Tasting menus, ticketed events and special dinners: deposits, prepayments and card guarantees, and what the platform keeps from them.
Weigh more here than in the overall ranking: deposits and prepayments and card guarantee and no-show fee. Weigh less here: waitlist.
The ranking
Tablein
By Tablein
A reservation system from Lithuania with every feature on every plan, priced by the number of bookings; for about 200 bookings a month the Success plan, with unlimited bookings, costs $209 a month per location, month to month.
RTC SCORE
7.4
#1 for Tasting menus and prepaid experiences
Pros
- Every feature on every plan: floor plan, waitlist, guest profiles, deposits and card guarantees.
- No charge per guest, and bookings from Google, Facebook and Instagram come with the plan.
- Month to month, with a 14-day free trial and no setup fee.
Cons
- No POS integration yet: Tablein lists it as coming soon.
- The smaller plans charge extra bookings in euros, so a restaurant with about 200 bookings a month needs the top plan.
- SMS prices are not published, and support hours are not either.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), deposits and prepayments, and table management. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
Resos
By Resos
A low-cost reservation system from Denmark priced by bookings, with no charge per guest: Basic costs $47 a month for up to 350 bookings, month to month, and Google bookings, deposits and the waitlist are paid add-ons.
RTC SCORE
7.0
#2 for Tasting menus and prepaid experiences
Pros
- A low published monthly price, with no charge per guest or per booking.
- Month to month, and you can download your data for 90 days after you leave.
- A Free plan for very small restaurants.
Cons
- Google bookings, deposits, card guarantees and the waitlist are paid add-ons.
- No POS integration.
- Going over 350 bookings in a month moves you to a pricier plan automatically, and it does not move you back.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), table management, and published pricing. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
Resy powered by Tock
By Tock LLC
Tock's reservation, ticketing and prepaid experience system, now sold by Resy: from a published $289 a month per location plus 3% of prepayments on Essential, with deposits, table management and waitlist.
RTC SCORE
6.7
#3 for Tasting menus and prepaid experiences
Pros
- Deposits, full prepayment, ticketed events and card holds in the cheapest plan.
- A published monthly fee with no charge per guest, plus table management and waitlist.
- Bookings from the Resy network, Google and partner discovery platforms.
Cons
- Essential keeps 3% of every prepayment, on top of card processing.
- The term is in a private order form, renewal needs 90 days' notice and payments are non-refundable.
- The plans page is unclear about whether Essential includes POS integration.
- Initial term
- Quote only
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), deposits and prepayments, and table management.
OpenTable
By OpenTable
The largest diner network in the US, with three published plans from $149 a month per location plus a fee for each guest who books through OpenTable; table management, waitlist and POS integration start with the Core plan.
RTC SCORE
6.7
#4 for Tasting menus and prepaid experiences
Pros
- The largest diner network of the catalog, plus a booking widget and more than 100 booking partners on every plan.
- Published prices for its three plans, and you only pay for seated guests, never for no-shows or cancellations.
- Live support 24/7.
Cons
- A one-year contract that renews for another year, and leaving early means paying the rest of the term.
- Basic has no floor plan, waitlist or POS integration: they start with Core at $299 a month.
- Each guest from the network costs $1.50 on Basic, and the bill grows with your bookings.
- Initial term
- 12 months
Strongest on deposits and prepayments, 12-month cost (reference restaurant), and card guarantee and no-show fee.
Toast Tables
By Toast
Toast's reservations, waitlist and table management module, built into Toast POS, with booking on your website, Google and the Local by Toast app. Toast sells it by quote: the base tier caps reservations and Toast Tables Plus has no cap.
RTC SCORE
6.1
#5 for Tasting menus and prepaid experiences
Pros
- Built into Toast POS: table status follows the orders, and seating a party can open the check for its server.
- Waitlist, floor plan and two-way texting in both tiers, with bookings from your website, Google and the Local by Toast app.
- Prepayments for reservations and ticketed experiences.
Cons
- Toast does not publish the price, and it only works with Toast POS.
- The base tier caps reservations (normally 25 a month); a restaurant that books every night needs Toast Tables Plus.
- The host app needs your own tablet: it does not run on Toast hardware.
- Initial term
- Quote only
Strongest on deposits and prepayments, table management, and guest profiles. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.