Resy Alternatives for Restaurants: 6 Options Compared

The best Resy alternative depends on three things: where your venue is, how you want to pay, and who owns your guest data. If you run a restaurant, bar or cafe in the UK, start with a flat-fee, commission-free system. Resy is built mainly around the US and Canada, so it was never a natural fit for most British venues.

This guide compares the options owners actually shortlist: OpenTable, SevenRooms, Tock, resOS, and our own platform, Served. We cover what each is good at, where each can cost you, and how to switch without losing bookings.

TL;DR

• Resy focuses on the US and Canada. UK venues usually look at OpenTable, SevenRooms, Tock, resOS or Served instead.
• The real split in the market is between marketplaces that charge per cover and software that charges a flat fee. Commission-free software versus per-cover marketplaces is the first decision to make.
• Served is commission-free: Visibility Brain costs 69 € per month or 660 € per year, with no per-cover fees and human support.
• Before you sign anything, get fees, guest data ownership and exit terms in writing.
• Run a free scan of your current booking path first. It shows what is costing you covers before you spend anything.

Table of Contents

• Why owners look for a Resy alternative
• The main options at a glance
• Served: commission-free booking with visibility built in
• OpenTable: reach, with trade-offs
• SevenRooms: guest data first
• Tock: when you sell experiences
• resOS: simple and flexible
• What about Resy itself?
• Our perspective: the booking tool is only half the job
• How to choose: six criteria
• How to switch without losing bookings
• Think about the guest's side too
• Try Served free before you commit
• FAQ
• Sources

Why owners look for a Resy alternative

Most owners we speak to are not unhappy with the idea of online booking. They are unhappy with one of four things.

1. Availability. Resy sells mainly in the US and Canada. Check its current country coverage directly before you plan around it.
2. Cost that grows with success. Per-cover or per-booking charges rise exactly when you get busier.
3. Guest data. If the platform owns the relationship, you rent your own regulars.
4. Visibility. A booking tool does not help if guests cannot find you, or find a wrong menu or wrong opening hours on Google.

That last point matters more than most owners think. A 2025 METRO AG survey of 2,000 German diners found that 70% use digital platforms to search for restaurants, and 50% have booked a table online. Among weekly diners, the online booking share rises to 71%. It is a German survey, not a UK one, but the direction is clear: if you do not appear in search results with a working reservation button, many guests will never reach you.

The main options at a glance

We do not publish competitor prices here, because they change and vary by venue size. Ask each vendor for a written quote with every fee itemised.

Served: commission-free booking with visibility built in

We built Served for busy, non-technical hospitality teams. The idea is simple: get found, get booked, get served.

What you get:

• Table reservation management with a calendar and floorplan seating.
• Reminders to guests, so fewer tables sit empty.
• Real-time menu updates on your venue page, so guests see what you actually serve.
• Venue listing and review management in one queue.
• Guest CRM, where the guest relationship stays with you. We never resell guest data.
• Google listing analysis and a public visibility scan with an optimisation checklist.
• Stripe-integrated payments for deposits and prepayments.
• Human customer support on every plan.

What it costs

The yearly plan works out below twelve months at the monthly rate, so if you know you are staying, annual billing is the cheaper route. You can see the details on the Visibility Brain page.

The point is predictability. You pay the same whether you take 200 covers or 2,000 this month. For a deeper look at how that compares with marketplace pricing, see our guide to restaurant reservation systems that keep guest data and avoid commissions.

OpenTable: reach, with trade-offs

OpenTable is the best-known marketplace. Its draw is a large consumer audience that already searches there. If a new venue has no online presence at all, that reach can be useful.

The trade-off is usually dependency. Guests who book through a marketplace often become the marketplace's guests. Fees can apply per cover or per booking depending on the plan and the source of the reservation, so ask for the exact terms. We wrote a checklist on this: OpenTable vs Resy for restaurant owners: 6 musts to get in writing. If you are specifically leaving OpenTable, read OpenTable alternatives that cut fees and let you own guest data.

SevenRooms: guest data first

SevenRooms is known for guest profiles, segmentation and marketing tools. That suits hotel restaurants, groups and high-volume venues with a dedicated marketing person.

For an independent with a three-person front of house, the question is practical: will anyone have time to use all of it? A tool you do not use is an expensive calendar. Our comparison of Resy vs SevenRooms for independent venues goes through the guest data versus reach question in more detail.

Tock: when you sell experiences

Tock is built around prepaid tickets and fixed-price formats. If you run a tasting menu, supper club or a limited number of seatings, prepayment protects you from no-shows and simplifies planning.

If you mostly run walk-ins and standard à la carte bookings, that model can be more than you need. If you do sell events, we cover the cost side in event venue management software that skips per-cover fees.

resOS: simple and flexible

resOS is a subscription booking system popular with small venues across Europe. It is a sensible pick when you want a booking widget and not much else.

Where owners compare it with us is on the visibility side: Google listing analysis, venue pages, menu updates and review handling. If you are weighing it up, our guide to switching without losing bookings from resOS shows what to check first.

What about Resy itself?

Resy is strong where it operates. Reddit threads from US operators describe it as influential in big cities, helped by its link with American Express. But it sells mainly in the US and Canada. If your venue is in the UK, confirm availability and onboarding with Resy directly before you build a plan around it.

That is why many UK owners searching for Resy end up comparing local-ready tools.

Our perspective: the booking tool is only half the job

We see the same pattern across restaurants, bars and cafes. Owners spend weeks comparing booking software, then lose covers somewhere else in the path: an outdated Google listing, a menu PDF that will not load on a phone, a booking button that is hard to find.

So we look at it as a chain. A guest searches, finds you, trusts what they see, checks the menu, and books. If any link is weak, the best reservation engine in the world does not save you.

Three principles guide how we build:

• No commission, ever. A flat subscription means growth does not become a bill. Your best months are your best months.
• You own the guest. Contact details and history belong to the venue. We do not resell them.
• Humans answer. When service is running and something breaks, you need a person, not a chatbot loop.

There is one honest caveat. A marketplace can bring new diners who never heard of you. A flat-fee tool does not do that on its own. Our answer is to fix your own visibility first, so the guests already searching for you can find and book you directly. Then decide whether you also want marketplace reach, with your eyes open about the cost.

— Ignacy Jurkowski

How to choose: six criteria

Use these to score every option. Ask for answers in writing.

1. Total cost at your volume. Work out the cost at your busiest month, not your quietest. Include set-up, payment processing, ticketing and add-ons.
2. Commission and per-cover fees. Are there any? On which bookings? Does a booking made from your own website count?
3. Guest data. Who owns it? Can you export it? Can you email your own guests?
4. Contract and exit. What notice period applies? What happens to your data and your widget if you leave?
5. Visibility. Does the tool help you show up on Google, with correct hours, menu and reviews?
6. Support. Is there a human, and how fast do they reply during service hours?

A quick worked example

Say a 40-seat bistro takes 600 covers a month through online booking. If a tool charges per cover, the bill moves with every table you fill. With a flat plan, the cost on Visibility Brain is 69 € per month, regardless of covers. That is the structure to compare, even before you plug in a competitor's actual rate. Ask each vendor to quote the same 600 covers so the numbers sit side by side.

No-show protection

Many owners hesitate to ask for deposits for fear of upsetting guests. In the METRO AG survey, 52% of German restaurant guests said they would accept no-show fees when booking. Again, that is Germany, not Britain, but it suggests guests are more accepting than owners assume. Whichever tool you choose, check that it supports deposits or card holds through a payment provider such as Stripe.

How to switch without losing bookings

Changing system mid-season feels risky. It does not have to be.

1. Export your guest list from the old system before you do anything else.
2. Run a scan of your current booking path. Our Booking Path Scan checks what a guest sees when they look for you and try to book.
3. Set up the new system in parallel. Add your floorplan, opening hours and menu. Do not switch the public button yet.
4. Test as a guest. Book from a phone, from Google and from your website.
5. Switch the links. Update your website, Google listing and social profiles on the same day.
6. Keep the old system alive for future-dated bookings until they have all been honoured.
7. Tell regulars. A short message from the venue is enough.

If you want a structured plan for the weeks after switching, see how to fix your restaurant booking flow in 30, 90 and 180 days and five operational jobs for small restaurant booking.

Think about the guest's side too

Guests are used to digital reservations and expect a clear confirmation. Travellers in particular rely on them, since they cannot walk in on a whim. This explainer on how digital reservations work for travellers is a useful read if you want to see the booking process from the diner's chair. A clean confirmation, a reminder, and an easy way to cancel all reduce no-shows.

Try Served free before you commit

You do not need a sales call. Start with the free plan and the scan. You will see where your venue is easy to find, where it is not, and what to fix first. If you want the full set of booking, review and visibility tools, Visibility Brain is 69 € per month or 660 € per year. Multi-site operators can look at our restaurant group and franchise software, and if reviews are the bigger worry, see review management in one queue.

If you prefer a quick look first, our free tools are the lowest-effort place to begin.

FAQ

Is Resy available in the UK?

Resy sells mainly in the US and Canada, so UK venues should confirm availability with Resy directly. Most UK restaurants compare tools built for the local market instead, such as OpenTable, SevenRooms, resOS or Served.

Is OpenTable better than Resy?

It depends on where you are and what you value. OpenTable is a broad marketplace with wide reach, while Resy is strongest in North American cities. For a UK venue, the more useful question is which tool gives you fair fees and keeps guest data with you. Our OpenTable vs Resy checklist lists what to get in writing.

What are the best Resy alternatives for a small restaurant?

For a small team, simplicity and predictable cost matter most. A flat-fee, commission-free tool such as Served or resOS keeps costs stable, while Served adds Google visibility tools, review management and human support. Marketplaces suit venues that want extra reach and accept the fees.

Can I use a booking system without paying commission?

Yes. Commission-free systems charge a subscription instead of a cut of each booking or cover. Served is one example: Visibility Brain is 69 € per month or 660 € per year, with no per-cover fees.

Will I lose my guest data if I switch?

Not if you export it first. Ask your current provider how to export guest records before you cancel, and check that your new system lets you keep and use that data.

Sources

• Representative Survey: Digital Gastronomy, METRO AG (21 February 2025)
• Reservations: 12 European solutions ranked, TechForMerchant

Recommended

• OpenTable vs Resy for Restaurant Owners: 6 Musts to Get in Writing
• Switch without losing bookings: resOS alternatives for UK restaurants
• OpenTable alternatives for restaurants: cut fees, own guest data
• Restaurant Reservation Systems: Keep Guest Data, Avoid Commissions