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Restaurants · head to head

OpenTable vs Sling

OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Restaurants

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sling logo

Sling

Restaurants

Free employee scheduling software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sling has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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); Sling the free plan is limited to 30 users
  • They diverge on capability: OpenTable covers Online reservations, Sling covers Employee scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenTable and Sling actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenTable and Sling differ
AttributeOpenTableSling
Starting price$39/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded19982015

Identical on both: 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 OpenTable

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

Only in Sling

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time tracking
  • Team messaging
  • Task management
  • Shift swapping
  • Labor cost tracking
  • Gusto

Both cover

  • Toast
  • Square
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

OpenTable

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

Sling

  • Building and publishing shift schedules for hourly staffnot OpenTable
  • Tracking clock in and clock out and labour costnot OpenTable
  • Messaging and announcements across a shift based teamnot 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)

Sling

  • The free plan is limited to 30 users
  • Time tracking on mobile, labour cost tracking and overtime analysis require the Premium plan
  • Kiosk time clock, hours and wages reporting, no show tracking, sick leave and PTO tracking require the Business plan
  • The lowest advertised per user rates of $1.70 and $3.40 require annual billing

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

Sling

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 30 users
    • Shift scheduling
    • Time-off requests
  • Premium$2/month
    • Mobile time tracking
    • Labor cost management
    • Overtime tracking
  • Business$4/month
    • Kiosk time tracking
    • Comprehensive reports
    • No-show tracking

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 Sling if

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

Questions people ask

Is OpenTable or Sling better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenTable starts at $39/month and Sling at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenTable or Sling?
Sling has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $39/month for OpenTable and Free for Sling.
Does OpenTable or Sling run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Sling for free?
Yes. Sling has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpenTable starts at $39/month.
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 Sling is typically brought in for.
What can OpenTable do that Sling cannot?
OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist. Sling covers Employee scheduling, Time tracking, Team messaging, Task management. Both handle Toast, Square, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Sling: How much does Sling cost?

Sling offers a free tier supporting up to 30 users. Premium plans start at $2.00 per user per month (or $1.70 with annual billing), and Business plans cost $4.00 per user per month (or $3.40 with annual billing). Both paid tiers offer a 15% discount for annual billing.

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
Sling: Does Sling offer a free trial?

Yes, Sling offers a free plan supporting unlimited scheduling features for up to 30 users. Additionally, Premium and Business plans include 15-day free trials with no credit card required to start.

Source
Sling: What does Sling's Business plan include?

Sling's Business plan, marked as recommended, costs $4.00 per user per month (or $3.40 with annual billing). It includes kiosk time tracking, comprehensive reports, no-show tracking, sick call-out management, and PTO management. Users only pay for active team members with prorated charges when employees are deactivated.

Source
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