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OpenTable vs Backbar

OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Software

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
B

Backbar

Software

Bar inventory management with drink costing and purchasing tools

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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); Backbar invoice syncing with inventory requires the top Professional plan at $129 per month billed monthly, as of August 2026

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenTable and Backbar actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenTable and Backbar differ
AttributeOpenTableBackbar
Starting price$39/monthOn request
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 OpenTable

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

Only in Backbar

Nothing recorded that OpenTable does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

OpenTable

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

Backbar

No use cases recorded yet. See the Backbar review.

Where each one falls short

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

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)

Backbar

  • Invoice syncing with inventory requires the top Professional plan at $129 per month billed monthly, as of August 2026
  • Pricing is charged per location, so multi-location bars pay the plan fee separately for each site, as of August 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenTable

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

Backbar

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Backbar review.

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenTable if

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

Choose Backbar if

Nothing in the data separates Backbar from OpenTable on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Backbar review

Questions people ask

Is OpenTable or Backbar better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenTable starts at $39/month and Backbar at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenTable or Backbar?
OpenTable starts at $39/month and Backbar at On request.
Does OpenTable or Backbar run on more platforms?
OpenTable runs on Web, Ios, Android. Backbar runs on Web.
What is OpenTable best used for?
OpenTable is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what Backbar is typically brought in for.
What can OpenTable do that Backbar cannot?
OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist.
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