Mies vs Zenchef: 2026 Restaurant Reservation System Comparison

Mies vs Zenchef: A Detailed Comparison for Restaurant Owners

Zenchef has established itself as a well-known name in the European restaurant technology space, particularly after its merger with Formitable. But brand recognition does not always equal value. In this comparison, we put Zenchef side by side with Mies — a fast-growing reservation platform used by over 500 restaurants — to help you decide which system deserves a place in your restaurant.

The bottom line: Zenchef charges €100 to €250 per month, while Mies lets you take reservations for free. And the gap in value only widens when you look at what each price tier actually includes.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Mies	Zenchef
Online reservations	Included (free)	Included (from €100/mo)
Website widget	Customizable (free)	Included
Modern dashboard	Included (free)	Included
Mobile & tablet	Included (free)	Included
Email confirmations	Automatic (free)	Included
Waitlist management	Available on paid plans	Only on €250/mo plan
Prepayments	Available on paid plans	Available (cheaper rates on €250/mo plan)
Guest CRM	Included	Included
Multi-language	Yes	Yes
Setup time	Under 5 minutes	Varies (typically longer)

A notable gap in Zenchef's offering is that their €100/month base plan does not include waitlist management. To unlock that feature, you need to upgrade to the €250/month tier. With Mies, waitlist management is available on paid plans starting at just €39.99/month — saving you over €200 per month compared to Zenchef's equivalent.

Pricing Breakdown

Mies

• Free: Dashboard, widget, mobile/tablet, email confirmations — €0/month.
• Lite: €39.99/month (annual) / €49.99/month (monthly) — adds prepayments, waitlists, and more.
• Pro: €69.99/month (annual) / €79.99/month (monthly) — full feature set with priority support.

Zenchef

• Base plan: €100/month — reservations and basic features. No waitlist.
• Premium plan: €250/month — adds waitlist management and cheaper prepayment transaction fees.

A restaurant paying Zenchef €250/month for waitlists and prepayments would pay just €39.99/month with Mies Lite for the same capabilities. That is a saving of over €2,500 per year.

Setup and Onboarding

Mies was built for speed. From account creation to a live reservation widget on your website takes under 5 minutes. No technical expertise required — the platform guides you through table setup, opening hours, and widget customization step by step.

Zenchef's setup process is more comprehensive but also more time-consuming. Restaurants typically need to schedule an onboarding call, configure multiple settings, and may require help from Zenchef's team before going live. For a restaurant that needs to start accepting bookings quickly, this can be a bottleneck.

Support Comparison

Mies offers customer support on all plans, including the free tier. Response times are fast and the team understands the day-to-day realities of running a restaurant. Pro users get priority access for urgent situations.

Zenchef bundles support into its paid plans. Since there is no free tier, every interaction with support costs you at least €100/month in subscription fees. The support quality is reasonable, but the price of entry is steep.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Mies if:

• You want professional reservation management without monthly fees
• You need waitlists and prepayments without paying €250/month
• You value fast setup and want to be live in minutes, not days
• You operate in any European country and want a platform built for the European market

Consider Zenchef if:

• You are already locked into a Zenchef contract and switching costs are prohibitive
• You specifically need Zenchef's integration with Formitable's partner network

Conclusion

Zenchef is a capable platform, but it is an expensive one — especially when its base plan lacks features like waitlists that many restaurants consider essential. Mies provides the same core functionality for free and offers advanced features at a fraction of Zenchef's pricing. With 500+ restaurants already on the platform and availability across all European countries, Mies is a proven alternative that saves you serious money.

If you are ready to cut your reservation system costs, explore Mies pricing and get started in under 5 minutes.