ParkingOps vs UK Hidden Gems
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ParkingOps
Easily pay for parking and EV charging at supported locations without needing cash or a physical ticket. Extend your parking remotely and receive expiry reminders. Membership is free, and you can even pay for parking up to 7 days in advance.
- Cashless Pay & Display parking
- Apple Pay support
- EV charging payment
- Extend parking remotely
- SMS expiry reminders
- Pay up to 7 days in advance
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For support and feedback, please visit www.mipermit.com/help With Parking Ops (at supported locations) you can pay for your parking using Visa, Mastercard, or Apple Pay and there’s no need to display a physical ticket on your vehicle. You can pay for your EV charging at the same time at selected locations. Core Features & Benefits: - Cashless Pay & Display parking - Apple Pay support - EV Charging at selected locations - Free membership for all customers* - Pay for parking without registering for an account - Get SMS reminders for when your parking will expire - Extend your stay without returning to your vehicle - Pay for parking up to 7 days in advance** - Digital permits for resident parking schemes, boat mooring, recycling centres and more! Parking Ops can only be used in the UK. For more information, please see www.mipermit.com for details. * Signing up for an account is free but all parking and associated fees are still applicable which may vary between parking locations and parking operators. ** Paying in advance of arrival at a location does not reserve a parking bay
UK Hidden Gems
Discover breathtaking, lesser-known spots across the UK, from secret beaches to magical forests. Find local eateries, parking, and unique accommodations near these hidden gems. Plan your adventures with pre-made itineraries and track your explorations.
- Explore 1,600+ hidden gems
- Find local cafes, pubs, and restaurants
- Discover 9,000+ parking locations
- Book unique staycations
- Utilize 10+ ready-to-use itineraries
- Search by town, landmark, or category
- Save spots to a personal Bucket List
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Tired of the same old tourist traps? UK Hidden Gems is your ultimate guide to the most breathtaking, lesser-known places across the UK; from secret beaches and hidden waterfalls to magical forests and quirky staycations. - Explore 1,600+ Hidden Gems Zoom in on the interactive map to uncover handpicked hidden spots across the UK. See images, quick descriptions, and open directions straight into Apple/Google Maps with one tap. - Eat Like a Local Find over 3,200 cafes, pubs, and restaurants near each gem; from cozy post-hike pubs to hidden fine dining spots. - Find Parking, Fast Over 9,000 parking locations, including overnight and daytime options plus their parking fee (if there is one!). No more circling the block. - Stay Somewhere Unique Sleep in style close to hidden gems with 1,600+ staycations; think treehouses, shepherd huts, cabins, and cottages in the heart of nature. - Save Time With Our Itineraries: We have created 10+ ready-to-use 5 day itineraries expertly designed for National Parks, coastlines, countryside escapes and more. - Search & Discover Looking for something specific? Search by town, landmark, or even category (like waterfalls, castles, or secluded beaches). - What’s Near Me? Find hidden gems right around the corner; complete with distance from your current location. - Plan Your Adventure Save your must-see spots to your personal Bucket List and tick them off as you go. Each visit gets recorded with the date so you can track your journeys. - Earn Explorer Badges Get rewarded for your curiosity! Earn Bronze to Platinum badges as you visit more gems and explore different categories. - Be the First to Know Subscribers get early access to 20 new gems every month, before they go live to our 3.5+ million social media followers. - Accessible Adventures Look for child-friendly and disabled-friendly tags on selected gems. (Always double-check accessibility based on your needs.) - Start Free – Explore 100 Hidden Gems Today Try our 100 free gems before unlocking full access. Whether you want to escape the crowds or discover a waterfall all to yourself, UK Hidden Gems helps you explore the UK like never before. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ParkingOps at 5.0 against UK Hidden Gems's 2.0. ParkingOps also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). UK Hidden Gems's advantage is review sentiment (25% vs 9%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. UK Hidden Gems sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. ParkingOps asks for nothing beyond the download.
ParkingOps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 9% of ParkingOps's written reviews are positive against 25% of UK Hidden Gems's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ParkingOps | UK Hidden Gems |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 2.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 8.5% of reviews | 24.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | MiPermit Ltd | UK Hidden Gems Limited |
Customer experience
ParkingOps
UK Hidden Gems
User reviews
ParkingOps
From 2 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Generally works for some users
- 💡 Good concept for cashless parking
Room to improve
- 🐛 App doesn't work
- 🐛 Payment failures
- 🐛 Registration issues
- 🐛 Hidden charges
- 🐛 Inconvenience fees
UK Hidden Gems
From 5 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Great idea for an app
- 👍 Useful for finding places
- 🗺️ Interactive map feature
- ✨ Inspires travel planning
- 🤩 Good content on Instagram
Room to improve
- 💰 Subscription required
- 💸 Not worth the money
- 📉 Low content volume
- 🤷♂️ Information available for free
- 🪦 Empty map areas
Bugs and requests
ParkingOps
Reported bugs
23 issues- App doesn't work
- Payment failures
- Registration issues
- App crashes
- App times out
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- Cannot continue parking session
- App doesn't pick up correct location
- Login screen freezes
- Payment rejected
- Cannot create account
- App doesn't allow extending parking
- Hidden charges not clearly displayed
- Cannot do free parking on app
- Fraud suspicion preventing payment
- Requires issue number for payment
- App not intuitive
- No confirmation of payment
- No indication of paid parking
- App times out on attempts to use
- Payment failed but charged
- App crashes when accessing account details
- Cannot pay without account
- App doesn't find location
Requested features
20 requests- Card reader on parking meters
- Allow payment by card/phone at machine
- Issue receipts immediately
- Fix app crashing on account details
- Allow free parking on app
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Improve signal reception handling
- Clearer display of parking charges
- Allow longer parking extensions
- Remove convenience fees
- Allow registration without storing bank card
- Improve app intuitiveness
- Provide indication of paid parking
- Fix login loops and registration issues
- Improve payment processing reliability
- Add option to pay by cash
- Fix issue with 'fraud suspicion'
- Allow payment without issue number
- Simplify registration process
- Allow payment without credit card details
- Improve app response times
UK Hidden Gems
Reported bugs
18 issues- App keeps crashing
- App does not work
- Cannot load app
- App keeps crashing on iPhone
- App doesn't open
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Support webpage doesn't work
- Map doesn't always load with locations
- App keeps crashing (paid subscription)
- App keeps crashing
- Error code 401
- No response from support team
- Keeps saying error
- App throws an error when trying to subscribe
- Unable to register/create account
- Subscribe button doesn't work
- Can't log in with existing account
- Subscription doesn't work
- Keeps declining subscription attempts
Requested features
23 requests- Allow users to submit places
- Filter to switch off Airbnbs
- Add missing locations or submit them
- More details on locations (parking, tips, history)
- Ability to put bucket list on a map
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- More detail on accessibility (beyond wheelchair)
- Accessibility score
- Information on parking and prices
- Motorcycle parking details
- Electric vehicle charging locations
- Length/type of walks/hikes
- Buggy or disabled friendly routes
- If push bikes are allowed
- Toilet availability/baby change
- Cafés/pubs in neighboring villages
- Tick sheet for places visited
- See all locations on map (even paid ones, without details)
- Allow users to un tick visited locations
- Improve search near me functionality
- Add more pictures and descriptions
- Allow users to submit places for review
- Make subscription cheaper (e.g., £1/month or £12/year)
- One-time payment option for full access
In-app purchases
ParkingOps
No in-app purchases
UK Hidden Gems
- UK Gems - Monthly$3.991 Month
- UK Gems - Annual$39.991 Year
Questions
Is ParkingOps free?
Is UK Hidden Gems free?
Which has better reviews, ParkingOps or UK Hidden Gems?
Do ParkingOps or UK Hidden Gems have ads?
Which is updated more often, ParkingOps or UK Hidden Gems?
Other comparisons
