simpleERB

simpleERB is cloud-based reservation and table-management software for restaurant front-of-house teams. It is strongest for independent venues and small groups that need to manage both booking flow and table availability. The right plan depends on monthly covers and whether card capture should be included.

Overview

Bookings can come through a venue’s website widget, Google Search and Maps, Facebook, and Instagram. Automated email and SMS reminders, customer amendments and cancellations, and waitlists help staff manage reservations from booking through arrival. Table controls let teams decide which tables and areas are bookable online, set booking windows and party-size limits, cap covers, and rank tables. That control is useful for venues balancing online demand against room capacity and service patterns.

Key features

Bookings, tables, and payments

Stripe integration supports card holds, deposits, full prepayments, and no-show fees, giving venues options for securing reservations. Starter and Plus charge extra for payments and card capture, so venues relying on those tools should compare the added cost with Pro, where they are included. Guest records capture preferences, dietary needs, and visit history, alongside CRM and reporting features. Epos Now can connect bookings to the till.

Access, support, and privacy

The cloud service works on PCs, Macs, Windows POS systems, and iPads, with multi-user access across unlimited devices. Support is available by phone and email Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:30pm GMT; an urgent email address handles out-of-hours inquiries. The privacy policy says personal information is stored on secure servers and that simpleERB acts as processor for restaurant guest data, while cautioning that internet transmission cannot be guaranteed secure. Subscriptions have no lock-in and may be cancelled at the start of the next billing period by contacting support.

Pricing

The Free trial is free for 250 covers, with no credit card or commitment. Hospitality Training College is free for training restaurants or catering colleges, free for life. These free options have specific purposes or limited cover capacity, rather than replacing a standard operating plan for a busy venue.

Starter costs £21 a month, billed paid monthly, for up to 300 covers per month and all standard features. Plus costs £47 a month, billed paid monthly, for up to 1200 covers per month and the same standard feature set. Both make payments and card capture available for extra cost, so their headline prices do not include those safeguards. Starter suits lower-volume venues; Plus gives a larger booking allowance without including payment tools.

Pro costs £80 a month, billed paid monthly, with unlimited covers, all standard features, and payments and card capture included. It is the clearest fit for venues with high or variable volume, or those that want payment protection without a separate add-on charge. Small Chain costs £202.50 a month, billed paid annually, for unlimited covers, up to 5 restaurants, and all standard features. Its annual billing and location cap suit a small group prepared to commit for the year; single-site venues do not need its multi-restaurant capacity. Every plan includes 10 free SMS messages, then messages cost £40 per 1,000, a quota that can matter for venues sending frequent reminders.

Platforms

Android, iOS, and web are supported. The cloud-based system also works on PCs, Macs, Windows POS systems, and iPads, and supports multi-user access across unlimited devices. That breadth is practical for teams moving between front-of-house devices, though the included locations count is one; multi-location support is available for groups that need more than one venue.

Who it's for

simpleERB is aimed at independent restaurants and small groups, and also serves cafés, pubs, hotels, and entertainment venues. It is a good match when a venue needs configurable online table inventory, guest history, and a choice of deposit or no-show protections. A venue with modest covers can keep the base plan lower, while one needing payment tools included should weigh Pro against the extra cost on Starter or Plus.

Pros and cons

Pros: Table availability, booking windows, party-size limits, cover caps, and table ranking give teams detailed control over online demand.

Pros: Stripe-backed card holds, deposits, prepayments, and no-show fees can support stronger booking commitment; Pro includes payments and card capture.

Pros: Guest preferences, dietary needs, and visit history give staff useful context, with CRM and reporting features for venue operations.

Cons: Starter and Plus charge extra for payments and card capture, which weakens their fit for venues that depend on those tools.

Cons: Included SMS is limited to 10 messages per plan before £40 per 1,000, so reminder-heavy use adds a variable cost.

Cons: Small Chain is billed annually and capped at five restaurants, so its group capacity comes with a longer billing term.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Restaurant Reservation Software. Anolla is worth considering if a free plan with basic online table reservations and paid features activated as needed is the priority. CentralPlanner offers a free-forever Starter plan and may suit a venue seeking a freemium option. Eat App has a free plan capped at 100 guests monthly, while its Lite plan is $99 a month; compare it if that guest-based pricing better matches the venue's volume.

Favouritetable is another freemium alternative. GetReserve has a free plan with an online booking page, reservation book, one floor-plan space, and guest profiles. Resos is another freemium option. Tableo offers an Organise plan at $57.50 a month billed annually, with unlimited bookings, three user accounts, and website, Google, Facebook, and Instagram channels; it may suit venues looking for those stated channel and account provisions. OpenTable GuestCenter is a paid alternative with a $149 a month Basic plan, a standard one-year contract that auto-renews annually, and US-only availability.

Verdict

Choose simpleERB if an independent venue or small group wants granular control of online tables, useful guest records, and payment safeguards in one front-of-house system. Its strongest case is the combination of booking controls and Stripe-backed protection, with Pro making those payment tools part of the monthly price. Look elsewhere if 10 included SMS messages are too few, if payment tools must fit a lower plan without extra cost, or if an annual group plan is the wrong commitment.