Softwr

Software · head to head

OpenTable vs Phorest

OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Software

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
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); Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: OpenTable covers Online reservations, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenTable and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenTable and Phorest differ
AttributeOpenTablePhorest
Starting price$39/month$99/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded19982003

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 Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Business reports

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

OpenTable

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

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot OpenTable
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot OpenTable

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)

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

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

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

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 Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is OpenTable or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenTable starts at $39/month and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenTable or Phorest?
OpenTable starts at $39/month and Phorest at $99/month.
Does OpenTable or Phorest run on more platforms?
OpenTable runs on Web, Ios, Android. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can OpenTable do that Phorest cannot?
OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Both handle Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on OpenTable

More on Phorest

Keep looking

Other head to heads