Comparison

PayByPhone Parking vs ZipBy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PayByPhone Parking

Easily pay for parking from your phone, extending sessions remotely and finding nearby spots. Get notifications before your session expires and track your parking history. Supports multiple payment methods for a seamless experience.

Highlights
  • Start and extend parking sessions remotely
  • Find available parking using Maps or Nearby
  • Receive session expiry notifications
  • Review parking history
  • Pin parking location
  • Emailed receipts for expense tracking
  • Multiple payment options
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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)

About

ZipBy

This app allows you to enter and exit enabled car parks without a ticket. It automatically charges your credit card upon exit, eliminating the need to wait in line to pay. You can also pre-book parking spots for added convenience.

Highlights
  • Ticketless entry and exit
  • Automatic credit card payment
  • Pre-book parking spots
  • Secure credit card payment
  • Emailed parking receipts
  • Monthly statements
Features
Read full description

What is ZipBy? When you download and register ZipBy on your phone you can drive in and out of any ZipBy enable car park without needing a ticket. If payment is required it automatically charges your credit card when you exit the car park. Why ZipBy? • Ease of registration • User friendly • Pre-book your parking spot • Ticketless entry and exit • Secure credit card payment • No standing in line to pay for your parking • Emailed parking receipts • Emailed monthly statement • Work expense claims • Register using your contact and credit card details • Once registered no need to interact with the App • Apple Pay available for Zoned Parking payments Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

PayByPhone Parking4 screens
ZipBy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PayByPhone Parking at 4.8 against ZipBy's 4.0. PayByPhone Parking also leads on ratings volume (759K vs 548) and review sentiment (42% vs 18%). ZipBy's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PayByPhone Parking holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PayByPhone Parking has 759K ratings behind it against 548, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of PayByPhone Parking's written reviews are positive against 18% of ZipBy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PayByPhone Parking ships an update weekly, ZipBy every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
PayByPhone Parking versus ZipBy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPayByPhone ParkingZipBy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (759K ratings) — better4.0 (548 ratings)
Positive reviews41.6% of reviews — better18.3% of reviews
Number of ratings759K — better548
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#52 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPayByPhone Technologies Inc.ZipBy

Customer experience

PayByPhone Parking

All ratings759,156 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews2,182 reviews
Positive41.6%
Neutral7.2%
Negative51.1%

ZipBy

All ratings548 ratings
Positive73.4%
Neutral3.1%
Negative23.5%
Written reviews301 reviews
Positive18.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative79.7%

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
Show 1 more
  • Simplify the payment and setup process

ZipBy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PayByPhone Parking

No in-app purchases

None

ZipBy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PayByPhone Parking free?
PayByPhone Parking is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ZipBy free?
ZipBy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PayByPhone Parking or ZipBy?
PayByPhone Parking is rated higher. PayByPhone Parking averages 4.8 out of 5 from 759K ratings, while ZipBy averages 4.0 from 548 ratings.
Do PayByPhone Parking or ZipBy have ads?
PayByPhone Parking shows ads; ZipBy does not.
Which is updated more often, PayByPhone Parking or ZipBy?
PayByPhone Parking ships an update weekly, and ZipBy every 5 weeks. Most recently, PayByPhone Parking was updated on September 24, 2026 and ZipBy on September 23, 2026.

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