City & enforcement systems

Lotably vs. Genetec AutoVu

Genetec AutoVu finds violations with its own license plate cameras. Lotably reads plates from a phone, then issues the citation and collects payment online.

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Facts about Genetec AutoVu checked October 2026. Sources at the bottom of the page.

The short answer

Genetec AutoVu is license plate recognition hardware and software: cameras on patrol vehicles or fixed poles flag permit, overtime, and scofflaw violations. Its parking pages don’t describe issuing citations, handling appeals, or collecting fines. Lotably runs the whole loop from a phone with no cameras to buy: scan the plate, issue a photo-evidence citation, and let the driver pay online in about 30 seconds, with permits, guest passes, and daily parking in the same system.

What Genetec AutoVu is

Part of Genetec’s Security Center platform. Genetec says it started in 1997 and is based in Montreal.

Genetec is a Montreal-based physical security software company. AutoVu is its automatic license plate recognition system, built on Genetec’s own Sharp cameras: the SharpZ3 for patrol vehicles and the SharpV for fixed mounting. Officers run Genetec Patroller on an in-vehicle computer, and the cameras flag plates that break permit, time-limit, or scofflaw rules. A module called AutoVu Free-Flow tracks occupancy and violations in gateless lots, and the same system is sold for law enforcement and facility security.

For paid parking, Genetec’s Pay-by-Plate Sync plugin imports paid sessions from third-party pay stations and pay-by-phone apps, including ParkMobile, PayByPhone, and T2 Systems, as virtual permits. Genetec says AutoVu has been used by parking organizations, police agencies, and critical infrastructure for over two decades, and it sells through a network of certified channel partners. AutoVu pricing isn’t published; the site offers a demo request.

Where Lotably is different

Citations and collection, not detection alone
Genetec’s parking pages describe flagging violations. They don’t describe issuing citations, appeals, or collecting fines. Lotably issues photo-evidence citations with escalating fines and collects them online by QR, plate, or ticket number in about 30 seconds.
No cameras to buy or mount
AutoVu runs on Genetec’s SharpZ3 and SharpV cameras and an in-vehicle computer. Lotably’s plate reading is built into an officer app that runs in the browser on any phone, so there is nothing to install on a vehicle or a pole.
Sign up yourself, set up the same day
AutoVu is sold through demo requests and certified channel partners. Lotably’s signup is online: five short screens, then you add lots, fines, and officers and connect Stripe the same day. Your account is live as soon as you sign up.
Published pricing, month to month
Genetec doesn’t publish AutoVu pricing. Lotably’s Free plan is $0 a month plus 12% of online payments for up to 2 lots, Starter is $99 a month for up to 25 lots, plus 5%, and both are month to month.
Permits, guest passes, and daily parking included
AutoVu enforces permits kept in permit lists or other systems. Lotably runs the permits themselves: monthly parkers with a self-service portal and billing, resident guest passes, and daily parking by QR poster, all checked automatically when a plate is scanned.
Payments in the same system
Genetec’s parking pages describe parkers paying through third-party apps and pay stations. With Lotably, citations and daily parking are paid in one system, as direct charges on your own Stripe account, with no app fee added by default.

Side by side

	Lotably	Genetec AutoVu
Best for	Lots, campuses, districts, and small to mid-size cities that want enforcement and payment in one system	Agencies patrolling large areas by vehicle that want camera-based plate recognition
Getting started	Self-serve signup online, set up the same day	Demo request; sold through certified channel partners
Pricing	Free: $0/mo + 12% of online payments (up to 2 lots). Starter: $99/mo + 5% (up to 25 lots)	Not published for AutoVu
Contract	Month to month, cancel anytime	Not published
Enforcement and citations	Phone plate scanning, photo-evidence citations, escalating fines, warnings, online contests	Flags permit, overtime, and scofflaw violations; citation issuance and fine collection not described
Daily parking	Per-lot QR posters with hourly, rest-of-day, or until-a-set-time rates	Imports paid sessions from third-party pay stations and apps
Monthly permits and billing	Monthly parkers, self-service portal, Stripe billing by card, ACH, or invoice	Enforces plate permits from permit lists or synced systems
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	Flags scofflaw vehicles; booting and towing workflows not described
Hardware	None; officers use any phone	SharpZ3 vehicle cameras, SharpV fixed cameras, in-vehicle computer
Integrations	Parking BOXX and ParkMobile sync, manual and CSV session import; API connections built at no extra cost (vendor API fees may apply)	Pay-by-Plate Sync with ParkMobile, PayByPhone, T2 Systems, and others; SDK for partners

When Genetec AutoVu may be the better fit

If your city patrols miles of on-street parking by vehicle, roof-mounted cameras read plates continuously as the vehicle drives, which covers large zones faster than an officer on foot, and AutoVu is a proven system for that, with fixed cameras for gateless lots and a long list of pay-by-plate integrations. Lotably has no camera hardware, no DMV or NLETS registered-owner lookups, no ticket by mail, and no formal hearing or court tools. Small and mid-size cities, downtown districts, campuses, and city-owned lots that want phone-based enforcement with online payment usually don’t need the camera fleet.

Switching, or running both

You can start with one lot. Import your permit holders by CSV, keep the default fine schedule with escalation or enter your own, and have officers scan plates from their phones while AutoVu keeps patrolling elsewhere. If paid sessions come from another vendor, add them by manual or CSV import, and when that 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 Genetec AutoVu

Is Lotably a good alternative to Genetec AutoVu?

For many lots, campuses, and smaller cities, yes. Lotably reads plates from any phone and also issues the citation and collects payment online, with permits, guest passes, and daily parking in the same system. Agencies that patrol large on-street zones by vehicle and want camera-based plate reading may still prefer AutoVu.

Does Lotably need license plate cameras?

No. Plate reading is built into the Lotably officer app, which runs in the browser on any modern phone or tablet. There are no cameras, in-vehicle computers, or mounts to buy.

Can Lotably work with Genetec AutoVu?

There is no connection between them today. Genetec documents a way for payment providers to send paid sessions into AutoVu, and when a vendor offers an API, we build the connection at no extra cost (the vendor may charge for API access), so tell us if you need one.

How is Lotably priced compared with AutoVu?

Genetec doesn’t publish AutoVu pricing. 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%. Both are month to month.

Can Lotably collect parking fines online?

Yes. Every printed citation carries a QR code, and drivers can also pay by plate or ticket number, in about 30 seconds. Payments are direct charges on your own Stripe account, with nothing added to the fine.

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Sources

Information about Genetec AutoVu comes from its public website and the sources above, checked October 2026. Genetec AutoVu 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

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