Life is good until you get stuck in traffic. That’s when a flying thought comes to mind to create a parking app. With the increasing population, roads are filled with vehicles and it’s hard to find parking space. It takes a lot of time to find a parking space.

We are lucky enough, that tech solutions are there to help us with every problem. Enter parking apps – innovative mobile applications that are transforming the way we navigate and manage parking spaces.

The parking market is expected to grow in 2021-2031 with a compound annual growth rate at a CAGR of 17%.

Now the question arises why parking apps are popular?

The main reason behind their popularity is not only convenience, but they improve traffic management, reduce congestion and enhance overall urban mobility.

However, the usage of parking apps has been steadily increasing due to the convenience they offer. It is said that millennial and Gen Z is more likely to use parking apps due to their familiarity with mobile technology.

If you are an entrepreneur looking to optimize parking operations, now is the right time to create a parking app. In this blog, we shall be discussing key strategies, insights, and best practices to create a parking app.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

How to create a parking app?

To create a parking app you should research your competitors, this will give you an idea related to your parking app. Simply, a parking app is a mobile app that helps users to find and manage parking spaces efficiently.

It provides features such as real-time parking availability, navigation, booking, and sometimes even integration with smart parking systems. Plus, it reduces the hassle of searching for parking

Moreover, parking apps guide drivers to available parking spaces, which reduces traffic congestion caused by vehicles circling in search of parking.

The first parking app called ParkNow was launched in 2000 in the Netherlands. It allowed users to find and reserve parking spaces in advance. Some popular apps such as Google Maps, waze have integrated parking features that help users to locate nearby parking lots or street parking.

Let’s look at the type of parking app before investing in the parking app development.

Types of parking apps

It’s not easy to figure out what type of parking app will solve the problem of your users. If you want to provide better parking services, let’s discuss them so that you can choose accordingly.

Local parking app

 

When it comes to local parking app it focuses on providing parking information and services specific to a particular city or region.

It helps users to find parking spots, view parking rates, check availability, and get directions to nearby parking facilities.

Parking sharing appThis app is also known as the P2P parking app. It allows individuals or businesses to rent out their unused parking spaces to drivers in need of parking. User can list their available parking spaces, and set rates and availability, and users looking for parking can book and pay for the spaces through the app.
Broad parking app

 

This one is a comprehensive solution that combines various parking-related features. It typically includes functionalities such as finding parking spaces making reservations, providing navigation, and real-time updates on parking availability.
Parking time app

 

It helps users to keep track of their parking durations and alerts them when parking time is about to expire.

Users set parking timers, receive notifications and manage their parking sessions through the app.

 

Working of parking app

When you create a parking app you should know how it works.

Working on a parking app is very simple, it involves several components and processes. Here’s a general overview of how a parking app operates:

User registration and authentication

When it comes to creating a parking app. Users need to create an account on the parking app by providing their relevant details such as name, email, and password.

Some apps may also offer social media or third-party login options for convenience. Once, registered users may need to verify their account through email or other authentication methods.

Finding parking spaces

The app provides a search feature or a map interface that allows users to find nearby parking spaces based on their location or specifies criteria.

Moreover, users can view parking options, including availability rates, amenities, and user reviews.

Making reservations

If the app supports reservations users can select a desired parking space and make a booking for a specific date and time. Plus, users may be required to provide payment details to secure the reservation.

Real-time updates

The app may integrate with parking management systems or rely on user-generated data to provide real-time updates on parking availability. Moreover, users can receive updates on available spaces, parking lot occupancy, and any changes in parking status.

Digital payments

Many parking apps facilitate digital payments for parking fees. With this users can securely make payments through the app using various methods such as credit cards, mobile wallets, or in-app balances.

Popular parking apps

Before diving into the parking app development study your competitors so that you can create better products for your users. Here are the popular parking apps from UK, US, and Europe.

Best Parking

When you are looking for spots at affordable prices Best parking saves you. The service may work in many cities across North America, Boston, and many more.

The best thing about this app is it provides reserved parking spaces in major American airports like ORD, LAX, and JFK. Additionally, it has pre-booking features so that users can easily reserve a parking spot for a specific date and time.

Spot Hero

Another parking application that provides high-quality services, if you want to find a nearby spot SpotHero is the best. This platform offers parking spots in many cities like Canada, the US, Toronto, Boston, and many more. It offers secure payments with Apple Pay, credit cards, or Google Pay.

Moreover, SpotHero cooperates with various garages that have had 40+ million cars for about 10+ years.

Parking Mate UK

It provides the best parking spot across the city. It has maps attached to the main screen that help users to find more secure parking lots nearby. Also, if there are some specific regulations regarding any particular spot, the app gives a warning about it.

The best thing about parking mate is it gives alerts when the parking time is over.

Parkopedia

Parkopedia has offered services in 89 countries which makes it the largest parking service app and 1500 countries around the world.

Moreover, the app allows users to find parking spaces using the current location of the car or entering the address. It works as a navigation system and filters parking spaces by free spots and more.

Parclick

Parclick offers parking services in more than 250 cities in Europe like Madrid, Paris, Rome, and so on. Whether it’s Vans, cars, or motorbikes it provides parking spots for everything.

In addition, you can easily book a space for a long time and reserve it according to your time. Plus, it offers a bonus system and monthly subscriptions. If you install the app you’ll get a discount of 5%.

Overall, these are some of the best parking apps available in the market. Now you have learned about the competitors you can easily overcome all their mistakes of them in your development process.

Parking app development: Step-by-step guide

Now you don’t have to wonder how to create a parking app, with the help of expert developers by your side you can easily create a parking app.

Here are a few steps that help you with the parking app development include:

Ideation

Every creation starts with ideation, you have to be clear about your project requirements. Now if you are stuck with many different ideas, you can brainstorm and finalize the idea.

Also don’t forget to create a plan for the parking app. In this plan, you have to write down the budget, target audience, location, business name, and many more.

Market research

This is the most crucial step of the development process. By doing extensive market research, it will help you with analyzing your competitors.

You can conduct market research by doing surveys on both offline and online platforms. In this way, you will get an insight into the needs and preferences of your target audience.

Moreover, you can identify your competitors’ mistakes that you can rectify in your development process.

Choose tech stack & location for parking

After doing market research you can choose the tech stack that is suitable for your project. Just make sure you choose the right tech stack as it will affect the cost of parking app development.

The most important thing you’ll require is a parking space. Contact a reliable agent that finds you a good location suitable for parking area. For instance, railway stations and airports are the best locations for parking.

Hire a team of developers

Now you can hire a team of developers and find experts that have proven working experience in developing parking apps.

Hire UI/UX designers, programmers, testers, and the team of QA. With the help of the right team, your parking app will become successful in the long run.

Frontend designing

Ask your team of UI/UX designers to create a lucrative front of the app. If your parking app has a better user experience than your competitors. It will eventually increase the client retention rate and ensure your app’s success.

Backend Development

Working on both frontend and backend goes hand in hand. The expert developer provides functionality to the front end.

This is a crucial process of the parking app development. The code will decide the overall functionality of your app. All you have to do is to maintain proper communication with the team of developers so that your product delivers high-quality services.

Testing

After the completion of the development process, it’s time to your parking mobile app testing. Your team of QA will test the app and look for bugs and errors. After finding they will rectify it and your app is ready for deployment.

Deployment and maintenance

When your app is completely bug and errors free, it’s time to deploy the app in the market. After the deployment, the work is not completed yet.

For maintaining it in the long run, you have to regularly update it.

By following these steps you can easily create a parking app.

How much does it cost to create a parking app?

The parking app development cost depends on the factors such as its complexity, features, platform, and developer’s location. Additionally, ongoing maintenance updates and server costs should be considered.

For basic parking app with features like locating parking spots, booking, and payment integration will cost you around $20,000 to $50,000.

However, the more complex one with advanced features will cost you around $50,000 to $1,50,000 or more. Keep in mind that these are just rough estimates to get more accurate cost contact with us. We are experts in creating parking apps within your requirements.

We also, analyze your project scope, provide detailed cost breakdowns, and offer insights tailored to your needs.

Bottom line

Parking app development requires careful planning and a solid development team. With this blog, you can easily create a parking app. Just make sure you consult the price before investing in the app development. And prioritize security, optimize for multiple platforms, and explore monetization strategies to make your app successful.

If you want to know more feel free to contact us.

FAQ

Begin by defining your app’s goals, features, and target audience. Conduct market research, create a wireframe or prototype, and hire a development team to bring your idea to life.

Essential features include parking spot search, booking/reservation, payment integration, real-time availability tracking, navigation, user reviews/ratings, and notifications.

Integrate popular payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal into your app. Ensure secure transactions and offer options like credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, or digital payment services.

Implement technologies like IoT sensors, GPS, or integration with parking management systems to provide real-time data on parking spot availability and update it dynamically in your app.

Allow users to submit reviews and ratings for parking spots they have used. Implement a rating system, user feedback forms, and a review moderation process to ensure authenticity and quality.

The typical steps include requirements gathering, design and prototyping, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance. Work closely with a development team to streamline the process.

Choose a cross-platform development framework or develop separate native apps for each platform. Ensure platform-specific UI/UX guidelines and test the app thoroughly on different devices.

Implement secure data encryption, authentication mechanisms, and follow best practices for secure coding. Regularly update the app, use HTTPS for data transmission, and protect user privacy.

Explore revenue models like charging a commission on bookings, offering premium features for a fee, in-app advertising, partnerships with parking lot operators, or subscription plans for advanced functionalities.

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