Tock and OpenTable solve different problems: Tock is a prepaid/ticketed dining engine, OpenTable is a discovery marketplace. Choose Tock if guests should pay upfront for tasting menus or events; choose OpenTable if you want its large diner network to send you new bookings and can absorb per-cover fees. Both are premium-priced, and neither is built for budget-conscious venues. Below we compare pricing, networks, and fit.
Key takeaways
- Tock: Published plans from $249 to $399 per month, no per-cover fee, with 3% or 2% prepayment fees on two plans
- OpenTable: Largest diner network, $149-499/month plus $0.25-$1.50 per cover, best for discovery
- No-shows: Tock supports prepayment tools; results depend on policy and guest mix
- Both are premium: budget-conscious restaurants will find flat-fee alternatives far cheaper
Tock vs OpenTable at a glance
| Tock | OpenTable | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Fine dining, ticketed events | Discovery, network reach |
| Pricing | $249-399/mo | $149-499/mo + fees |
| Per-cover fees | None | $0.25-$1.50/cover |
| Other fees | 3% on Essential, 2% on Premium prepayments | Payment processing and contract-specific fees may apply |
| Diner network | Smaller, experience-led | Tens of millions of diners |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Standout | Prepaid/ticketed dining | Diner discovery |
Quick verdict
Tock is the right choice if your restaurant runs on tasting menus, chef’s counters, or ticketed events. Its Essential and Premium plans combine reservations with event and prepayment tools.
OpenTable is the right choice if diner discovery drives your business. Its network can introduce new guests at scale, and for restaurants in strong OpenTable markets the per-cover fee is a customer-acquisition cost rather than pure overhead.
Neither is built for budget-conscious venues. If you mainly need solid reservations without prepayment or a marketplace, see the affordable alternative below.
Tock vs OpenTable pricing
Tock
Tiered subscriptions with a transaction fee on prepaid bookings:
| Plan | Monthly | Prepayment fee | Reservations? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | $249 | Not listed | Yes |
| Platform 360 | $399 | Not listed | Yes |
| Essential | $269 | 3% | Yes |
| Premium | $399 | 2% | Yes |
OpenTable
Subscription plus per-cover fees:
| Plan | Monthly | Network cover | Website cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $149 | $1.50 | $0.25 (or $49/mo flat) |
| Core | $299 | $1.00 | Included |
| Pro | $499 | $1.00 | Included |
At 500 network covers per month, OpenTable Basic runs roughly $899 per month when all 500 covers come through its network. Tock Platform is $249 per month with no per-cover fee. Tock Essential is $269 plus 3% of prepayments. See Tock pricing and OpenTable pricing for full assumptions.
Tock vs OpenTable features
| Feature | Tock | OpenTable |
|---|---|---|
| Online reservations | Yes | Yes |
| Prepaid / ticketed dining | Yes (core strength) | No |
| Diner discovery network | Limited | Extensive |
| Table management | Yes | Yes |
| Guest profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Deposits | Yes | Limited |
| Per-cover fees | None | $0.25-$1.50 |
| POS integration | Published on Platform and Premium | Yes (Core+) |
Is Tock right for your restaurant?
Tock makes sense if:
- Prepayment or ticketing is central (tasting menus, events, chef’s counters)
- No-shows on high-value seatings are a real cost
- You sell experiences that fit ticketing natively
- You do not need a discovery marketplace
Is OpenTable right for your restaurant?
OpenTable makes sense if:
- Discovery through its network genuinely brings new diners
- You operate in a market where OpenTable dominates bookings
- You can document that per-cover fees are acquisition cost, not overhead
- You need broad reach more than prepaid experiences
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Tock and OpenTable?
Is Tock or OpenTable cheaper?
Does Tock or OpenTable have a diner network?
Which is better for fine dining, Tock or OpenTable?
Are there cheaper alternatives to Tock and OpenTable?
The bottom line
Tock and OpenTable are premium platforms built for opposite jobs. Tock protects high-value covers with prepayment and is hard to beat for tasting menus and events. OpenTable sells reach, and its per-cover fees can be worth it where the network drives real new business. For restaurants that mainly need dependable reservations without either the prepaid model or marketplace fees, a flat-fee system does the core job for far less.
Related comparisons: Tock pricing | OpenTable pricing | Tock vs Resos | OpenTable vs Resos | OpenTable vs Resy
Sources
- Tock plans and pricing (verified August 11, 2026)
- OpenTable Plans & Pricing (verified June 2026)
- Pricing and fees vary by market and contract; confirm current rates with each vendor.