Restaurant reservations: booking platform or your own system?
Short answer: Most independent restaurants are best served by a reservation system whose widget sits on their own website and Google Business Profile, with the restaurant owning the guest list. A marketplace app that sends you new diners is worth paying for when you need discovery more than you need margin, typically in your first year or in a crowded area. Taking bookings by phone and email only still works for very small rooms, but it fails as soon as you need deposits or online changes.
Three models, not one "booking system"
When owners compare booking systems they're usually comparing three different things:
- Marketplace platforms with a consumer app or website where diners search for restaurants. You get a listing, a booking widget and sometimes extra exposure, and the platform builds its own relationship with the diner.
- Widget-first reservation systems that power booking on your website, social pages and Google, with a table plan and guest records behind them. Some also feed partner apps.
- Your own simple setup: a form, an email inbox, a phone and a diary or spreadsheet.
The lines blur (many systems do a bit of everything), so judge any shortlist against the criteria below rather than the label on the website.
Comparison by the criteria that matter
| Criterion | Marketplace platform | Widget-first system | Own form, email and phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| New diners who don't know you | Strongest, through the app's search | Limited to your own channels and partners | None |
| Pricing model | Often a subscription plus charges tied to covers from the platform's network; check the current UK price list | Usually a monthly plan; some advertise zero commission | Staff time |
| Who "owns" the guest | Shared; the platform also markets to the diner | Your database, exportable if the contract allows | You, but in scattered inboxes |
| Table management | Yes | Yes | Manual |
| Deposits and card details | Usually available | Usually available | Hard to do well |
| Google bookings | Often through Reserve with Google partnerships | Often through Reserve with Google partnerships | Only a link to your own page |
| Switching away later | Hardest: diners have the app habit | Moderate: export data, change widgets | Easy |
Pricing: read the cost model, not the headline
Pricing pages are built to compare well on the monthly figure. What decides the real cost is how each booking is charged. ResDiary's own pricing guide (March 2026) makes the same argument, calling total cost of ownership, including commissions, add-ons and booking volume, more important than the monthly price. Before signing, ask every provider for the same three numbers in writing: monthly fee, any charge per cover or per booking split by channel (their app, your website, Google, phone), and the price of add-ons you'll actually use, such as SMS reminders and deposits.
Google: Reserve with Google and plain links
Google Business Profile Help explains two routes for bookings on your profile. You can sign up an eligible booking provider in the Bookings section of your profile, and it shows up within a week; or you can add your own booking link. Two details to know as of November 2026: Google warns that your provider might charge you for bookings made through Google, and booking performance data isn't available for custom links. Restaurants can also show a "Join waitlist" option, but only through a third-party Reserve with Google provider.
Some systems advertise commission-free Google bookings; ResDiary's homepage, for example, says bookings from your website, social media and Google are commission free. Check this in each provider's terms rather than assuming.
Guest data
Ask what you can export (names, contact details, visit history, notes, marketing consent flags), in what format and how often. If you plan to email regulars about tasting menus or quiet midweek offers, the consent has to be captured at booking and live somewhere you control.
No-shows (briefly)
Deposits, card details held against a booking and automated reminders are standard features in most systems. The practical choice is when to use them: large tables, Friday and Saturday nights and special menus, rather than every Tuesday two-top. Publish the policy on the booking page, before the guest enters card details.
Decision by restaurant type
Neighbourhood bistro, 30 to 60 covers, mostly regulars. Widget-first system on your website and Google profile. Discovery matters less than margin and knowing your guests. Keep the phone for older regulars.
New opening in a busy city area. A marketplace platform for the first months can fill quiet nights while reviews build up. Put your own website booking first in every link you control so regulars don't learn to book through the app, and review the numbers after six months.
Tourist-led spot or seasonal coastal restaurant. Visitors search apps and Google rather than your domain, so Google bookings and a marketplace listing earn their cost. Make sure cancellations and deposits are handled in one place.
Tasting-menu or chef's table with fixed sittings. Prepayment or deposits matter most. Choose the system with the cleanest prepaid ticketed sittings and a clear refund flow; discovery is secondary.
Café or brunch spot with walk-ins and a small booking share. A waitlist via Google plus a simple booking widget is often enough. A full table-plan system may be more than you need.
Group with several sites. Central guest records, per-site rules and reporting. Ask about multi-site pricing before anything else.
What to put on your own website
- A "Book a table" button in the header on mobile and desktop, linking to a page with the widget embedded.
- Opening hours, large-party policy and deposit rules next to the widget.
- A plain alternative: phone number and email for accessibility needs or groups beyond the online limit.
- The same booking link on your Google Business Profile and social profiles, so guests meet one system everywhere.
FAQ
Can I have Reserve with Google without a paid booking system?
Google's help shows the Reserve with Google route works through a booking provider. Without one, you can still add your own booking link to your profile, but you won't see booking performance data for it in your profile.
Should I use two booking systems at once?
Avoid it unless they sync into one diary. Double bookings and half-empty table plans usually come from two systems that don't talk to each other.
How do I compare quotes fairly?
Model one typical month: your covers split by channel (website, Google, app, phone, walk-in), then ask each provider to price that exact month including add-ons.
Is it hard to switch reservation systems later?
The software switch is a few weeks of setup. The harder part is moving future bookings and guest records cleanly, so ask about exports before you sign, not when you leave.
If you'd like a booking button that works the same on your website, Google and Instagram, tell us how your tables are booked today.