SM Parking vs PowerFlex
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SM Parking
Find real-time parking availability and rates in Santa Monica. Reserve spots in advance, check lot occupancy, and locate street parking. Includes a parking timer and direct driveway navigation.
- Real-time parking availability
- Parking rates and detailed cards
- Lot and garage occupancy
- Live street parking map
- Parking timer
- Direct to driveway navigation
- Advance reservations and payment
Read full descriptionHide full description
Download the free Santa Monica Parking app and NEVER CIRCLE THE BLOCK AGAIN in Santa Monica! Whether you are a local, or a visitor looking to shop, dine, or enjoy the beach, the Santa Monica Parking will help you find real-time parking information based your preferences. The Santa Monica Parking app will show you available parking and rates for both lots and on-street metered parking in an easy and fun to use app! Features • Reservations: Reserve and pay for parking in advance, saving you time and money. • Rates: See rates calculated on the map just for you, as well as detailed rate cards for hundreds of parking facilities. • Lots & Garages: Check the real-time occupancy of lots & garages. • Street Parking: See a live map of available street parking. • Parking Timer: Set a timer to help you avoid overstaying your visit at the meter, or to keep you safe on street sweeping day. • Direct to Driveway: When you get directions to a lot or garage, you'll be pointed to the nearest driveway, not just the street address.
PowerFlex
Locate nearby electric vehicle charging stations, initiate charging sessions, and monitor your charging progress. Optimize your energy demand for efficient charging that benefits both you and the power grid.
- Find nearby charging stations
- Start and manage charging sessions
- Monitor charge session data
- Specify energy demand for charging
- Grid-friendly charging optimization
Read full descriptionHide full description
Charging an electric vehicle is easy with PowerFlex. Use the app to explore PowerFlex stations near you, start charging, and stay up to date with your charge session data. The PowerFlex app enables you to specify your energy demand for charging that's a win for both you and the grid.
Screenshots
Verdict
SM Parking and PowerFlex both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of SM Parking's written reviews are positive against 21% of PowerFlex's. SM Parking also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.1). PowerFlex's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (5.6K vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.
SM Parking holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PowerFlex has 5.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of SM Parking's written reviews are positive against 21% of PowerFlex's.
SM Parking ships an update every 7 months, PowerFlex fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SM Parking | PowerFlex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.8 (5.6K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 21.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 5.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #140 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.3 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 61 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | INRIX, Inc | PowerFlex Systems, LLC |
Customer experience
SM Parking
PowerFlex
Bugs and requests
SM Parking
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
PowerFlex
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes frequently
- Charging sessions fail to start
- Compatibility issues with newer devices
- Inaccurate charging estimates
- Inability to cancel charging sessions
Requested features
4 requests- Allow pay-as-you-go option
- Integrate with mobile wallets
- Provide better charging status updates
- Simplify charging process
In-app purchases
SM Parking
No in-app purchases
PowerFlex
No in-app purchases
