simpleERB

simpleERB is cloud-based reservation and table-management software for restaurant front-of-house teams. It is a strong fit for independent venues and small groups that need to manage booking volume, tables, and guest relationships. Its cover-based plans make the right tier—and whether payment tools are included—central to the decision.

Overview

Bookings can come through a venue’s website widget, Google Search and Maps, Facebook, or Instagram. Automated email and SMS reminders, guest amendments and cancellations, and waitlists support the booking process from reservation to visit. Table controls let teams choose which tables and areas appear online, set booking windows and party-size limits, cap covers, and rank tables. This is more useful for venues that need to steer demand than for those seeking only a basic reservations diary.

Key features

Reservations, payments, and guest records

Stripe integration supports card holds, deposits, full prepayments, and no-show fees, giving venues options to protect bookings. The trade-off is that payments and card capture cost extra on Starter and Plus; Pro includes them. Guest records store preferences, dietary needs, and visit history, with CRM and reporting features for making that information useful to the team. Epos Now can connect bookings to the till.

Access, support, and privacy

The cloud system supports multi-user access across unlimited devices and works on PCs, Macs, Windows POS systems, and iPads; the listed platforms are Android, iOS, and web. That breadth suits a team sharing reservation duties across devices. Phone and email support runs Monday to Friday, 9:00am–5:30pm GMT, with an urgent email address for out-of-hours inquiries. The privacy policy says guest data is stored on secure servers and that simpleERB acts as processor for restaurant guest data, while cautioning that internet transmission cannot be guaranteed secure.

Each plan includes 10 free SMS messages, then SMS costs £40 per 1,000. Venues that send frequent reminders should include that charge in their operating-cost calculation. Subscriptions have no lock-in and can be cancelled at the beginning of the next billing period by contacting support.

Pricing

The free trial costs nothing and includes 250 covers, with no credit card or commitment required. It is a practical way to assess the workflow, but its cover allowance makes it a short evaluation rather than an ongoing fit for a busy venue. Hospitality Training College is free for training restaurants or catering colleges, free for life.

• Starter: £21 a month, billed paid monthly, for up to 300 covers per month and all standard features. Payments and card capture are extra. It suits a lower-volume venue that can work within the cap and does not need payment protection included in its subscription.
• Plus: £47 a month, billed paid monthly, for up to 1200 covers per month and all standard features. Payments and card capture remain extra, so higher booking volume does not remove that added cost.
• Pro: £80 a month, billed paid monthly, with unlimited covers, all standard features, and payments and card capture included. It is the clearest fit for a high-volume venue or one that regularly uses payment protection.
• Small Chain: £202.50 a month, billed paid annually, for unlimited covers and up to 5 restaurants, with all standard features. It is aimed at small groups; the annual billing term is a meaningful commitment compared with the monthly Starter, Plus, and Pro plans.

Cover caps distinguish the monthly individual-venue tiers, while payment costs make Starter and Plus less straightforward to budget if card capture or deposits are essential. The free trial and training-college plan are the only no-cost options described; the latter is restricted to qualifying training venues.

Platforms

Android, iOS, and web are supported. The system also works on PCs, Macs, Windows POS systems, and iPads, with access for multiple users across unlimited devices.

Who it's for

simpleERB is built for independent restaurants and small groups, and its stated venue types include cafés, pubs, hotels, and entertainment venues. It is particularly well matched to teams that want booking-channel coverage, granular table controls, guest histories, and ways to reduce no-shows. A venue with modest volume and no need for paid payment tools may find Starter sufficient; a group operating up to five restaurants can consider Small Chain. It is a less compelling fit for a venue that needs uncapped covers and payment protection but cannot justify Pro’s monthly price.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad booking management: Online channels, reminders, amendments, cancellations, and waitlists cover more than the initial reservation.
• Useful table controls: Cover caps, booking windows, party-size limits, table ranking, and online availability by area give front-of-house teams ways to shape demand.
• Payment protection options: Stripe supports holds, deposits, prepayments, and no-show fees, with those tools included in Pro.
• Flexible device access: Multi-user access across unlimited devices helps teams share the work across supported platforms and POS hardware.
• No lock-in: Cancellation at the start of the next billing period avoids a long-term subscription commitment.

Cons

• Payment tools raise the cost on lower tiers: Starter and Plus require extra payment for payments and card capture, unlike Pro.
• SMS has a small included allowance: The 10 free messages per plan may be quickly used by venues relying on text reminders; additional messages cost £40 per 1,000.
• Support is weekday-based: Phone and standard email support end at 5:30pm GMT on weekdays, with only an urgent email address for out-of-hours inquiries.
• Annual term for the chain tier: Small Chain is billed annually, unlike the monthly individual-venue plans.

Alternatives

For a broader category comparison, see Restaurant Reservation Software.

• Anolla is worth considering if a free basic online table-reservation plan and the option to activate paid features as needed matter more than simpleERB’s stated cover-based plans.
• Favouritetable offers a free-for-life tier capped at 30 online bookings per month, so it may suit a very low-volume venue that wants a web-based reservations diary and included onboarding.
• CentralPlanner is another freemium option with a free Starter tier for reservations.
• Eat App offers a free plan for 100 guests monthly, which may fit a venue whose needs stay within that guest cap.
• Resos is another freemium reservation option.
• GetReserve has a free web plan with an online booking page, list and calendar reservation views, one floor-plan space, and guest profiles with visit history; choose it if those basics are enough.
• TabTake Reservations offers a free Direct tier, but reservations are not included, so it is not a like-for-like free replacement for simpleERB.
• MyResApp offers a free plan permanently for the first 5,000 qualifying restaurants under an initiative that waives its standard $189 per month price.

Verdict

Choose simpleERB if you run an independent restaurant or small group and need to control online availability, manage guest records, and handle no-show protection within one system. The combination of detailed table controls and multiple booking channels is its strongest case. Look elsewhere if the cover limits or extra payment costs on Starter and Plus do not suit your volume and budget; Pro removes those constraints on covers and includes payment tools, but costs £80 a month.