# Parking Kitty vs Ridwell

The clearest difference is ads: Parking Kitty at none against Ridwell's shown. Parking Kitty also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13 vs 17.0). Ridwell's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 35 months) and review sentiment (73% vs 61%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Parking Kitty against 4.9 for Ridwell. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.8K and 8.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Parking Kitty's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ridwell's.

Parking Kitty ships an update every 35 months, Ridwell every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Parking Kitty | Ridwell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (8.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parking-kitty/id1222730617/reviews)** | [4.9 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridwell/id1623854075/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8.8K** | 8.2K |
| Positive reviews | 61.0% of reviews | **72.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 64 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [City of Portland](https://appshunter.io/developer/351455619) | [Ridwell, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623854287) |

## What reviewers say

### Parking Kitty

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parking-kitty/id1222730617)

Manage your entire parking experience directly from your smartphone. Pay for parking, extend your session, and receive notifications about your remaining time. This official city app simplifies street parking.

**Highlights:** Pay for parking sessions, Extend parking time remotely, Receive low time notifications, Manage parking history, Get email receipts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Simplicity
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Saves time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work with UK debit cards
- 💰 Excessive fees/surcharges
- 🚫 Can't cancel/end sessions early
- 🚫 Doesn't recognize UK mobile numbers
- 🚫 Predatory monopoly practices

**Reported bugs**

- Glitches causing multiple simultaneous charges
- Inconsistent parking enforcement despite app payment

**Requested features**

- Add ability to pay and extend time from Apple Watch
- Provide option to rollover unused parking time
- Add ability to end parking sessions early
- Improve notification system to better alert users of expiring time
- Integrate zone identification based on geolocation


### Ridwell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridwell/id1623854075)

Easily dispose of hard-to-recycle items with convenient doorstep pickups. Schedule collections, track your impact, and feel good knowing your items are being reused or recycled by trusted partners.

**Highlights:** Schedule doorstep pickups, Collect hard-to-recycle items, Receive real-time notifications, Track community impact, Transparent item destinations

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💚 Excellent for the environment
- 🙌 Convenient pickup service
- 🤗 Helpful customer service
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🎉 Reduces waste

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Missed pickups
- 🤔 Inconsistent service
- 💰 Overcharging for extras
- 🏢 Inaccessible for apartment buildings
- 🤷‍♀️ Unclear communication

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect pickup status notifications
- Drivers unable to access buildings

**Requested features**

- Advance scheduling for pickups
- More recycling categories
- Proactive notifications for missed pickups


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Parking Kitty free?

Parking Kitty is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ridwell free?

Ridwell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Parking Kitty or Ridwell?

Parking Kitty is rated higher. Parking Kitty averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8.8K ratings, while Ridwell averages 4.9 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do Parking Kitty or Ridwell have ads?

Ridwell shows ads; Parking Kitty does not.

### Which is updated more often, Parking Kitty or Ridwell?

Parking Kitty ships an update every 35 months, and Ridwell every 2 months. Most recently, Parking Kitty was updated on September 24, 2026 and Ridwell on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*