The four ways booking systems charge
Almost every restaurant booking system uses one of these models, and the model matters as much as the headline price.
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Flat subscription
A monthly fee, often set by how many bookings you take. Examples: ResDiary, Collins, Tablein and resOS. The same bill in a quiet month as a busy one.
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Plan plus network fees
A monthly plan plus a fee for each cover booked through the provider's own app or website. OpenTable works this way.
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Marketplace commission
A share of the bill for each guest who books through the marketplace. TheFork charges a percentage of the average bill per guest.
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Per cover, with a cap
A small fee per seated cover and a monthly maximum. Make a Rezzy is £1 per cover, capped at £99 a month.
What the main systems cost in 2026
Many booking systems no longer publish their prices, so some of these figures come from third-party reports. For the full table, including contracts and setup fees, see our booking system comparison.
- OpenTable
- No published UK price. Last public rate card: £179 to £299 a month, plus £2 per network cover.
- ResDiary
- Quote only. Reported from about £109 a month, with a £99 setup fee.
- TheFork
- Priced on request, plus a percentage of the bill on marketplace bookings.
- Collins (DesignMyNight)
- Published at £135 to £149 a month per site.
- Tablein and resOS
- Published plans from £60 to £157, and free to £119, a month.
- Make a Rezzy
- £1 per seated cover, capped at £99 a month. No setup fee or contract.
The costs that aren't on the price list
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Setup fees
A one-off charge to get started. ResDiary's is reported at £99.
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Paid add-ons
Deposits, SMS, gift vouchers, events, till integrations and email marketing are often extras, from a few pounds to £35 a month each.
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Fees on payments
Some systems take a percentage of deposits and prepaid tickets on top of card fees, such as 1% at ResDiary or 2% on OpenTable Experiences.
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Contracts and notice
Annual terms that renew automatically, with notice periods of up to 90 days, can commit you to another year.
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Discounts you fund
Marketplace promotions and loyalty schemes bring guests in on a deal, which lowers what each table is worth.
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Guests you can't keep
If diners book through someone else's app, the relationship is shared. Check you can export your guest list.
How to work out your real cost
Compare systems over a whole year rather than a single month, using your own numbers.
Count your covers
For a typical month, a quiet one and a busy one.
Split by source
How many come from your own website and phone, and how many from a marketplace?
Price the add-ons
List the features you need and what each costs on each plan.
Add it up for 12 months
Include setup fees and the notice period you'd be committing to.
Sources, checked September 2026: OpenTable pricing report, ResDiary and Seatly, TheFork Manager, Collins, Tablein, resOS and Eat App.
Booking system costs: questions answered
How much does OpenTable cost in the UK?
OpenTable no longer publishes UK prices. Its last public UK rate card was £179 a month for Core and £299 for Pro, plus £2 for each seated cover booked through OpenTable's network. Bookings from your own website carry no cover fee.
Are there free restaurant booking systems?
Some have free plans with a low limit: resOS is free for up to 25 bookings a month and Eat App for up to 100 guests a month. Beyond that, they move to a monthly subscription.
Is per-cover pricing cheaper than a subscription?
Per-cover pricing costs less in quiet months because you only pay for the covers you seat. A monthly cap stops it costing more in busy ones. Make a Rezzy is £1 per cover, capped at £99 a month, so a 40-cover month costs £40 and a 400-cover month costs £99.
What hidden costs should I look for?
Setup fees, paid add-ons for things like deposits, SMS and events, a percentage taken on deposits and prepaid tickets, and annual contracts with long notice periods.
Work out what Make a Rezzy would cost you
A short walkthrough shows you how it works end to end, and what Make a Rezzy would cost based on your typical covers: £1 per cover, capped at £99 a month.
See every feature or how pricing works.