# ParkChicago® vs MobileMeter

The clearest difference is update cadence: ParkChicago® at every 3 months against MobileMeter's every 30 months. ParkChicago® also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 702) and chart position (#206 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

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

ParkChicago® holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ParkChicago® has 14K ratings behind it against 702, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of ParkChicago®'s written reviews are positive against 34% of MobileMeter's.

ParkChicago® ships an update every 3 months, MobileMeter every 30 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ParkChicago® | MobileMeter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parkchicago/id686658594/reviews)** | [4.5 (702 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobilemeter/id948398747/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 702 |
| Positive reviews | **36.7% of reviews** | 34.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 30 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#206** | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chicago Parking Meters, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455227699) | [City of Champaign](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491980837) |

## What reviewers say

### ParkChicago®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parkchicago/id686658594)

**Currently charting:** #206 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Manage your entire parking experience directly from your smartphone. Pay for, extend, and track your parking sessions with ease, eliminating the need for physical meters or coins. Receive helpful notifications and access your parking history.

**Highlights:** Pay for parking sessions, Extend parking sessions, Receive low time notifications, Access parking history, Receive email receipts, Find parking with interactive map

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 🔒 Secure payment processing
- ⏱️ Helpful time reminders
- 📱 Ability to manage parking from phone

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive fees and minimum balance requirements
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app performance
- 🔄 Forced account reloading
- ⚠️ Lack of transparency and customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Endless login/account creation loop
- App crashes and freezes
- Payment issues and incorrect charges
- Inability to remove/edit linked vehicles

**Requested features**

- Allow partial balance refunds
- Integrate with location services for zone detection
- Provide option to pay for exact parking time
- Improve communication with parking enforcement


### MobileMeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobilemeter/id948398747)

Easily pay for on-street parking directly from your iPhone or iPad. Access your parking history, charges, and profile information through a secure website, and print reports.

**Highlights:** Pay for on-street parking, Use iPhone or iPad, Access secure website, View parking charges, Access parking history, Print reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient
- 💡 Useful app
- 🚀 Excellent parking app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive convenience fee
- 🐛 Doesn't work with latest iOS
- 🐛 Crashes and issues opening app
- 💰 Inflexible and possibly malicious
- 🐛 Faulty app

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Doesn't work on latest iOS
- Parking time not reflected on meter

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Watch app
- Allow early parking session end
- Improve UI and UX
- Add QR code scanning for parking spots


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ParkChicago® free?

ParkChicago® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MobileMeter free?

MobileMeter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ParkChicago® or MobileMeter?

ParkChicago® is rated higher. ParkChicago® averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while MobileMeter averages 4.5 from 702 ratings.

### Do ParkChicago® or MobileMeter have ads?

Neither ParkChicago® nor MobileMeter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ParkChicago® or MobileMeter?

ParkChicago® ships an update every 3 months, and MobileMeter every 30 months. Most recently, ParkChicago® was updated on September 24, 2026 and MobileMeter on September 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*