Do I need Toast POS to use Toast Tables?

Toast Tables is part of the Toast ecosystem, which is its main strength and its main constraint. If you do not want your reservation system tied to your POS choice, a standalone tool keeps those decisions separate. Confirm current requirements with Toast.

How does TableHelm compare to Toast Tables?

TableHelm is POS-independent, free for unlimited reservations at one location, $29/mo flat for Pro, month to month, with no per-cover fees and full free CSV export of your guest book. It has no POS integration at all, which is the honest flip side.

Reservation software, compared honestly

TableHelm, the Toast Tables alternative that needs no POS

Toast Tables is the reservation and waitlist product inside the Toast POS ecosystem. Operators leaving OpenTable cite it approvingly, mainly because online bookings do not carry extra per-cover fees. Our verified research file contains no published pricing for it, so this page makes no pricing claims; the honest comparison is structural: Toast Tables assumes you run (or will run) Toast POS, TableHelm assumes nothing about your POS.

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What Toast Tables does well

Credibility first: these are the genuine strengths.

Operators leaving OpenTable speak well of it: 'We are literally transferring over to toast tables [from] open table this week… it's the exact same price monthly except you don't pay any extra for online bookings' (u/MyDickIsAPotato, r/restaurantowners)
'This is why everyone I know has been switching to Toast Tables.. so much cheaper and better functionality' (u/Ok_Software1938, r/restaurantowners)
Native fit if your restaurant already runs Toast POS

When Toast Tables is the better pick: Restaurants already on Toast POS that want reservations inside the same system and account relationship.

Toast Tables pricing and terms

Toast Tables pricing and terms summary
Monthly price	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Usage fees	Operators switching from OpenTable report no extra charges for online bookings; exact terms not in our verified source file
Contract	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Free tier	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Guest data	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
No-show tools	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.

Last verified 2026-07-03, from the sources listed on this page. Toast Tablesfigures are published list prices and terms; negotiated contracts differ. Always check the vendor's site for current pricing before you decide.

Sources for the Toast Tables facts on this page

r/restaurantowners: operators switching to Toast Tables

Side by side

How TableHelm compares

Swipe the table sideways for the full comparison.

	TableHelm	Toast Tables
Monthly price	Free, or $29 a month flat	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Usage fees	Never a per-cover or per-booking fee	Operators switching from OpenTable report no extra charges for online bookings; exact terms not in our verified source file
Contract	Month to month. Cancel self-serve, keep your data.	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Free tier	Yes: unlimited reservations and guests, one location	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Guest data	Your guest book is yours. Full CSV export, free, any time, forever.	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
No-show protection	Card holds via your own Stripe account (Pro). You keep 100% of every no-show fee; TableHelm takes nothing.	Not in our verified source file. See the vendor's site.
Signup	Self-serve. No demo call, no card to start.	See the vendor's site

Toast Tables column: published list prices and terms, last verified 2026-07-03(sources on this page); check the vendor's site for current pricing. TableHelm column: our own published product facts.

The honest gaps

What TableHelm does not do (and Toast Tables might)

No diner discovery network. Your guests book through your own website, Google profile and Instagram; TableHelm makes that link excellent but brings no marketplace demand.
No POS integration yet.
No built-in SMS yet: confirmations and reminders go by email, plus a manage link you can text from any phone.
One location per account for now.

If any of those are dealbreakers today, we would rather you know now. Here is exactly what you get on both of our plans.

Keep reading

Questions

Toast Tables vs TableHelm: FAQ

We could not verify Toast Tables pricing against a primary source for our research file, so we make no claim here. Check Toast's site for current pricing. Operators switching from OpenTable have reported paying the same monthly price with no extra charges for online bookings.

Weighing a move off Toast Tables?

Start free in minutes: unlimited reservations, your own booking page, and a guest book you can export any time. No card, no demo call.

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