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Software · head to head

Grain vs OpenTable

Grain logo

Grain

Software

AI meeting highlights and clips

From
Free
Rated
-
OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Software

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Grain has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Grain no concurrent recording - only one meeting per account at a time; 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: Grain covers Auto-recording, OpenTable covers Online reservations.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grain and OpenTable actually diverge.

Attributes where Grain and OpenTable differ
AttributeGrainOpenTable
Starting priceFree$39/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Chrome Extension, Desktop Audio CaptureWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20181998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Grain

  • Auto-recording
  • AI highlights
  • Video clips
  • Transcription
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Notion
  • Slack

Only in OpenTable

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Grain

  • ai tools managementnot OpenTable
  • Workflow automationnot OpenTable
  • Reportingnot OpenTable

OpenTable

  • Point of Salenot Grain
  • Order Managementnot Grain
  • Inventory Controlnot Grain
  • Staff Schedulingnot Grain

Where each one falls short

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

Grain

  • No concurrent recording - only one meeting per account at a time
  • No automatic slide capture for presentations
  • Limited video demo context - audio-focused with poor video file support
  • Cannot record in-person meetings
  • No native mobile app
  • Limited admin controls for company-wide automatic recording
  • Free plan limited to 20 recordings if using personal email
  • No automatic file uploads on free tier
  • Lacks advanced sales analytics features of enterprise competitors
  • Limited CRM integration compared to higher-end platforms

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

Grain

Free
  • Free ForeverFree
    • Unlimited meetings up to 45 minutes each
    • AI transcription and notes
    • 90-day history
  • Starter$15/month
    • Unlimited meeting length
    • Unlimited AI highlights
    • Video clip creation
  • Business$33/month
    • All Starter features
    • Advanced team coaching
    • Deeper analytics

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 Grain if

  • You need auto-recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome Extension, Desktop Audio Capture.
  • You also want ai highlights.

Choose OpenTable if

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

Questions people ask

Is Grain or OpenTable better?
Neither clearly leads. Grain 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, Grain or OpenTable?
Grain has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Grain and $39/month for OpenTable.
Does Grain or OpenTable run on more platforms?
Grain runs on Web, Chrome Extension, Desktop Audio Capture. OpenTable runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Grain for free?
Yes. Grain has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpenTable starts at $39/month.
What is Grain best used for?
Grain is most often used for ai tools management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, ai tools management and workflow automation are not what OpenTable is typically brought in for.
What can Grain do that OpenTable cannot?
Grain covers Auto-recording, AI highlights, Video clips, Transcription. OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grain: Is Grain free?

Grain offers a Free Forever plan with unlimited meetings up to 45 minutes each and 90-day history. Paid plans start at $15/month per user for unlimited meeting length and advanced AI features.

Source
Grain: Does Grain require a bot in meetings?

No. Grain uses bot-less transcription to capture meeting audio without requiring a bot participant, though video recording requires bot participation if you want recording visible.

Source
Grain: What platforms does Grain work with?

Grain integrates with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and supports desktop audio capture. It exports to Claude, ChatGPT, Slack, and CRM platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce.

Source
Grain: Can Grain record multiple meetings at once?

No. Grain does not support concurrent meeting recordings, meaning only one meeting per account can be recorded at a time.

Source

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