Free restaurant booking systems: what a free plan really gives you
A free plan should take real bookings, on your own page, with nothing for your guests to pay.
ResOlio Free gives a restaurant everything it needs to take bookings online, at no cost: its own booking page, an embed for its website, the service screen and email confirmations, in English, French and Arabic. Here is how it sits beside the other free plans, and what to check in any of them.
| Booking system | Free plan, as published | The first paid plan |
|---|---|---|
| ResOlio | 50 bookings a month, €0 | Starter: €39 a month, 500 bookings |
| resOS | 25 bookings a month, €0 | Basic: €45 a month, 350 bookings |
| Eat App | 100 guests a month, $0 | Lite: $99 a month |
| Tablein | None; a 14-day free trial | Starter: €67 a month, 50 reservations |
| Zenchef | None | Reserve: €129 a month, on its French page |
What a free plan should include
- Your own booking page, and an embed for the website you already have.
- Confirmations and reminders by email, so guests remember the booking.
- A screen for the team, with tonight’s guests and the floor.
- No fee per cover, or the free plan is free only on quiet nights.
- Nothing for your guests to pay: no deposit and no card at booking.
- A plan that lasts, counted in bookings a month, not a trial that ends.
Free to join, paid per guest
Some systems ask no published subscription and charge for each guest they bring instead. TheFork publishes no subscription price and takes a share of the bill for each guest it brings. A plan that costs nothing on a quiet month can cost a lot on a busy one. See how commission adds up.
What 50 free bookings a month give you
On ResOlio, a booking is a table, whatever its size: a table of six is one booking. Fifty a month suits a restaurant, café or bar that books its busy evenings and welcomes the rest at the door, with walk-ins and phone bookings in the same book.
When you grow, your plan grows with you: Starter gives you 500 bookings for €39 a month, Plus 1,500 for €59, and Pro as many as you take for €99. Ask for one on the plan screen and we switch it on for you, usually within a day. See every plan.
What ResOlio Free includes
- 50 bookings a month, on 2 tablets.
- Your booking page and an embed for your website. See the booking page.
- Confirmations and reminders by email.
- The service screen: the guestlist, the floor map and the calendar. See the service screen.
- Your tables, areas, hours and special days.
- Basic insights: covers, and where bookings come from.
- English, French and Arabic, with Arabic right to left.
Questions
Is there a free restaurant booking system?
Yes: ResOlio Free gives you 50 bookings a month at no cost, with your own booking page, an embed and the service screen. No card, and no fee per cover.
What should a free plan include?
Your own booking page, no fee per guest, and nothing for your guests to pay. ResOlio Free gives you all three, with 50 bookings a month and email reminders.
Do I need a card to start?
Not on ResOlio. No card is asked when you sign up, and none ever on Free.
What if I want more than 50 bookings a month?
Move up whenever you like: Starter gives you 500 bookings a month for €39. We tell you when you get close, and your staff can always take a phone booking.
Sources
- resOS: pricing resos.comread on
- Eat App: pricing restaurant.eatapp.coread on
- Tablein: pricing tablein.comread on
- Zenchef: formules (French) zenchef.comread on
- TheFork Manager: prix du logiciel (French) theforkmanager.comread on
Something wrong? Tell us
Take bookings with no fee per cover
Set it up in five short steps, with no card.