OpenTable review

OpenTable ranks first because it pairs a booking book with demand: Basic puts your restaurant on OpenTable's diner network with a profile, booking widget, review management, deposits and credit card holds, and Notify Me alerts for guests waiting on a table. Core, which OpenTable calls its most popular plan, adds Smart Assign automated table assignments, customizable floor plans, a waitlist, access rules, POS integration and real-time guest spend alerts, while Pro adds CRM and guest relationship tools. The trade-off is cost structure. Basic is $149 a month after a 30-day trial plus a per cover fee for seated diners, and Core runs on a one-year contract that renews annually. OpenTable says covers booked from your own website are included on Core and that you only pay for seated diners, with no-shows marked within 48 hours. If network bookings matter to you, the fee buys reach that cheaper widgets cannot match.

Who it is for

Restaurants that want new diners from a large booking network along with their own reservation book.

Price

Basic $149 per month plus a per cover fee after a 30-day free trial; Core and Pro add table management and CRM.

Free* to try for 30 days then $149 per month, cancel anytime.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• Listing on OpenTable's diner network with a booking widget and profile
• Smart Assign automated table assignments and customizable floor plans on Core
• Waitlist, POS integration and real-time guest spend alerts on Core
• Deposits, credit card holds, Experiences and Notify Me from Basic
• Review management, marketing campaigns and reports

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Basic is month to month with a 30-day free trial for new customers
• Strength: Covers booked through your own website are included on Core
• Strength: POS integration is listed at no additional cost
• Weakness: Basic adds a per cover fee on top of the monthly price
• Weakness: Core's standard contract is one year with annual auto-renewal
• Weakness: Table management needs Core, not Basic

Key facts

• Plans: Basic, Core, Pro
• Free trial: 30 days on Basic, new customers
• Hardware: An iPad
• Owner: Part of Booking Holdings

Where it ranks

OpenTable is No. 1 in our Best Restaurant Reservation Systems verdict.