OpenTable vs ResDiary: which is right for your restaurant?
This is the classic UK shortlist, and the two systems answer different questions. OpenTable sells reach: a large diner marketplace that can put you in front of people who have never heard of you, paid for with a fee on every cover it sends. ResDiary sells control: no commission on bookings, a deep operations toolset, and a smaller discovery network in Dish Cult.
Side by side
| OpenTable | ResDiary | |
| Headline price | Quote only in the UK | Quote only |
| Per-cover commission | Yes — a fee on every cover booked through its network | No on bookings — but 1.2% on deposits and payments, and 3% on gift vouchers |
| Contract | 12 months, auto-renewing (estimated) | Annual by default, 90 days' notice |
| Free trial | No | Not stated |
| SMS reminders | Pro plan (a paid add-on on Core) | Paid add-on (around £10 a month) |
| Gift vouchers | Not a standard feature | Paid add-on (around £35 a month) |
| Diner marketplace | Yes — one of the largest | Yes — Dish Cult |
OpenTable
The big marketplace name, with genuine discovery reach. The model is a subscription plus a fee for every cover that arrives through OpenTable itself; bookings you take on your own site are not charged per cover. The UK site shows "Contact us for pricing" on both its Core and Pro plans, so there is no published pound figure.
ResDiary
Established, operations-led and group-friendly, built around table management, yield rules and floor flow. Genuinely commission-free on bookings, but the price is quote-only, payments carry a surcharge, and several capabilities other systems bundle (SMS, pre-orders, events, vouchers) are paid add-ons.
So which should you choose?
The decision comes down to one question: how many of your bookings genuinely need to be found for you? If you are new, or you have mid-week covers to fill and no mailing list, OpenTable's network is a real asset and the per-cover fee is the price of it. If most of your bookings already come from regulars and your own website, you are paying a marketplace fee for demand you already had, and ResDiary's flat model will usually cost less. Watch ResDiary's add-ons, though — SMS, events, pre-orders and vouchers are each billed separately, and payments carry a surcharge.
Full disclosure: we make a third option
This comparison is published by NomNom, a UK restaurant booking system, so you should know we have a horse in this race. We have kept our own product out of the grid above because the question you asked was about OpenTable and ResDiary. For completeness: NomNom is £29.99 a month, everything included, with no per-cover fee, no contract and a 14-day free trial, and unlike both systems above we publish that price. We do not run a diner marketplace.
See what NomNom does, or read the full seven-way pricing comparison.
Common questions
Is OpenTable or ResDiary cheaper for a UK restaurant?
Neither publishes UK pricing, so there is no honest headline answer. The shapes differ: OpenTable is a subscription plus a fee on every cover booked through its marketplace, so the bill grows with how busy that channel gets. ResDiary is a flat subscription with no per-cover fee, but with paid add-ons and a 1.2% charge on deposits and payments.
Does ResDiary have a diner marketplace like OpenTable?
Yes, but a much smaller one. ResDiary runs Dish Cult, a consumer dining guide. OpenTable's network is far larger and is the main thing its per-cover fee buys.
Does OpenTable charge commission on bookings from my own website?
No. OpenTable charges cover fees for diners who find you through its own website, app or affiliate network. Bookings taken through your own site are not charged per cover.
Keep reading
- All booking system comparisons
- Restaurant booking system pricing compared (seven systems)
- Commission-free restaurant booking systems in the UK
- Switching booking system without the stress
Prices and features were accurate to the best of our knowledge on 11 August 2026, summarised from each vendor's own published information and from third-party trackers. Where a vendor does not publish pricing we say so rather than quoting an estimate as though it were a list price. Booking system pricing changes often — always confirm the current figure with the vendor before you sign anything.