3.8
ParkAppsHub score
Parkster - Smooth parking
Parkster AB
Street parking payment · Free
Best for: Drivers in Sweden and nearby Nordic markets who want fee-free street parking payment via app instead of coins or SMS
4.3
Google Play · 134K
4.4
App Store
1M+
Downloads
3
Countries
Europe
AndroidiOS
100+ cities
About this app
Parkster is a Swedish mobile parking payment service from Parkster AB in Lund, live since the early 2010s and now covering more than 700 towns and cities across Sweden, Germany and Austria — from Trelleborg to Kiruna in its home market, plus a fast-growing footprint concentrated in Bavaria and other German regions. Drivers pick a zone code from signage, start a session, extend it remotely and stop it early to pay only for the time actually used, with overpayment protection built in. What separates Parkster from EasyPark and other Nordic rivals is pricing: the Neutral plan charges no service fee at all — you pay exactly the meter rate, settled monthly by invoice or card — while the no-registration Express and feature-rich Complete plans cost a flat 5 SEK or €0.50 per session, still cheaper than most percentage-based surcharges. The app adds family accounts that share one payment method, separate business profiles for expensed parking, residential permit handling, digital receipts, and EV charging at partnered sites in Sweden. For drivers who park mostly in Sweden or southern Germany, Parkster is one of the cheapest legitimate ways to pay for street parking by phone.
- Start, stop and extend street parking sessions remotely, paying only for time used
- Fee-free Neutral plan settled monthly by invoice or card
- Flat-fee Express mode that works without creating an account
- Family accounts and separate business profiles sharing one payment method
- Residential and permit parking support in participating municipalities
- EV charging payment at partnered charge points in Sweden
- Digital receipts with easy sharing for expense reports
Pricing & fees
Free · no service fee on Neutral plan; 5 SEK/€0.50 per session on Express & Complete
- Neutral plan: free, no service fee on top of the municipal parking tariff
- Express plan: 5 SEK (about €0.50) per parking session for instant start/stop
- Complete plan: 5 SEK (about €0.50) per session, adds features like automatic zone detection
- No monthly subscription fee on any plan — costs are strictly pay-per-session
- Payment via saved card or monthly invoice, no cash or SMS surcharge
Accepted payment methods
Credit/debit cardInvoice billingApple PayGoogle Pay
Ratings & scores
Editorial score set by the ParkAppsHub team using our five-criteria grid — see how we rate. Store ratings shown for reference.
What users say
▲ Most praised
- Simple, fast start/stop of parking sessions without hunting for coins
- No hidden service fees on the free Neutral plan compared to competitors that charge per session regardless
- Reliable GPS-based zone detection in most supported Swedish cities
▼ Common complaints
- Occasional GPS misdetection of the correct parking zone leading to being charged the wrong tariff
- Slow customer support response when disputing a parking fine
- Limited city coverage outside Sweden compared to pan-European rivals
Summarised from recent user reviews on Google Play, the App Store and consumer platforms. Themes, not verbatim quotes.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Neutral plan adds zero service fees — you pay exactly the posted meter rate
- Flat 5 SEK/€0.50 fee on other plans undercuts percentage-based rivals like EasyPark
- Stop-early billing plus overpayment protection means no paying for unused time
- Family and business accounts make shared cars and expensed parking painless
- Express mode lets occasional users pay without registering
What could improve
- Invoice-based billing trips up foreign visitors — German-language invoices can arrive weeks later, sometimes payable only by bank transfer
- Some users report parking fines despite an active app session, with slow dispute resolution
- Customer service draws frequent criticism on Trustpilot as slow or unhelpful
- Thin presence in major metros outside Sweden — German coverage skews toward smaller municipalities
How to use Parkster - Smooth parking
- Install Parkster from Google Play or the App Store and register with your license plate — or use Express mode without an account.
- Pick a plan: Neutral for zero fees, Complete for family features, Express for one-off sessions at a flat fee.
- Enter or confirm the zone code shown on nearby parking signage and select your vehicle.
- Start the session, then extend or stop it from your phone so you only pay for the time you actually park.
- Settle costs monthly by invoice or card and download receipts from the app when you need them.
Editor’s tips
- Pick the Neutral plan if instant confirmation isn't critical — it carries zero service fees versus the 5 SEK charge on Express/Complete
- Turn on automatic zone detection via GPS so you don't have to key in the parking zone code manually
- Set an in-app expiry reminder before your paid session ends to avoid a fine
- Use the digital receipt/export feature to expense business parking without paper tickets
Editor’s verdict
Parkster's pitch is refreshingly simple: paying for parking by phone shouldn't cost extra. On its Neutral plan the app charges no service fee whatsoever — a genuine rarity in a market where EasyPark and Mobill add a surcharge to nearly every session — and even its convenience tiers cap out at a flat 5 SEK or €0.50. Combined with a clean start/stop interface, overpayment protection, family accounts and monthly invoicing, that makes it the default recommendation for anyone parking regularly in Sweden. The picture is patchier abroad. German and Austrian coverage is growing but concentrated in smaller municipalities, and the invoice-based billing Swedes find convenient regularly trips up visitors: Trustpilot is dotted with complaints about German-language invoices arriving weeks after the trip, cards not being charged, and bank-transfer-only payment requests. Support responsiveness is a recurring gripe too. As a low-cost primary app in its home markets Parkster earns its 4.3 stars; as a travel app it demands more attention than rivals.
— The ParkAppsHub editorial team · 2026-08-06
How it compares
vs EasyPark
EasyPark covers far more countries and cities across Europe; Parkster is the stronger pick if you mainly park in Sweden and want a genuinely fee-free plan option.
vs PayByPhone
PayByPhone has broader international coverage including North America; Parkster's Neutral plan undercuts it on cost for Swedish users who don't need instant confirmation.
vs RingGo
RingGo is dominant in the UK; Parkster is the better choice if you're parking specifically within Sweden's municipal zones.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Parkster work?
In more than 700 towns and cities across Sweden, Germany and Austria. Swedish coverage stretches from Trelleborg in the south to Kiruna in the north, while the German footprint is strongest in Bavaria and smaller municipalities rather than the biggest metros.
Is Parkster really free to use?
The app is free and the Neutral plan adds no service fee — you pay only the meter rate, billed monthly. The Express (no account) and Complete plans charge a flat 5 SEK or €0.50 per parking session.
How does payment actually work?
Parkster bills monthly by invoice or card rather than charging your card per session. Express users without an account may receive an invoice by post or email afterwards — something that has caught tourists in Germany off guard.
I paid in the app but still got a fine — what now?
Fines come from the municipality or parking operator, not Parkster. Contact Parkster support with your session receipt to contest it; user reports suggest outcomes vary and resolution can be slow.
Does Parkster handle EV charging?
Yes — you can pay for charging at partnered charge points in Sweden from the same app. Support for Germany and Austria was still being rolled out as of 2026.
What happens if I get a parking fine while using Parkster?
The fine is issued by the municipality or landowner, not Parkster; you dispute it directly with the issuing authority, though Parkster's session history and digital receipts can serve as proof of payment when contesting an erroneous ticket.
Can businesses use Parkster for fleet or employee parking?
Parkster offers invoice billing and exportable digital receipts that support expensing parking costs, useful for business users, though a dedicated multi-user fleet/business console is not a headline feature of the consumer app.
Does Parkster work without an internet connection?
No, starting and stopping a paid session requires a live connection since the app communicates session data to the municipal parking system in real time; a lost connection can leave a session unclosed.
About the developer
Parkster AB is a Swedish mobility-payments company based in Stockholm that builds digital street-parking solutions for drivers and municipalities. Its flagship app lets users start and stop parking sessions, pay tariffs directly to the local authority, and avoid coins, SMS codes, or ticket machines. Parkster partners with Swedish municipalities and private parking operators to digitize on-street and lot parking, positioning itself around transparent, low-fee payment compared to rivals that add flat service charges to every transaction.
Additional information
Developer
Parkster AB
Founded
2011
Headquarters
Stockholm, Sweden
Category
Street parking payment
Price
Free
Coverage
100+ cities
Downloads
1M+
Languages
Swedish, English, Finnish, Norwegian
Reviewed
2026-08-06
Where it works
100+ cities — including Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala, Lund, Helsingborg, Örebro, Linköping.
Sweden
Germany
Austria
Similar apps
More in Europe →
EasyPark
JustPark
Parclick
PayByPhone
Independent review. ParkAppsHub is not affiliated with Parkster AB. App name, logo and screenshots belong to their owners and are shown for identification and review purposes. Coverage, prices and features change — verify current conditions with the publisher. Last reviewed 2026-08-06.