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OpenTable

Restaurant reservation platform with table management and an online waitlist that guests can join remotely and get SMS alerts from.

OpenTable

Starting price: From $299 per month
Free plan: No free plan listed
Free trial: No free trial listed
Last checked: Oct 1, 2026
Update activity: Active
Market presence: Established

Visit website – OpenTable Compare alternatives

Overview

OpenTable for Restaurants is a reservation platform with table management and an online waitlist that texts guests. The waitlist starts on the Core plan at $299 a month, plus $1 per network cover, on a one-year contract.

Buying style: Sales-assisted How we compare

OpenTable for Restaurants is the host-side platform of a reservation network. For the Friday rush, the part that matters is the waitlist inside it. Guests can join remotely, so fewer people crowd the entrance, and they get a text when the table is ready, with an estimated wait quoted from the tables in your dining room. Reservations, table management with floor plans, reporting and multi-location tools run in the same product, and a host app runs on iPad, iPhone and Android.

The waitlist is not on the lowest plan. Basic is $149 a month and US-only, and it does not include the waitlist. Core is $299 a month and Pro is $499 a month, and both include it. On Core and Pro, each network cover costs $1, and reservations from your own website are included. Pro bundles Premium SMS messaging, while Core charges extra for it. Enterprise is by contact.

The usual contract term is one year, renewing yearly. Sign-up goes through the vendor’s forms and a demo, and self-serve sign-up is not confirmed. Toast and SpotOn are recorded integrations, so a restaurant on one of those registers has a documented link. Plan to ask the vendor about any other POS before you commit.

The numbers behind the labels

Update activity is Active. The iOS app shipped 25 updates in the past year, the changelog has 8 entries in that period, and the Android app was last updated on 2026-09-08.
Market presence is Established. The website ranks 4,352 on Tranco, the Android app shows 100K+ installs, the site appears in Chrome UX Report field data, and the domain dates from 1999.
Buying style is Sales-assisted. Prices are public, Enterprise requires contacting sales, and nothing confirms you can self-serve sign up.
App stores: the iOS app is rated 4.0 from 414 ratings. The Android app is rated 1.7 with 100K+ installs.
Status page: one exists at status.opentable.com, with no incident count recorded.
Pricing last checked 2026-10-01 on the vendor pricing page.

Pricing

Pricing: From $299 per month
Free plan: No free plan listed
Free trial: No free trial listed
Contract: Annual contract

Source: vendor pricing page

Features

Join the waitlist remotely: Yes source
SMS notifications: Yes source
Two-way SMS: Yes source
Wait time estimates: Yes source
Reservations: Yes source
Table management / floor map: Yes source
POS integration: Yes source
Multi-location management: Yes source
Analytics & reporting: Yes source
Public API: Yes source

Who it's for

Best for

Sit-down restaurants wanting reservations, table management and the waitlist together in one system source
Restaurants on Toast or SpotOn that want a POS link recorded for their register source
Groups that want reporting and settings across several locations source

Not ideal for

Walk-in-only spots that want a low flat monthly price, since the waitlist starts at $299 a month source
Owners who want to avoid per-cover fees, because Core and Pro charge $1 for each network cover source
Operators who do not want a one-year contract that renews on its own source

Pros and cons

Pros

Guests can join the waitlist remotely and get table-ready texts, with wait estimates source
Reservations, table management, analytics and multi-location tools sit in the same platform source
Plan prices are public, and website reservations are included on Core and Pro source
The vendor publishes a status page and a changelog source

Cons

The waitlist is not on Basic, so the lowest plan that includes it is Core at $299 a month source
Network covers cost $1 each on Core and Pro, on top of the monthly price source
Expect a one-year standard contract that renews every year source
Pro bundles Premium SMS messaging, while Core charges extra for it source

What reviewers mention

The host mobile app is reported as unreliable, with crashes and logouts (negative) [1] [2]
Phone and Android versions lag behind the iPad (negative) [1] [2]
Cost, per-cover fees and the annual renewal draw complaints (negative) [1] [2]
Operators describe an intuitive interface and live table status across devices (positive) [1]

Update activity and company

Update activity: Active
25 iOS updates in the last 12 months
8 changelog entries in the last 12 months
Android app last updated 2026-09-08
Last update 2026-09-28
Market presence: Established
Tranco rank 4,352
100K+ Google Play installs
Has Chrome UX Report field data
Domain registered 1999
Buying style: Sales-assisted
Public pricing
Self-serve signup not confirmed

App Store rating: 4 from 414 ratings (Apple, checked 2026-09-30).

Google Play: 100K+ installs, last updated 2026-09-08.

How these labels are calculated

Company and setup

Website: opentable.com
Founded: 1998
Headquarters: US
Parent company: Booking Holdings Inc.
Integrations: Toast, Spoton, Stripe, Reserve with Google, Yelp
Status page: Public status page
Domain registered: 1999

Frequently asked questions

Which OpenTable plans include the waitlist?

Core at $299 a month and Pro at $499 a month. The pricing page does not check the in-house and online waitlist for Basic, which is $149 a month and US-only.

What are the extra costs?

Network covers are $1 each on Core and Pro. Pro bundles Premium SMS messaging, while Core charges extra for it. Reservations from your own website are included on Core and Pro.

How long is the contract?

Contracts normally last one year and renew automatically. Enterprise is by contact with sales.

Does it work with my POS?

Toast and SpotOn are recorded integrations, and the vendor says it connects to over 40 POS systems in the US. Check your own POS with the vendor.

Alternatives

6 of 28 other apps: the next ones in alphabetical order.

QaTable

Host-stand system for restaurants: walk-ins, online waitlist joins and reservations in one list, plus two-way texting and table maps.

From $39 per month

Low Small
QueueAway

Virtual queue management system with a business app and customer app so walk-ins can join queues from their phones.

From £14.99 per month

Low Small
Ready Text

Text-message waitlist tool: staff add a customer's name and number, then send a text when it is their turn; runs in a web browser.

From $49 per month

Unknown Small
resOS

Restaurant booking system with a table planner, guest profiles, booking reminders and a digital waitlist feature.

From €45 per month

Active Growing
Resy OS

Reservation and guest management platform for restaurants, bars and wineries, with waitlists that can be managed from any device.

From $289 per month

Active Established
ScanQueue

Cloud queue and waitlist system where customers join by QR code and are called by WhatsApp, SMS or voice alert.

Free plan · From $49 per month

Active Growing

Alternatives to OpenTable Browse the best-of lists

OpenTable

Overview

The numbers behind the labels

Pricing

Features

Who it's for

Best for

Not ideal for

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

What reviewers mention

Update activity and company

Company and setup

Frequently asked questions

Which OpenTable plans include the waitlist?

What are the extra costs?

How long is the contract?

Does it work with my POS?

Alternatives

QaTable

QueueAway

Ready Text

resOS

Resy OS

ScanQueue

Sources