Parking can be a hassle.

Not only is parking expensive, but it can also be hard to find in certain cities and at events even when you’re willing to pay more for it.

Running to the street to feed a parking meter every hour or two is inconvenient and disruptive.

Unfortunately, it’s often the only option, especially in big cities.

Services like SpotHero can make it easier to find and afford a parking spot, whether in a protected garage or at a busy event.

This SpotHero review will look at how the service works and whether the it’s worth the cost.

What Is SpotHero?

Spot Hero is a service that lets you find and reserve a parking spot at thousands of garages and lots across the United States.

You’ll be able to search for available parking, compare prices, and pay to reserve a spot.

You can reserve a parking spot at an airport parking lot or event, whether hourly, for several days, or monthly.

The service operates in over 300 cities in the United States and Canada.

How Does SpotHero Work?

SpotHero provides you with an app to search across the United States and Canada for available parking spaces that meet your needs.

You can book a spot with your Google Assistant or download the app from Google Play for an Android auto reservation experience.

If you use an iPhone, you can download it from the iTunes app store to get started booking a parking spot.

You can also use a computer to search and reserve a parking space through their website.

Enter Your Location

The first thing to do when using SpotHero is to enter the location where you want to park.

The app will show the parking areas close to your desired location.

Enter the Date and Time You Want to Park

Narrow down your choices by entering the time and date you plan to park.

Some spots might not be available for the entire time you plan to park there.

When you tap “search,” several available spots will appear.

Look Through Results

The app will provide as many choices near your desired parking area as possible.

You can compare prices and distances to choose the spot that best meets your needs.

Touch each location bubble for more information.

Book a Spot

When you find the spot you want, tap it to purchase it.

The app will take you to the checkout page to reserve the site and pay.

You’ll get an instant confirmation in the app.

Get a Parking Pass

After you reserve your spot and pay, SpotHero will send your parking pass to your email address.

The pass is always available in the section of the app called “My Reservations,” too.

Where Is SpotHero Available?

SpotHero’s service is available across the United States and parts of Canada.

You can use SpotHero in 42 states and Washington DC in the United States.

This parking service serves users in over 300 major cities in the United States, including:

• New York City
• San Francisco
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Chicago
• Arlington

You can book a spot at the Los Angeles International Airport parking lot on the west coast.

Or you can get a parking reservation in Burlington, Vermont, on the east coast.

The SpotHero parking reservation service can help you book a parking spot in over 7,500 locations.

The parking app can also help you find a spot in Alberta, British Columbia, or Manitoba, Canada, in cities like:

• Calgary
• Edmonton
• Vancouver
• Winnipeg
• Hamilton
• Ottawa
• Toronto

What Kind of Parking Is Available on SpotHero?

You can book airport, lot, and parking garage spots through SpotHero’s service.

SpotHero lets you reserve several kinds of off-street parking across North America.

Daily

You can search for hourly or daily parking rates at the thousands of locations in the SpotHero parking app or website.

The service makes it easy to search major airports for parking spaces.

Weekly

Weekly parking rates are easy to compare with SpotHero.

First, you’ll enter the dates you want to park when searching for available parking.

Then, the app will present you with spots that offer the space when you need it.

Monthly

If you’re looking for a place to rent in a metropolitan area, you can find a monthly parking spot that fits your price range with this parking app.

The interface makes it easy to compare prices and locations.

How Much Does SpotHero Cost?

The cost of booking a parking space with SpotHero depends on how much the lot or garage owner chooses to charge.

Depending on the city and the spot, it can cost less than using a rideshare service to avoid parking.

There’s no flat rate for SpotHero’s service.

Instead, when you search for a parking lot, each available space will show a price for you to reserve it.

While there’s no set cost, the rates for spots through SpotHero are often cheaper than you could get finding parking on your own.

These lower rates come from lot owners who want to fill empty spaces and are willing to take lower rates.

Some spots can be expensive, like those in higher demand for special events, but many cost very little, sometimes only $5 or $6 for parking.

Is the Rate Shown for the Whole Reservation?

The default rate SpotHero shows when you look at an available spot without your date range entered is the cost for a 3-hour reservation.

If you’ve entered the time or date range you want to park, the app or website result will show the rate for the entire reservation.

Are There Any Extra Fees?

SpotHero charges a service that differs per reservation.

Some lots also charge an oversize fee for vehicles over 65 or 75 inches tall or 180 inches long.

RVs, vans, and buses fall into this category.

Every garage doesn’t take oversize vehicles, but most that do charge an extra fee.

In some cases where valet parking is available, the SpotHero price doesn’t include the valet fee.  

Is SpotHero Worth It?

Can a SpotHero review do the app justice without you trying it?

It’s free to download and use, so the best way to determine if the service is worth it is to try it yourself.

You can see the available spaces and prices to help you decide.  

Users also get the SpotHero Guarantee.

For example, if a reserved space has another vehicle in it, a call to customer service can help straighten things out.

They guarantee you a spot at the reserved price, or you get a full refund.

Only you can decide if slashing the average of 17 hours looking for parking each year is worth it.

Does SpotHero Save You Money?

SpotHero’s service fee doesn’t make up for the discounted parking rates you can get by using the service.

The same spots will probably still cost less booked this way than if you found them on your own directly through the parking facility.

The service also regularly offers promo codes for bigger savings.

Pros of SpotHero

• Free to search
• Discounted parking rates at 20% to 60% off the regular cost
• Promo codes are often available
• Searching for spots and comparing them is easier with this service than a general online search
• No hidden fees because you see the entire cost when you search
• Easy to use through the app, Google Assistant, or the website
• The SpotHero Guarantee
• No cancelation fee and full refunds up to the time of the reservation if you cancel

Cons of SpotHero

• Occasional mixups between SpotHero and the parking vendor might need customer service help
• Finding monthly rates can be tricky in the app, so you might need to call SpotHero.
• Despite the SpotHero Guarantee, sometimes garages overbook. You could arrive to find your spot taken and have to call customer service.

SpotHero Comparisons

A SpotHero review wouldn’t be complete without comparisons to similar parking reservation services.

1. SpotHero vs Reliant

SpotHero works with garages across North America to offer discounted parking spots to users.

Reliant is much more focused on the property owners, managers, and the business side of parking reservations.

Reliant has an app for residents of the properties where it manages the parking.

The resident app is primarily to request amenities, get passes for guests, and request another mailed permit.

Reliant is a service for property managers who want to audit their parking garage or area to stop non-resident parking violations.

There’s no comparison between these two services because SpotHero is customer-focused.

Reliant’s pricing depends on the client and its needs.

SpotHero charges a flat fee of 35% commission on sold parking spaces.

2. SpotHero vs ParkOffice

ParkOffice is for property managers who need help with parking organization and enforcement.

The software price is a subscription model that starts at $5 per month.

SpotHero charges a flat fee for vendors who sell a parking spot through the service.

ParkOffice claims to create more available parking for employees and enforce parking compliance.

This software focuses on businesses and organizations that need to manage their parking.

SpotHero focuses on end consumers.

3. SpotHero vs ParkMobile

ParkMobile is a service like SpotHero that lets you use your cell phone or other devices to find off-street and on-street parking.

ParkMobile accepts payment through Paypal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and major credit cards.

SpotHero accepts all these payment methods except Paypal.  

Paypal is the most popular way to pay online without sharing your credit card number with every vendor.

Refusing to accept Paypal is a definite drawback.

ParkMobile is also available in over 350 cities, making it bigger than SpotHero.

The website claims the service has over 2.5 million users in California alone.

4. SpotHero vs BestParking

BestParking is a parking mobile app like SpotHero that sends you a mobile parking pass.

The service is available in hundreds of cities.

They also offer ParkWhiz for businesses that want to manage employee and visitor parking.

The price of parking spaces usually comes with a discount, much like those in SpotHero.

The services are similar enough that it’s hard to tell them apart, except for one difference.

BestParking shows rates of spots that don’t accept reservations or rate guarantees.

They verify the price of the spots 2-4 times per year but can’t guarantee rates or availability on those transactions.

Summing Up the SpotHero Review

The SpotHero parking reservation app is free to use and costs only the amount you pay to reserve your parking spot.

There’s no downside to using the app or website to look for available spices and compare prices.

If the cost of parking is too high, you’re not obligated to pay anything or book a space.

If you need to park, you can benefit from SpotHero to make finding spaces easy.

Download the SpotHero app today and enjoy the discounted rate of hospital, city, and event parking you can only get through this service.