Resy Notify vs Alerts vs Auto-Reserve: Which to Use?
By JustReservd · Updated · 5 min read
Resy Notify tells you when a table you want becomes available. Reservation alerts do the same job across restaurants and dates you set up yourself. Auto-reserve goes one step further and books the table for you. The difference that matters is what happens in the seconds after a table appears.
The three options compared
| Resy Notify | Reservation alert | Auto-reserve | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Notifies you when a table opens | Watches your restaurant, date and times and notifies you | Books the matching table through your Resy account |
| Who acts | You | You | The service |
| Speed to a booking | Limited by how fast you tap | Limited by how fast you tap | Immediate on detection |
| Cost | Included with Resy | Free on JustReservd | $5 per confirmed booking |
| Best for | Casual interest | Several restaurants and dates | Tables that vanish in moments |
When a notification is enough
If you are flexible and the restaurant has some availability, a notification is plenty. You see an email, you open Resy, you book. This works well for restaurants where tables linger for minutes rather than seconds, and where you are happy to be notified of a cancellation and act when convenient.
When auto-reserve earns its fee
- The restaurant is one of the hardest to book, and openings are gone almost immediately.
- The release or cancellation might come while you are asleep, working, or travelling.
- You have a specific date that matters, such as an anniversary or visiting family.
- You would rather pay $5 once than spend a week refreshing.
What none of them can do
- Create tables that do not exist. If a restaurant is truly full, nothing can book it.
- See member-only tables. Restaurants in programs like Global Dining Access hold tables back for cardholders; tools like ours cannot see or book them.
- Remove deposits. If a restaurant requires a deposit, it is charged to your Resy payment method when the booking is made.
Set a free alert, and turn on auto-reserve only for the ones you cannot afford to miss.
Browse restaurants →A sensible setup
- Set free alerts on the restaurants and dates you care about, with several acceptable times each.
- Turn auto-reserve on for the one or two that really matter.
- Keep Resy's own Notify on as a backup — it costs nothing.
- Check the release schedule for each restaurant so you target the date that opens next.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Resy Notify and auto-reserve?
Notify tells you when a table opens and leaves the booking to you. Auto-reserve books the table through your Resy account the moment a matching one appears.
Is auto-reserve worth $5?
It is charged only when a booking is confirmed, so you pay nothing if it does not book. It tends to matter most for the hardest tables, where openings vanish quickly.
Can I use Resy Notify and an alert at the same time?
Yes. They do not conflict, and using both gives you more than one way to hear about an opening.
Can an alert see Amex Global Dining Access tables?
No. Tables held for members-only programs are not visible to us, so only publicly bookable tables and cancellations can trigger an alert.