PayByPhone Parking vs NCTD+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PayByPhone Parking
This app simplifies parking payments globally, allowing users to pay for parking remotely, find available spots, and manage their sessions. It offers convenient features like session extensions, notifications, and payment options, aiming to make parking quick and seamless.
- Pay for parking remotely
- Find nearby parking
- Extend parking sessions
- Receive expiry notifications
- View parking history
- Pin vehicle location
- Emailed receipts for expenses
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PayByPhone is a global leader in mobile parking payments. More than 95 million drivers worldwide have trusted us with their payments to date. We simplify journeys for millions with smart, intuitive technology and user-focused features. Available in 11 languages, our app is used across more than 1,300 locations -including cities and private operators - in the UK, North America, France, Germany, and Switzerland. With the PayByPhone app, we help parking to be quick, seamless, and secure. Just enter or scan the location code, choose your duration, and pay using your preferred payment method - all from your phone. It’s all designed to simplify your journey, so you can focus on what matters most. Key features: Start and extend parking sessions remotely See active sessions at a glance with the Today View widget Use Maps or Nearby to find available parking Get SMS or push notifications before your session expires Review your parking history and past sessions Pin your parking location to easily find your vehicle Receive emailed receipts for expense tracking Pay with credit/debit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, or PayPal (where available)
NCTD+
Plan, book, and pay for on-demand rides within a specific service area. Track your vehicle in real-time and receive trip updates for convenient door-to-door transportation.
- Plan rides
- Book rides
- Pay for rides
- Real-time vehicle tracking
- Trip updates
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The NCTD+ on demand app lets you plan, book, and pay for rides within a defined area. Use it to view real-time vehicle location tracking and receive trip updates. Go from your location to your destination at the tap of a button. NCTD+ is a service of the North County Transit District.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PayByPhone Parking at 4.8 against NCTD+'s 4.2. PayByPhone Parking also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (769K vs 60). NCTD+'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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.
PayByPhone Parking holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PayByPhone Parking has 769K ratings behind it against 60, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of PayByPhone Parking's written reviews are positive against 25% of NCTD+'s.
PayByPhone Parking ships an update every 9 days, NCTD+ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PayByPhone Parking | NCTD+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (769K ratings) — better | 4.2 (60 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 43.1% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 769K — better | 60 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #47 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 124 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PayByPhone Technologies Inc. | Spare Labs Inc. |
Customer experience
PayByPhone Parking
NCTD+
Bugs and requests
PayByPhone Parking
Reported bugs
5 issues- App freezes and crashes
- Payment transactions fail
- Location detection issues
- Notifications not working
- Overcharging for parking sessions
Requested features
6 requests- Allow paying by minutes or half-hours
- Add ability to end parking session early
- Improve location detection accuracy
- Provide better notifications and reminders
- Enable refunds for unused parking time
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- Simplify the payment and setup process
NCTD+
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PayByPhone Parking
No in-app purchases
NCTD+
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PayByPhone Parking free?
Is NCTD+ free?
Which has better reviews, PayByPhone Parking or NCTD+?
Do PayByPhone Parking or NCTD+ have ads?
Which is updated more often, PayByPhone Parking or NCTD+?
Other comparisons
