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Best Pager-Replacement Restaurant Waitlist Apps
Twenty-eight of the 29 restaurant waitlist apps are confirmed for SMS notifications, so a text can replace the coaster pager. Bzz is the one that alerts by browser push.
Apps on this page
Only confirmed features are shown.
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Waitlist and reservation app for restaurants and other businesses that texts guests when their table is ready.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $39 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
- POS
- Square
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Walk-in restaurants that want guests to join by QR code, text or your website and be texted when the table is ready
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Restaurant waitlist app with SMS alerts: guests add themselves or a host adds them, and the system estimates the wait automatically.
- Starting price
- From $39.99 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Low Market presence Small
Best for Walk-in spots that want texts to waiting guests plus a self check-in kiosk on an iPad at the door
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Waitlist and reservation app for restaurants: staff add a guest's phone number, the guest gets a text, and it runs on any smartphone.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $9.99 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Small walk-in restaurants that want a low-cost waitlist with QR join and texts to guests
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Reservation system for restaurants and venues, with a virtual waitlist (OnTheGo) for walk-ins.
- Starting price
- Book a demo for pricing
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Moderate Market presence Established
Best for Restaurants that take bookings first and want a walk-in queue inside the same system
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Host-stand software for restaurant brands with table management, wait-time tools and two-way SMS that tells guests their table is ready.
- Starting price
- Book a demo for pricing
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Toast
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Multi-unit restaurant brands that want the waitlist, reservations and tables in one host-stand tool
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Restaurant reservation and table management software with a waitlist that sends custom SMS alerts and runs on iPad, mobile and desktop.
- Starting price
- From $99 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
- POS
- Square
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Venues and small groups that want reservations, a live floor view and the guest database in one place, with the waitlist as one part
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Restaurant reservation, table management and waitlist software with guestbook, event and marketing tools for single venues and groups.
- Starting price
- From $109 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
- POS
- Square
Update activity Moderate Market presence Established
Best for Single restaurants and small groups that want reservations, a floor plan, waitlist and guest book on a flat monthly fee
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Restaurant reservation and guest management platform, now part of OpenTable, with a digital waitlist and table optimization tools.
- Starting price
- Book a demo for pricing
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Low Market presence Growing
Best for Restaurants that want reservations, guest marketing, text campaigns and surveys in one system, especially in Canada
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Virtual waitlist and queue management app with SMS notifications and a virtual waiting room for walk-in businesses.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $59.99 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Small walk-in spots that want to test a waitlist on a free plan before paying
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Reservation and table management system with a guest self-add waiting list and a text to walk-ins when their table is ready.
- Starting price
- Book a demo for pricing
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Unknown Market presence Small
Best for Restaurants, cafes, bars and wineries wanting a waiting list alongside reservations, on a flat monthly fee
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Reservation and waitlist management for high-volume restaurants from Olo, covering table assignment and guest preferences.
- Starting price
- Book a demo for pricing
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Low Market presence Established
Best for High-volume restaurants that want the waitlist, reservations and table assignments in one iPad app
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Restaurant reservation platform with table management and an online waitlist that guests can join remotely and get SMS alerts from.
- Starting price
- From $299 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Toast
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Sit-down restaurants wanting reservations, table management and the waitlist together in one system
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Host-stand system for restaurants: walk-ins, online waitlist joins and reservations in one list, plus two-way texting and table maps.
- Starting price
- From $39 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Low Market presence Small
Best for First-come, first-served restaurants that want a host-stand iPad app with a table map and two-way texting
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Virtual queue management system with a business app and customer app so walk-ins can join queues from their phones.
- Starting price
- From £14.99 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
Update activity Low Market presence Small
Best for A single walk-in location, such as a counter or small cafe, that wants a QR queue and live wait estimates at a low flat price
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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.
- Starting price
- From $49 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial
Update activity Unknown Market presence Small
Best for Small walk-in spots that want a text waitlist in a browser, with no app or hardware to buy
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Restaurant booking system with a table planner, guest profiles, booking reminders and a digital waitlist feature.
- Starting price
- From €45 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Active Market presence Growing
Best for Restaurants that run mostly on reservations and want a list to refill cancelled tables
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Reservation and guest management platform for restaurants, bars and wineries, with waitlists that can be managed from any device.
- Starting price
- From $289 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Toast, Square
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Full-service restaurants that want reservations, floor plans and a walk-in waitlist in one system
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Cloud queue and waitlist system where customers join by QR code and are called by WhatsApp, SMS or voice alert.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $49 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Square
Update activity Active Market presence Growing
Best for Counter-service and walk-in-only spots that want guests to scan a QR code and wait elsewhere
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Guest management platform for restaurants and hotels in the Middle East and North Africa, covering bookings, waitlists and guest profiles.
- Starting price
- From $129 per venue / month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Restaurants and hotel outlets across the Middle East and North Africa that need a waitlist, CRM and reservations in a single system
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Reservation and waitlist system for restaurants that books through Google, DoorDash and social channels and includes table management.
- Starting price
- Book a demo for pricing
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Square, Toast
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Restaurant groups, hotels and bars that want a guest database and marketing alongside reservations and a waitlist
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Restaurant waitlist and reservation system from SpotOn with predictive wait times, guest texting and a table map shared with the POS.
- Starting price
- From $100 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Moderate Market presence Established
Best for Restaurants already on, or moving to, SpotOn POS that want the table map and servers shared with the host stand
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Host-stand app from Toast for running a restaurant waitlist and reservations, assigning servers and seating parties on a floor plan.
- Starting price
- From $50 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Toast
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Restaurants already on Toast POS that want the host stand, waitlist and reservations in the same account
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Waitlist, check-in, reservation and appointment app for in-person businesses; customers join a waitlist by QR code.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $199 per location / month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
Update activity Active Market presence Small
Best for A small walk-in line that can live on a free plan with a link or QR code and no app for guests
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Waitlist and reservation app that texts or calls customers when their turn comes; used by restaurants, salons, clinics and other businesses.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $34.99 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Square, Clover
Update activity Moderate Market presence Growing
Best for Single-location restaurants and other walk-in businesses that want self-serve signup and a low fixed monthly cost
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Restaurant waitlist and reservation software with two-way texting and Reserve with Google ($99 plan); also pitched to barbers and salons.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $49 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Square
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Restaurants with one or two locations that like a flat monthly price and want a free plan to start on
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Cloud queue management system where customers join by QR code, kiosk or staff entry and are notified by SMS, WhatsApp, email or push.
- Starting price
- From $27 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial
Update activity Unknown Market presence Growing
Best for Small restaurants that want a walk-in queue, bookings and a floor map at a flat price per location
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Waitlist, queue management and appointment scheduling software for walk-in and appointment-based businesses.
- Starting price
- Free plan · From $31 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Square
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Operations with several sites or regulatory requirements that want a walk-in queue plus bookings in one system
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Reservation, waitlist and table management system for restaurants, run from an iPad and listed on Yelp and other booking channels.
- Starting price
- From $159 per month
- Free plan
- No free plan listed
- Free trial
- No free trial listed
- POS
- Toast
Update activity Active Market presence Established
Best for Full-service restaurants that want bookings and a waitlist listed on Yelp, Google Search and Apple Maps
No apps match these filters.
Compare side by side
| App | Starting price | Free plan | Two-way SMS | Reservations | POS | Best for | Update activity | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allgood WaitlistRestaurant waitlist app with SMS alerts: guests add themselves or a host adds them, and the system estimates the wait automatically. | From $39.99 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | None listed | Walk-in spots that want texts to waiting guests plus a self check-in kiosk on an iPad at the door | Low | Visit website – Allgood Waitlist |
| CarbonaraWaitlist and reservation app for restaurants: staff add a guest's phone number, the guest gets a text, and it runs on any smartphone. | Free plan · From $9.99 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | None listed | Small walk-in restaurants that want a low-cost waitlist with QR join and texts to guests | Active | Visit website – Carbonara |
| CoverManagerReservation system for restaurants and venues, with a virtual waitlist (OnTheGo) for walk-ins. | Book a demo for pricing | No free plan listed | Unknown | Yes | None listed | Restaurants that take bookings first and want a walk-in queue inside the same system | Moderate | Visit website – CoverManager |
| Crunchtime HostHost-stand software for restaurant brands with table management, wait-time tools and two-way SMS that tells guests their table is ready. | Book a demo for pricing | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Toast | Multi-unit restaurant brands that want the waitlist, reservations and tables in one host-stand tool | Active | Visit website – Crunchtime Host |
| Eat AppRestaurant reservation and table management software with a waitlist that sends custom SMS alerts and runs on iPad, mobile and desktop. | From $99 per month | No free plan listed | Unknown | Yes | Square | Venues and small groups that want reservations, a live floor view and the guest database in one place, with the waitlist as one part | Active | Visit website – Eat App |
| HostmeRestaurant reservation, table management and waitlist software with guestbook, event and marketing tools for single venues and groups. | From $109 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Square | Single restaurants and small groups that want reservations, a floor plan, waitlist and guest book on a flat monthly fee | Moderate | Visit website – Hostme |
| LibroRestaurant reservation and guest management platform, now part of OpenTable, with a digital waitlist and table optimization tools. | Book a demo for pricing | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | None listed | Restaurants that want reservations, guest marketing, text campaigns and surveys in one system, especially in Canada | Low | Visit website – Libro |
| NextMeVirtual waitlist and queue management app with SMS notifications and a virtual waiting room for walk-in businesses. | Free plan · From $59.99 per month | Yes | Unknown | Unknown | None listed | Small walk-in spots that want to test a waitlist on a free plan before paying | Active | Visit website – NextMe |
| ObeeReservation and table management system with a guest self-add waiting list and a text to walk-ins when their table is ready. | Book a demo for pricing | No free plan listed | Unknown | Yes | None listed | Restaurants, cafes, bars and wineries wanting a waiting list alongside reservations, on a flat monthly fee | Unknown | Visit website – Obee |
| Olo HostReservation and waitlist management for high-volume restaurants from Olo, covering table assignment and guest preferences. | Book a demo for pricing | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | None listed | High-volume restaurants that want the waitlist, reservations and table assignments in one iPad app | Low | Visit website – Olo Host |
| OpenTableRestaurant reservation platform with table management and an online waitlist that guests can join remotely and get SMS alerts from. | From $299 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Toast | Sit-down restaurants wanting reservations, table management and the waitlist together in one system | Active | Visit website – OpenTable |
| QaTableHost-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 | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | None listed | First-come, first-served restaurants that want a host-stand iPad app with a table map and two-way texting | Low | Visit website – QaTable |
| QueueAwayVirtual queue management system with a business app and customer app so walk-ins can join queues from their phones. | From £14.99 per month | No free plan listed | Unknown | Unknown | None listed | A single walk-in location, such as a counter or small cafe, that wants a QR queue and live wait estimates at a low flat price | Low | Visit website – QueueAway |
| Ready TextText-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 | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | None listed | Small walk-in spots that want a text waitlist in a browser, with no app or hardware to buy | Unknown | Visit website – Ready Text |
| resOSRestaurant booking system with a table planner, guest profiles, booking reminders and a digital waitlist feature. | From €45 per month | No free plan listed | Unknown | Yes | None listed | Restaurants that run mostly on reservations and want a list to refill cancelled tables | Active | Visit website – resOS |
| Resy OSReservation and guest management platform for restaurants, bars and wineries, with waitlists that can be managed from any device. | From $289 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Toast, Square | Full-service restaurants that want reservations, floor plans and a walk-in waitlist in one system | Active | Visit website – Resy OS |
| ScanQueueCloud 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 | Yes | Unknown | Unknown | Square | Counter-service and walk-in-only spots that want guests to scan a QR code and wait elsewhere | Active | Visit website – ScanQueue |
| ServmeGuest management platform for restaurants and hotels in the Middle East and North Africa, covering bookings, waitlists and guest profiles. | From $129 per venue / month, billed annually | No free plan listed | Unknown | Yes | None listed | Restaurants and hotel outlets across the Middle East and North Africa that need a waitlist, CRM and reservations in a single system | Active | Visit website – Servme |
| SevenRoomsReservation and waitlist system for restaurants that books through Google, DoorDash and social channels and includes table management. | Book a demo for pricing | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Square, Toast | Restaurant groups, hotels and bars that want a guest database and marketing alongside reservations and a waitlist | Active | Visit website – SevenRooms |
| SpotOn ReserveRestaurant waitlist and reservation system from SpotOn with predictive wait times, guest texting and a table map shared with the POS. | From $100 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | None listed | Restaurants already on, or moving to, SpotOn POS that want the table map and servers shared with the host stand | Moderate | Visit website – SpotOn Reserve |
| TablesReadyWaitlist and reservation app for restaurants and other businesses that texts guests when their table is ready. | Free plan · From $39 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Square | Walk-in restaurants that want guests to join by QR code, text or your website and be texted when the table is ready | Active | Visit website – TablesReady |
| Toast TablesHost-stand app from Toast for running a restaurant waitlist and reservations, assigning servers and seating parties on a floor plan. | From $50 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Toast | Restaurants already on Toast POS that want the host stand, waitlist and reservations in the same account | Active | Visit website – Toast Tables |
| Waitlist AppWaitlist, check-in, reservation and appointment app for in-person businesses; customers join a waitlist by QR code. | Free plan · From $199 per location / month | Yes | Unknown | Yes | None listed | A small walk-in line that can live on a free plan with a link or QR code and no app for guests | Active | Visit website – Waitlist App |
| Waitlist MeWaitlist and reservation app that texts or calls customers when their turn comes; used by restaurants, salons, clinics and other businesses. | Free plan · From $34.99 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Square, Clover | Single-location restaurants and other walk-in businesses that want self-serve signup and a low fixed monthly cost | Moderate | Visit website – Waitlist Me |
| WaitlyRestaurant waitlist and reservation software with two-way texting and Reserve with Google ($99 plan); also pitched to barbers and salons. | Free plan · From $49 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Square | Restaurants with one or two locations that like a flat monthly price and want a free plan to start on | Active | Visit website – Waitly |
| WaitQCloud queue management system where customers join by QR code, kiosk or staff entry and are notified by SMS, WhatsApp, email or push. | From $27 per month, billed annually | No free plan listed | Unknown | Yes | None listed | Small restaurants that want a walk-in queue, bookings and a floor map at a flat price per location | Unknown | Visit website – WaitQ |
| WaitwhileWaitlist, queue management and appointment scheduling software for walk-in and appointment-based businesses. | Free plan · From $31 per month, billed annually | Yes | Yes | Unknown | Square | Operations with several sites or regulatory requirements that want a walk-in queue plus bookings in one system | Active | Visit website – Waitwhile |
| Yelp Guest ManagerReservation, waitlist and table management system for restaurants, run from an iPad and listed on Yelp and other booking channels. | From $159 per month | No free plan listed | Yes | Yes | Toast | Full-service restaurants that want bookings and a waitlist listed on Yelp, Google Search and Apple Maps | Active | Visit website – Yelp Guest Manager |
Yes and No come from each vendor's own website. Unknown means it could not be confirmed there. "No free plan listed" means the vendor's pricing page shows no free plan. How we compare
How we picked these apps
An app is on this best-of list when its record confirms SMS notifications. That is the single test. If the vendor’s site shows that the app texts guests, the feature is confirmed. If we could not find that evidence, it isn’t.
That test is wide on purpose. Twenty-eight of the 29 restaurant-relevant apps in the directory pass it. Only Bzz is left out, and it appears on the free plans list. Alphabetical order is used, so no ranking is implied.
What to look for
Because almost every app texts, texting isn’t what separates them. These are the things that do.
Message allowance and overage. Every plan sets a number of texts or a price per text. A restaurant that texts 80 parties on a Friday and sends a “you’re next” follow-up to each uses more than one text per party. Examples from the pricing pages are 1,000 notifications a month on Waitlist Me Premium, 2,500 texts a month on Ready Text, and 100, 400 and 1,000 SMS or WhatsApp credits on WaitQ’s Starter, Grow and Business plans. TablesReady counts both sent and received texts, pauses at 100 percent of its quota and charges no overage. Waitly keeps the waitlist working but stops texts until next month.
Who pays in which country. Hostme lists SMS as free in the US and Canada and about $0.07 per text elsewhere through a third party. TablesReady’s quota is one tenth as large outside the US and Canada. If you aren’t in the US, read this part first.
Two-way texting. Some restaurants like a guest to reply to say “five minutes away.” Others don’t want to manage replies. Know which you are.
Number type. Ready Text sends from a shared block of numbers, not your own line. That’s a small point until a guest wants to call back.
Pricing transparency. Six of these apps publish no pricing: CoverManager, Crunchtime Host, Libro, Obee, Olo Host and SevenRooms. You book a demo to get a number. The rest list a starting price.
How to choose
Think about what the pager does for you today. A coaster pager gets a guest to their table, and it works without the guest’s phone. It also costs money when it’s lost. If most of your guests have phones, a text does the same job without hardware.
Next, pick the texting style. For a quick, low-volume spot, an app with a bundled allowance and clear overage rules is easier to predict. For a high-volume room, count texts per night and multiply by the days you open.
Then decide what else the app has to do. If you quote waits at the door, look at the walk-ins best-of list, which adds wait-time estimates to the SMS test. If you take bookings, the waitlist and reservations page does the same for reservations.
Finally, consider the sign-up path. You can try some of these without talking to anyone, and for others the next step is a demo. The small restaurants list shows the self-serve ones.
If none of these fit
If you still want hardware, this site doesn’t cover pagers directly. For software, narrow the field with free plans, POS integration or small restaurants. If you also take bookings, see waitlist and reservations, and for a busy door try walk-ins.
Frequently asked questions
What does an app need to replace pagers?
At minimum, a way to tell a guest their table is ready without handing them hardware. On this page that means confirmed SMS notifications, a text sent to the guest's own phone. Check what else you rely on, such as wait-time quotes or guests who don't have a phone.
What do texts cost compared with pagers?
Pagers cost you hardware, charging and the ones that walk out the door. Texts cost per message or per plan. Ready Text includes 2,500 texts for $49 a month, Waitlist Me includes 1,000 on Premium at $34.99 and bills $0.02 for each extra, and Hostme lists free SMS in the US and Canada on its paid plans. Prices are from each page as checked on 2026-09-30.
Which app doesn't use SMS?
Bzz. It alerts guests with a browser push and a vibration on their device, so no per-text fees apply. It is the only restaurant app among the 29 that isn't confirmed for SMS, which is why it isn't on this best-of list.
Can guests text back?
Some apps record two-way texting. Yelp Guest Manager lists it on every plan. TablesReady counts sent and received texts against its message quota. QaTable limits replies to set keywords such as YES, NO, REMOTE and STOP.