# Choose your path

> Find the row that matches what you want to build. The path decides what hardware you
> need and which parts of these docs matter to you.

| You want to… | Path | Needs a Gateway | Works offline | Start here |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open and close products from your backend | REST API + realtime events | Yes | No | [Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart), then [Remote control](/guides/remote-control) |
| Let users open products from **your own mobile app** | Parklio SDK + operation tokens from your backend | No | Yes | [Operation tokens for your app](/guides/mobile-app-operation-tokens), [SDK](/sdk) |
| Let **vehicles in by license plate** | LPR camera + lot whitelist + plate binding | Yes | No | [Plate-based access](/guides/plate-based-access) |
| **Show occupancy** of lots, zones or parking places | REST API + realtime events | No Parklio Gateway; detection is installed by Parklio | No | [Live occupancy](/guides/live-occupancy) |
| Open and close products **without code** | Zapier | Yes | No | [Zapier](/integrations/zapier) |
| Send a guest a **link** that opens a product | Weblinks (Parklio emails the link) | Yes | No | [Access and keys](/concepts/access-and-keys#weblinks), then the [API reference](/api/endpoints/weblinks-bulk-create) |

Combining paths is common. For example, a parking app can create operation tokens for
its users (SDK path) and also open products from its backend (REST path).

## What each path needs

- **Every path:** an API account and API token. See [What you need](/get-started/what-you-need).
- **REST, LPR, Zapier, weblinks:** an online Gateway on the same lot, in Bluetooth range
  of the products, and an API subscription that includes remote control.
- **SDK:** access to the private SDK ([request it](mailto:info@parklio.com)), and a
  backend that creates operation tokens. Phones talk to products directly, so no Gateway
  is needed.
- **Occupancy:** parking detection, set up on your lot by Parklio.

## Next

[What you need](/get-started/what-you-need): the account, subscriptions and hardware to
request before you write code.