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Restaurants · head to head

OpenTable vs Waitlist Me

OpenTable logo

OpenTable

Restaurants

Restaurant reservation and management platform

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
W

Waitlist Me

Restaurants

Waitlist, reservation and appointment management across devices and locations

From
$27.99/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); Waitlist Me entry Premium plan caps at 1,000 notifications per month with a $0.02 per-notification overage fee beyond that, as of August 2026
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenTable and Waitlist Me actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenTable and Waitlist Me differ
AttributeOpenTableWaitlist Me
Starting price$39/month$27.99/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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
  • Toast
  • Square

Only in Waitlist Me

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 Waitlist Me
  • Order Managementnot Waitlist Me
  • Inventory Controlnot Waitlist Me
  • Staff Schedulingnot Waitlist Me

Waitlist Me

  • Restaurant wait time managementnot OpenTable
  • Service industry customer schedulingnot OpenTable
  • Multi-location waitlist coordinationnot OpenTable
  • Reservation and table managementnot OpenTable
  • Real-time customer notificationsnot 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)

Waitlist Me

  • Entry Premium plan caps at 1,000 notifications per month with a $0.02 per-notification overage fee beyond that, as of August 2026
  • Monthly billing without the annual commitment costs $34.99 per month for Premium versus $27.99 on the annual plan, 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

Waitlist Me

$27.99/month
  • Premium$27.99/month
    • 1000 notifications per month
    • Intuitive Waitlist View
    • Reservations Calendar
  • Pro$47.99/month
    • 2500 notifications per month
    • Table and resource management
    • Business hours configuration
  • Platinum$79.99/month
    • 5000 notifications per month
    • Smart floorplans
    • Spatial management

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 Waitlist Me if

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

Waitlist Me review

Questions people ask

Is OpenTable or Waitlist Me better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenTable starts at $39/month and Waitlist Me at $27.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenTable or Waitlist Me?
OpenTable starts at $39/month and Waitlist Me at $27.99/month.
Does OpenTable or Waitlist Me run on more platforms?
OpenTable runs on Web, Ios, Android. Waitlist Me 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 Waitlist Me is typically brought in for.
What can OpenTable do that Waitlist Me cannot?
OpenTable covers Online reservations, Table management, Guest profiles, Waitlist.

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
Waitlist Me: How much does Waitlist Me cost?

Premium starts at $27.99/month (or $22.39/month annually). Pro tier costs $47.99/month (or $38.39/month annually). Platinum is $79.99/month (or $63.99/month annually). Additional notifications cost $0.02 each beyond plan limits.

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
Waitlist Me: Is there a free plan?

No, Waitlist Me does not offer a free plan. All pricing tiers are paid subscriptions, though the page indicates transparent billing and support for all plans.

Source
Waitlist Me: What is included in all plans?

All Waitlist Me plans include multi-device syncing (iOS, Android, Web), unlimited usage within notification limits, multi-location support, and customer support.

Source
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