MARLVEL

PayByPhone Parking vs its rivals

Side-by-side comparison against PayByPhone Parking's closest competitors — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel.

PayByPhone Parking
This App
ParkMobile: Park. Pay. Go.
Nemesis
Passport Parking
Contender
EasyPark - Parking made easy
Contender
Flowbird parking
Peer
BestParking: Get Parking Deals
Peer
ParkWhiz - #1 Parking App
Peer
SpotHero: #1 Rated Parking App
Peer
HonkMobile
New Kid
Core Identity
DeveloperPayByPhone Technologies Inc.Parkmobile USA, Inc.Passport Labs, Inc.Easy Park ASFlowbirdBestParking.comParkWhiz, Inc.SpotHero, Inc.Honk Mobile Inc.
CategoryTravelNavigationTravelTravelTravelNavigationNavigationNavigationNavigation
PlatformiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidAndroid, iOSiOS, AndroidAndroid, iOSiOSiOS, AndroidiOS, Android
Store Metrics
Rating4.8 / 54.8 / 54.7 / 54.8 / 54.2 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.9 / 54.6 / 5
Ratings Count723,0741,326,69097,2338,58715,61337,292187,622384,9372,492
PriceFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFree
Release DateJul 15, 2011Apr 4, 2010Mar 9, 2012Jul 25, 2011Nov 23, 2018Jul 29, 2010Jan 29, 2013Jul 1, 2012Feb 28, 2014
Last UpdatedApr 30, 2026Apr 7, 2026Feb 25, 2026May 4, 2026Feb 9, 2026Apr 1, 2026Apr 1, 2026Apr 29, 2026Apr 13, 2026
Sentiment & Reviews
Sentimentnegativeterribleterribleterrible---mixed-
Score35/10012/10015/10015/100---65/100-
Praises
  • Parking payment convenience eliminates the need for physical coins or visiting kiosks during errands
  • Convenience (When Functional)
  • Core parking functionality provides a convenient alternative to physical meters when the application operates correctly
  • Core parking management features allow users to extend sessions without returning to the physical machine
---
  • Significant cost savings on parking fees compared to standard drive-up rates at major venues
-
Complaints
  • Hidden fees for SMS reminders and lack of transparency regarding total transaction costs frustrate users
  • Account Verification Failures
  • Financial Loss & Poor Support
  • Payment processing failures and card rejection errors prevent users from starting parking sessions post-update
  • Authentication and login loops block access to the application for new and returning users
  • Opaque subscription enrollment and recurring charges trigger widespread accusations of deceptive and fraudulent billing practices
  • Broken SMS verification flows prevent new users from registering or logging into their accounts post-update
---
  • Authentication loops and login failures prevent users from accessing booked parking reservations on Android
-
Requests
  • Integration of digital wallet payment options like Apple Pay or PayPal to avoid manual entry
-
  • Integration of Apple Pay and digital wallet options to bypass unreliable credit card entry forms
  • Transparent monthly billing options and easier account deletion pathways are requested to improve user trust
---
  • Integration with private garage gate systems to allow seamless entry and exit without manual payment
-
Strategic Intel
Strengths
  • Global 11-language support enables rapid international expansion
  • Today View widget reinforces daily habit via home-screen visibility
  • Dominant footprint in municipal street parking and university zones.
  • Large-scale user base with over 1.3M iOS ratings.
  • Specialized B2B fleet management features.
  • Municipal-specific branding builds trust with local government parking authorities
  • Zone-based GPS identification reduces time-to-transaction for new users
  • 3,200-city European coverage acts as a B2B distribution barrier
  • In-car display integration increases platform stickiness
---
  • B2B expense management integrations drive high-frequency business adoption
  • CarPlay interface reduces booking friction for high-intent transit users
-
Weaknesses
  • 0.7★ Android-iOS rating gap indicates platform-specific instability
  • SMS-fee transparency complaints drive negative sentiment
  • Lack of native digital wallet support
  • Critical bugs in the SMS/Email verification system.
  • High OS version requirements (iOS 17+) alienating older hardware.
  • Support teams lack visibility into account data for citation resolution.
  • 2.4★ Android rating indicates severe platform-specific technical debt
  • Manual credit card entry forms lack modern digital wallet alternatives
  • 0.7★ Android-iOS rating gap indicates platform-specific instability
  • Opaque subscription billing triggers high-frequency fraud complaints
---
  • Persistent Android authentication loops prevent transaction completion
  • Inventory synchronization gaps cause lot-full errors for pre-paid users
-
Pricingfreefreefreefreemiumfreefreefreefreefreemium
MomentumActiveActiveMaintenanceActiveActiveIntenseIntenseActiveIntense
Update Cadence5 versions, ~5d avg3 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~14d avg5 versions, ~72d avg5 versions, ~10d avg5 versions5 versions5 versions5 versions, ~13d avg5 versions

Compare PayByPhone Parking head-to-head

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by PayByPhone Parking, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

See methodologyContact support

Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0