Side by side
| What matters | Dojo Bookings | OpenTable |
|---|---|---|
| Cost model | Monthly subscription (30-day free trial) | Monthly + per-cover / per-seated-diner fees |
| Cost as covers grow | Subscription — not priced per diner | Rises with every cover |
| No-show deposits | Native, via Dojo payments | Supported |
| Own diner marketplace | Yes (WalkUp heritage) | Yes — very large |
| Virtual walk-in queue | Yes | Limited |
| Payments integration | Same rails as your card machine | Separate payment setup |
The cost question
OpenTable's marketplace is genuinely valuable — it's one of the largest sources of restaurant bookings in the world, and for a new venue that reach can fill tables you couldn't fill yourself. But that reach is priced per cover, so the more it sends you (and the more you do overall), the more you pay.
Dojo's subscription model flips that: the platform isn't taking a cut of every diner, so a busier month doesn't multiply your platform bill the way per-cover pricing does. Dojo doesn't publish the Bookings tariff — you get a quote and a 30-day free trial — so we confirm your exact package. The trade-off is a smaller (though growing) diner marketplace than OpenTable's.
Which should you choose?
Lean OpenTable if marketplace discovery is your priority — a new or destination venue that wants maximum exposure and will accept per-cover economics to get it.
Lean Dojo Bookings if you do steady volume and want predictable costs, care about native card deposits, do walk-in trade, or already take (or plan to take) card payments with Dojo and want everything on one bill.
FAQs
Is Dojo Bookings cheaper than OpenTable?
For busier venues it usually is, because Dojo Bookings is a subscription product while OpenTable adds per-cover costs that rise with your bookings. The crossover depends on your volume — worth modelling on your actual covers.
Does OpenTable send more bookings than Dojo?
OpenTable has one of the largest diner marketplaces in the world, so its discovery reach is bigger. Dojo has its own diner app (from WalkUp) which is smaller but doesn't charge per cover for the bookings it sends.
Can I switch from OpenTable to Dojo Bookings?
Yes. Switching is routine and can be planned so you don't lose upcoming bookings. A consultant can handle the changeover and update your website and Google links.