Reservics is a Shopify-native reservation app, so bookings happen on your own store under your branding, your customer data stays in your Shopify account, and deposits run through Shopify Checkout. Classic platforms like OpenTable, Resy, and Tock are built around a booking marketplace and typically charge per cover or per seated diner. Reservics uses flat monthly pricing with no per-cover fees.
This article is positioning written by the Reservics team. It compares general business models at a high level. It does not quote competitor prices, because those plans and fees change and vary by market. Always check each provider’s own pricing before you decide.
How the two models differ #
The biggest difference is not a feature checklist. It is where your booking lives and who owns the relationship with the diner.
- Marketplace model (OpenTable, Resy): diners often discover and book your table inside the platform’s app or website. The platform owns that discovery channel, and pricing commonly includes a per-cover or per-seated-diner charge on top of a subscription.
- Owned-storefront model (Reservics): diners book directly on your Shopify store. You own the page, the branding, and the customer record. Pricing is a flat monthly fee with no per-cover charge.
Tock sits a little apart: it is known for prepaid bookings, deposits, and ticketed events. Reservics also supports deposits, but it does so through Shopify Checkout rather than a separate payments stack.
Why a Shopify-native app fits Shopify restaurants #
If you already run on Shopify, keeping reservations inside Shopify removes a second login, a second customer list, and a second payment processor.
- Your storefront, your brand. The booking widget mounts natively in your theme (no iframe), so it looks like your site. See Add the booking widget to your storefront.
- Your customer data. After a booking, Reservics tries to link the diner to a Shopify customer record by matching email, so you can re-engage them from your own store.
- Your payments. Deposits are taken through Shopify Checkout as a draft order, and refunds go back through Shopify. There is no separate payment account to reconcile.
- Flat pricing. Paid plans are a fixed monthly fee. There is no per-cover or per-seated-diner charge.
Feature and model comparison #
This table compares the general model and the Reservics facts we can state. Competitor columns describe the typical approach, not exact current terms.
| What matters | Reservics | OpenTable / Resy (marketplace) | Tock (prepaid / events) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where diners book | Your Shopify storefront | Often the platform’s marketplace app/site | The platform’s booking pages |
| Per-cover / per-diner fee | None | Commonly charged | Varies by plan |
| Pricing shape | Flat monthly fee | Subscription plus per-cover (typical) | Subscription / fee model (varies) |
| Branding on the booking page | Your theme, native (no iframe) | Platform-branded experience (typical) | Platform-branded experience |
| Customer data ownership | In your Shopify account | Shared with the platform (typical) | Shared with the platform |
| Deposits | Yes, via Shopify Checkout (Pro+) | Varies | Yes, a core strength |
| Refunds | Back through Shopify (Pro+) | Varies | Varies |
| Waitlist | Yes (Pro+) | Yes (typical) | Varies |
| Email + WhatsApp reminders | Yes (WhatsApp is Pro+) | Varies | Varies |
| Multiple locations | Free 1, Pro 3, Advance unlimited | Yes (typical) | Yes (typical) |
| Built for Shopify | Yes, native app | No | No |
For the full Reservics plan breakdown, see Pricing and plans.
What Reservics does not try to be #
Being fair matters more than winning a checklist.
- Reservics does not run a diner-facing discovery marketplace. If your main goal is to be found by new diners browsing a restaurant directory, a marketplace platform may reach people Reservics will not.
- A Calendar view of bookings and a Floor plan with a visual table layout are coming soon in Reservics. Do not choose Reservics today expecting those. See Managing bookings for what the Bookings list does now.
Which should you choose? #
Choose Reservics if you already sell on Shopify, you want bookings on your own branded site, you want to keep customer data and payments inside Shopify, and you prefer a flat monthly fee with no per-cover charge. Choose a marketplace platform if discovery inside a large diner network is your top priority and per-cover economics work for your restaurant. To self-assess your fit, read Is Reservics right for your restaurant?.
Frequently asked questions #
Is Reservics a good OpenTable alternative for a Shopify store? #
Yes, if you want reservations on your own Shopify storefront rather than in a marketplace. Reservics keeps your branding, your customer data in Shopify, and deposits running through Shopify Checkout, with flat monthly pricing and no per-cover fees. It does not run a diner discovery marketplace, so it will not bring you directory traffic the way OpenTable can.
Does Reservics charge per cover or per seated diner? #
No. Reservics uses flat monthly pricing. Paid plans are Pro at $9.99/mo and Advance at $19.99/mo, with a free tier and a 14-day trial on paid plans. There is no per-cover or per-seated-diner charge. See the Pricing and plans page for the full breakdown.
Can I take deposits like I can on Tock? #
Yes, on the Pro and Advance plans. Reservics takes deposits through Shopify Checkout as a draft order, and the booking confirms when payment is received. Refunds are issued back through Shopify based on each location’s refund window. Tock is also built around prepaid bookings, so both support deposits, but Reservics keeps payments inside Shopify.
Will my customer data stay mine with Reservics? #
Yes. Bookings happen on your Shopify store, and Reservics tries to link each diner to a Shopify customer record by matching email. That means the customer relationship lives in your own Shopify account so you can re-engage diners directly, rather than through a third-party marketplace.
Does Reservics have a calendar or floor plan view? #
Not yet. A Calendar view of bookings and a visual Floor plan are listed as coming soon. Today you manage reservations from the Bookings list, which has status tabs, search, filters, bulk actions, and CSV export on Pro and above.
