Best free table booking systems for UK restaurants and pubs (2026)
Plenty of booking systems say "free", but most mean a 14 or 30 day trial. Here are the ones with a genuinely free plan you can keep, what each one actually lets you do, and what it costs once you outgrow it. We make one of them, so we have been careful to be fair and to show where others do better.
Free plans compared
| Free plan limit | Next step up | Per diner fees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablez | 60 bookings a month, no time limit | £9.99 a month (up to 1,000 bookings) | Never |
| Tableo | 100 covers a month, no time limit | From about $57.50 a month billed yearly (US pricing) | None on bookings, 1% on deposits |
| Favouritetable | 30 bookings a month | From £69 a month, or £2 a cover on Flex | On Flex only |
| resOS | 25 bookings a month, no time limit | €45 a month (up to 350 bookings) | None |
| OpenTable | Free trial only | Monthly fee plus fees per network diner | Yes |
| ResDiary, SevenRooms, Access Collins | No free plan | Quote or fixed monthly fee | Varies |
From each provider's own website, 1 October 2026, before introductory discounts. Prices change, so check before you decide. A booking can be several covers: 60 bookings is usually 150 or more covers.
What to check in any free plan
- Bookings or covers? A limit of 100 covers is roughly 40 bookings for a typical venue. A limit of 60 bookings is usually more than double that in covers.
- What counts? On Tablez's Free plan every booking counts, online, phone and walk in. On the paid plans only online bookings count and phone and walk ins you add yourself are free.
- Reminders. Reminder emails with an easy cancel link are the cheapest way to cut no-shows. Make sure the free plan sends them.
- Your own booking page. You want a link you can put on Google, Instagram and Facebook, not just a widget.
- What happens when you go over? On Tablez nothing is blocked the first time: every booking still goes through and you are told. Some systems simply stop taking bookings.
- The price of the next step. Free is only useful if the first paid plan is fair when you get busy.
Tablez: the biggest free booking allowance, lowest next step
Free for up to 60 bookings a month, with no card and no time limit. That includes your own booking page and link, a QR poster, a booking widget for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or any site, confirmation and reminder emails, a calendar and day view, and a booking page in 14 languages. When you outgrow it, Standard is £9.99 a month for up to 1,000 bookings, with a live floor plan, waitlist, guest notes and text reminders. We also set it up with you for free, by phone or video call. See everything on the free plan.
Tableo: generous covers, pricier once you grow
Tableo's free plan allows 100 covers a month with reminders and a booking form that works with Google. It is a good product. The first paid plan is around $57.50 a month billed yearly on its US pricing, and it takes 1% on deposits on top of Stripe's fees.
Favouritetable and resOS: smaller free plans
Favouritetable's free plan covers 30 bookings a month, with paid plans from £69 a month or a pay per cover Flex option. resOS gives you 25 bookings a month free and is well liked, with its first paid plan at €45 a month for up to 350 bookings. Tablez vs Favouritetable, Tablez vs resOS.
What about OpenTable?
OpenTable is not a free option: after a trial you pay a monthly fee plus a charge for diners who book through its network. It can bring you new customers in busy cities, which is what you pay for. If most of your bookings come from people who already know you, a flat priced system costs far less. We did the maths for a 40 seat restaurant.
Our honest advice
If you take under 60 bookings a month, start on a free plan and only pay when you need to. If you are well over that, compare the first paid plans rather than the free ones, because that is what you will actually pay. And whichever you pick, get the booking link on your Google profile today: it is where most people look first.
FAQ
Free booking systems
Is there a completely free table booking system in the UK?
Yes. Tablez, Tableo, Favouritetable and resOS all have free plans with no time limit. Tablez's is the largest by bookings, at 60 bookings a month.
What is the best free restaurant booking system?
It depends on how many bookings you take. For a small venue, any of the free plans will do. For a venue that will grow past the free limit, look at the price of the first paid plan: Tablez is £9.99 a month, resOS €45, and Favouritetable from £69.
Can a pub take table bookings online for free?
Yes. With a free plan you get a booking page link to put on your Google profile, Facebook and Instagram, and automatic confirmation and reminder emails, without paying anything.
Do free booking systems charge per cover?
The free plans listed here do not. Some paid options do: OpenTable charges for diners booked through its network, and Favouritetable's Flex plan charges per cover. Tablez never charges per cover on any plan.
Free for up to 60 bookings a month
No card, no time limit, and we will set it up with you for free.
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