A small dining room that wants online bookings without a big monthly bill: published prices, a low fixed cost and short commitments.
Weigh more here than in the overall ranking: 12-month cost (reference restaurant), published pricing, initial term, and early termination fee. Weigh less here: email campaigns to your guests.
The ranking
Hostme
By Hostme
Reservations, waitlist and table management at a flat monthly price with unlimited bookings: Mezzo costs $109 a month and Grande, which adds POS integration and partner channels, $169, month to month by default.
RTC SCORE
8.4
#1 for Small and budget restaurants
Pros
- Table management, waitlist, deposits and cancellation fees on the cheapest plan, with unlimited bookings.
- No charge per guest on Mezzo, and SMS to guests in the US is free.
- Month to month by default, with a two-week free trial and no setup fee.
Cons
- POS integration needs Grande, at $169 a month.
- Marketing campaigns are paid apart with credit packs.
- Access to your guest data ends with the contract: export it before you leave.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), table management, and waitlist. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
TablesReady
By TablesReady
A waitlist and booking system for small restaurants whose price depends on how many text messages you send; online bookings, table management, payments and the Square integration start with the Business plan at $79 a month for 1,000 messages.
RTC SCORE
8.3
#2 for Small and budget restaurants
Pros
- Published prices for every message tier, with no charge per guest.
- Business brings online bookings, table management, two-way texting, payments and the Square integration together.
- Month to month on monthly billing, a 14-day trial and a data export you run yourself.
Cons
- Online bookings start with Business: Free and Starter are waitlist-first.
- The price rises with the messages you send, and texting pauses when you hit the monthly limit.
- Square is the only POS it connects to, and support is by email on weekdays.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), table management, and waitlist. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
Eat App
By Eat App
Reservations, waitlist and table management with published plans from $99 a month (Lite) and no commission on bookings. Email campaigns start with Core and deposits with Pro; there is a free plan for up to 100 guests a month.
RTC SCORE
7.6
#3 for Small and budget restaurants
Pros
- Published prices, unlimited guests from Lite and no commission on bookings.
- Table management, waitlist and guest profiles on the cheapest paid plan.
- A 14-day free trial of any plan, and live support 24/7.
Cons
- Deposits, prepayments and POS integration are on Pro; email campaigns start with Core.
- Its terms are under Indian law, and you owe the current term's payments when you leave.
- Initial term
- Quote only
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), table management, and waitlist. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
TableAgent
By TableAgent
A free reservation system for one location, with online bookings, a waitlist and table management at $0 a month and no per-guest fees; text messages and online payments are optional monthly add-ons, and it doesn't connect to any POS.
RTC SCORE
7.6
#4 for Small and budget restaurants
Pros
- Online bookings, a waitlist and table management for $0 a month, with no fee per booking or per guest.
- Deposits, prepaid events and no-show fees with a flat monthly add-on and no fee per transaction.
- Paid add-ons go month to month and you cancel them from the dashboard.
Cons
- It doesn't connect to any POS.
- Text messages to guests are a paid add-on, and we didn't find whether guests can reply.
- The free plan covers one location, and TableAgent may change or limit its free services.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), table management, and waitlist. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
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
#5 for Small and budget restaurants
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), table management, and waitlist.
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
7.3
#6 for Small and budget restaurants
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.
Waitlist Me
By Waitlist Me
A simple waitlist app that also takes reservation requests from your website, from $34.99 a month with 1,000 text or call notifications included; table management starts with Pro at $59.99.
RTC SCORE
7.0
#7 for Small and budget restaurants
Pros
- Low published prices with notifications included and no charge per guest.
- A simple waitlist that texts or calls guests when it's their turn, plus reservation requests from your website.
- Month to month on monthly billing, with plan changes from your account.
Cons
- Table management and two-way texting start with Pro at $59.99 a month.
- No deposits, prepayments or card guarantees against no-shows.
- You can't export your guests' phone numbers, and support is by email only.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), waitlist, and published pricing. Weakest on deposits and prepayments.
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.