Shokken vs Union Waitlist

Shokken is a restaurant waitlist service that lets staff manage parties while guests follow their place in line. Guests can join from a browser using a QR code, without installing an app or creating an account, then share a live tracker with the rest of their party. Staff can manage multiple waitlists, run a tablet in kiosk mode, let guests leave the list, and clear finished parties overnight. Restaurants can publish a public menu at an assigned Shokken URL and make printable QR cards and signs. Guest pages support English, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Tagalog; the host app is in English. The free plan includes manual entry, QR self-join, browser tracking, core waitlist tools, and public menus. Founding Pro is $19.99 for the first month, then $99.99/month while continuously active; its regular rate is $200/month. The service is available to U.S. restaurants and needs internet access to sync lists and send texts.

Union Waitlist is a guest and table management feature for busy bars and restaurants, available through a browser and mobile experience. Guests can join a line, track their position, view the menu, save items, and open a tab before seating with a QR code or NFC. They can order from the bar, request pickup, and earn rewards. Staff see guest names and collected notes, coordinate communication, assign tables, and balance server workloads. When seating is ready, staff can transfer the guest check and notes to the table, including from a tablet, and send a text notification. Union lists integrations with OpenTable, 7shifts, Checkmate, Craftable, DAVO, and Solink. The company describes its venue platform as built for high-volume bars and restaurants and says its demo is suitable for operators with a full liquor license. Union Pocket installs from the App Store and supports iPhone 12 and later. The Waitlist page asks businesses to schedule a demo and does not show a feature price.