The Free plan
Free parking software that runs the whole lot
Lotably’s Free plan is free parking enforcement, payment, and permit software for up to 2 lots. Pay $0 a month and 12% of what you collect online, at most 35¢ on a daily parking session. No credit card, no hardware, no contract, and every feature included.
- No credit card
- Drivers pay no app fee
- Money settles to your own Stripe account
Every feature, on the Free plan
What free parking software from Lotably includes
Free isn’t a cut-down tier. It is the same system as Starter, for up to 2 active lots, with a different way of paying for it.
- Plate scanning from any phone
- Plate reading is built into the officer app, which runs in the browser. Nothing to buy.
- Citations drivers pay online
- Photo evidence, escalating fines, and a QR code on every ticket. Drivers pay in about 30 seconds, no app or account.
- Daily parking by QR poster
- Hourly, rest-of-day, overnight, and event rates. Print a poster per lot and drivers pay on their phones.
- Monthly parkers and billing
- Import your roster by CSV and bill by card, ACH, or invoice. An active permit passes the plate check automatically on the days and hours its plan allows.
- Resident guest passes
- Residents issue time-limited passes from their portal, within a quota you set.
- Warnings, towing, and booting records
- Courtesy warnings per lot, tow and boot records with a one-tap call to your tow company. 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.
- Online disputes and receipts
- Drivers contest online, you decide from a review queue, and every receipt carries your name.
- Reports, exports, and audit log
- Live dashboards, monthly property reports emailed to owners, CSV and JSON exports, and a log of who did what.
- Your brand on everything
- Your own site at yourname.lotably.com with your logo, colors, fines, and document prefixes.
- Unlimited users
- Every officer and admin seat is included. Permissions are set per user.
How free is funded
We earn only when you collect
Every free parking software is paid for somehow. Most are funded by a share of your citations that isn’t published, or by a fee added to your drivers’ price. Lotably’s Free plan is funded by a published 12% of what you collect online, and nothing else.
How the three “free” models compare| Collected online in a month | Lotably Free | “Free” with a 30% citation split |
|---|---|---|
| $500 in citations | $60 | $150 |
| $1,000 in citations | $120 | $300 |
| 200 day passes at $10 | $70 (35¢ each) | Often a 25¢ to 50¢ fee charged to each driver |
| Nothing | $0 | $0 |
The split column is an illustration of a common model, not a quote from any vendor. Stripe’s processing fees are separate on every plan. For 1–2 lots, Starter becomes cheaper above about $1,415/month in online citations, monthly parking or merchant invoices, or above 990 daily sessions when every session costs at least $5. Mixed prices change the comparison; per-payment rounding can affect close results.
Who starts on Free
Built for the operators the brochures skip
Most parking software is sold to parking authorities and campuses. The Free plan is for everyone with one or two lots and a real problem.
Software for small lots, in detail- A single lot or small garage
- The owner of a 40-space lot who needs plate checks, tickets that get paid, and a record of what happened.
- An HOA or apartment community
- Resident permits, guest passes, and consistent, photo-backed citations the board can stand behind.
- A property manager’s first property
- Run one property free, learn your appeal volume and fine levels, then add the rest on Starter.
- A tow or patrol company’s pilot
- Offer cite-and-collect to one property client at no software cost, with towing one tap away when it’s needed.
- A lot where parking itself is free
- Enforce permit and visitor rules on a lot that doesn’t charge for parking. With nothing collected online, Lotably costs nothing at all.
Getting started
Free today, enforcing this afternoon
- 01
Sign up online
Five short screens: pick Free, confirm your email, name your site, choose features, and sign the agreement. Your account is live the moment you sign.
- 02
Add your lots, rates, and parkers
A default fine schedule with escalation comes preloaded. Upload your monthly roster as a CSV and connect Stripe when you’re ready to take payments.
- 03
Print a QR poster and start scanning
Put a poster in each lot that sells parking, open the officer app on your phone, and check the first plate.
Questions about the Free plan
Every rate is on the pricing page, and the cost calculator shows which plan is cheaper at your volume.
Is Lotably really free parking software?
Yes. The Free plan is $0 a month for up to 2 active lots and includes every feature: plate scanning, citations drivers pay online, daily parking by QR code, monthly parkers and billing, guest passes, towing and booting records, disputes, and reports. Lotably keeps 12% of what you collect online, at most 35¢ on a daily parking session, and nothing on cash or off-platform payments. There is no credit card to enter and no contract.
What is the catch?
The Free plan covers 2 active lots and charges 12% of online collections, capped at 35¢ per daily parking session. For 1–2 lots, Starter becomes cheaper above about $1,415/month in online citations, monthly parking or merchant invoices, or above 990 daily sessions when every session costs at least $5. Mixed prices change the comparison; per-payment rounding can affect close results. More than 25 lots requires a Custom quote. Stripe processing is separate, and Free is intended for operations whose payments mainly go through Lotably.
Is there free parking enforcement software with online payments?
Lotably’s Free plan is one. Drivers pay citations by QR code, plate, or ticket number, and the money settles to your own Stripe account as a direct charge. Lotably never holds your funds. Stripe’s standard processing fees are charged by Stripe on your account and are separate from Lotably’s 12%.
Do drivers pay a fee?
No. By default drivers pay exactly the price you post and exactly the fine you set. Lotably’s fee comes out of what you collect, never from the driver. Many “free” parking apps are funded by a convenience fee added to the driver’s price instead; Lotably isn’t.
Is the Free plan a free trial?
No. It doesn’t expire, and it isn’t a cut-down version. If you want to try Lotably before signing up, the live demo gives you a private sample account for 24 hours after you confirm a work email, with no real payments or messages.
Can I use Lotably for free if my lot doesn’t charge for parking?
Yes. Plenty of lots are free to park in but still need permit and visitor rules enforced. On the Free plan, with nothing collected online, Lotably costs nothing. If you later collect citations online, Lotably keeps 12% of those payments.
Can I take cash on the Free plan?
The occasional cash or check payment is fine; record it in Lotably as usual, and no Lotably fee applies to it. Free is priced for operators whose drivers mostly pay online. If you take a lot of payments outside Lotably, Starter is the right plan.
Is the free parking permit software included too?
Yes. Monthly parkers, permits that run through a date, a self-service parker portal, CSV roster import, and billing by card, ACH, or invoice are all on the Free plan. Monthly billing collected online takes the same 12%.
Where is the Free plan available?
Across the United States and Canada. Canadian accounts are billed in Canadian dollars. Online signup isn’t open in Quebec yet while we prepare a French version of the agreement; contact us and we’ll set your account up by hand.
Start free. Stay free until it pays to upgrade.
Sign up online and set up the same day. Compare your actual payment mix with the cost calculator, then switch plans from your account page when it makes sense.
No credit card for the Free plan · Month to month · Questions? Call +1 (513) 348-3049