Best MiPermit alternatives in 2026 (we tested 7)
Pull up to a bay, scan the sign, and the sticker says PayByPhone or RingGo instead of MiPermit. Now what? MiPermit’s network is real, but it is patchy. Step outside a town that signed up to it and the app is no help. That gap is the single biggest reason drivers shop for MiPermit alternatives. Below we compare seven UK parking apps on the metric that actually matters: whether they cover the bay you are standing in right now. We also looked at booking fees, session extensions without going back to the car, and whether you can get a VAT receipt for business mileage.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Free to try | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| RingGo | the biggest UK on-street network | Free app | 500+ towns and London boroughs covered |
| PayByPhone | Europe-wide coverage with a UK base | Free app | Works across 1,000+ cities including most of mainland Europe |
| JustPark | pre-booking a private driveway or space | Free app, no booking minimum | 45,000+ bookable private spaces across the UK |
| Parkopedia Parking | finding the cheapest nearby car park | Free app | Largest UK parking database with live availability for many car parks |
| NCP | multi-storey car parks and season tickets | Free app | 370+ NCP car parks with one digital ticket |
| YourParkingSpace | longer stays and pre-booked monthly spots | Free app | 700,000+ bookable spaces including residential driveways and commercial car parks |
| Google Maps | spotting nearby car parks while driving | Free | Parking layer with relative cost indicators |
Why people look for MiPermit alternatives
Coverage is local, not national. MiPermit operates wherever the council bought in. If you commute or travel between regions, you will hit bays that need another app every few weeks.
Convenience fees creep up. The base parking fee is set by the council, but the app adds its own service charge per session. Drivers on parking forums report it pushing short stays close to double the displayed rate.
No pre-booking. MiPermit is built for the moment you arrive, not the day before. You cannot reserve a private space for tomorrow’s football match or hotel stay.
Limited business features. VAT receipts work, but bulk fleet management is thin. Companies running more than a handful of drivers usually move to something built for permits at scale.
The 7 best MiPermit alternatives
1. RingGo: best for the biggest UK on-street network
RingGo is the default cashless parking app for most of London and a long list of councils outside it. If MiPermit is dark on the sign at your bay, RingGo is the most likely name underneath it. The in-app traffic-light availability view, where supported, points you at the streets most likely to have an open space so you stop circling.
Where it falls short: The per-session convenience fee is unavoidable, and the app still asks for your location code on every visit even if it is your home street.
Pricing: Free app; council tariff plus a small convenience fee per session (typically 20p to 40p). Some councils absorb the fee, most do not.
Switching from MiPermit: Nothing to migrate. Sign up once with your number plate and card, then use the same six-digit code system at the sign.
Bottom line: If you can only keep one parking app, this is the one. The coverage gap problem solves itself.
2. PayByPhone: best for Europe-wide coverage with a UK base
PayByPhone runs the cashless parking for a chunk of UK councils MiPermit does not cover, plus most of Paris, Vancouver, and a long list of European cities. If your trips cross borders, this is the one account that keeps following you. Auto-extend reminders work over text or push, and you can run up to three vehicles on one account without re-entering plates.
Where it falls short: Adoption in some UK towns lags both RingGo and MiPermit, so you may still need a backup app for specific bays.
Pricing: Free app; council tariff plus a service fee per session (commonly 15p to 25p).
Switching from MiPermit: Open the app, add your vehicle, and start a session. PayByPhone keeps a parking history you can export as a CSV for expenses.
Bottom line: Strongest second account to RingGo if your week mixes UK and European trips.
3. JustPark: best for pre-booking a private driveway or space
JustPark is not for the on-street bay you happened to find. It is for the match, gig, hospital appointment, or airport run where you want to know your space is held before you leave. Hosts include homeowners renting their driveways and commercial operators with surplus capacity. Prices are typically lower than the closest council car park, sometimes by half.
Where it falls short: Refund windows are tight; cancel less than an hour before arrival and you usually forfeit. Some hosted spots are awkward to access for tall vehicles.
Pricing: Free app; pay per booking. London driveways near transport hubs start around £6 for the day, falling to £3 to £4 outside zone 1.
Switching from MiPermit: Different problem from MiPermit, but a useful complement. Save your regular destinations to favourites and bookings take under a minute.
Bottom line: Use it whenever you can plan ahead. The savings versus a public car park add up fast.
4. Parkopedia Parking: best for finding the cheapest nearby car park
Parkopedia is the parking layer that powers a lot of car infotainment systems. Open the app and it lists every car park and on-street zone within a radius, ranked by price or distance, with opening hours, max stay, and accepted payment methods. You can pay in-app at supported sites, including many of the same operators MiPermit runs.
Where it falls short: Tariff data updates can lag council changes by a few weeks, so spot-check the sign before committing for a long stay.
Pricing: Free app; pay-in-app charges add a small service fee at supported sites.
Switching from MiPermit: No migration. Use it as your map before parking, then pay through whichever app the bay actually supports.
Bottom line: The right app to open first when you are unfamiliar with the area. Treat it as your parking search engine.
5. NCP: best for multi-storey car parks and season tickets
If your week revolves around one city centre garage, the NCP app is built for you. AutoPay reads your number plate at supported sites so you drive in and out without touching the app, and the season ticket sits in your account so you cannot lose it. Push notifications fire ahead of your session expiring so you can extend without trekking back to the car.
Where it falls short: Useful only at NCP-operated sites. Outside their network you need another app entirely.
Pricing: Free app; pay-as-you-go uses the sign-posted tariff. Season tickets sold monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the site.
Switching from MiPermit: Open the app, link your number plate, and the in-app QR code replaces the paper ticket on day one.
Bottom line: Essential alongside MiPermit if you regularly use NCP. Less useful as a single app for the rest of your parking life.
6. YourParkingSpace: best for longer stays and pre-booked monthly spots
YourParkingSpace overlaps with JustPark on the marketplace side but leans further into longer bookings. Hourly, daily, and monthly options are all on the table, with discounts that get sharper the longer you book. Coverage is strong around stadiums, airports, and station catchments.
Where it falls short: Last-minute availability in central London is thinner than JustPark; book early or you will be left with the expensive spots.
Pricing: Free app; pay per booking. Monthly commuter spots near central London stations commonly land at £150 to £250.
Switching from MiPermit: No data to migrate. Add your number plate, save favourites, and use it for everything you can pre-book.
Bottom line: The right second-marketplace app if your routine includes a regular commute or recurring trips to the same venue.
7. Google Maps: best for spotting nearby car parks while driving
Maps is not a parking app, but its parking layer is genuinely useful for the moment you realise you need a space and have not planned for it. The P icons show car parks within reach, the colour indicates price band relative to the area, and you can route to one with a single tap. Pair it with whichever payment app the chosen site supports.
Where it falls short: No payment. Maps tells you where the car parks are; you still need the operator’s own app or a cash machine on site.
Pricing: Free.
Switching from MiPermit: Already installed on most phones. Just enable the Parking layer in the map view.
Bottom line: Not a replacement for MiPermit, but the right finder layer to sit alongside whichever payment apps you keep.
How to choose
Pick RingGo first. It covers more UK bays than anything else, and once you have it the MiPermit-only spots stop feeling like a problem.
Add PayByPhone if your trips routinely cross into Europe or hit councils where RingGo is patchy.
Add JustPark or YourParkingSpace for anything you can pre-book. The savings versus walking up to a public car park are typically 30 to 50 percent.
Keep MiPermit for the specific councils and council-run car parks where it is the only option. Three apps on the home screen is the price of UK parking right now; until one operator wins the market, nothing changes that.
FAQ
Is RingGo or MiPermit cheaper?
The parking tariff is set by the council and is identical between them. The difference is the convenience fee, which varies by app and location but usually sits within a few pence either way. The bigger saving comes from picking the right venue, not the right app.
Can I get VAT receipts from MiPermit alternatives?
Yes. RingGo Corporate, PayByPhone, JustPark, NCP, and YourParkingSpace all support VAT receipts either through the app or a linked online account. Set up the business account first and the receipts flow in automatically.
What is the best parking app for the UK overall?
RingGo has the widest on-street coverage in the UK. For pre-booked private spaces, JustPark and YourParkingSpace lead. Most drivers end up with two or three installed, picking by location.
Do I need an app or can I still pay with coins?
Many UK councils have already removed pay-and-display machines. Even where machines remain, app payment is usually quicker and lets you extend remotely. Cash payment is no longer a safe assumption.
Which parking apps work outside the UK?
PayByPhone is the broadest across Europe. EasyPark is the other big name in mainland Europe but is not currently popular in the UK. ParkMobile dominates the US.
