Availability vs Capacity reservations

This article explains the difference between Gomeddo’s Availability Model and Capacity Model. Both approaches support booking and registration processes, but they operate on fundamentally different principles. The Availability Model focuses on finding free time based on calendars and GoMeddo rules, while the Capacity Model works with reservations that already exist in the system and accept registrations until their capacity is reached. Understanding this distinction helps you choose the model that best fits your booking scenario.

Availability Model, also referred to as the Reservation model.

The availability model is calendar-driven.

It starts from the question:

“When is something allowed to be booked?”

Core ideas

• Users search for open time slots, usually via calendars, slot pickers, or availability lookups.

• The system evaluates whether a time segment is free based on rules, opening hours, exceptions, and existing reservations. A rule could check capacity, for example the capacity for a resource/room.

• A reservation is created after availability is found.

• Each reservation typically occupies its own time range; bookings compete for space in the timeline.

Mental model

This model generates reservations from free time, not from pre-existing capacity.

Capacity Model, als referred to as signup

The capacity model is reservation-driven, not calendar-driven.

It starts from the question:

“How many registrations can be accepted for this existing reservation or event?”

Core ideas

• Reservations already exist in the system, these represent offerings, sessions, events, slots, or allocatable units.

• Each of these reservations has a defined capacity (e.g., 20 seats, 50 registrants, 200 participants).

• Users do not search for open calendar times; they select from created reservations.

• Instead of making a new booking, users register onto an existing reservation. This usually happens through our standard Reservation Contact Object or via Parent & Child Reservations. The first option is more commonly used for registration on a single event. The second option is more suitable in a slot scenario, where the slots are the child reservations.

• Capacity is decremented as registrations come in; conflicts aren’t based on overlapping time ranges but on remaining capacity.

Mental model

This model generates registrations from existing supply, not from free time in a calendar.

Why This Distinction Matters

Both of these models are supported in our GoMeddo Frontend Builder Home

Short Summary

• Availability model: Users book new reservations by finding free time using calendars or time slot pickers.

• Capacity model: Users register against existing reservations that already define when something takes place and how many people can join.