Choose OpenTable if you want the long-established reservation network, used by more than 70,000 restaurants and venues, with 24/7 support and tools for shifts, reviews and private dining. Choose Resy if your restaurant fits its curated, food-led audience: it's backed by American Express, now includes Tock, and brings eligible Amex Card Members to US restaurants through the Resy Credit.
I read OpenTable's restaurant pages and About page, and Resy's restaurant pages and About page. For diners these are booking apps; for owners they're the software that runs the floor. This comparison is for owners.
OpenTable and Resy for restaurants
| OpenTable | Resy | |
|---|---|---|
| Around since | 1998 | 2014 |
| Scale it states | More than 70,000 restaurants, bars, wineries and venues | A global network of 60 million diners |
| Backed by | OpenTable itself | American Express, with Tock now part of the network |
| Guest tools | Guest profiles, review management, AI and automation | Profiles with tags, notes, visit history and spend |
| Beyond bookings | Events, experiences and private dining | Chef's counters, classes, tastings and ticketed events |
| Support | 24/7 customer support | A hospitality-focused support team |
| Plans named | Plans page, not covered here | Platform and Platform 360; Essential and Premium (Tock) |
| Plan terms (as of October 2026) | Not published on the pages I read | Not published on the pages I read |
What OpenTable offers owners
OpenTable pitches one connected platform with AI and automation tools for the daily grind: taking reservations, marketing the restaurant, running smoother shifts, selling events, growing private dining and managing reviews and guest profiles. It serves single restaurants, groups, bars and wineries, and hotels and casinos, and offers integrations and APIs.
It has history on its side, operating since 1998, and it shares useful data with operators. One example from its own site: restaurants seat about 15% more covers per day during the holiday season, which is the kind of planning nudge you'll get from its trends reports.
That scale cuts both ways. A bigger network means more diners who already have the app on their phone, but it also means you're one of many listings. If you're a neighbourhood favourite that doesn't need discovery, you may not need that reach, so look closely at the booking tools rather than the diner numbers.
What Resy offers owners
Resy describes itself as a reservation platform backed by American Express, and that backing is its edge. The Resy Credit gives eligible Amex Card Members statement credits at qualifying US Resy restaurants, which nudges a valuable group of diners your way. Tock is now part of the Resy network, so ticketed experiences and wineries sit alongside standard bookings.
Operationally, Resy OS covers table management, waitlists, customised SMS confirmations, guest feedback, reporting and ticketing. Inventory can be shaped by time, table or menu, which suits restaurants that sell tasting menus or counter seats.
Resy also says it'll help with marketing through its editorial team and Amex, and that its 24/7 waitlists work from any device. Resy measures its network in diners rather than venues, and it's built around diners who go out of their way for food, and that's often who a chef-led restaurant wants. If that isn't your crowd, the Amex audience won't change much for you.
For takeaway orders rather than tables, see my comparison of DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Choosing in five steps
- Look at where your target diners book today; your neighbours' choice is a clue.
- List what you sell besides tables: private dining points one way, ticketed experiences the other.
- Check integrations with your POS before you sign anything.
- Ask each for a demo using your real floor plan and a busy Saturday.
- Compare the plan terms in writing; neither page I read listed them in full.
If you're automating more of front of house, see AI tools restaurants use to handle bookings and how restaurants use automation for bookings and reviews.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My advice on OpenTable or Resy
For most independent restaurants, I'd start with OpenTable: it's the bigger, older network, its tools cover the whole shift, and you can reach support at any hour. If your restaurant is a destination for food lovers, sells tasting menus or ticketed events, or wants Amex Card Members through the door, Resy's audience and Tock events are hard to match. Whichever you pick, own your guest data: export it regularly so the relationships stay yours.
Do you make restaurant or booking software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
How many restaurants use OpenTable?
OpenTable says it serves more than 70,000 restaurants, bars, wineries and other venues worldwide.
Is Resy linked to American Express?
Yes. Resy says it has the backing of American Express, and its Resy Credit is a benefit for eligible Amex Card Members.
Is Tock part of Resy?
Yes. Resy's restaurant site says Tock is now part of the Resy network.
What is the Resy Credit?
A benefit for eligible American Express Card Members, who can earn statement credits at qualifying US Resy restaurants.
Does OpenTable offer 24/7 support?
Yes. OpenTable lists 24/7 customer support among its reasons to choose it.
