Parkable

Parkable is the Airbnb of parking for New Zealand and Australia. Homeowners, businesses and building managers list their empty spaces — driveways, basement bays, office car parks — and drivers book them by the hour, day or month. Casual parkers find cheaper spots closer to where they're going, while subscribers lock in a guaranteed daily bay near work for far less than commercial rates. Everything from discovery to payment happens in the app.

• Private Space Marketplace — Book driveways and unused bays that never appear on parking signs

• Monthly Subscriptions — Guarantee a daily space near work at well below commercial garage rates

• Instant Booking — Find, book and navigate to a space in under a minute

• Auto-End Sessions — Casual sessions can end automatically when you drive away

• List Your Own Space — Turn an empty driveway or office bay into passive income

Parkable nails the marketplace formula: real photos, honest prices and bookings that just work. In Auckland and Wellington the density of listings is impressive — we found spaces within a couple of minutes' walk of most destinations, usually undercutting nearby garages. The monthly subscription product is the sleeper hit, turning the daily parking scramble into a guaranteed bay. Coverage follows population, so smaller towns offer slim pickings, but in the main centres it changes how you think about parking.

Kiwi and Australian city commuters win biggest — a monthly Parkable bay near the office typically costs a fraction of commercial parking. Event-goers book residential driveways near stadiums instead of fighting for garage spots. Apartment dwellers without allocated parking find long-term spaces nearby. And anyone with a spare driveway in a busy area can flip the app around and earn from it. Rural drivers and occasional CBD visitors will find less to love, but urban regulars should not skip this one.

1. 1

   Get Parkable free from the Google Play Store or App Store

2. 2

   Sign up with email, Google or Apple

3. 3

   Add your vehicle plate and payment card

4. 4

   Search the map for spaces near your destination

5. 5

   Book casually by the hour or subscribe for a guaranteed bay

6. 6

   Follow the access instructions and park — sessions can end automatically