Mostly walk-ins, with a line at peak hours: a waitlist that texts guests when their table is ready, and simple table management.
Weigh more here than in the overall ranking: waitlist and texting with guests. Weigh less here: deposits and prepayments, card guarantee and no-show fee, and diners from the provider's own app.
The ranking
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
8.5
#1 for Waitlist-first 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), waitlist, and table management. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
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
8.3
#2 for Waitlist-first 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), waitlist, and table management. 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
7.9
#3 for Waitlist-first 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), waitlist, and table management. 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
7.3
#4 for Waitlist-first 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 POS systems it connects to.
Yelp Guest Manager
By Yelp
Reservations and waitlist from Yelp, with tables listed on Yelp, Google and Apple Maps and no fee per guest. Basic costs $159 a month for up to 500 booked guests; the floor plan, guest profiles and POS integration start with Plus.
RTC SCORE
6.8
#5 for Waitlist-first restaurants
Pros
- No fee per guest on any plan, and your tables show on Yelp, Google and Apple Maps.
- Published prices, with the waitlist and two-way texting on the cheapest plan.
- An iPad comes with every plan.
Cons
- The floor plan, guest profiles, card holds and POS integration start with Plus, at $349 a month.
- Basic caps bookings at 500 guests a month.
- The term and any early termination fee are set in each purchase order, not published.
- Initial term
- Quote only
Strongest on 12-month cost (reference restaurant), waitlist, and texting with guests. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
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
6.4
#6 for Waitlist-first restaurants
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 waitlist, table management, and texting with guests. Weakest on POS systems it connects to.
Not enough verified data to rank
We only rank a reservation system once we've verified enough of its key facts. These are listed so you know we looked at them.
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.