TheFork Alternatives: 6 Options Without Per-Diner Commission

Which TheFork alternative suits you depends on what you are replacing. If the problem is commission on every diner TheFork sends you, flat-fee systems such as resOS, Tablein, ResDiary and Eat App list no per-diner commission, but none of them runs a diner marketplace on TheFork's model (ResDiary links to DesignMyNight). If you still want marketplace traffic, OpenTable also runs a consumer marketplace. TheFork does not publish its prices, so this guide uses its own pricing page for what it does say and each alternative's price page for the rest, all checked in October 2026. VAT treatment is stated by only some vendors.

What TheFork does well, and why operators look elsewhere

TheFork Manager is both a booking system and a diner marketplace. Its site says it offers 20M+ monthly visits across 14 countries and booking channels including Google, Tripadvisor, MICHELIN and Meta (these are TheFork's own figures). You also get a floor plan, no-show tools, guest database, a dedicated account manager and seven-day support.

Operators look at alternatives for three reasons:

• Commission. TheFork's pricing page says reservations from TheFork, Tripadvisor and partners carry "a fee based on a percentage of your average bill per guest".
• No published prices. All three plans say "Ask for pricing".
• Features by tier. On the page's comparison, credit card guarantee and pre-payments and SMS reconfirmation are not included in the entry Visibility plan.

It is only fair to add that bookings from your own website, Instagram and Facebook are listed as included, so the commission applies to the diners TheFork itself brings you.

TheFork pricing as listed in October 2026

TheFork Manager's plans are not priced on its site.

For network bookings the page states a fee based on a percentage of the average bill per guest. It does not state the percentage, the subscription, or the contract term.

Because TheFork does not publish the percentage or any subscription, we do not quote a rate. Ask TheFork for yours in writing.

Illustrative cost, not a quote or TheFork's rate: at an assumed fee of £2 a diner, 300 diners a month from the network would cost £600 a month. A flat-fee system at £79 a month would cost less than that, but only if those 300 diners would have found you and booked anyway. That is the question to answer before you leave.

Six TheFork alternatives

OpenTable

Suits: venues that want a diner marketplace but a different one.

Pricing: Core and Pro with prices on request. Per-cover fees apply only to seated diners found through OpenTable's network, and your own website, phone and walk-ins are free, per its plans page. One-year auto-renewing contract. See our OpenTable alternatives guide.

Limitations: no published UK price, and a one-year auto-renewing contract per its plans page.

ResDiary

Suits: established UK restaurants and groups.

Pricing: £109 to £295 a month plus VAT by booking cap, a £99 set-up fee, commission-free. It adds a 1.2% surcharge on deposits and payments.

Strengths: pre-ordering, group tools, Reserve with Google and Meta, DesignMyNight link.

Limitations: add-ons are extra, and no large consumer marketplace. See the ResDiary alternatives guide.

resOS

Suits: small restaurants, cafes and pubs that want predictable low cost.

Pricing: free for 25 bookings a month, then £39, £79 and £119 a month by volume as listed in October 2026 (VAT treatment not stated), with no commission or cover fees (resOS pricing).

Strengths: low cost, 90-day money-back guarantee.

Limitations: booking only, and Google booking (Reserve with Google) is an add-on.

Tablein

Suits: venues that want one flat price and a free trial.

Pricing: £60, £105 or £157 a month as listed in October 2026 (the page does not say whether VAT is included) with 50, 150 or unlimited reservations, and a charge per extra reservation on the first two. No commission on bookings from Google Reserve. 14-day trial, no minimum term.

Limitations: overage fees make bills less predictable, and its guide listings only work in selected markets, per its own page.

Eat App

Suits: venues that want guest data, messaging and AI features.

Pricing: approximate sterling prices of about £74, £150 and £290 a month on Eat App's page, a free plan up to 100 guests a month, and a 14-day trial.

Limitations: approximate price conversions and plan-based messaging caps.

TablePort

Suits: restaurants that want to own their bookings and run reservations, POS and kitchen on one system.

Pricing: Reservations £49 per location per month ex VAT, no per-cover fees, no set-up fees, 30-day free trial with no card, month to month on 30 days' notice.

Strengths: deposits set per shift, a waitlist with SMS, and an AI phone agent that can take bookings by phone around the clock.

Limitations: TablePort is a newer company with a far smaller diner network than TheFork, and it has no consumer marketplace. It will not replace the new diners TheFork sends you.

How to replace the demand TheFork brings

Software alone does not replace a marketplace. Before you leave, check these routes:

1. Google bookings. resOS (as an add-on), Tablein, ResDiary and OpenTable all list booking from Google. Your Business Profile is a low-cost place to be found.
2. Your own site. Make the booking widget the first button on mobile.
3. Deposits and card guarantees. If TheFork's no-show protection mattered to you, check the alternative supports deposits per shift. See our restaurant deposit policy guide and the no-show cost calculator.
4. Regulars first. Email guests from your own list before you close the TheFork listing.

Comparison table

How to switch from TheFork

• Check your contract. TheFork's pricing page does not state the term or notice period, so read your signed agreement and note the notice date.
• Export your guests. TheFork lists import and export of guest information in its guest database. Ask for a CSV of guests, tags, allergies and visit history.
• Handle future bookings. Bookings already made through TheFork for future dates still need to be honoured. Keep the listing open until those dates pass, or import them into your new system.
• Reviews stay with TheFork. Verified reviews live on the marketplace, so tell regulars where you are now.
• Consent. Move only guests who opted in to your marketing, per the ICO's electronic marketing guidance.
• Importing. resOS and TablePort both import guests and bookings from a previous system.