4.1
ParkAppsHub score
SpotHero
SpotHero, Inc.
Off-street booking · Free
Best for: drivers in US/Canada cities who want to book and guarantee cheap off-street parking (garages/lots) in advance
4.7
Google Play · 19.7K
4.9
App Store
1M+
Downloads
2
Countries
North America
AndroidiOSWeb
300+ cities
About this app
SpotHero, founded in Chicago in 2011, is a reservation marketplace for off-street parking rather than a meter-payment app. Drivers search an address, venue or airport, compare nearby garages, lots and valets on a map, and prepay at rates that frequently undercut drive-up prices by a wide margin. The quoted price is all-in — taxes and fees included — and reservations can be cancelled for a full refund up to one minute before they begin. Coverage spans more than 13,000 facilities across 400+ cities in the United States and Canada, with the deepest inventory in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia and Toronto. Beyond hourly bookings, SpotHero handles airport parking with shuttle details, event and stadium parking, and recurring monthly contracts, plus filters for covered, EV-charging, wheelchair-accessible and in/out-privilege spots. Redemption is handled through an in-app Parking Pass — a QR scan, license-plate recognition or showing the attendant. The company passed 100 million cars parked in late 2025, and in February 2026 Uber announced an agreement to acquire it and fold parking reservations into the Uber app. It books commercial facilities only: there is no on-street payment and no coverage outside North America.
- Prepaid, guaranteed reservations at 13,000+ garages, lots and valets
- All-in pricing with taxes and fees shown upfront at checkout
- Free cancellation until one minute before the reservation starts
- Airport parking with shuttle info, plus event and stadium presale bookings
- Monthly parking contracts for commuters
- Filters for covered, EV charging, accessible and in/out-privilege spots
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration with QR or license-plate redemption
Pricing & fees
Free · pay per booking, taxes and fees included in the quoted price
- App is free to download; drivers pay per booking with taxes and all fees included in the quoted price shown before purchase
- Prices for garages/lots are typically discounted 30-50% versus drive-up rate, especially for pre-booked daily or event parking
- A per-transaction booking/service fee (roughly $1-3) is baked into the displayed total rather than shown as a separate add-on
- Monthly parking passes available in many cities, often at a lower effective daily rate than single bookings
- Cancellation policies vary by facility; many spots allow free cancellation up to a set window before the reservation start time
Accepted payment methods
Credit/debit cardApple PayGoogle PayPayPal
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
- Reliable way to guarantee a discounted, pre-paid spot near stadiums, airports and downtown areas
- Clear in-app directions and barcode/QR entry make garage check-in fast
- Good for advance planning around concerts and sporting events with known parking
▼ Common complaints
- Occasional mismatches between the app listing and the actual garage (wrong entrance, gate not recognizing the code, or spot marked full)
- Refunds and customer support response times can be slow when a reservation issue occurs at the garage
- Some users report the discount versus walk-up pricing is smaller than expected in certain cities
Summarised from recent user reviews on Google Play, the App Store and consumer platforms. Themes, not verbatim quotes.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Prepaid rates often dramatically cheaper than drive-up prices in big metros
- Full refund on cancellations right up to the reservation start time
- Deep airport, event and monthly inventory across 400+ US and Canadian cities
- Polished booking flow with clear Parking Pass redemption instructions
- No visible service fee — the checkout price is the final price
What could improve
- Oversold lots are a recurring complaint: drivers with valid reservations get turned away at busy events
- Refund friction — users report account credits instead of money back, photo-evidence demands, and waits of up to 21 days
- Some garage attendants are unfamiliar with SpotHero rates, leading to double-charging on site
- Off-street only in the US and Canada — no street parking and no international coverage
How to use SpotHero
- Download the app and create a free SpotHero account
- Enter a destination address, venue or airport plus your arrival and exit times
- Compare spots on the map by price, walking distance and reviews, using filters like covered or EV charging
- Book and pay in-app — the displayed total already includes all taxes and fees
- On arrival, redeem your Parking Pass: scan the QR code, let the camera read your plate, or show the attendant
- Cancel or rebook free of charge any time before the reservation starts if plans change
Editor’s tips
- Book earlier in the week for weekend events (concerts, games) since garage prices near venues rise as the date approaches
- Check the 'grace period' or entry/exit window on your reservation carefully — arriving too early or leaving too late can trigger extra charges at the gate
- Use the in-app extend feature if you need more time rather than risking a violation, since some garages charge steep drive-up rates for overstays
- Compare a few nearby garages in the app before booking, since prices for facilities a few blocks apart can differ significantly
Editor’s verdict
SpotHero remains the benchmark for prepaid off-street parking in North America, and the fundamentals are genuinely strong: transparent all-in pricing, a generous cancel-until-start policy, and discounts that can halve the cost of a downtown or airport stay in cities like Chicago, New York and Toronto. The booking flow is among the slickest in the category, and airport, event and monthly inventory gives it a breadth ParkWhiz and city-specific rivals struggle to match. The weak point is what happens when things go wrong. A persistent stream of complaints — on Trustpilot, the BBB and in Play Store reviews — describes oversold lots at events, attendants who do not honor SpotHero rates, and a refund process that leans on account credits and photo evidence rather than quick repayment. Those failures are a minority of 100 million+ parks, but they sting because the product's whole promise is a guaranteed spot. With Uber's pending acquisition announced in February 2026, expect deeper app integration ahead. For planned city, airport or game-day parking, it is still the first app to check.
— The ParkAppsHub editorial team · 2026-08-06
How it compares
vs ParkMobile
ParkMobile focuses on on-street metered parking paid by the minute/hour, while SpotHero specializes in pre-booked off-street garages and lots at a guaranteed price — pick SpotHero when you want a reserved spot in advance.
vs PayByPhone
PayByPhone is mainly for paying municipal on-street meters and public lots on demand in the US, Canada and Europe; SpotHero is better for advance reservations at private garages, especially near events.
vs EasyPark
EasyPark is strongest for on-street and short-stay parking across Europe and parts of North America, whereas SpotHero's core strength is North American off-street garage booking with guaranteed pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Is SpotHero free to use?
The app is free and SpotHero adds no visible service fee — you pay the parking price shown at checkout, which already includes all taxes and fees. Some facilities charge an on-site oversize fee for vehicles taller than 65 inches or longer than 181 inches.
Where does SpotHero work?
In more than 400 cities across the United States and Canada, covering 13,000+ garages, lots and valets. Inventory is deepest in major metros like Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia and Toronto. It does not operate outside North America.
Can I cancel a SpotHero reservation?
Yes — cancellations are free with a full refund up until one minute before the reservation begins. Once the start time passes, the booking is non-refundable. Refunds can take up to 21 days to land back on your card.
What if the garage is full when I arrive?
A valid reservation is supposed to guarantee a space, but oversold lots do happen, especially at events. Contact SpotHero's Customer Hero support (in-app, phone or email) right away; documenting the full lot with photos strengthens a refund claim.
Does SpotHero handle street parking or monthly parking?
There is no on-street meter payment — SpotHero is off-street only. It does offer recurring monthly parking contracts alongside hourly, daily, airport and event bookings.
What happens if I get a ticket or the garage is full when I arrive with a SpotHero reservation?
SpotHero's guarantee generally covers situations where a booked spot is unavailable, offering rebooking help or a refund; for disputed tickets or access issues, contact SpotHero support with your reservation confirmation, as resolution depends on the specific facility's error.
Can I use SpotHero for an electric vehicle needing charging?
Some listed garages include EV charging stations, filterable in search, but availability is limited to specific facilities and cities rather than guaranteed everywhere.
Does SpotHero support business or corporate parking accounts?
Yes, SpotHero offers business solutions for expensing employee parking and managing recurring monthly spots, separate from the standard consumer booking flow.
About the developer
SpotHero, Inc. is a Chicago-based parking technology company founded in 2011 that lets drivers search, compare and reserve off-street parking — garages, lots and valet spots — in advance across hundreds of cities in the United States and Canada. It partners directly with parking facility operators to offer discounted, guaranteed spots for daily commuting, airport travel and events, and has grown into one of the most widely used parking reservation platforms in North America, processing millions of bookings.
Additional information
Developer
SpotHero, Inc.
Founded
2011
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Category
Off-street booking
Price
Free
Coverage
300+ cities
Downloads
1M+
Languages
English
Reviewed
2026-08-06
Where it works
300+ cities — including Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Toronto, Denver.
United States
Canada
Similar apps
More in North America →
ParkMobile
PayByPhone
BestParking
ParkWhiz
Independent review. ParkAppsHub is not affiliated with SpotHero, Inc.. 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.