First-party comparison, sourced
TableHelm vs OpenTable (an honest first-party comparison)
We make TableHelm, so this page is not neutral; it is, however, sourced. The structural difference: OpenTable is a diner marketplace that charges $149 to $499 a month plus $1.00 to $1.50 per network cover. TableHelm is booking software for your own guests: free for unlimited reservations, $29 a month for Pro, never a per-cover fee.
Disclosure: TableHelm is our product, so we are a side in this comparison, not a referee. Every competitor fact still carries a source, and our own gaps are listed on the page.
The facts, side by side
Swipe the table sideways for the full comparison.
| TableHelm | OpenTable | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Free, or $29 a month flat | $149 (Basic), $299 (Core) or $499 (Pro) a month, list price |
| Usage fees | Never a per-cover or per-booking fee | Network covers $1.50 each on Basic, $1.00 on Core/Pro; own-website covers $0.25 each or $49/mo flat on Basic, $0 on Core/Pro; promoted Bonus Points bookings up to $7.50 per diner (third-party figure); plus a 2% service fee on no-show fees, deposits and prepaid transactions (2026) |
| Contract | Month to month. Cancel self-serve, keep your data. | 12-month auto-renewing term (March 2026 agreement); early exit costs 100% (initial term) or 50% (renewal term) of remaining subscription fees plus 100% of remaining cover fees |
| Free tier | Yes: unlimited reservations and guests, one location | None |
| Guest data | Your guest book is yours. Full CSV export, free, any time, forever. | Contract states "Client Data does not include Online Reservation Data"; network-diner data is provided per OpenTable's privacy policy, and export access ends 30 days after termination |
| No-show tools | Card holds via your own Stripe account (Pro). You keep 100% of every no-show fee; TableHelm takes nothing. | Deposits and no-show fees supported, now with OpenTable's 2% service fee applied to those transactions |
Published list prices and terms, last verified 2026-07-03. Sources live on each vendor's alternatives page. Always check the vendors' sites for current pricing.
What OpenTable has that TableHelm does not
Start with our gaps, because they decide the question for some restaurants. OpenTable brings the largest diner marketplace in the US, POS integrations, SMS, loyalty points and 24/7-scale support. TableHelm brings none of that: no diner network (your guests book via your site, Google profile and Instagram), no POS integration yet, no built-in SMS yet, one location per account. There is a documented case of a discovery-dependent restaurant leaving OpenTable and returning within a month because the marketplace was carrying it. If that is your restaurant, OpenTable's fees may be rent worth paying.
What you stop paying for
If your demand is your own (regulars, your website, your Google listing), OpenTable's model bills you for it: operators document $1 per cover on Google-sourced bookings under many contracts ("$3k a month for the privilege of having a button on your own google listing"), real bills of $600 to $1,200 a month, and since 2026 a 2% service fee on no-show fees, deposits and prepaid transactions. TableHelm charges $0 or $29 a month flat. A card-hold no-show fee charged through TableHelm goes to your own Stripe account; we take nothing.
Contracts and your guest book
OpenTable's March 2026 agreement runs on 12-month auto-renewing terms with early-termination fees and requires OpenTable as your System of Record; its contract keeps network-diner data as Online Reservation Data (not your Client Data), with export access ending 30 days after you leave. TableHelm is month to month, cancel self-serve, and your full guest book exports to CSV free, any time, including after you cancel.
The same math, on your numbers
At OpenTable list price, a Basic plan with 800 network covers a month is $149 + $1,200 = $1,349 a month before the 2% service fee on any deposits. The same restaurant on TableHelm Pro pays $29. The honest caveat: if a third of those covers only exist because OpenTable's marketplace found them, price that demand in. Our cover-fee calculator lets you run your own volumes.
Choose TableHelm if
- Your demand is direct: regulars, your website, your Google profile
- You want a free plan with unlimited reservations, or a flat $29/mo with no-show protection you keep 100% of
- You want month-to-month terms and a guest book you can export free, forever
Choose OpenTable if
- OpenTable's marketplace demonstrably fills seats you could not fill yourself
- You need POS integration, SMS at scale, or multi-venue tooling today
Questions
TableHelm vs OpenTable: FAQ
Only if your demand is your own. TableHelm replaces the booking page, floor plan, waitlist, guest book, confirmations and no-show protection, with no per-cover fees. It does not replace OpenTable's diner marketplace; we do not bring you guests, and we say so plainly.
The option with no cover fees at all
TableHelm is free for unlimited reservations at one location, $29/mo for Pro. No contract, no demo call, and your guest book exports free.