Should my restaurant build its own reservation system?

Most single restaurants should use an existing reservation tool. A custom system makes sense for a group that wants reservations inside its own app with loyalty, deposits or special-event rules the tools don't support.

Can reservations connect to my POS?

Often, through the POS provider's API. It is listed in the full-platform tier because each POS is a separate integration with its own rules.

Is this what OpenTable spent to build its app?

No. It is Eltherion's estimate for building a comparable first version today. It says nothing about what OpenTable spent, and Eltherion is not affiliated with OpenTable. A product at that company's scale has years of work and teams behind it that no MVP includes.

How can I lower the cost?

Launch with fewer integrations, one market and one platform, and leave the full-platform features until users ask for them. The adjustable calculator shows how each choice moves the range.

Local, booking and real estate apps

How much does it cost to build an app like OpenTable?

By Nick McCandless, founder of EltherionUpdated October 30, 2026

Short answer

Eltherion prices an MVP of an app like OpenTable, a restaurant reservation app, at $29k to $85k. A full platform with the features listed below runs $53k to $155k. These are Eltherion's own estimate ranges for building a comparable product, not what OpenTable spent; your fixed price comes after a free scoping call, and small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.

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An app like OpenTable lets diners find restaurants and book a table for a party size and time, while restaurants manage their floor, covers and waitlist. A comparable MVP has a diner booking flow and a restaurant-side reservation book.

What an MVP of an app like OpenTable costs, feature by feature

The first version below is the smallest product people could actually use. Core features are covered by the base price for a web app; each outside service the app connects to, and each add-on, adds its own line.

Eltherion estimate for an app like OpenTable, MVP (updated October 30, 2026)
Line item	What it covers	Estimate
Core web app (MVP)	Diner search and booking, Restaurant reservation book, Waitlist, Admin dashboard	$25k to $75k
Email and SMS confirmations	Reminders to cut no-shows	$2k to $5k
Maps	Restaurant location search	$2k to $5k
Total		$29k to $85k

Diner search and booking: Find a restaurant, pick party size and time, book.
Restaurant reservation book: Tables, time slots, covers and notes.
Waitlist: Add walk-ins and text them when a table is ready.
Admin dashboard: Onboard restaurants and manage settings.

What drives the cost of an app like OpenTable

The restaurant side (table layouts, turn times, waitlist) is more work than the diner booking page.
POS integrations vary by system and add the most uncertainty.
A single restaurant group's booking system is far smaller than a reservation network.

Full platform: $53k to $155k

The full-platform tier prices the same app at full-platform scope ($45k to $135k for the core) plus these additions:

Native diner apps: iPhone and Android booking (part of the full-platform core).
POS integration: Sync tables and checks with the restaurant's POS ($2k to $5k).
Deposits and card holds: Hold cards for busy nights through a payment platform ($2k to $5k).
Reviews and diner profiles: Preferences and visit history (part of the full-platform core).

Most products should not build this tier up front. Ship the MVP, see what users actually do, and add the pieces that earn their place. Open the full-platform estimate in the calculator.

Running costs after launch

Maintenance and small improvements: $5k to $15k a year for the MVP (18% of the build, a planning assumption).
Hosting: about $4k a year (a planning estimate; heavy usage costs more).
Three-year total for the MVP, build included: $55k to $142k.

Each integration also has its provider's own usage fees (maps, messaging, video, AI models), which depend on how much the app is used.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to build an app like OpenTable?: Eltherion prices an MVP of an app like OpenTable, a restaurant reservation app, at $29k to $85k, and a full platform at $53k to $155k. These are Eltherion's estimate ranges from its published pricing model; your fixed price comes after a free scoping call. Small, tightly scoped work starts as low as $1,000.
Should my restaurant build its own reservation system?: Most single restaurants should use an existing reservation tool. A custom system makes sense for a group that wants reservations inside its own app with loyalty, deposits or special-event rules the tools don't support.
Can reservations connect to my POS?: Often, through the POS provider's API. It is listed in the full-platform tier because each POS is a separate integration with its own rules.
Is this what OpenTable spent to build its app?: No. It is Eltherion's estimate for building a comparable first version today. It says nothing about what OpenTable spent, and Eltherion is not affiliated with OpenTable. A product at that company's scale has years of work and teams behind it that no MVP includes.
How can I lower the cost?: Launch with fewer integrations, one market and one platform, and leave the full-platform features until users ask for them. The adjustable calculator shows how each choice moves the range.

How we priced this

Every number on this page comes from Eltherion's software development cost calculator: a base range for the product type, multiplied by scope, plus a fixed range for each integration and add-on. The method is published on the cost methodology page. The feature list describes a typical comparable product; Eltherion is not affiliated with OpenTable.