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Tablez vs ResDiary
ResDiary is a proper front of house system: table plans, yield management, deposits, integrations. Tablez is a lighter booking system with a floor plan, deposits and a staff app, at a fraction of the price. If you are paying for the whole of ResDiary and using the booking widget and the diary, this page is for you.
Watch: Move across from Quandoo, OpenTable or ResDiary
Upload your old system's export and your bookings and customers come with you, in about a minute. 1 min
Read the transcript
Moving from Quandu OpenTable or ResDiary, you can bring all your bookings and customers across to Tablez in about a minute. First, in your old system, export your bookings. A CSV or Excel file is fine. Include the months ahead so your future bookings come across too. In Tablez, open import bookings, choose the file and press upload and check. Tablez works out which column is which and shows you a preview. Here it's found 240 bookings, 70 coming up and the rest in the past. If a column looks wrong you can match them up yourself. Press import. Future bookings go on your calendar and take up their tables so you can't be double booked. Past ones build up your guest history and no emails or texts go out to anyone. Got a separate customer list, upload it the same way and it goes straight into guests, keeping any notes you've already written. Run the same file again later and nothing gets doubled up. Stuck? Send us the file and we'll do the import for you. Free. Start free at tablez.co.uk
| Tablez | ResDiary | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free up to 60 bookings a month, then £9.99 or £24.99 a month, or less paid yearly (£99 or £249 a year), no per cover fees | Monthly subscription, from around £109 a month plus VAT |
| Per cover fees | Never | No on the core subscription; some marketplace channels may charge |
| Contract | Free: none. Paid: monthly or yearly, cancel any time | Varies, check current terms |
| Booking page and website embed | Yes, all plans | Yes |
| Instant, staff approved and live check | Yes, all plans | Instant, with enquiry options |
| Staff app with push alerts | Yes, Standard and above | Yes |
| Turn times, pacing and cover caps | Yes | Yes, more granular |
| Table plan and floor layout | Yes | Yes |
| Deposits and card holds | Yes, through your own Stripe account | Yes |
| EPOS and PMS integrations | No | Yes |
| Reserve with Google | Yes | Yes |
| Set up | Self serve, about ten minutes | Onboarding |
ResDiary's pricing and features change and vary by plan and region. Prices change, check their site. Ours are on the pricing page.
What ResDiary does well
ResDiary is a serious operational system. It manages table plans and seating, yield and timing rules in fine detail, deposits and card holds, guest profiles, integrations with tills and hotel systems, and reporting. Restaurants with a reservations manager, multiple sittings a night and a real revenue management problem get value from it. It does not charge per cover on its core subscription, which we respect.
Where it is more than an independent needs
The starting price of around £109 a month, over a thousand pounds a year, buys a lot of capability that a 40 cover independent will not use. If your reality is that you take bookings on your website and Instagram, want a phone to buzz when one comes in, and want the kitchen not to be slammed at 7:30, you are paying for a floor plan editor you open twice a year and integrations you do not have.
There is also the matter of set up. ResDiary is configured, onboarded and, sensibly for its size, takes time to learn. Tablez is set up in about ten minutes by whoever is behind the bar.
What Tablez gives you for £9.99
A booking page customers finish in under a minute. An embed for WordPress, Squarespace, Wix or anything else. Three confirmation modes, including live check with a countdown. A staff app with push alerts and big buttons. Tables as groups with turn times by party size, cover caps per service and pacing per 15 minutes. Confirmation, reminder and manage emails. Spam protection. Export of your data. Free up to 60 bookings a month, £9.99 a month up to 1000, £24.99 up to 5000, paid yearly.
What you give up
No EPOS or PMS integrations. No Reserve with Google yet (built, waiting on Google's approval). Reports cover bookings, covers, busy times and no shows, but not revenue management. If you run two sittings a night at 90 covers and need to squeeze every table, ResDiary's timing rules are more sophisticated. Be honest with yourself about whether you use those things.
The £1,200 a year question
The gap between ResDiary's starting price and Tablez Standard at £99 a year is roughly £1,200 a year, more if you are on a higher ResDiary tier. That is a part time wage for a few weeks, a new fridge, or a good chunk of your marketing. If you are using ResDiary's advanced features, it is money well spent. If you are using it as a diary with a widget, it probably is not.
Switching from ResDiary
Sign up to Tablez free and set up your tables and hours while ResDiary carries on. Swap the widget on your website for the Tablez embed and update the link on Google and social. Enter upcoming bookings by hand in the staff app, or export them and send us the file. Give notice to ResDiary according to your contract. Most venues do the whole thing in an afternoon; the set up guide walks through it.
FAQ
ResDiary questions
Does Tablez have a table plan?
Yes, on Standard and above: draw your rooms, drag tables into place, and see tonight live with who is on each table and when it is free. Online bookings can be placed on a table automatically.
Does Tablez do deposits like ResDiary?
Yes, on Pro, through your own Stripe account: a deposit taken at booking, or a card hold that only charges if they do not turn up. Our article on deposits vs card holds explains which to use.
Can I keep ResDiary's history?
Export it from ResDiary before you leave. Tablez does not import history, but you can keep the export for your records and add upcoming bookings by hand.
I have several venues on ResDiary
Several venues under one login works on Standard and above: sign each venue up with the same email and switch between them from the menu. Groups can talk to us about one invoice for all of them.
Is there a contract?
Free has no term at all. Paid plans are monthly (cancel any time) or yearly at a lower price. You can cancel before renewal from your dashboard. Pay monthly and cancel any time, or pay yearly and save.