ZipBy vs BorderCast West
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
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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.
BorderCast West
Get real-time wait times for US-Canada border crossings, updated frequently with official data. See lane-specific information and alerts for your preferred crossings. Avoid unexpected delays and plan your travel efficiently.
- Real-time border wait times
- Official CBP and CBSA data
- Lane-specific breakdowns
- Northbound and southbound directions
- Customizable alerts
- Home and lock screen widgets
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Real-time US-Canada border wait times from both sides of the crossing. BorderCast combines official CBP and CBSA data to show what's actually happening at the border right now, northbound and southbound, updated every 20–25 minutes. No crowdsourced guesses. No stale data served without warning. Just lane-level facts, clearly timestamped, the moment you open the app. CROSSINGS COVERED Peace Arch (Blaine) Pacific Highway (Blaine) Point Roberts Lynden Sumas WHAT YOU GET Live wait times updated every 20–25 minutes Lane-by-lane breakdown: Standard, NEXUS, Ready Lane Both directions: CBP (northbound) + CBSA (southbound) data Alerts when wait times cross your threshold Home and lock screen widgets — check times without opening the app Clear staleness indicators so you always know how fresh the data is Clean, fast interface — open the app, see your wait, go DATA YOU CAN TRUST Most border apps show you one side of the crossing. BorderCast is the only app that combines the CBP Border Wait Times feed with CBSA data, giving you a complete picture whether you're heading into the US or back into Canada. Both sources are official government data, not community reports, not estimates. Built for cross-border commuters, weekend travelers, NEXUS cardholders, and anyone who'd rather check their phone than sit in a surprise 90-minute line.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: BorderCast West at 100% against ZipBy's 18%. BorderCast West also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). ZipBy's advantage is ratings volume (636 vs 11) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BorderCast West holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZipBy has 636 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of ZipBy's written reviews are positive against 100% of BorderCast West's.
ZipBy ships an update every 5 weeks, BorderCast West weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZipBy | BorderCast West |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (636 ratings) | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 636 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ZipBy | Random Noise Studios |
Customer experience
ZipBy
BorderCast West
In-app purchases
ZipBy
No in-app purchases
BorderCast West
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ZipBy free?
Is BorderCast West free?
Which has better reviews, ZipBy or BorderCast West?
Do ZipBy or BorderCast West have ads?
Which is updated more often, ZipBy or BorderCast West?
Other comparisons
