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Restaurants · head to head

7shifts vs OpenTable

7shifts logo

7shifts

Restaurants

Restaurant team management made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Restaurants

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only 7shifts has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 7shifts pro plan pricing not published on the website; OpenTable openTable for Restaurants charges a subscription fee on top of per-cover network fees: Basic is $149/month with covers free for the first 30 days then $1.50 per network cover, Core is $299/month at $1 per network cover, and Pro is $499/month also at $1 per network cover, so cost scales with both plan tier and diner volume rather than a flat seat price (archived plans page, 5 November 2025)
  • They diverge on capability: 7shifts covers Employee scheduling, OpenTable covers Online reservations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 7shifts and OpenTable actually diverge.

Attributes where 7shifts and OpenTable differ
Attribute7shiftsOpenTable
Starting priceFree$39/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20141998

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 7shifts

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time clocking
  • Team communication
  • Tip pooling
  • Labor compliance
  • Hiring
  • QuickBooks

Only in OpenTable

  • Online reservations
  • Table management
  • Guest profiles
  • Waitlist
  • Marketing tools
  • Reviews

Both cover

  • Toast
  • Square
  • Lightspeed
  • Revel
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

7shifts

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

OpenTable

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Both are used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

7shifts

  • Pro plan pricing not published on the website
  • No feature comparison details between free and Pro tiers shown

OpenTable

  • OpenTable for Restaurants charges a subscription fee on top of per-cover network fees: Basic is $149/month with covers free for the first 30 days then $1.50 per network cover, Core is $299/month at $1 per network cover, and Pro is $499/month also at $1 per network cover, so cost scales with both plan tier and diner volume rather than a flat seat price (archived plans page, 5 November 2025)
  • On the Basic plan, reservations booked through the restaurant's own website are not free: they cost $0.25 per cover or a $49/month flat fee, a charge that is waived only on the higher Core and Pro tiers (archived plans page, 5 November 2025)

Pricing, plan by plan

7shifts

Free
  • CompFree
    • Basic scheduling
    • 1 location
  • Appetizer$29.99/month
    • Scheduling
    • Time clocking
  • Entree$69.99/month
    • Tip pooling
    • Labor compliance
  • The Works$135/month
    • Full features
    • Task management

OpenTable

$39/month
  • Basic$39/month
    • Reservations
    • Table management
  • Core$249/month
    • Guest profiles
    • Marketing
  • Pro$449/month
    • Full features
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose 7shifts if

  • You need employee scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time clocking.

Choose OpenTable if

  • You need online reservations.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want table management.

Questions people ask

Is 7shifts or OpenTable better?
Neither clearly leads. 7shifts starts at Free and OpenTable at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 7shifts or OpenTable?
7shifts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for 7shifts and $39/month for OpenTable.
Does 7shifts or OpenTable run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use 7shifts for free?
Yes. 7shifts has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpenTable starts at $39/month.
What is 7shifts best used for?
7shifts is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
What can 7shifts do that OpenTable cannot?
7shifts covers Employee scheduling, Time clocking, Team communication, Tip pooling. OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist. Both handle Toast, Square, Lightspeed, Revel.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

7shifts: What does 7shifts' free plan include?

The free plan includes basic scheduling and communication features. No credit card is required, and users can trial all features free for 14 days with no upfront commitment.

Source
OpenTable: How much does OpenTable restaurant solutions cost?

OpenTable does not publish specific pricing rates or plan tiers on its website. Restaurants must contact the sales team to receive custom pricing quotes based on their individual needs.

Source
7shifts: Is there flexibility in billing between monthly and annual plans on 7shifts?

Yes, 7shifts allows you to choose between monthly and annual plans with no up-front commitment required. You can switch between billing frequencies as your business needs change.

Source
OpenTable: Is there a free trial for OpenTable?

OpenTable's website does not specify free trial availability. Interested restaurants are directed to request a demo or contact the sales team directly for information about trial options and custom pricing.

Source
7shifts: How do I upgrade from the free plan to the Pro plan?

7shifts offers a Pro plan as an upgrade from the free version, but specific pricing and features are not published on the main website. Contact their sales team or book a demo to learn about Pro plan costs and capabilities.

Source
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