SurfCAST by otto vs CATS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SurfCAST by otto
Easily pay for beach parking directly from your phone. Select your zone, set your duration, and pay securely. Receive timely notifications before your parking time expires, allowing you to fully enjoy your day.
- Select parking zone
- Enter parking duration
- Pay for parking
- Real-time parking time notifications
- Register multiple vehicles
- Secure payment processing
- Pay parking violations
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Headed to the beach? SurfCAST makes paid parking easy. Select the parking zone, enter your duration, and pay, all from the convenience of your phone! When your time is almost up, our app will notify you. All you have to do is enjoy your day at the beach! Features: - Find local community information - Real-time notifications and communication - Monitor how much time is remaining on active parking passes - Ability to register up to two vehicles per account - Secure payment method with the option to save for future use - Quick and easy violation payment - and much, much more!
CATS
This app provides a convenient mobile ticketing solution for public transit. Users can instantly purchase and use tickets directly from their smartphone, plan trips with step-by-step directions, and manage their transit passes. It offers multiple payment options and integration with other transit-related services.
- Instant mobile ticket purchase
- Trip planning with directions
- Debit/credit card and mobile payment options
- Save favorite routes and passes
- Connect to other CATS apps
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It’s the way to pay! CATS-Pass is the official mobile ticketing app for the Charlotte Area Transit System. CATS-Pass offers a convenient way for you to purchase and use tickets instantly on your smartphone – anywhere, anytime. CATS-Pass also gives you access to trip planning tools. Download the app, buy your transit pass and plan your trip, right from your phone. Features include: • Purchase passes instantly via debit/credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay • Step-by-step travel directions • Cash Wallet feature • Personalize the app by saving your favorite routes and pass types • Connect to other CATS Apps including: ◦ CATS See/Say ◦ CATS Art In Transit ◦ TrackCATS
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CATS at 54% against SurfCAST by otto's 6%. CATS also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.4) and ratings volume (17K vs 101). SurfCAST by otto's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CATS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CATS has 17K ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 6% of SurfCAST by otto's written reviews are positive against 54% of CATS's.
SurfCAST by otto ships an update monthly, CATS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SurfCAST by otto | CATS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.4 (101 ratings) | 4.8 (17K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 6.1% of reviews | 53.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 101 | 17K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Otto Connect, Inc. | City of Charlotte |
Customer experience
SurfCAST by otto
CATS
User reviews
SurfCAST by otto
From 101 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 App remembers CC and plates (one user)
- 🚀 New version is faster (one user)
Room to improve
- 🐛 App won't let users create accounts
- 🐛 App has no spot to type in password reset codes
- 🐛 App doesn't work with Apple Pay
- 🐛 Predatory enforcement leading to violations
- 🐛 Not as user-friendly as other apps
CATS
From 17K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Convenient ticket purchasing
- 💡 Helpful for events and concerts
- 🚀 Real-time bus tracking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or bugs
- 🔒 Restrictive device limit issues
- 🔒 Difficult to manage payment methods
- 🕰️ Inaccurate bus schedule information
Bugs and requests
SurfCAST by otto
Reported bugs
20 issues- App won't let users create accounts
- No spot to type in password reset codes
- Doesn't work with Apple Pay
- App disappears when tapping register button
- Input validation breaks password managers
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- App freezes and doesn't let users continue
- App constantly freezes
- Payment doesn't go through
- 'Next' button non-responsive
- App immediately shuts down
- App crashes during registration/payment
- App freezes during web queries
- App allows buying unneeded parking, still charges violation
- Overpaid for an hour, charged violation
- App doesn't display full screen on older iPhones
- Error message when registering as resident
- Can't register second vehicle (initially)
- Button to complete registration is off-screen
- Can't sign up, sent back to agreement page
- App icon is sloppy and amateurish
Requested features
13 requests- Add features for looking up parking zones
- Improve user-friendliness
- Add Apple Pay support
- Allow extending parking time
- Improve input validation for password managers
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Enable copy-paste for password fields
- Provide a review page before purchase
- Improve app loading times
- Fix app crashes during registration and payment
- Ensure full screen display on older devices
- Allow registration of multiple vehicles
- Improve resident registration process
- Add dark mode option
CATS
Reported bugs
3 issues- Unable to create new user accounts
- Keyboard issues during sign-up process
- Discrepancies between app and physical bus stop times
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to delete payment methods
- Improved bus and train schedule information
- Notifications for bus arrival times
- Discounted passes for seniors and disabled riders
In-app purchases
SurfCAST by otto
No in-app purchases
CATS
No in-app purchases
