--- title: "OpenTable alternative for restaurants: Carbonara App compared" description: "A flat monthly fee and no per-cover fees. How Carbonara App and OpenTable compare on pricing and features, plan by plan, based on what OpenTable publishes." url: "https://www.carbonaraapp.com/opentable-alternative/" language: "en-GB" updated: "2026-10-28" --- # Alternative to OpenTable for restaurant owners: Carbonara App Looking for a reservation system with a flat monthly fee and no per-cover fees? Here's how Carbonara App and OpenTable compare on pricing and features, plan by plan, based on what OpenTable publishes. [Get started](https://restaurant-manager.carbonaraapp.com/#/sign-up/create-account) See the comparison [No contract required](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/no-contracts/) Which one suits you? #### Choose OpenTable for reach: a diner network and table management software. #### Choose Carbonara App for fixed costs: flat-fee software for walk-ins and reservations, no per-cover fees. ## How the costs work. How each one charges, based on what each company publishes. - OpenTable - Carbonara App Monthly fee — $149 (Basic), $299 (Core) or $499 (Pro) — Free plan, then $9.99 to $56.99 by plan Per-cover fees $1.50 per network cover on Basic after 30 days; $1 per network cover on Core and Pro None, on every plan Reservations from your own website — Basic: $0.25 per cover or $49 a month. Core and Pro: included — Included, no per-cover fee Contract — One year as standard, auto-renews; 30 days' notice before renewal — Month to month, no contract Other costs 2% service fee on prepaid experiences and ticketing; Premium SMS is an add-on on Core Text messages you send; ticket fees and deposits, where used Prices per month in US dollars, excluding tax. OpenTable: Plans & Pricing page, checked on 6 November 2026. OpenTable charges cover fees only for seated diners, and none for phone bookings or walk-ins. Carbonara App: monthly billing; 10% off with yearly billing. ## What a busy month costs. One example, worked out from each company’s published prices. Assumptions: a restaurant with about 500 reservations and waitlist groups a month, that wants a floor plan and a waitlist, and where 300 diners a month book through OpenTable’s network. - OpenTable Core - Carbonara App Advanced - Monthly plan — $299 — $29.99 (up to 600 reservations and waitlist groups in any 30 days) - Network covers — 300 × $1 = $300 — None - Reserve with Google — Included in booking integrations — $11.99 add-on (included in PX) - Total per month — $599 — $41.98, plus text messages you send Example only. Prices per month in US dollars, excluding tax; OpenTable Plans & Pricing page, checked on 6 November 2026. Core is the first OpenTable plan with a floor plan and waitlist. Carbonara App is not a marketplace: diners who find you on OpenTable today won’t find you through Carbonara App. ## OpenTable's plans, as OpenTable describes them. What each OpenTable plan includes, summarized from OpenTable’s own page. ### Basic · $149 a month, US only OpenTable profile and listing, booking widget, review management, booking integrations, digital advertising, experiences, deposits and credit card holds, automated reservation messages, guest database. ### Core · $299 a month Everything in Basic, plus customizable floor plans, Smart Assign table management, in-house and online waitlist, POS integration, mobile app with floor plan, ticketing. Premium SMS is an add-on. ### Pro · $499 a month Everything in Core, plus a fully customizable booking widget, automated email campaigns, automated guest tags, more guest insights and Premium SMS. Source: OpenTable Plans & Pricing page, checked on 6 November 2026. ## Carbonara App and OpenTable, side by side. - OpenTable - Carbonara App - Cost to start — $149 a month (Basic) — Free plan: 50 reservations and waitlist groups in any 30 days - Per-cover fees — $1 to $1.50 per network cover — None, on every plan - Waitlist — In-house and online waitlist on Core and Pro — Digital queue for walk-ins, with a QR code, on every plan - Floor plan and table management — Core and Pro — Every plan - Booking widget — Every plan; fully customizable on Pro — Every plan - Booking from Google — Booking integrations (100+ sites and apps) on every plan — Reserve with Google: $11.99 a month add-on, included in PX - Reminders — Automated reservation messages — Email confirmations and reminders included; text messages paid as you send them - Two-way messages — Direct messaging (not for the waitlist on Basic) — Two-way text messages, paid as you send them - Deposits — Deposits and credit card holds on every plan — Deposits as a card hold, on VIP and PX - Ticketed events — Experiences on every plan, ticketing on Core and Pro, 2% service fee — Prepaid tickets on every plan; ticket fee from 2.95% to 3.95% by plan - Email marketing — Automated email campaigns on Pro — Marketing-list sign-up with the guest's explicit consent - Reaching new diners — OpenTable profile and listing, digital advertising — Not a marketplace - Contract — One year as standard, auto-renews — Month to month - Getting started — Plans bought online or through sales — Less than five minutes, no contract Source for OpenTable: OpenTable Plans & Pricing page, checked on 6 November 2026. Features may vary by plan, region and over time. ## What OpenTable does that we don’t. OpenTable runs a diner network: your restaurant gets a profile and listing where diners search and book, with digital advertising, review management and booking integrations on every plan, and POS integration on Core and Pro. Carbonara App is not a marketplace: it won't bring you new diners the way OpenTable's network does. If many of your reservations come from OpenTable today, factor that in before switching. ## Where Carbonara is different. ### Zero per cover. A flat monthly fee on every plan. No per-cover or per-reservation fees. ### Queue and reservations. A digital queue for walk-in guests, with a QR code at the door, and reservations in one app, on every plan. ### Guests can reply. Two-way text messages, paid as you send them. ### Month to month. Set up in less than five minutes. No contract and no card to start. ## Switching from OpenTable. ### 1. Check your OpenTable contract. OpenTable's standard contract is one year and renews automatically unless you tell them 30 days before the renewal date. ### 2. We move your reservations. Send us an export of your upcoming reservations and we'll import them for you, free. ### 3. Share your reservation link. Add your Carbonara reservation link to your website, Google profile and social media. ### 4. Start free. The Free plan covers 50 reservations and waitlist groups in any 30 days. No card needed. ## OpenTable vs Carbonara: questions ### Is Carbonara App a real alternative to OpenTable? It depends on what you need. Carbonara App handles reservations, a queue for walk-in guests, the floor plan and messages to guests, on a flat fee with no per-cover fees. It's not a marketplace: it won't bring you new diners the way OpenTable's network does. If many of your reservations come from OpenTable today, factor that in before switching. ### What's the main difference between Carbonara App and OpenTable? How you pay. OpenTable charges a monthly subscription plus a fee for each diner who books through its network. Carbonara App charges a flat monthly fee, with no per-cover fees. ### How much does Carbonara App cost? There’s a Free plan for 50 reservations and waitlist groups in any 30 days. Paid plans are $9.99, $19.99, $29.99, $42.99 and $56.99 a month, with 10% off for yearly billing. Text messages are paid as you send them. ### Does Carbonara App charge per-cover fees? No. Not on any plan, whatever the source of the reservation. ### Does OpenTable include a waitlist? According to OpenTable’s plans page, the in-house and online waitlist is on the Core and Pro plans. On Carbonara App, the walk-in queue is on every plan, including Free. ### Who owns guest data with Carbonara App? The restaurant. Carbonara App processes guest details only to run your reservations and waitlist, and never sells them or shares them with advertisers. You can export your data at any time. ### How long does it take to switch to Carbonara App? You can set up in less than five minutes. If you have upcoming reservations on OpenTable, send us an export and we’ll import them for you, free. Check your OpenTable contract’s renewal date first. ## Privacy and guest data - Guest data belongs to the restaurant. Carbonara App never sells it or shares it with advertisers. See our Privacy Policy. - This comparison page is produced by Carbonara App. Information about OpenTable comes from OpenTable’s Plans & Pricing page, checked on 6 November 2026, and may vary by plan, region and over time: always check current terms directly with OpenTable. Carbonara App is not affiliated with OpenTable or Booking Holdings. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. [Plans & Pricing page](https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/plans/) [Privacy Policy](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/privacy-policy/)