Direct online reservations
Share your booking page on your website, Google Business Profile, Instagram, and QR codes. Guests pick a date, party size, and time, and can choose a table if you allow it.
OpenTable alternative
An OpenTable Alternative for Independent Restaurants
GetReserve gives your restaurant its own online booking page, a reservation book for staff, a waitlist, guest profiles, a floor plan, and core analytics, on a flat monthly plan with no per-cover fees.
- Free plan available
- No per-cover fees
- Your guest data stays yours
Comparison table
GetReserve vs OpenTable
A side-by-side view of the questions restaurants usually ask when comparing reservation systems. Competitor plans and features change, so check their current details.
Category
OpenTable
GetReserve
Pricing
Marketplace-style pricing; check OpenTable's current plans and any per-cover or per-booking fees.
Free plan, then flat plans from $49/month. No per-cover fees, per-reservation fees, or commission.
Setup
Setup covers your listing on the diner network as well as your reservation book.
Set booking rules, build your floor plan, and share your booking link. Runs in a web browser, no special hardware.
CRM
Guest profiles are included within the OpenTable platform.
Profiles created automatically from bookings, with visit history, no-show counts, notes, tags, and preferences. The data belongs to your restaurant.
Waitlist
Check which waitlist features are included in your plan.
Guests join from your booking page when a slot is full; staff seat them or convert them to a reservation from the same list.
Analytics
Reporting is included; compare it against the metrics you need.
Reservations, covers, cancellations, no-shows, average party size, busiest hours and days, bookings per table, and waitlist joins.
Floor Plans
Table management and floor views are available.
Drag-and-drop floor plan builder; guests can pick a table on it when they book.
Direct Booking Ownership
Bookings can come through the diner network as well as your own channels.
Your booking page shows only your restaurant, on your own link.
Why restaurants switch
Why restaurants leave OpenTable
Cost structure is a common reason. Marketplace-style platforms often charge per cover or per booking on top of a subscription, so the bill can grow as you get busier. Check OpenTable's current pricing for your plan and region, then compare it with a flat monthly plan. If many of your guests already know you by name, paying per booking for them can be hard to justify.
Control of the booking page is another. On a marketplace, your listing sits alongside other restaurants. With GetReserve, the link on your website, Google Business Profile, and Instagram opens a booking page for your restaurant only, next to your photos, menu, and reviews.
Some teams simply want less to manage. GetReserve covers the core front-of-house work: take bookings online and by phone, handle walk-ins and a waitlist, see guest history, and review reservations, covers, and no-shows. It runs in a web browser on the desktop, tablet, or phone you already have.
How GetReserve compares
A focused OpenTable competitor for direct bookings
The right reservation system is the one guests find easy to book and your staff actually use during service.
Both handle the basic job: guests book online and staff manage the reservation book. The difference is where bookings come from. Part of OpenTable's value is its diner network and discovery. GetReserve has no marketplace. It gives you a booking page on your own link and the tools to run service from it.
On your GetReserve page, guests pick a date, party size, and time. If you want, they can also choose a specific table on your floor plan, take a suggested table, or pick from a list, and you can make table selection required. Each table can have a 360° photo so guests can see where they'll sit.
Behind the page, staff work from one reservation list and a month calendar, with statuses from pending and confirmed through seated, completed, or no-show. Phone bookings and walk-ins are added by hand, waitlist parties appear in the same list, and every booking adds to the guest's profile.
Buyer decision guide
When to choose GetReserve instead of OpenTable
Either can be the right choice. It depends on where your guests come from and what your team needs during service.
OpenTable may make more sense if discovery is your main problem, for example a new restaurant in a crowded area that needs diners who have never heard of it. A marketplace can bring in those guests. Weigh that against any per-booking costs and the chance that regulars get used to booking through the marketplace instead of with you.
GetReserve makes more sense if your restaurant already has steady demand from people who know you: regulars, neighbours, Instagram followers, and people who search for your name. For those guests, a booking page on your own link does the job without per-cover fees.
A simple test: for one month, keep a tally of where each reservation came from, such as your website, Google, Instagram, phone, walk-in, regulars, or the marketplace. If most guests found you on their own, a direct booking page is likely the better fit.
Some restaurants keep a marketplace listing for discovery and use a separate system for direct bookings. If you run two systems side by side, agree on which one is the real book so tables don't get double-booked.
Switch from OpenTable
See the direct-booking workflow in action.
Book a demo to walk through your floor plan, booking rules, and plan options, or start on the free plan and set up your booking page yourself.
Feature comparison
Feature comparison for modern reservation teams
The core tools restaurants usually look for when comparing reservation systems: online booking, booking rules, waitlist, guest profiles, floor plans, and reporting.
Booking rules
Set minimum notice, how far ahead guests can book, maximum party size, default duration, auto-confirm, and a cancellation window.
Waitlist and walk-ins
Guests join the waitlist from your booking page when a slot is full. Staff add walk-ins, mark parties as notified, seat them, or convert them to reservations from the same list.
Guest CRM
Profiles build automatically from bookings, with visit history, covers, cancellation and no-show counts, staff notes, tags, and preferences.
Floor plans
Drag-and-drop tables, spaces, and layout objects, with CSV import and export. Guests can pick a table when booking, and staff set each table's status.
Analytics
See reservations, covers, cancellations, no-shows, average party size, busiest hours and days, bookings per table, and waitlist joins.
How to switch
How to switch from OpenTable to GetReserve
Switching works best one step at a time: set up GetReserve, handle your upcoming bookings, then update your links.
Step 1
Write down your current rules
Note your typical table duration, the largest party you take online, how far ahead guests can book, how much notice you need, and your cancellation policy. These map directly to GetReserve's booking rules.
Step 2
Build your floor plan
Draw your dining room with drag-and-drop tables and layout objects, or import your table list from a CSV file. Add 360° photos to tables if you want guests to see them.
Step 3
Plan for upcoming reservations
GetReserve doesn't import reservations or guest lists from other systems, so decide whether to re-enter upcoming bookings by hand or let them finish on the old system while new bookings come in through GetReserve. Our team can help you plan the switch.
Step 4
Update your links
Point your website, Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, and QR codes to your GetReserve booking page, and tell staff how to add phone bookings and walk-ins.
Step 5
Review the first month
Check reservations, covers, cancellations, no-shows, busiest hours, and waitlist joins in analytics, then adjust your booking rules if needed.
Pricing comparison
GetReserve pricing vs OpenTable pricing
Competitor pricing changes and varies by plan, so check their current prices. Compare the monthly fee, any per-cover or per-booking charges, setup time, and who keeps the guest data.
OpenTable distinguishes its subscription plans and booking sources. Do not assume every direct booking attracts a marketplace cover fee; compare your region, plan and source mix.
Reviewed 2 October 2026 against OpenTable's official plans and product information. Plans, regional availability and fees can change; confirm current terms with the provider.
Marketplace-style platforms often charge per cover or per booking in addition to a subscription. OpenTable's plans and fees vary, so check their current pricing for your restaurant before comparing.
GetReserve publishes flat monthly prices: Free ($0), Starter ($49/month), Professional ($129/month), Enterprise ($249/month), with annual billing about 20% cheaper. There are no per-cover fees, per-reservation fees, or commissions.
When you compare, look at the full cost on a typical month: the monthly fee, any per-booking charges, time spent on setup, and whether you keep your guest data. The free plan lets you set up a booking page and try it before paying.
Customer benefits
What restaurants gain after switching
What changes for your team and your guests day to day.
More direct bookings
Your booking page lives on your own link that you can put on your website, Google Business Profile, Instagram bio, and printed QR codes. Guests book with you directly, without browsing other restaurants on the way.
One list for the whole shift
Reservations, phone bookings, walk-ins, and waitlist parties sit in one list, and changes show up live for everyone on shift. Hosts can confirm, seat, mark no-shows, or cancel in bulk instead of juggling paper and separate screens.
Guest history you own
A guest profile is created automatically from each booking, with visit history, covers, cancellation and no-show counts, staff notes, tags such as VIP, and preferences. That guest data belongs to your restaurant.
No per-cover fees
GetReserve plans are a flat monthly price, starting with a free plan. There are no per-cover fees, per-reservation fees, or commissions, so a busy night doesn't make your software bill bigger.
FAQ
OpenTable alternative FAQ
Is GetReserve a good OpenTable alternative for independent restaurants?
It can be, if most of your guests already find you on their own. GetReserve gives you a booking page on your own link, a reservation book, a waitlist, guest profiles, a floor plan, and analytics on a flat plan with no per-cover fees. It doesn't include a diner marketplace, so it won't bring you new guests the way a network can.
Can GetReserve replace OpenTable for online reservations?
For taking and managing reservations, yes. Guests book online, get an email confirmation, and can view, change, or cancel with their booking code or account. Staff can add phone and walk-in bookings. It doesn't replace marketplace discovery, and it doesn't send SMS reminders or collect deposits.
How is GetReserve priced compared with OpenTable?
GetReserve has a free plan and paid plans from $49 per month, with no per-cover fees, per-reservation fees, or commission. OpenTable's pricing depends on plan and region, so check their current pricing to compare.
Can I move my data from OpenTable?
GetReserve can import your tables from a CSV file, but it doesn't import reservations or guest lists from other systems. Guest profiles build up automatically as new bookings come in. Our team can help you plan the switch.
Related comparison pages
Switch from OpenTable
Ready for a OpenTable alternative built around your restaurant?
Book a demo to walk through your floor plan, booking rules, and plan options, or start on the free plan and set up your booking page yourself.