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OpenTable vs Toast POS

OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Software

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Toast POS logo

Toast POS

Software

All-in-one restaurant management platform

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); Toast POS free tier limited to one or two terminals
  • They diverge on capability: OpenTable covers Online reservations, Toast POS covers Cloud POS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenTable and Toast POS actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenTable and Toast POS differ
AttributeOpenTableToast POS
Starting price$39/monthOn request
Founded19982011

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Toast POS

  • Cloud POS
  • Menu management
  • Real-time reporting
  • Inventory tracking
  • Employee management
  • Online ordering
  • DoorDash
  • Grubhub

Both cover

  • 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 Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Toast POS

  • 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.

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)

Toast POS

  • Free tier limited to one or two terminals
  • Setup fees and hardware requirements for paid plans
  • Mobile ordering requires additional configuration
  • Reporting and analytics features limited on entry-level plans

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

Toast POS

On request
  • Starter KitFree
    • Cloud-based POS
    • Order management
    • Reporting
  • Point of Sale$69/month
    • Menu management
    • Reporting & analytics
    • 24/7 support
  • Build Your Own$165/month
    • Online ordering
    • Delivery
    • Marketing

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 Toast POS if

  • You need cloud pos.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want menu management.
Toast POS review

Questions people ask

Is OpenTable or Toast POS better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenTable starts at $39/month and Toast POS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenTable or Toast POS?
OpenTable starts at $39/month and Toast POS at On request.
Does OpenTable or Toast POS run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is OpenTable best used for?
OpenTable is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
What can OpenTable do that Toast POS cannot?
OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist. Toast POS covers Cloud POS, Menu management, Real-time reporting, Inventory tracking. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Toast POS: Does Toast POS have a free tier?

Yes. Toast's Starter Kit is free and designed for small restaurants with one or two terminals. It includes cloud-based POS, payment processing, order and table management, real-time reporting, and 24/7 customer support.

Source
Toast POS: What integrations does Toast POS support?

Toast integrates with payment processors, online ordering platforms, delivery services, accounting software, and customer data platforms for comprehensive restaurant operations management.

Source
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