What is your booking platform costing you?
Subscriptions, per-cover fees, and commissions add up quietly. Put your real volume in and see the annual number — then see how long a system you own takes to overtake it.
Subscription + per-cover fee (network) — Core plan ($149/299/499 per month by tier). $1 per network cover; direct bookings (site/phone) are free on Core/Pro.
- Subscription$3,588/yr
- Per-cover fees$5,760/yr
An owned system is a one-time $16,000, then $0 in subscription and $0 per booking. At your volume it overtakes OpenTable in about 21 months — after that, the $9,348/yr stays in the business.
Public US rates as of 2026-06. Payment processing excluded.
Figures use each platform's public US rates as of 2026-06, computed on the low end of every published range. Payment processing is excluded throughout — an owned system pays Stripe or Square too, so counting it would overstate the saving. See pricing
How much do booking platforms like OpenTable or Resy cost?
OpenTable charges a $149–499/month subscription plus about $1 per network-booked cover. Resy charges a flat $249–899/month subscription. Tock starts at $269/month, and FareHarbor or Peek Pro add a 6–8% fee paid by your customers. (Public US pricing, 2026-06, in USD.)
Is an owned booking system cheaper long term?
A custom-built system is paid once — from $16,000 for a full booking system — then $0 subscription and $0 per-booking commission. At typical volume it passes the cumulative cost of a subscription platform inside a couple of years, after which it is pure savings.
Are payment processing fees included in the comparison?
No. Processing fees (~2.9% + 30¢) are excluded because an owned system pays them too (Stripe, Square). Including them would artificially inflate the savings. Only fees an owned system actually removes are counted: subscriptions, per-cover fees, and commissions.
What about the fee my customers pay?
FareHarbor and Peek Pro charge the operator nothing and add 6–8% to your customers' checkout instead. That is not free — it inflates your displayed prices against competitors who don't carry a surcharge. The comparator counts it separately, labeled as what your customers pay.
Do I really own the system?
Yes. You own the code and the data outright — typed, tested, and documented so any developer can maintain it. No imposed subscription, no per-booking commission, no lock-in.