If you're tired of handing a slice of every cover to a big booking platform, you're not alone. More UK restaurants are switching to a commission-free restaurant booking system — one flat fee, your own booking page, no per-diner cut. The trade-off is that "commission-free" hides a lot of variety: different pricing models, different extras, and a few catches worth knowing before you sign anything.
This is an honest round-up. We make NomNom, but we're listing it as one option among several — because a guide that only flatters its author isn't much use to you. Here's what's out there in 2026, roughly what it costs, and who each one suits. Prices were accurate to the best of our knowledge in mid-2026; vendors change them often, so always confirm on the supplier's own page before you decide.
What "commission-free" really means
Commission-free means no per-cover charge — the platform doesn't skim a fee off each booking. It does not mean no costs at all. Almost every product here still passes on card-processing fees (Stripe and similar) when you collect deposits, and at least one adds a payment surcharge on top. We'll flag those as we go.
A quick note on categories: most of these are pure reservation tools, but two aren't. Easy Eatery is a website builder with booking attached, and Tabology bundles booking inside an EPOS till system. Worth knowing so you're comparing like with like.
The commission-free booking systems compared
resOS
Mass-market and self-serve, with a genuine free-forever tier (around 25 bookings a month). Paid plans scale by booking volume rather than charging per cover, with several tiers as you grow. Pricing is US-dollar denominated and no card is required to start. A solid choice if you want to begin free and grow into it. Check the live pricing page for current tier costs, as promotional rates change.
Togo
A UK flat-fee system aimed at pubs, bars and restaurants, with "keep every penny" messaging and a bundled marketing suite. Commission-free with unlimited bookings. The catch: there's no published price — the vendor describes it as a few pounds a day and asks you to contact them for a quote. Worth a call if predictable cost matters to you.
ResDiary
The established enterprise option, going since 2006 and widely used across the UK, Europe and Australia. It's built for mid-to-large venues, groups and hotels that need depth — channel distribution (Reserve with Google, DesignMyNight) and a large integration ecosystem. Pricing is zero-commission and tiered by volume, though base prices aren't published on the site, so you'll need a quote. Two things to factor in: ResDiary's own pricing materials describe a surcharge on deposits and payments and a higher one on gift vouchers (on top of Stripe fees), and many features are paid add-ons. "Commission-free" is accurate, but the real cost can climb — confirm the current surcharge figures directly.
Easy Eatery
Not just a booking widget — a UK restaurant website builder with booking, gift vouchers and pre-order built in. Zero commission on bookings and voucher sales, with unlimited bookings and one flat bill. At the time of writing it ran an Early-Bird plan with a monthly fee plus a one-time setup cost, and includes hosting, SSL, backups and several staff accounts. A good fit if you need a whole online presence, not just a reservation form. Confirm the current promotional price before committing.
Tablein
Clean, transparent reservation software for small and medium independents, with every feature in every plan — no paid add-ons. Commission-free, tiered by reservation volume, with a 14-day free trial, no setup fees and multi-location discounts. Billing is available in EUR, GBP or USD. A note on research: an older figure doing the rounds on comparison sites (a free tier up to 100 reservations) appears to be out of date — the live pricing page now starts with a paid Starter tier, so check there for the current numbers.
Favouritetable
Unusually flexible. It runs commission-free GBP plans across a ladder of tiers (ex-VAT), plus a free tier capped at a low monthly booking volume — though that free option requires Favouritetable to be your exclusive booking provider — and an FT Flex pay-as-you-go option charged per cover with no monthly fee. Few rivals offer a free tier, flat tiers and per-cover flexibility in one lineup. Confirm the current tier prices and conditions on their pricing page.
Tabology
EPOS-first: the booking system lives inside the till system rather than standing alone. It suits venues that want POS and bookings unified — and are happy to be tied to that EPOS. On price, the sources we found don't fully agree: a detailed third-party comparison describes a subscription from around £59/mo with no per-cover fees, while another snippet suggested a per-diner commission on top of the subscription. We can't resolve that confidently, so treat any commission claim with caution and check directly with Tabology before relying on it.
Orin
A modern, lower-cost UK system leaning on Google integration and AI auto-replies, with a "Reserve a table" button in Google Search and Maps. It's marketed as commission-free with no per-cover fees, a first month free and no contract, and sits at the lower end of headline pricing in this set. We weren't able to verify the exact monthly figure on the live pricing page, so confirm it before deciding.
NomNom
Our own. £17.99/month, everything included. 14-day free trial, no contract, no setup fee. One plan, no tiers, no add-ons, no sales calls. You get commission-free web booking on your own branded page, Stripe deposits and card holds, SMS reminders* and messaging, push notifications, an allergy-tracking customer database, gift vouchers, report printing, multiple locations and unlimited devices.
Two things we lean on: 25 years building reservation software, and data ownership — every day we email you a full Excel export of your bookings plus the next 7 days of arrivals reports in PDF, so switching away is painless. No contract, no notice period. (*SMS credits purchased separately.)
How to choose a commission-free booking system
A few honest pointers:
- Want to start free? resOS and Favouritetable have real free tiers (with conditions); most others offer trials only.
- Need a website too? Easy Eatery bundles the lot.
- Already run an EPOS, or want one? Tabology keeps bookings on the same system.
- Big group or hotel? ResDiary has the breadth — just budget for its payment surcharges and the paid add-ons.
- Want one low flat fee with everything in the box? That's where Tablein, Orin and NomNom sit.
And always separate "commission-free" from "no transaction costs". Card-processing fees apply almost everywhere you take a deposit, and ResDiary adds its own payment surcharge on top.
Where NomNom fits
We built NomNom to be the straightforward end of this market: one price, everything included, no lock-in. If that's the shape of thing you're after, the 14-day free trial needs no credit card, no setup fee and no sales call — download it, have a play, and only keep going if it earns its place. If another option on this list suits you better, genuinely, go with it.
You can see the full feature set and pricing on the NomNom homepage, or read our other guides on cutting no-shows and taking deposits without commission.