Simple Host vs HostMe: Which Is Right for Your Restaurant?
Simple Host Team
December 18, 2025
HostMe has been around for a while and offers a modular approach to restaurant management. Simple Host takes a different path—everything bundled together with flat pricing. If you're comparing the two, here's what actually matters.
The Quick Overview
HostMe uses an à la carte model. You pick the features you want and pay accordingly. Need just waitlist? Pay for that. Want reservations too? Add that on. It's flexible, but it can also get complicated and expensive as you add modules.
Simple Host bundles everything together—waitlist, reservations, floor plan, server rotation, SMS, guest database—for one flat monthly price. No modules to configure, no surprise fees, no calculators needed to figure out your monthly bill.
Both can get the job done. The question is how you want to pay for it and how much complexity you want to deal with.
| Feature | Simple Host | HostMe |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $49.99 - $99.99 | Varies by modules selected |
| Pricing Model | All-inclusive | À la carte modules |
| Per-Cover Fees | None | May apply on some plans |
| SMS Notifications | Included (250-1000/mo) | Often pay-per-text |
| Waitlist Management | Separate module | |
| Reservations | Separate module | |
| Floor Plan Editor | ||
| Server Rotation | 3 rotation modes | Basic |
| Online Ordering | — | |
| Contract Required | No | Varies by plan |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | Varies |
The Modular Pricing Trap
HostMe's à la carte approach sounds great in theory. Only pay for what you use, right? But here's what happens in practice: most restaurants need waitlist AND reservations AND SMS AND table management. By the time you've added all the modules you actually need, you're often paying more than you would for an all-in-one solution.
Plus, there's the SMS question. HostMe often charges per text message sent. That doesn't sound like much until you're sending 50 texts on a busy Saturday night. Those costs add up fast, and suddenly your "affordable" waitlist system is costing you more than you expected.
Simple Host includes SMS in every plan. Send as many notifications as you need (within your plan's monthly allotment), and you always know exactly what you're paying.
Where HostMe Has an Edge
To be fair, HostMe does some things Simple Host doesn't:
Online Ordering
HostMe offers online ordering for takeout and delivery. If that's a core part of your business, it's worth considering.
Marketing Tools
They have email marketing and promotional features that go beyond what Simple Host offers.
Flexibility
If you genuinely only need one specific feature, paying for just that module might save money. It's rare, but possible.
Where Simple Host Wins
For most restaurants focused on managing their host stand efficiently, Simple Host has clear advantages:
No Surprise Bills
$49.99 or $99.99 per month. That's it. No per-cover fees, no per-text charges, no module add-ons creeping up your costs.
Everything in One Place
Waitlist, reservations, floor plan, and server rotation all work together seamlessly. No juggling separate systems or modules.
Better Server Rotation
Three different rotation modes, automatic cover tracking, and section management. Most competitors offer basic rotation at best.
Get Started in Minutes
Download the app, create your floor plan, start seating guests. No sales calls, no configuration headaches, no waiting.
The Real Cost Comparison
Let's do some quick math. Say you're a mid-sized restaurant that needs:
- Waitlist management
- Online reservations
- Floor plan and table management
- SMS notifications (about 500/month)
With Simple Host's Pro plan at $99.99/month, you get all of that included—plus server rotation and 1,000 SMS credits.
With HostMe, you'd need to add up the waitlist module, reservations module, and pay for SMS on top. Depending on their current pricing, you could easily exceed $100/month before accounting for text message costs.
The modular approach only saves money if you genuinely need just one thing. Most restaurants don't.
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Simple Host if:
- You want predictable monthly costs
- You need waitlist AND reservations
- Server rotation is important to you
- You send a lot of SMS notifications
- You want to get started quickly
HM
Choose HostMe if:
- You need online ordering integrated
- You only need one specific feature
- You want email marketing tools
- You prefer à la carte pricing
The Bottom Line
HostMe's modular approach makes sense for a narrow set of use cases—mainly if you truly only need one feature, or if online ordering is critical to your operation.
For most restaurants that need a complete host stand solution, Simple Host delivers more value at a more predictable price. You get everything bundled together, SMS included, and you never have to worry about usage-based costs sneaking up on you.
When you know exactly what you're paying every month, running a restaurant gets a little less stressful.
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Simple Host Team
We're restaurant owners and hospitality veterans who built Simple Host to solve the problems we faced every day at the host stand. Our mission is to help restaurants run smoother and guests dine happier.
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