OpenTable vs TheFork: the two big marketplaces compared
These are the two large diner marketplaces, and they work the same way: a subscription you have to ask the price of, plus a fee on every cover the marketplace sends you. Bookings you take through your own website are commission-free on both. The real difference is where their audiences are.
Side by side
| OpenTable | TheFork | |
| Headline price | Quote only in the UK | Quote only |
| Per-cover commission | Yes — a fee on every cover booked through its network | Yes — on marketplace covers only |
| Contract | 12 months, auto-renewing (estimated) | Not stated |
| Free trial | No | Not stated |
| SMS reminders | Pro plan (a paid add-on on Core) | Performance plan |
| Gift vouchers | Not a standard feature | Not a standard feature |
| Diner marketplace | Yes — one of the largest | Yes — one of the largest in Europe |
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.
TheFork
Europe's big diner marketplace, now being acquired by American Express. The subscription is quote-only and marketplace covers carry a commission; bookings through your own website or widget are commission-free.
So which should you choose?
OpenTable has the stronger presence in the UK and US; TheFork is the bigger name across continental Europe and is now being acquired by American Express. If your covers come from domestic diners, OpenTable's network is usually the more useful one; if you draw a lot of European visitors, TheFork reaches people OpenTable does not. Since both are quote-only, get both numbers before you decide — and work out what the per-cover fee costs you at your actual volume, not at your quietest month.
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 TheFork. 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 TheFork bigger in the UK?
OpenTable has the stronger UK presence. TheFork is the larger name across continental Europe. If most of your covers are domestic, OpenTable's network is usually the more useful of the two; if you draw a lot of European visitors, TheFork reaches diners OpenTable does not.
Do both charge a fee on every booking?
Only on marketplace bookings. Both charge a per-cover fee for diners who find you through their own site or app, and neither charges for bookings taken through your own website or widget. Both also carry a subscription on top, and neither publishes what that subscription costs.
What are the alternatives to OpenTable and TheFork?
If you do not need a marketplace, the commission-free options are ResDiary and SevenRooms (both quote-only), Sugarvine at £75 + VAT a month, resOS with a free tier, and NomNom at £29.99 a month. The trade-off is always the same: you give up the discovery network and stop paying 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.