City & enforcement systems
Lotably vs. CivicSmart
CivicSmart builds parking meters, sensors, and handheld enforcement for cities. Lotably runs enforcement, permits, and payments from any phone, month to month.
Facts about CivicSmart checked October 2026. Sources at the bottom of the page.
The short answer
CivicSmart is a meter and curb hardware maker with enforcement software, descended from the Duncan meter company, and its public contracts run for years. Lotably needs no hardware and no long commitment: officers scan plates from their phones, drivers pay citations and daily parking online, and permits and guest passes run in the same system, with published pricing and month-to-month plans.
What CivicSmart is
Operating independently. Based in West Allis, Wisconsin; acquired Duncan Parking Technologies in 2015.
CivicSmart, based in West Allis, Wisconsin, designs and manufactures on-street parking meters (the Liberty Next Gen line and the SpaceMaster hub), curb sensors, and lane management devices. It also sells AutoISSUE handheld enforcement software, mobile plate recognition, and a back office called PEMS with an open REST API. It traces its lineage to the Duncan parking meter company, founded in 1936, whose meter business it acquired in 2015, and it says it has served more than 1,500 cities and agencies.
Pricing isn’t published; its site offers demos, sales calls, quotes, and pilots. One public example is the Town of Surfside, Florida, which approved a CivicSmart citation processing agreement in 2024. That agreement prices handheld citations per ticket, from $0.65 to $1.33 depending on volume and options, runs five years with two optional five-year renewals, renews automatically unless the town gives 60 days’ notice, and includes a termination fee that declines over 60 months.
Where Lotably is different
Month to month instead of a five-year term
In the Town of Surfside’s 2024 agreement, CivicSmart’s term runs five years, renews automatically unless the town gives 60 days’ notice, and carries a termination fee that declines over 60 months. That is one town’s contract, and CivicSmart doesn’t publish standard terms. Lotably’s Free and Starter plans are month to month, and you can cancel anytime.
No meters, sensors, or camera arrays
CivicSmart’s products center on its meters, sensors, and roof- or trunk-mounted plate camera arrays. Lotably sells daily parking with a QR poster per lot and reads plates from any phone.
Published pricing
CivicSmart’s site asks you to schedule a demo or get a quote. Lotably’s Free plan is $0 a month plus 12% of online payments for up to 2 lots, and Starter is $99 a month for up to 25 lots, plus 5%.
Sign up online, set up the same day
Lotably’s signup is five short screens. You can add lots, fines, officers, and Stripe the same day, and your account is live as soon as you sign up.
Permits and guest passes built in
CivicSmart’s website doesn’t describe a permit product, though the Surfside agreement includes a residential permit portal. Lotably includes monthly permits with billing and resident guest passes on every plan.
Towing and booting records
CivicSmart’s site doesn’t describe towing or booting workflows. Lotably officers can record a tow or a boot and call your tow company in one tap from the same app. Both start off: ask for them and Lotably turns them on. Lotably does not check whether booting or towing is allowed where you enforce: you are responsible for following the law, and you assume all risk of using them.
Side by side
| Lotably | CivicSmart | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Lots, campuses, districts, and small to mid-size cities that want to collect without hardware | Cities that want meters, sensors, and camera-based enforcement from one maker |
| Getting started | Self-serve signup online, set up the same day | Demo, sales call, quote, or pilot |
| Pricing | Free: $0/mo + 12% of online payments (up to 2 lots). Starter: $99/mo + 5% (up to 25 lots) | Not published; Surfside, FL pays $0.65 to $1.33 per citation |
| Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | Surfside, FL: five years, two optional five-year renewals, auto-renews |
| Fees on drivers | None added to your posted price | Not published |
| Where payments settle | Your own Stripe account, as direct charges | Not stated |
| Enforcement and citations | Phone plate scanning, photo-evidence citations, escalating fines, warnings, online contests | AutoISSUE handhelds, mobile LPR, DMV lookups, online hearing scheduling, online payment |
| Daily parking | Per-lot QR posters with hourly, rest-of-day, or until-a-set-time rates | Its own meters, taking coin, card, contactless, and QR payments |
| Monthly permits and billing | Monthly parkers, self-service portal, Stripe billing by card, ACH, or invoice | Not on its website; residential permit portal in the Surfside agreement |
| Guest passes | Residents issue time-limited passes from their portal, capped by a quota you set | Not described on its website |
| Towing and booting | Tow and boot records with a one-tap call to your tow company, off by default | Not described on its website |
| Hardware | None; officers use any phone | Its own meters, sensors, handhelds, and LPR camera arrays |
| Integrations | Parking BOXX and ParkMobile sync, manual and CSV session import; API connections built at no extra cost (vendor API fees may apply) | Open REST API on PEMS; says it works with 50+ companies |
When CivicSmart may be the better fit
If your city wants meters, curb sensors, and camera-equipped enforcement vehicles from a single maker, CivicSmart builds all of them, and its PEMS back office has an open REST API, which Lotably doesn’t offer. Lotably also has no DMV registered-owner lookups, mailed notices, or hearing tools. Lotably fits lots, campuses, districts, and smaller cities that want enforcement and payments running from phones and QR posters, without hardware or a multi-year agreement.
Switching, or running both
You don’t need to remove meters to use Lotably. Put surface lots, permit areas, or a district on Lotably month to month, import permit holders by CSV, and have officers scan plates from their phones. Paid sessions from other systems can come in by manual or CSV import, and when a vendor offers an API, we build the connection at no extra cost (the vendor may charge for API access).
One system, top to bottom
What every Lotably plan includes
Month to month, no lock-in
No annual contract and no multi-year commitment on Free or Starter. Cancel anytime.
Sign up yourself, set up the same day
Create your account online, add your lots, and connect Stripe in one sitting. You’re live as soon as you sign up.
Every feature on every plan
Enforcement, daily and event parking, monthly applications and plans, billing, scheduled guest passes, merchant validations, dispute evidence, and reports. Some workflows need configuration or enabling. No add-on modules. Booting and towing start off until you ask; you are responsible for following the law where you enforce and assume all risk of using them.
Money lands in your own Stripe account
Payments are direct charges on your Stripe account. Lotably never holds your money or pays you out later.
No app fee for drivers
By default, drivers pay exactly the price you post. Our fee comes out of what you collect online, never from the driver. If you ask, we can add a flat service fee per parking session that goes to you.
Integrations built at no extra cost
Parking BOXX, ParkMobile, and manual/CSV sessions work today. When another vendor offers an API, we build the connection at no extra cost (the vendor may charge for API access).
Published pricing
Free is $0/month plus 12% of online payments. Starter is $99/month for up to 25 lots, plus 5%. Daily parking is at most 35¢ or 25¢ a session. No quote required.
Runs on the phone you have
Plate reading is built into the officer app, which runs in the browser. Daily parking needs a printed QR poster and nothing else.
Questions about Lotably and CivicSmart
Is Lotably a good alternative to CivicSmart?
For enforcement, permits, guest passes, and online payments without meters, yes, and it is month to month. Cities that want CivicSmart’s meters, sensors, and camera-equipped patrol vehicles will still need a hardware vendor.
Does Lotably need handhelds or cameras?
No. Plate reading is built into the officer app, which runs in the browser on any modern phone or tablet. A mobile printer is optional if you want printed tickets.
Is there a termination fee?
No. Free and Starter are month to month, and you can cancel anytime.
Can Lotably work with CivicSmart?
There is no connection between them today. When a vendor offers an API, we build the connection at no extra cost (the vendor may charge for API access), so tell us what you run.
More comparisons
- Lotably vs. Passport
- Lotably vs. Genetec AutoVu
- Lotably vs. gtechna
- Lotably vs. Trellint (formerly Conduent)
Sources
- CivicSmart: homepage
- CivicSmart: enforcement
- CivicSmart: about
- CivicSmart: innovation history
- CivicSmart: PEMS
- CivicSmart: curbside hardware
- Town of Surfside, FL: Resolution 2024-3334 (CivicSmart agreement)
Information about CivicSmart comes from its public website and the sources above, checked October 2026. CivicSmart is a trademark of its owner, and Lotably is not affiliated with or endorsed by it. Spot something out of date? Email hello@lotably.com and we’ll correct it.
Put your whole parking operation in one system
Sign up online and set up the same day. Month to month, every feature on every plan, and the money lands in your own Stripe account.
No credit card for the Free plan · Month to month · Questions? Call +1 (513) 348-3049