New App CheaPark Helps Find Cheapest Parking in Tel Aviv

A new free mobile application called CheaPark is helping drivers find the most affordable parking options in Tel Aviv, with plans to expand to other Israeli cities. Developed by 27-year-old programmer Ido Bar-Ari, the app was initially created to help his girlfriend find parking near his home in central Tel Aviv.

The app compares parking rates, displays real-time availability, and considers various factors like arrival time, parking duration, and available discounts, such as resident or student rates. Bar-Ari explained that the complexity of calculating the best parking deal, with prices varying by hour and day, often led to unexpected high costs. "We used to start calculating, how much it costs in each parking lot, when she would arrive, when she would leave," Bar-Ari told mako.

CheaPark, which functions similarly to a flight search engine, allows users to input their destination, maximum walking distance, arrival time, and planned parking duration. It then scans parking lots and presents relevant options with prices, distances, and availability status, with data updated live from parking lot websites. Bar-Ari aimed to minimize surprises, ensuring users know the potential cost upfront.

Launched initially for personal use and sharing with friends, CheaPark quickly gained traction through word-of-mouth, reaching over 1,000 downloads on the App Store within a short period and ranking in the top 10 for navigation apps. The app has since expanded to include parking information for Herzliya and Jerusalem, with plans for further city additions. Bar-Ari is also considering international expansion and adding multilingual support.

Bar-Ari developed the app using Claude Code, emphasizing user experience and a clean design. Despite its success, he currently has no plans to monetize the app, viewing it as a rewarding side project. He noted the rapid development tools available today allow for creating sophisticated applications quickly.