ZipBy vs Buffalo Roam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Ticketless entry and exit
- Automatic credit card payment
- Pre-book parking spots
- Secure credit card payment
- Emailed parking receipts
- Monthly statements
Read full descriptionHide 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.
Buffalo Roam
This app allows you to pay for, extend, and manage your parking sessions in Buffalo directly from your smartphone. Avoid the hassle of meters and receive alerts before your session expires. Track your parking history and view future rate changes easily.
- Pay for parking on the go
- Extend parking sessions remotely
- Manage parking sessions
- Receive parking expiration alerts
- View future parking rate changes
- Access parking history
- Receive email receipts
Read full descriptionHide full description
No more digging for coins. This is how parking should be. Pay, extend, and manage your parking session with Buffalo's official parking app. It’s easy! PAY ON THE GO Pay quickly and securely with your smartphone. - Time's precious, stop wasting it feeding a meter. - Forget refilling the meter in the rain or braving the cold. NO PRICE SURPRISES See when parking rates will change in the future – even when there’s free parking! - Receive email receipts at the end of your parking session. - Expenses made easy, manage your parking history through the mobile app. STRESS-FREE PARKING Get alerts when your parking session is about to end. - Stop worrying about how much time is left on the meter, we have you covered. NO NEED TO RUSH Add time to your parking session directly from your phone.* - Your plans change, your parking spot shouldn't. Simply extend your parking session via our app. -------- GET STARTED TODAY 1. Download the Buffalo Roam app. 2. Park where you see Buffalo Roam app signs. 3. Pay for your parking session from your phone. 4. Relax, welcome to parking as it should be. -------- COMING SOON The Buffalo Roam app is not done yet! We're constantly updating the app based on your feedback. -------- APP PERMISSIONS - Location Services (optional): Used to quickly provide nearby parking zones. * where applicable
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ZipBy at every 5 weeks against Buffalo Roam's every 11 months. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for ZipBy against 4.1 for Buffalo Roam. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 632 and 592 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of ZipBy's written reviews are positive against 21% of Buffalo Roam's.
ZipBy ships an update every 5 weeks, Buffalo Roam every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZipBy | Buffalo Roam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (632 ratings) | 4.1 (592 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | 21.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 632 — better | 592 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ZipBy | City of Buffalo |
Customer experience
ZipBy
Buffalo Roam
In-app purchases
ZipBy
No in-app purchases
Buffalo Roam
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ZipBy free?
Is Buffalo Roam free?
Which has better reviews, ZipBy or Buffalo Roam?
Do ZipBy or Buffalo Roam have ads?
Which is updated more often, ZipBy or Buffalo Roam?
Other comparisons
