Best commission-free restaurant booking systems 2026

The best commission-free restaurant booking system is Resos because it combines a genuine free tier, flat-rate paid plans from $47/month ($24 promo), and zero per-cover fees on every plan. For restaurants tired of watching cover fees erode their margins, switching to a commission-free model is one of the simplest cost-cutting moves you can make.

Key takeaways

• Best overall: Resos, free tier plus flat-rate plans with zero cover fees
• Best for UK and European restaurants: ResDiary, established commission-free platform with strong integrations
• Best for simplicity: Tablein, straightforward pricing with no add-on upsells
• Best free tier for higher volume: Libro, 50 bookings/month free with no commissions
• Best for mid-size restaurants: Hostme, unlimited bookings and SMS included at $109/month
• Best for data-driven operations: Eat App, strong analytics with commission-free direct bookings

Best commission-free restaurant booking systems at a glance 2026

How we evaluated

We focused on what “commission-free” actually means in practice and tested each platform against the criteria restaurant operators care about most.

Zero per-cover fees. The defining requirement. Every system in this guide charges a flat subscription with no fees per seated diner, regardless of plan.

Total cost of ownership. We looked beyond the headline price to identify add-on fees, SMS charges, transaction surcharges, and anything else that inflates the real cost.

Feature completeness. Can it handle online reservations, table management, guest profiles, and reporting? We assessed whether each system delivers the core functionality restaurants need.

Ease of setup and use. A system is only valuable if your team actually uses it. We evaluated onboarding, interface quality, and day-to-day usability.

Pricing transparency. Can you figure out your monthly cost without calling a sales rep? Transparent pricing was a plus.

1. Resos - best overall commission-free system

Resos stands out as the value leader among commission-free booking systems. It is one of the only platforms to offer a genuine free tier alongside affordable paid plans, all with zero cover fees and no long-term contracts.

Key features:

• Free tier with 25 bookings per month, no credit card required
• Online reservations through an embeddable website widget
• Visual floor plan and table management
• Guest profiles with preference tracking
• Automated email confirmations and reminders
• Reporting and analytics on paid plans

Pricing: Free (25 bookings/month), Basic $47/month ($24 promo), Plus $98/month ($49 promo), Unlimited $149/month ($75 promo). Zero cover fees on every plan. No contracts.

Pros:

• Genuine free tier that never expires
• Most affordable paid plans among serious booking platforms
• No per-cover fees at any volume
• Quick setup in under 30 minutes
• Predictable monthly costs with no surprises

Cons:

• Smaller diner network than marketplace platforms like OpenTable
• Newer platform with less brand recognition
• Fewer enterprise integrations than legacy systems

Best for: Small to medium restaurants that want affordable, transparent booking software without paying for every guest they seat. The free tier makes it risk-free to try, and the paid plans grow with your business.

2. ResDiary - best for UK and European restaurants

ResDiary has been operating since 2006 and has built a strong commission-free platform popular across the UK, Europe, and Australia. Their zero-commission model covers all booking channels, including their own Dish Cult discovery platform, Reserve with Google, and social media bookings.

Key features:

• Commission-free bookings from all channels
• Table management with floor plan editor
• Guest CRM with dining history
• Reserve with Google integration
• Dish Cult marketplace listing (no cover fee)
• POS integrations with major systems

Pricing: Plans start around $109/month (varies by region). Express, Pro, Connect, and Ultimate tiers differ primarily by booking volume. A 1% surcharge applies on deposits and payments processed through the platform, and 3% on gift vouchers. Stripe processing fees may also apply.

Pros:

• Established platform with nearly two decades of track record
• Strong presence in UK, European, and Australian markets
• Zero commission regardless of booking source
• Good integration ecosystem
• Dish Cult marketplace included without per-cover fees

Cons:

• Higher starting price than some competitors
• Pricing requires contacting sales for exact quotes in some markets
• Interface can feel less modern than newer platforms
• Small deposit/payment surcharge (1%) adds a minor variable cost

Best for: UK and European restaurants wanting a mature, commission-free platform with a proven track record and strong local integrations.

3. Tablein - best for simplicity

Tablein keeps things straightforward. There are no complex tier structures, no paid add-ons, and no commissions. Every plan includes all features, and pricing differs only by reservation volume. For restaurants that want a booking system without complexity, Tablein delivers.

Key features:

• Online reservation widget for your website
• Table management with visual floor plan
• Automated email and SMS confirmations
• Guest database and dining history
• Reserve with Google integration
• Multi-language booking widget

Pricing: Standard plan at EUR 79/month (150 reservations included, EUR 0.30 per additional booking). Premium plan at EUR 129/month with unlimited reservations. All features included on both plans. 14-day free trial available. Multi-location discounts available.

Pros:

• All features included on every plan, no upsells
• Simple, easy-to-understand pricing
• Quick setup with minimal training needed
• No contracts, cancel anytime
• Good for Baltic and Nordic markets

Cons:

• Standard plan has a 150 reservation cap (overage fee of EUR 0.30 each)
• No free tier beyond the 14-day trial
• Smaller feature set than enterprise platforms
• No consumer marketplace for diner discovery
• Limited marketing and CRM tools compared to larger platforms

Best for: Restaurants that value simplicity above all else. If you want a clean booking system with predictable costs and no surprises, Tablein is a solid choice.

4. Libro - best free tier for higher volume

Libro offers a commission-free model with a free tier that supports up to 50 bookings per month, making it the most generous free plan after Resos for restaurants just getting started with online reservations. Based in Canada, Libro serves thousands of venues from independent restaurants to multi-location chains.

Key features:

• Free tier with 50 bookings per month
• Waitlist management
• Ticketed experiences and prepaid reservations
• Guest surveys and review management
• Email marketing and two-way SMS campaigns
• Google review integration

Pricing: Free (50 bookings/month). Paid plans with POS integration start at approximately $111/month. Annual billing saves 20%. Zero per-cover fees on all plans.

Pros:

• Most generous free tier by booking volume (50/month)
• Zero commissions on every plan
• Includes ticketed dining and prepaid features
• Strong guest marketing tools
• Good for Michelin-level to casual restaurants

Cons:

• Paid plans are more expensive than some competitors
• Less established in European markets
• Fewer third-party integrations than legacy platforms
• Exact plan pricing not fully transparent on website

Best for: Restaurants that want a generous free starting point and need advanced features like ticketed experiences, guest surveys, and built-in marketing tools without paying per-cover fees.

5. Hostme - best for mid-size restaurants

Hostme offers a clean, all-inclusive pricing model that stands out for including unlimited bookings and SMS messages on its entry-level plan. There are no per-cover fees, no contracts, and no hidden charges. For mid-size restaurants processing a high volume of reservations, the flat pricing becomes very cost-effective.

Key features:

• Unlimited reservations on all plans
• Built-in SMS messaging (unlimited)
• Table management with floor plan
• Waitlist management
• Guest profiles and CRM
• POS integration on higher tier

Pricing: Mezzo plan at $109/month (unlimited bookings, SMS, premium support). Grande plan at $169/month (adds POS integration and custom branding). Free trial available. Marketing add-on available at $20 per credit package.

Pros:

• Unlimited bookings and SMS included from the start
• Simple two-tier pricing with no usage surprises
• No contracts, cancel anytime
• Good customer support reputation

Cons:

• No free tier (trial only)
• POS integration requires the higher-tier plan
• Custom branding locked to Grande plan
• Smaller market presence than larger competitors
• Marketing tools are a paid add-on

Best for: Mid-size restaurants in North America that process a high volume of bookings and want unlimited reservations and SMS without worrying about per-message or per-cover charges.

6. Eat App - best for data-driven operations

Eat App combines commission-free reservations with a strong emphasis on analytics and guest data. Their platform focuses on helping restaurants make smarter decisions through data, covering everything from booking patterns to guest lifetime value. The free plan allows up to 30 covers per month.

Key features:

• Commission-free reservations from website, Google, and social media
• Advanced analytics and reporting
• Guest CRM with lifetime value tracking
• Table management with real-time floor plan
• Automated confirmations and reminders
• Marketing automation tools on higher plans

Pricing: Free (30 covers/month). Starter at $69/month (300 covers, 25 SMS/month). Basic at $139/month (unlimited covers, 100 SMS/month). Pro at $239/month (all features, 300 SMS/month). Enterprise pricing on request. POS integration costs an extra $89/month on Starter and Basic plans.

Pros:

• Free plan available for very low volume restaurants
• Strong analytics and guest data features
• Commission-free across all booking channels
• Good integration with Google and social media booking

Cons:

• Free plan limited to just 30 covers (not bookings)
• Cover caps on Starter plan (300/month)
• POS integration is an expensive add-on ($89/month) on lower tiers
• SMS confirmations are limited and metered on lower plans
• Prepayment and online waitlist are paid add-ons ($19/month each)

Best for: Data-focused restaurants that want detailed analytics and guest insights without paying per-cover commissions, and can budget for the add-ons they need.

Cost comparison: commission-free vs. commission-based

The real advantage of commission-free systems becomes clear when you calculate annual costs at scale. Below is what restaurants can expect to pay at two common booking volumes.

Annual cost at 300 covers per month

Annual cost at 1,000 covers per month

*OpenTable cover fees range from $0.25 (website) to $1.50 (network) per cover, depending on booking source. The range reflects a mix of booking channels. See OpenTable pricing for current rates.

The numbers speak clearly. At 1,000 covers per month, a commission-based system can cost 10-40x more annually than a flat-rate commission-free alternative. Even at lower volumes, the savings are significant enough to justify switching.

What to consider when choosing a commission-free system

Your booking volume. Higher volume means bigger savings from commission-free pricing. If you seat 500+ covers monthly, the difference between flat-rate and per-cover pricing can be thousands of dollars per year.

Feature needs. All systems in this guide handle core reservations well. Differences emerge in advanced features: guest marketing, POS integration, prepaid dining, and multi-location management. Identify what you actually need before paying for features you won’t use.

Your market. Some platforms are stronger in certain regions. ResDiary excels in the UK and Europe. Tablein is popular in the Baltics and Nordics. Libro focuses on North America with roots in the Iberian market. Resos and Eat App serve a global audience.

Integration requirements. If you need POS integration, check whether it is included in your plan or costs extra. Hostme and Eat App charge more for POS on lower tiers, while Resos and ResDiary include it on mid-level plans.

Discovery vs. direct bookings. Commission-free systems do not operate diner marketplaces like OpenTable. If you depend heavily on a marketplace to find new customers, read our guide on direct vs. third-party booking to understand the trade-offs before switching. Most restaurants find that Google, their own website, and social media drive more bookings than they expect.

How to transition from a commission-based system

Making the switch does not have to be disruptive. Here is a practical approach:

Step 1: Calculate your current costs. Pull your last 12 months of invoices and add up subscription fees plus per-cover charges. This is your baseline for comparison.

Step 2: Export your guest data. Before canceling anything, export your guest database from your current system. You own this data, and any reputable platform will let you export it.

Step 3: Set up your new system. Most commission-free platforms offer free trials or free tiers. Configure your tables, hours, and booking rules. Import your guest data if possible.

Step 4: Run both systems in parallel. For 2-4 weeks, accept bookings on both platforms. This ensures you don’t miss reservations during the transition.

Step 5: Redirect booking links. Update your website widget, Google Business Profile booking link, social media links, and any other booking entry points to your new system.

Step 6: Cancel the old system. Once all bookings flow through your new platform and you’ve verified everything works, cancel your commission-based subscription.

The bottom line

Commission-free restaurant booking systems have matured to the point where there is no technical reason to keep paying per-cover fees. The platforms in this guide offer the same core functionality as legacy commission-based systems: online booking, table management, guest profiles, and automated confirmations.

Resos offers the best combination of affordability and features, especially for small to medium restaurants. The free tier lets you test without risk, and paid plans remain the most affordable in the market. For restaurants in specific regions, ResDiary (UK/Europe), Tablein (Nordics/Baltics), and Libro (Iberian/North American markets) provide strong local alternatives.

The math is simple. If you’re seating hundreds of covers per month and paying per-cover fees, you could save thousands of dollars annually by switching to flat-rate pricing. That money goes straight back into your restaurant, whether you spend it on ingredients, staff, or marketing.

Related guides: Best restaurant booking systems 2026 | Best free restaurant booking software | OpenTable alternatives | Direct vs. third-party booking

Methodology

This guide was compiled using official pricing pages and platform documentation (accessed February 2026), direct testing of free tiers and trials where available, pricing data from G2, Capterra, and vendor websites, and analysis of total cost of ownership including add-on fees.

Pricing and features change frequently. Verify current details directly with each provider before making a decision.

Sources

• Resos pricing
• ResDiary pricing
• Tablein pricing
• Libro pricing
• Hostme pricing
• Eat App pricing
• OpenTable pricing