Mies vs Lurch: 2026 Restaurant Reservation System Comparison

Mies vs Lurch: Two Free Reservation Systems — But Only One Without Limits

Lurch is one of the few reservation platforms that, like Mies, offers a free plan. That alone makes this comparison interesting. But the devil is in the details: Lurch's free plan is capped at 50 reservations per month, which most restaurants will blow through in days. Mies takes a fundamentally different approach to its free tier. Let us break down the full comparison.

Both Mies and Lurch offer free plans, but Lurch limits its free tier to just 50 reservations per month. Mies provides a more generous free plan that does not impose such a restrictive cap — making it the only genuinely free reservation system for busy restaurants.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Mies (Free)	Lurch (Free)	Lurch (€30/mo)	Lurch (€50/mo)
Reservation limit	Generous free tier	50/month	500/month	Unlimited
Website widget	Customizable	Basic	Included	Included
Dashboard	Modern, full-featured	Basic	Full	Full
Mobile & tablet	Included	Included	Included	Included
Email confirmations	Automatic	Included	Included	Included
Prepayments	On paid plans	Not included	Included	Included
Waitlist	On paid plans	Not included	Included	Included
Guest CRM	Included	Basic	Included	Included
Setup time	Under 5 minutes	10-15 minutes	10-15 minutes	10-15 minutes

The 50-Reservation Problem

Lurch's free plan sounds appealing until you do the math. Fifty reservations per month translates to fewer than two reservations per day. Even a small neighborhood restaurant in a quiet town will exceed that within the first two weeks. A restaurant in Amsterdam, Berlin, or Paris could hit that limit on a single busy Friday evening.

Once you exceed 50 reservations, Lurch immediately requires you to upgrade to a paid plan: €30/month for up to 500 reservations (which includes prepayments and waitlists) or €50/month for unlimited reservations.

Mies, on the other hand, provides a free plan that does not restrict you to just 50 bookings. For most restaurants, the Mies free plan is genuinely usable month after month — not a teaser that forces an upgrade within the first week.

Pricing Comparison

Mies

• Free: Modern dashboard, customizable widget, mobile/tablet, email confirmations — €0.
• Lite: €39.99/month (annual) / €49.99/month (monthly) — prepayments, waitlists, advanced features.
• Pro: €69.99/month (annual) / €79.99/month (monthly) — everything, priority support.

Lurch

• Free: Up to 50 reservations/month — no prepayments, no waitlists.
• Standard: €30/month — up to 500 reservations, includes prepayments and waitlists.
• Unlimited: €50/month — unlimited reservations, all features.

If you need prepayments and waitlists, Lurch's €30/month plan and Mies Lite at €39.99/month (annual) are in the same ballpark. But Mies Lite includes a more polished dashboard, better widget customization, and is backed by a platform serving 500+ restaurants across all European countries. And crucially, if you do not need prepayments and waitlists, Mies is free — while Lurch's free plan will likely be insufficient.

Setup and Onboarding

Mies leads here. Going from zero to a live reservation widget on your website takes under 5 minutes. The setup flow is intuitive and designed for restaurateurs who have better things to do than configure software all afternoon.

Lurch's setup is straightforward but typically takes 10 to 15 minutes. Not a deal-breaker, but when Mies can do it three times faster, it is worth noting — especially if you are setting up multiple locations.

Support

Mies offers support across all plans, including the free tier. You will get human, knowledgeable assistance without needing to pay. Pro users get priority support for urgent situations during busy service hours.

Lurch offers support to all users, though response times and depth of support can vary between free and paid tiers. For basic questions, it is adequate. For complex issues during peak hours, paid plans may receive faster attention.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Mies if:

• You want a free plan that actually works for a real restaurant
• You take more than 50 reservations a month (virtually every active restaurant)
• You value rapid setup and a modern, polished interface
• You want a platform with the scale and backing of 500+ restaurants across Europe

Consider Lurch if:

• You are a very small venue with fewer than 50 reservations per month
• You want prepayments and waitlists at €30/month and do not mind the 500-reservation cap

Conclusion

Lurch deserves credit for offering a free plan — most competitors do not even do that. But a 50-reservation cap makes that free plan unusable for the vast majority of restaurants. Mies offers a genuinely functional free tier alongside affordable paid plans that scale with your business. With over 500 restaurants across all European countries trusting Mies for their reservations, it is the free reservation system that actually works in practice, not just on paper.

See how Mies compares on your terms. Check Mies pricing and get started in under 5 minutes.