into a profit. Yelp charges a flat rate of $249 per month with no cover fees, setup fees, or web access fees. The iPad is included in the cost. Features include two-way diner messaging, table management, and waitlist management capabilities. Table Agent aims to help restaurants save as much money as possible by offering an affordable and easy-to-use table reservation system. Table Agent offers a free-of-cost system without any monthly subscription or cover fee for the basic features. However, for more advanced functionality, you will have to subscribe to add-ons at an added cost. For example, per transaction fee is priced at $1 or $29 for an unlimited per-month package, and SMS packages start at $20. Tablein provides smaller restaurants with modern capabilities to attract customers, optimize guest capacity, control kitchen staff's workload, and more. Tablein offers a free trial with free installation and live support, and two pricing plans: Standard & Premium. The Standard plan starts at $75 per month and includes 150 bookings per month, with a $0.25 charge for each additional booking. The Premium plan costs $115 per month and includes unlimited bookings and free installation, live support, and updates. ResOS is a cloud-based restaurant reservation system that offers a range of features to streamline your operations and improve guest experiences. The ResOs unlimited tier which has all the basics for managing reservations starts at $95 per month. Sevenrooms is a reservation and guest management platform designed to elevate restaurant operations. Sevenrooms enables you to optimize table assignments, manage reservations, and maintain a detailed guest database. Pricing for Sevenroom varies depending on your specific restaurant type and team needs - but if you're looking for table management, reservation management, and basic integrations, it will set your restaurant back $700 per month. SevenRooms is a compelling option for restaurants seeking a data-driven approach to customer experience and marketing. The flat fee structure provides budget certainty, and additional features like integrated ordering can be valuable. However, if brand recognition for customer discovery is a top priority, or if back-of-house optimization is critical, exploring other options alongside SevenRooms might be wise. Servme is a restaurant reservation system that offers an array of features to streamline the guest management processes. Servme assists you in managing reservations, optimizing table assignments, and providing excellent customer service. Their platform facilitates direct communication between your restaurant and guests, enabling them to book tables seamlessly from your website or social media pages. Servme also offers waitlist management, ensuring that you can fill cancellations efficiently. Pricing for Servme is not publicized but we estimate a standard package to cost around $300 per month per restaurant. The Fork is an online table reservation system that improves your restaurant's visibility and makes guest bookings easier. Pricing for The Fork can vary depending on your restaurant's location and specific needs, but if your restaurant is located in the UK for example, you'll be spending $178 per month for The Fork's pro plan. In addition to the monthly subscription fee, The Fork also charges on a per-cover basis. The Fork is a great option if you prioritize increased visibility and customer acquisition. However, if you're on a tight budget or need a system focused on streamlining internal operations, it might be worth exploring other options. ResDiary is a user-friendly restaurant reservation and table management system that optimizes guest handling and streamline operations while in restaurants. ResDiary's unique feature is its channel management capabilities, allowing you to connect with various online booking platforms and increase your restaurant's visibility across different channels. This feature ensures your restaurant can reach a broader audience and drive more reservations. Resdiary offers customizable messaging and communication tools, as well as reporting and analytics features for data-driven business decisions to enhance client and guest satisfaction and revenue. ResDiary offers three pricing options for restaurants. ResDiary Connect will cost $89 per month and includes 150 free bookings, ResDiary Express will cost $139 per month and include 500 free bookings, and ResDiary Pro will cost $189 per month and include unlimited bookings per month. Restaurants will also need to pay a $129 setup fee when proceeding with ResDiary. To get the full benefits of ResDiary at your restaurant, they offer a host of add-ons which will cost an average of $45 per month per add-on. Toast Tables is a highly efficient table reservation and guest management system that seamlessly integrates with your restaurant's operations. With its intuitive interface, Toast Tables provides a wide range of features including advanced table management, efficient reservation handling, and effective communication with guests. One of Toast Tables' highlights is its integration with the Toast POS system, creating a cohesive experience for both your front-of-house and back-of-house teams. This integration ensures accurate order information and personalized service based on guest preferences. Toast Tables also offers waitlist management and online booking capabilities, allowing diners to easily reserve tables from your restaurant, website, or social media account profiles. Additionally, its reporting and analytics tools provide insights into reservation trends and guest behavior. Unlimited access to Toast Tables will cost $199 per month per restaurant. To create this review we had a look at each restaurant reservation system in this list by signing up for each product, (where possible) and assessing the ease of use and the available features. We also looked at current reviews on sites like G2, as well as reviewed the pricing pages of each site to get up-to-date information on the price of each service. To help get you and your team started, let’s first establish the criteria we used to evaluate the best online restaurant reservation systems. As you do your research, there are some key considerations to look at to ensure that you’re getting your dollars’ worth when choosing a restaurant reservation system. Finding the best restaurant reservation software is crucial for meeting specific business needs amidst a variety of options available in the market. Selecting the best restaurant reservation app is important for any restaurant owner. It's crucial to compare features and suitability for different types of restaurants, including high-end restaurants and wineries that may benefit from features like prepaid reservations. Platforms like Tock and OpenTable stand out for their ability to cater to high-volume restaurants with extensive features, integrations, and digital marketing solutions. Is the restaurant reservation system intuitive and easy to use? Does it help reduce no-shows through features like SMS notifications, emails, push notifications, and tags for previous no-show guests? Does it offer bookingwidgets to help increase your online restaurant reservations too? Does it help you manage capacity by offering table management, customer service, and waitlisting features? Does the restaurant reservation system streamline your front-of-house operations? Can it manage walk-ins as easily as it manages online reservations? While cost shouldn't be the only thing you're considering, you might find that two or three of the best online restaurant reservation software are so similar that price will be the defining consideration. Make sure there are no hidden or exorbitant fees, like installation, setup, restaurant reservation, or SMS fees. This is especially true for restaurants with high numbers of reservations. There are a lot of restaurant reservation systems out there, catering to the full range of budgets and needs. Hopefully this lowdown on some of the best online restaurant reservation systems has helped you to identify which ones are within your budget while still offering all the features you’re looking for in your shiny new online restaurant reservation system now. While it may seem costly, these systems can offer much more value than they may seem on the surface. Ultimately, the right one will pay for itself – and more – by organizing and streamlining your internal operations while justifying reservation fees and creating meaningful customer experiences that consistently keep them coming back for more. FAQs What is restaurant reservation software? Restaurant reservation software is a helpful tool that allows customers to book tables at restaurants online, while also helping restaurant staff manage reservations and walk-ins, seating arrangements, and customer information efficiently. How do restaurants keep track of restaurant reservations? Conventionally, traditional restaurants would use a reservation book to keep track of reservations. As restaurant technology advanced, operators could adopt new industry-leading tools to help with the process. Rather than relying on pen and paper, a restaurant reservation system could be employed to track every single reservation, provide insightful analytics about performance, and even notify staff if a reservation is canceled. A good reservation system should be able to track both walk-ins and online reservations. What software is used for booking? Restaurant booking software like Eat App can be used to allow guests to make online bookings at their favorite restaurants. With easy-to-use booking widgets that integrate across all online channels, this makes it easier than ever for guests to discover and book tables at their favorite restaurant. What is online reservations software? Online restaurant reservation software is reservation software that is both cloud-based and makes it possible for guests to make restaurant reservations online. What is a restaurant reservation system? A restaurant reservation system is a type of restaurant software that enables both customers and restaurant staff to manage table reservations efficiently. It allows customers to book tables at their favorite restaurant online or through other channels (such as Google or Instagram), and it assists restaurant staff in organizing reservations and walk-ins, managing seating arrangements, and keeping track of customer information. This reservation system also helps streamline the reservation process and enhance dining experiences for all parties involved. The best restaurant reservation systems
Resy
Resy pros
Resy cons
Resy pricing
What makes Resy different?
Eat App
Eat App pros
Eat App cons
Eat App pricing
What makes Eat App different?
Tock
Tock pros
Tock cons
Tock pricing
What makes Tock different?
OpenTable
OpenTable pros
OpenTable cons
OpenTable pricing
How is OpenTable different?
Yelp Reservations
Yelp pros
Yelp cons
Yelp pricing
Table Agent
Table Agent pros
Table Agent cons
Table Agent pricing
Tablein
Tablein pros
Tablein cons
Tablein pricing
ResOS
ResOS pros
ResOS cons
ResOS pricing
Sevenrooms
Sevenrooms pros
Sevenrooms cons
Sevenrooms pricing
What makes Sevenrooms different?
Servme
Pros
Cons
Servme Pricing
The Fork
The Fork pros
The Fork cons
The Fork pricing
What makes The Fork different?
Resdiary
Pros
Cons
ResDiary Pricing
Pros
Cons
Toast Tables Pricing
How we chose these restaurant reservation systems
Features
Cost
The takeaway
Further reading
FAQs
What is the most popular restaurant reservation system? ›
OpenTable. OpenTable is among the most popular restaurant reservation and management platforms on the market.
What are the two 3 types of restaurant reservations? ›- Phone Reservations: Customers call the restaurant directly to make a reservation. They provide details such as the number of guests, preferred date and time, and any special requests.
- In-Person Reservations: Customers visit the restaurant in person to make a reservation.
One of the main benefits of online booking systems is that they allow you to accept reservations 24/7. This means that your customers can book your tours and activities anytime, anywhere, without you having to do a thing.
What is the restaurant reservation system? ›Restaurant reservations are an arrangement guests make in advance to confirm a table for their party at a specified time. Making a reservation at a restaurant can be done by phone, through a restaurant's website, third-party reservation sites or apps, at the restaurant in person, or even with a text message.
What are the popular central reservation systems? ›- Choice.
- GuestCentric.
- Pegasus.
- ROIBACK.
- SHR.
Noma- Copenhagen, Denmark
Noma in Copenhagen, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant under Chef René Redzepi, is a five-time winner of the World's 50 Best list and one of the hardest places to book, with 20,000 people vying for a table on reservations day.
A no-reservation policy eliminates no shows altogether because you no longer open yourself up to the possibility of guests not arriving for their reservations. You don't lose business and revenue from having to turn people away.
How do online restaurant reservations work? ›Online reservations automate the table booking process, so the customer does the bulk of the necessary data input. Systems ensure that table reservations sync properly, updating a reservations calendar in real-time, meaning that restaurant staff can focus on optimising their customer service.
What are the two major types of reservation? ›Currently, two types of reservations exist in India, i.e., Horizontal and Vertical reservations. The scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), and other backward classes (OBCs) are the primary beneficiaries of the reservation policies under Indian law.
What are the disadvantages of online reservations? ›- You need internet access. Reliable internet access is required to check reservations and add bookings that are made over the phone. ...
- You need to be ready for an influx of new customers. ...
- Not all online booking systems are created equal.
What are the disadvantages of computerized reservation? ›
Table of Contents | |
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Advantages of Computer Reservation System | Disadvantages of Computer Reservation System |
2. Increased Efficiency and Accuracy | 2. Limited Human Interaction |
3. Real-Time Availability Updates | 3. Potential System Glitches |
E – reservation also known as electronic reservation refers to making the appointments online, by using the internet. A person can only check the availability of seats in a bus, ferry or aircraft by using E- reservation.
What are the two 2 types of restaurant reservation? ›- Consumer-facing reservation websites allow customers to book tables at restaurants online or through a mobile app.
- Operator-facing management platforms provide restaurants with a way to manage their reservations, table availability, and guest information.
Computer reservation systems, or central reservation systems (CRS), are computerized systems used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel, hotels, car rental, or other activities.
What special requests can I ask for in a restaurant? ›Some restaurants let guests make special arrangement requests. Common requests include seeking window seats, separate booths, or a candle lit dinner. Of course, you can bring a smile to your date's face by having flowers or a bottle of wine or champagne delivered to the table.
What is the most populated reservation? ›Indian reservations | |
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Number | 326 |
Populations | About 1 million (total) Largest: Navajo Nation (165,158) |
Areas | Ranging from the 1.32-acre (0.534 hectare) Pit River Tribe's cemetery in California to the 17 million–acre (64,750 square kilometer) Navajo Nation Reservation located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah |
- BJ's Brewhouse.
- Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. ...
- Carrabba's Italian Grill. ...
- Mellow Mushroom. ...
- Bob Evans Restaurants. ...
- Cheesecake Factory. Rob Crandall / Shutterstock. ...
- Outback Steakhouse. QualityHD / Shutterstock. ...
- Olive Garden. George Sheldon / Shutterstock. ...
Resy ratings are a closed- loop system, meaning only restaurants can see the review and individual star rating. After each visit, guests receive an email from Resy asking them to rate their experience on a 5-star scale.
What is the most popular type of restaurant? ›1. Fast Food. Fast food restaurants are popular worldwide, offering quickly prepared meals with limited service. The menus at these establishments focus on food that can be easily and quickly eaten or taken with you, such as hamburgers, fries, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, drinks, and desserts.