Car Parking Finder Mobile App Development: Cost and Features

What is a car parking finder app? As the term states, it’s a mobile application that helps daily commuters easily find a car parking space and save time. Besides providing a fast car parking process, it reduces road traffic and air and noise pollution with an improved user experience. 

So, to maintain an equilibrium between the growing cars and the parking space, business savvies are devising to acknowledge these issues as an opportunity to grab a huge market share. So forth, while embarking on a parking business, an increasing number of people are coming ahead to learn how to develop a car parking finder app. 

By 2031, the parking finder apps market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 17.6%.

Not to fret! We have a comprehensive guide offering you all relevant information about this app, including the cost to build a car parking finder app, its working, business model, features to include, tools and technology to choose from, and more. 

So, let’s get the ball rolling. 

What is a Car Parking Finder App and How It Works? 

A car parking finder app is a mobile application that helps users locate car parking spots in their preferred areas. Even users can find and book their parking spaces before reaching their destination, saving time and making the person stress-free when in a hurry. 

Working of A Car Parking Finder App

1. Enter the Destination Location:

The car parking spot locator app locates nearby parking spaces utilizing well-equipped GPS technology. For that, the users enter their current or GPS-entitled location. They can even type their destination address before reaching there, saving extra time. 

2. Display of Map Showing Nearby Parking Lots:

The app showcases a map revealing the nearby parking lots, street parking options, and garages. 

3. Parking Slot Selection:

The user picks a parking slot that suits his preferences, availability, and distance from his destination. 

4. Direction Guiding:

After the user finalizes a parking space, the app guides him with directions to his chosen spot. 

This is the basic working of car parking location apps with advanced features and functionalities; such applications go a little ahead, offering users reservation options, real-time parking availability updates, payment systems, and more, allowing them to witness a seamless car parking experience. 

Why Consider Investing in Car Parking Finder Mobile Apps?

The parking finder mobile apps are the need of the hour and are gaining a lot of popularity because people don’t want to spend their time looking for parking spots. 

Per the latest report, 92% of the global respondents put forth their struggle in locating parking spots. Even US drivers are witnessing issues every time they look to park their vehicles. 

The lack of parking spaces has poked the need for IoT-based smart car parking finder applications. The development of such an app will pull the victims (drivers) out of such problematic situations and give a push to the app owners, increasing their bottom line. This is one of the top reasons why a newbie or an existing car parking finder app owner should invest in building an app for seamless operations.

Research by Globe Newswire predicts a growth in the global smart parking market size to USD $16.54 billion by 2030. 

How Do Car Parking Finder Apps Make Car Drivers and Parking Managers Work Easy?  

Nowadays, parking space finder apps are top-rated as they hold the caliber to resolve various issues and pave the way to start a parking-finding business. 

Let’s unveil the issues that a parking app can solve:

1. For Users

a) Multi-Space Parking Meters

You might have experienced some fellows parking their vehicles in two or more spots, occupying an extra space. Well, it becomes challenging to discover such a case. 

Solution: Here, a parking spot finder app can offer a helping hand to the staff of that parking lot to easily keep an eye on the area, and in case of double parking, they can notify the seekers for better management. 

b) Reduce Air Pollution

While searching for a parking space, vehicles must wait, wasting their time roaming here and there and causing air contamination. 

Solution: With a car parking app, drivers will find a spot to park too early, saving them time and freeing them from waiting too long. 

c) Locate Free Spaces

Finding vacant parking spaces manually is difficult, taking much of the person’s time. 

Solution: A parking lot car finder app development can help you find various vehicle parking areas nearby quickly and easily. 

2. For Businesses

a) Parking Management

Manually, it’s tough for parking management business owners to keep track of parked spaces, the number of hours requested to park, vacant spots, and more. 

Solution: A car parking space management app can help keep track of every aspect relevant to parking space, its availability, scheduled booking, and more. 

b) Pricing and Other Rules

On drivers’ arrival, the parking lot owners must narrate the rules, pricing policies, and more details about parking a vehicle. It irritates both parties to tell and listen to the same story repeatedly. 

Solution: A parking app can include a section displaying rules and pricing ranges to save time and make the participants happy. 

c) Improved User Experience

Obviously, if your customers face any issues or find their time going in vain, they will never be your repetitive clients. 
Solution: A user-friendly and smooth experience in finding parking spaces and a seamless reservation offered by a parking space finder app will improve the experience.

Significance of Geography Coverage & Parking Time in The Case of Car Parking Finder Apps

It is essentially important to keep in mind the strengths along with the weaknesses of your competitors before setting a foot in the industry. These parking apps can be segregated in several different ways before being launched.

By the Significance of Geographical Coverage

There are two tracks that all businesses should consider before venturing into the industry. Take a look at the two tracks:

1. Focus Mainly on Localizations

Under this category, parking finder apps include a coverage space in a certain megalopolis. They try to cover areas of indoor and on-road parking under their apps and provide service for the same. This is limited to a set parameter.

2. Focus on Spreading Geographically

Under this category, the services of a parking app provider are not limited to a certain city or a state. This one includes services that can be availed in a number of countries and various cities. One example of this is the ParkRight app which offers services in over 1,000 cities across the globe.

By the Significance of Parking Time

Two categories come under this, whereas, parking owners can consider having both these categories in their app.

1. Parking in Advance

Under this category of on-demand parking finder apps, the users can book a parking spot long before they want to park in that location. Apps that are built under this category notifies the users about the parking booking made by them at a spot.

2. Parking on The Fly

Then there are apps that offer a tailor-made experience to the users, wherein they can book the parking slot on the go. They can enter their location and at the same time be notified about the parking spots that are available for them to park their car.

Types of Car Parking Finder App Development 

Before you build an app for your business, you should know that you can build various types of car parking finder apps. You can pick any per your interest in a specific niche. 

Let’s discuss a few below:

1. Car Parking Spot Booking App

This type of smart parking app incorporates a distinctive set of features and functionalities you get in other such apps. 

Besides offering you the ease of finding a parking spot, this app helps you book that spot for the preferred time and guides you in the right direction toward the vacant spot. If you want to develop a car parking spot booking app for your parking business, ensure your venture includes every essential feature and functionality a customer expects. 

2. Car Parking Spot Finder App

If you are going somewhere and want to find a parking spot for your car prior to or after reaching there, the car parking spot finder app would be a great help to you. 

Compared to other car parking finder apps, building an app like this includes fewer features but performs as expected. It helps save time, effort, and fuel. 

3. Comprehensively-Functional Parking Finder App

Such sort of car parking mobile app holds every possible feature that can ease drivers’ car parking journey, from finding the spot to showing directions, booking, and payment. 

4. Valet Reserving Car Parking Space Finder App  

This car parking space finder app is best for those who want to get free from their parking journey. Using such apps, the users get assistance from parking spot men, who get car keys and take care of the entire car parking process, from finding an area to booking, parking, and handing the car back to the owner. If you want to build such an app, highlight these features, like a hybrid parking system, QR code-based navigation system, manpower and parking management, valet parking system, etc.

Car Parking Mobile App Business Models

Are you planning to build a parking finder application for mobile in the near future and confused with how will the business run? Well, there are several types of businesses one can consider doing through these apps.

Below is the segregation of the business types of parking finder mobile apps.

1. Dedicated

This one is most suitable for the startups as they can consider including just the main features under MVP without having to invest much. With the help of these applications, the users will just be able to find a parking spot nearest to their vehicle, however, they will not be allowed to make the booking with their device.

2. Aggregated

This one is a fully functional application with a plethora of options to choose from. The users can go through the entire process of looking up for a car parking space available near them, to making selection of the one that suits their requirements. The users can then make the booking online through the application and book the spot according to their preference and make an online payment. The app then assists the user in finding the location with the help of GPS and navigation features available.

3. Parking App full of functions

The development cost of an application is much higher as compared to the business models mentioned above. It takes the experience a notch higher with additional advanced features making it stand out of the crowd and generating interest of the users. This one allows the users to ask for door-to-door service and includes valet parking as well. This service is safe and secure as the users are provided with full details of the drivers taking their cars to the valet along with their identification photos.

Car Parking Finder App Development: Top Examples

Before stepping into the world of car parking finder apps, you must know about your competitors and the tricks they are following to stay ahead of the curve. 

Let’s check out some giants in the parking finder app market. 

1. Best Parking – Find Parking

Downloads: 1M+

This app is widely downloaded for its caliber and ability to find and book parking at competitive pricing. Above that, this best parking app allows discounts near users’ offices looking for regular parking services. 

Key Features

• Avail parking spots anytime and anywhere. 
• Compare parking prices of garages and lots. 
• Reserve parking spaces at the selected lot or garage. 
• Provide driving directions to the parking area.

2. ParkMobile: Park. Pay. Go.

Downloads: 5M+

Millions of users have opted for this parking space finder app that has transformed how people reserve their parking spots and book a parking space for their vehicles. Besides, this app eases payment facilities for the users, making their parking experience effortless and seamless. 

Key Highlights

• Allow prior booking before reaching the spot
• Smoothly, multiple vehicles and drivers 
• Provide flexible payment options 
• Easy switch to a business account when a driver is parking for work

3. PayByPhone

Downloads: 10M+

One of the top parking spot finder apps, PayByPhone is preferred by millions of users as the best app for finding and booking their vehicle parking spot. 

Key Highlights

• Parking history details
• Find parked vehicles using the pin feature
• Flexible payment options
• Email parking payment receipts
• Notification alert for parking session expiration

4. Easy Park – Parking Made Easy

Downloads: 10M+

Preferred by many businesses, drivers, and operators, this car parking location app serves 20+ countries, easing parking jobs and saving time and money. 

Key Highlights

• Easy session start and stop permission from mobile devices
• Remote session extension option
• Split your work and private parking accounts
• Find parking nearby before reaching the destination
• Notification for sessions close to expiration 

5. ParkMate

Downloads: 100k+

This app has arrived with a new concept of car parking.  You only need to reach the destination, and with just one click, you will find your car parked at your location. Yes, it’s a smart parking solution that offers a seamless parking experience to the users. 

Key Highlights

• Valet Parking System and Trained Manpower
• High-Quality Manpower & Parking Management
• QR Code-based navigation system
• Hybrid Parking System
• Drop & Shop Solution

Top Features To Include During Car Parking Finder App Development

A useful car parking finder app must include features and functionalities to ease parking slot finding, booking, payment, and more. Excluding the driver, your app should be developed targeting parking space owners and admin (parking business owners). 

Let’s segment the features and functionalities before you develop a car parking finder app. 

1. Features for Drivers (User Panel)

2. Features and Functionalities for Parking Space Owners

3. Features and Functionalities for Car Parking App Managers (Admin Panel)

Advanced AI Features that Automate the Car Parking Finder App

How To Develop a Car Parking Finder App? 5 Key Steps to Follow

While kickstarting the development of a car parking app, you must be well-prepared with a robust plan; this section will help you learn. 

1. Conduct Deep Market Research

This is the basic step that’s important to consider when starting with something new. So, you should conduct in-depth market research to find the areas where people are facing issues finding a car parking lot, which leads to a waste of time. 

Also, take a survey and list out the locations where a car parking app can gain traction and may be useful in resolving the car parking issues of the residents and commuters. Areas where the garages and parking lots stay vacant, don’t need the car parking finder application development, as showing idle parking spaces would make the app useless. 

2. Choose an Engaging App Design

While offering your app users the ease of finding, booking, and paying for a car parking area, you need to ensure they find your app easy to use with an appealing design. Finding user-friendly apps will increase user experience and make app users repeatedly use their app when they meet their car parking needs. 

Besides, the steps from finding a space to booking and payment need to be minimal, aiming to offer a smart parking solution to the users. Remember to follow this step while building a car parking finder app. 

3. Integrate Essential Features of a Car Parking Space Finder App

Consider integrating every useful feature while you develop a car parking finder app. Consider the above to increase the downloads of your mobile application. 

Initially, you can include basic features, and with time, while your app gains popularity, you can upgrade advanced features, which will, in turn, boost your revenue streams. 

4. Develop a Functional App

Now, as you are set with a magnetizing design and features to include, it’s time to build a car parking app that can provide users with every essential detail relevant to easy parking finding. 

5. Update Your Car Parking Finder App

Only building an app is not enough; regular maintenance and support are required for a successful run. While you hire a mobile app development company, be sure you get ongoing support to make your app performance intact and increase customer loyalty. 

Required Team Structure for Car Parking Finder Mobile App Development 

If you want to develop a parking space finder app, you need to hire a team that can build and deploy your app perfectly. 

1. App Developers

You need to hire skilled and experienced mobile app developers to create a custom car parking finder app. 

You have two options here: either hire a mobile app development company or an in-house team for your app development project. 

Besides, you should know hiring an in-house team will cost you more as you need to avail them of infrastructure, resources, and more.  You can hire a dedicated company that suits your budget and will accomplish your project as required. 

2. UI/UX Designers

Application design plays a crucial role in increasing customer engagement and making them repeatedly use your app when needed. 

So, you need to make sure your app is easily navigable and user-friendly, as users will not cherish spending time understanding the workings of the app. 

A creative UI/UX designer can help you attain this by designing your app uniquely and per your expectations. 

3. Frontend Developers

An app’s user interface and user experience are crucial to make it functional. A front-end developer implements the designs created by UI/UX designers. 

Your app development team should include professional UX/UI developers who aim to simplify user interaction with the app. 

4. Backend Developers

This team member is responsible for creating, testing, debugging, and maintaining your app’s backend. 

While hiring a backend developer, ensure he holds the essential technical proficiency you want for your app. 

5. QA Engineers

The QA engineer works on your app’s technical aspects, including implementing features, writing code, and meeting functionality needs. 

So, be sure you go with highly experienced QA engineers who are best at addressing bugs and resolving them for seamless performance ahead. 

6. Project Managers

A project manager holds the caliber to manage resources, give time and skills, and guide the project towards the clients’ scope. 

Look for a project manager with robust organizational skills who can multitask and effectively collaborate and communicate with other team members. 

Revenue Model Of Car Parking Finder App Development Business

There are plenty of opportunities for parking finder mobile apps to make money. Like all other apps, the app developers earn a lot of returns on these apps as well. Higher downloads will help the companies earn more revenue due to its reach and availability. These apps have not only enhanced the parking experience of the users but have taken it a notch higher by easing the entire process. Take a look at how these apps make money:

1. Commissions

This is one of the most profit earning ways and has proved to be a major revenue generator. Commissions function in a very easy manner, where a user books a parking slot from the app for which he is charged a fair amount of money by the parking owner. Though all the money goes to the parking owners, a certain percentage on each booking goes to the parking app owners. This way, the app owners get some amount for each booking made through the app.

2. Featured Listing

These basically involve the marketing and branding of the car parking owners. The money earned through this is certainly the extra buck one can make out of their application. Under this, the app owners run certain marketing campaigns on their landing pages allowing the park owners to buy space for featuring their brand and company name. The parking owners are charged some amount for featured listing on pages of these marketing campaigns.

3. Advertisements

Now this one is a common source of revenue generation for almost all mobile applications. They lend out space on their apps to other brand names that are associated with car parking, including car brands, car service centers among others. A lot of revenue is generated through this medium.

4. Subscription-based parking plans

This is a possible means of earning more money through the app. The app can give out users monthly or annual subscriptions, through which they have to pay a certain amount of money at the beginning of a month or a year to enjoy certain benefits of memberships and make advance bookings for the parking spots. This also helps the users to avoid queues and long lines for parking.

5. Loyalty points

To sustain revenue and keep the users glued on to your application, you must ensure to provide them certain benefits for their loyalty in some way or the other. This ensures a long association of the user with the app and a permanent source of revenue for the parking finder mobile application.

Things to Avoid in Car Parking App Business

There are certain things that might annoy the users leading them to uninstall your parking finder mobile app from their device and replace it with another app in no time. Therefore, app developers should look at each function of these apps carefully before launching them. Following are some common mistakes that should be avoided by the parking finder apps:

1. Inconvenient Filtering

A user has to enter his details and choices while filtering for comparing prices and looking at the available options. However, if a user inputs filters according to his choice and them clicks on the details of the garage and returns to the page, it will be annoying for the person to enter his details all over again once the information is lost. Therefore, it is important to secure the search filters to avoid the repetition of information.

2. Incorrect Booking Rates

Don’t let any discrepancies offer the app services. An app should display the accurate prices of the parking spot and any changes in the same might affect the reputation of the application. The user should be able to see only the real charges of the parking area.

3. Limitation of Choice

A parking app should be able to offer a large number of parking spaces to the users. Limiting the parking spots might make it a hindrance. The parking app owners should always try to expand their business so that the user can get a better experience and wider scope for selecting a spot for their vehicle.

4. Poor Information

A parking finder app should be well-equipped with all the information on garages and other information. Lack of all such information will lose out on users as they might not find the application reliable and useful in the long run. The info should also include extra service, photos, address, contact information, and other important information.

5. Issues in App Design

if the design of an app is confusing, it might not be able to appeal to the users. A lengthy and monotonous registration process might make the user lose interest in the beginning itself leading to uninstalling the app.

Solutions to Overcome Challenges While Developing a Car Parking Finder App

Building a car parking spot finder app comes with numerous technical and non-technical challenges. 

Every issue surfaces with a solution; we just need to figure it out skillfully. Below, we have also listed solutions to beat the challenges you can face building a parking spot finder app. 

Let’s unveil them separately:

1. Technical Challenges

#1 Smooth integration of the app with a GPS system that helps in locating available parking spots accurately. 

Solution: Connect with GPS technology providers who promise precise location tracking. 

#2 Compatibility with varied operating systems and smartphone platforms.

Solution: Consider conducting rigorous testing on different operating systems and smartphone platforms to attain flawless functionality. 

#3 Creating algorithms for real-time data analysis and parking availability predictions. 

Solution: Prefer employing data analysis and machine learning for improved parking availability anticipation. 

#4 Handling huge data volumes for parking locations’ mapping and showcasing. 

Solution: Collaborate with parking facility providers and make the best use of their data for accurate mapping. 

#5 Secure payment systems implementation for online parking space booking. 

Solution: Choose encryption and authentication protocol implementation for secure payment processing. 

2. Non-Technical Issues

#1 Obtain precise and up-to-date details of parking space availability from varied sources. 

Solution: Update your parking availability details regularly, utilizing user-generated content and choosing through partnerships. 

#2 Customer support management from booking issues, technical problems, and payment disputes. 

Solution: Provide responsive customer support and a seamless system implementation best at handling user issues and inquiries effectively. 

#3 Locating user privacy concerns relevant to personal data and location tracking. 

Solution: Provide users control over their data and clearly communicate your privacy policies. 

#4 Offering intuitive navigation and a user-friendly interface for the app. 

Solution: Perform user testing and accumulate feedback to improve the app’s usability constantly. 

#5 Dealing with potential partnerships and competition with existing parking-finding apps and facilities. 

Solution: Differentiate the app based on partnerships and unique features with popular parking facilities. 

How EmizenTech Can Facilitate the Development of a Car Parking Finder Mobile App 

Developing a car parking finder app demands advanced knowledge and experience in varied factors. Here, a leading mobile app development company with experience building such apps can help you. 

If you are looking to build a car parking finder app from a reliable company, EmizenTech is a perfect choice. The company follows the latest tools and technologies to build mobile apps.

Key Highlights of EmizenTech

• Free Consultation
• Perfect Guidance
• Team of Experienced and Skilled Professionals
• Choose the Right Tech Stack
• Build Competitive Apps
• Offer Best Pricing

Wrapping Up

In the end, we hope you find this blog post helpful for taking your on-demand car parking app development idea a step ahead toward the creation. 

Also, you don’t need to fret about How to Create a Car Parking Finder App, as hiring an automotive app development company can help you with proper guidance that will lead to useful app development. Putting all your worries and load of your app development project onto the company you choose, you can perform other valuable jobs essential for being a car parking finder business owner. 

Have something to share or ask? Comment down below, and we will be happy to serve you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for Car Parking Mobile App Development