Comparison

MobileMeter vs ParkChicago®Map

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

Head to head
About

MobileMeter

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
Read full description

MobileMeter provides an easy way to pay for on-street parking using your iPhone or iPad. You can also login to our secure website to access parking charges, history, profile information and print reports.  Registration with us is free and you are never under an obligation to use our system once you join. If there are ways we can help make your life easier as you're taking the key from the ignition, please let us know!

About

ParkChicago®Map

Find affordable on-street parking in Chicago with an interactive map. View real-time availability, rates, and get directions to your chosen spot. This free service complements a payment app for a seamless parking experience.

Highlights
  • Interactive parking map
  • Search for parking spots
  • View parking availability
  • Get directions to parking
  • See parking rates and restrictions
  • Predictive availability feature
Features
Read full description

The ParkChicago® team introduces ParkChicago®Map, the official on-street parking map app. ParkChicago®Map gives you access to over 36,000 competitively priced parking spaces and helps you find your ideal parking spot. Use the app’s interactive map and search features to find parking at the lowest prices in Chicago city limits so you can skip the garage fees and reservations. ParkChicago®Map is a free service which complements the ParkChicago® app, where you have the convenience of paying for parking (and extending time) with your phone. Get Started Today: - Download the free ParkChicago®Map app - No sign up, no email, no commitments, No hassle - Search for and view parking with the interactive map – use the intuitive pinch-to-zoom feature to view details - Click on the metered spot to view hours of operation and availability - Get directions to the parking spot - Select ParkChicago® to pay for parking The Perks of ParkChicago®Map: - Effortlessly find the most convenient and affordable parking spots in Chicago - Use the predictive availability feature to see when a parking spot will be available over the next week - View metered parking space information such as rates, limits and restrictions - Keep it all mobile! Pay for metered parking via the linked ParkChicago® app Make your parking experience as convenient as possible - download ParkChicago®Map today!

Screenshots

MobileMeter4 screens
ParkChicago®Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: MobileMeter at 4.5 against ParkChicago®Map's 2.1. MobileMeter also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 8%) and ratings volume (702 vs 112). ParkChicago®Map's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 30 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). 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

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

MobileMeter holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MobileMeter has 702 ratings behind it against 112, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of MobileMeter's written reviews are positive against 8% of ParkChicago®Map's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MobileMeter ships an update every 30 months, ParkChicago®Map every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MobileMeter versus ParkChicago®Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobileMeterParkChicago®Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (702 ratings) — better2.1 (112 ratings)
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews — better8.3% of reviews
Number of ratings702 — better112
Update frequencyEvery 30 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCity of ChampaignChicago Parking Meters, LLC

Customer experience

MobileMeter

All ratings661 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral13.0%
Negative53.6%

ParkChicago®Map

All ratings112 ratings
Positive24.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative68.8%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive8.3%
Neutral2.8%
Negative88.9%

User reviews

MobileMeter

From 702 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

ParkChicago®Map

From 112 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Accurate meter locations and pricing (one user)
  • 👍 Helpful for finding parking (two users)
  • 👍 Can direct to payment app (one user)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes frequently
  • 🐛 App does not open
  • 🐛 Parking availability is inaccurate
  • 🐛 Inaccurate meter locations
  • 🐛 Zoom function doesn't work

Bugs and requests

MobileMeter

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Doesn't work on latest iOS
  • Parking time not reflected on meter

Requested features

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

ParkChicago®Map

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • App crashes on opening
  • App does not open
  • Cannot change card on file
  • Parking availability is inaccurate
  • Meter locations are not accurate
Show 8 more
  • Zoom in & out function doesn't work well
  • Most buttons don't do anything
  • Cannot sign in
  • App is not formatted properly on iPhone X
  • Search box does not bring up keyboard
  • Green box displayed on map with no meter info
  • Return to meter view button not functional
  • Color scheme not accessible for colorblind users

Requested features

12 requests
  • Integrate into the main ParkChicago app
  • Fix app crashing issues
  • Improve parking availability accuracy
  • Fix meter location accuracy
  • Fix zoom functionality
Show 7 more
  • Fix non-functional buttons
  • Allow card changes
  • Fix sign-in issues
  • Improve formatting for iPhone X
  • Address colorblind accessibility
  • Update for iPhone 14 Pro
  • Allow searching by location, not just meter number

In-app purchases

None

MobileMeter

No in-app purchases

None

ParkChicago®Map

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MobileMeter free?
MobileMeter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ParkChicago®Map free?
ParkChicago®Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MobileMeter or ParkChicago®Map?
MobileMeter is rated higher. MobileMeter averages 4.5 out of 5 from 702 ratings, while ParkChicago®Map averages 2.1 from 112 ratings.
Do MobileMeter or ParkChicago®Map have ads?
Neither MobileMeter nor ParkChicago®Map shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MobileMeter or ParkChicago®Map?
MobileMeter ships an update every 30 months, and ParkChicago®Map every 7 months. Most recently, MobileMeter was updated on October 15, 2026 and ParkChicago®Map on October 17, 2026.

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