DocketBEO vs OpenTable for a small restaurant
OpenTable is a diner marketplace that sends first-time guests to your restaurant, priced from $149 a month plus a per-cover fee on network bookings. DocketBEO puts reservations on your own website with no per-cover fee, from $49 a month, and adds the host stand, floor, kitchen and private events. Many restaurants run OpenTable for discovery and DocketBEO for the rest.
DocketBEO is one system for a restaurant: its website, online reservations with no per-cover fee, the floor plan and host stand, kitchen screens and printers, checkout, private events with BEOs, and QuickBooks sync, priced per location from $49 a month with a 14-day free trial and no card to start.
Who each one is for
OpenTable is for a restaurant that needs new diners found for it and will pay per cover for them. DocketBEO is for the regulars and the room: bookings from your own site, the host stand, the floor and the kitchen, and private dining, for a flat price.
Side by side
| OpenTable | DocketBEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Basic $149, Core $299, Pro $499 a month (third-party reporting; OpenTable's pricing page did not load for us). Per-cover fees on network bookings, roughly $0.25 to $1.50; a 2% fee on deposits, prepaid bookings and no-show charges since early 2026. | $49 (Website) or $129 (House) a month. No per-cover fee, no booking fee, no cut of deposits or no-show charges. |
| Finds new diners | Yes: the OpenTable app and network, Google integration, promoted listings. | No. Bookings come from your own website, your Google listing link and your regulars. |
| Booking on your own website | Yes, via widget; fees vary by plan. | Yes, one line pasted into your site or a page we host, checked against real table capacity. |
| No-show protection | Card on file and no-show fees; 2% fee applies to the charge. | Card on file saved to your own Stripe account; the host decides whether to charge; no DocketBEO cut. |
| Host stand, waitlist, floor plan | Yes, with table management on Core and Pro. | Host stand and waitlist from Counter ($79); floor plan on House ($129). |
| Kitchen screens, orders, checkout | No; integrates with POS systems. | Included: orders, course firing, kitchen screens and printers, split checks, card readers. |
| Private events and BEOs | Private dining inquiries routed to you; no BEOs, event menus, signatures or deposit schedules. | Included: inquiry to BEO, client portal, signature, deposits, and the room blocked on the same book. |
| Guest data | Diners are OpenTable members; you get the booking. | They're your guests, in your guest book, with notes and visit history. |
Where OpenTable is the better fit
- You rely on first-time diners finding you and the network delivers them. Keep it.
- You want the recognition of being on the app in a destination city.
Where DocketBEO is the better fit
- You're paying per cover for regulars who were coming anyway: move your website bookings to your own book.
- You do private dining and want the buyout, the BEO and tonight's tables on one system.
- You want the host stand, floor and kitchen included rather than three more subscriptions.
Questions
Should I cancel OpenTable if I use DocketBEO?
Not if it's finding you diners. OpenTable finds first-time guests; a booking page on your own site can't do that. Run DocketBEO beside it for your website bookings (no per-cover fee), private dining, the floor and the kitchen. There is no OpenTable sync today, so hold network inventory by hand.
What does a restaurant reservation system with no per-cover fee cost?
DocketBEO's Website plan is $49 a month and includes online reservations on your own site with no per-cover fee, confirmations and reminders, guest self-service changes and card-on-file no-show protection. House, at $129, adds the floor, kitchen, checkout and private events.
Can guests book without creating an account?
Yes. A guest books on your website with a name, phone and email; there's no membership. Confirmation and reminder emails carry a link to change or cancel.
DocketBEO pricing
$49 (Website), $79 (Counter) or $129 (House) per location per month; $297 for up to 3 locations, $790 for up to 10. 14-day free trial, no card to start, month to month. Full pricing.
Where the OpenTable numbers come from
- As of 2026-10-29, from https://restaurant.eatapp.co/blog/opentable-pricing: OpenTable plan prices and per-cover fees as reported by Eat App (a competing vendor); OpenTable's own pricing page did not load. Competitor pricing changes; check their page before you decide.
- As of 2026-01-14, from https://www.inquirer.com/food/restaurants/opentable-service-fee-no-show-restaurant-reservation-20260114.html: The Philadelphia Inquirer on OpenTable's 2% fee on deposits and no-show charges. Competitor pricing changes; check their page before you decide.
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