Isn’t technology wonderful? Today, we carry a small plastic/metal/glass box that allows us to listen to music, read email, text friends, take pictures, and argue about politics. Some people even claim that, when used correctly, it can make and receive phone calls.
This little miracle device, a smartphone, has serious uses as well. For example, if your business requires travel, you know what a hassle it is to track business miles driven. At tax time, those miles save you money by reducing your taxable income.
Before smartphones, this annoying task was accomplished with a pencil, a log book, and a vehicle’s odometer. Today, pencils are out, and smartphones are in.
What follows is a review of five smartphone apps for tracking vehicle mileage. Some have additional features for tracking business expenses and income.
Your job is to discover what is the one that’s best for you.
Why Is Mileage Tracking Important?
If you drive for work and aren’t tracking your mileage, or if you aren’t tracking accurately, you could be missing out on a valuable tax deduction. Especially for the self-employed and small business owners, every little bit adds up at the end of the year.
For example, if you drive 20,000 business miles, your mileage would be worth a $10,900 deduction.
Best Mileage Tracker Apps
Mileage tracking is the art of getting the biggest tax deduction you can while conforming with the IRS rules and regulations. Whether you track using a hand-written log or a smartphone, the requirements are the same.
Your smartphone can do most of the work, but not all. You will need to fill in some blanks. Keep this in mind when reading the reviews and selecting your app.
Finally, all the apps reviewed are available for iPhone and Android smartphones.
1. MileIQ
If you are looking for an easy-to-use mileage tracker app, MileIQ is for you. It allows you to classify your trips as business or personal with the swipe of a finger. It also gives you the means to manually complete the mileage entry to satisfy IRS requirements. So far, the app has recorded over 80 billion miles from over 1 million users.
The information recorded by MileIQ is stored in the Cloud and is available through the MileIQ Dashboard. This Dashboard can also be used to mark and name the places you travel for business, making the reports and data analysis more user-friendly.
One of the most interesting features of this app is the one-swipe classification. It allows you to easily tag and categorize miles covered using quick.
Pricing is as follows:
- The free version is fully functional but is limited to only 40 trips per month.
- The premium version is fully functional and requires a subscription of $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
- The premium version is included free with Office 365 Business Premium subscriptions.
Pros
- Simple to use
- Automated tracker
- Detailed reports
- Supports Microsoft Business 365 for the premium version users
- MileIQ integrates with Xero
Cons
- Might consume excess data
- Might consume battery
- Some automated details are not reliable
2. Hurdlr
If you are looking for an all-in-one business expense manager, you should give Hurdlr a close look. Especially if you are a professional driver with Uber or Lyft as it includes features that are specific to those businesses.
The mileage tracking feature offers the choice of starting up in manual or automatic mode. Data from Hurdlr can be exported from the app and sent by email.
With the premium version, you can track business expenses and all reductions in addition to tracking miles. You can also track taxes you owe so you know when to pay. The pro version comes with more including invoicing, accounting, and core financial reports.
In addition to the smartphone app, Hurdlr data is available for review and maintenance through a Windows web application.
Pricing is as follows:
- The free version allows unlimited vehicle tracking in manual mode; however, the free version does not support automatic income and expense tracking.
- The premium version includes automatic expense and income tracking with direct links to your financial accounts. The cost is billed $10 for a monthly subscription or $8.34 per month when billed annually.
- The Pro version includes all the features of the Premium version including detailed tax calculation, invoicing, and double-entry accounting. It costs $16.67 per month billed annually.
- The Enterprise version facilitates white label solutions and custom integrations. The cost is based on custom requirements.
Pros
- Free version
- In-depth financial reporting
- Reliable support with Hurdlr University
- Accounting and invoicing features
- Automatic income and expense tracker
- Tax calculation in the free plan
- Unlimited mileage tracking
Cons
- Not many options in the free plan
- The web app isn’t very reliable
Described as the “ultimate rideshare driver assistant,” SherpaShare is a tool to help you boost your income. FoxBusiness, The New York Times, and Fast Company are a few publications to have featured this Mileage tracker. It’s currently used by many on-demand workers.
The mileage tracking feature of SherpaShare is comparable to other apps reviewed; however, the app obligates the driver to classify the trip immediately on completion. This requirement could be awkward if, for example, you are dropping off travelers at a busy airport.
The one thing that makes SherpaShare stand out is its ability to help drivers understand how they can improve their profitability. It also can link to bank and credit card accounts to capture income and expenses. Scanning receipts is also an option.
Pricing
There is no free version of this app, but it does have a two weeks free trial period. It has three pricing plans, which include:
- Monthly – $5.99 per month billed monthly
- Annual – $4.99 per month billed every month, or $49.99 billed every year
- Super Premium – $10 per month, or $120 billed every year
In addition to the app, the data can be accessed and manipulated through a web Dashboard.
Pros
- Well laid out interface
- Helpful FAQ page
- You can separate trips according to work or personal usage
- Receipt and other expenses tracking
- Built-in chat
- Automatic Mileage tracking with GPS
Cons
- No free version
4. Everlance
Mileage tracking in Everlance is like that with the other applications reviewed. The app begins logging miles automatically, and the driver can categorize a trip as business or personal with the swipe of a finger.
Notably, Everlance automatically detects and tracks trips using a native intelligent drive technology. You can as well start a manual trip at any time. All it takes is a swipe to categorize trips.
From an expense tracking perspective, it can link to bank credit card accounts to collect expenses. There’s also the deduction finder which scans expenses and makes favorable suggestions. Reports are available in PDF or Excel formats.
Pricing is as follows:
- The free version allows 30 free trips each month.
- The Premium version costs $8.00 billed monthly or $5.00 per month billed annually.
- The Premium Plus version costs $12.00 billed monthly or $10.00 per month billed annually.
Note: Everlance has a 7-day free trial period.
Pros
- Supports both mileage and expense tracking
- It has a free plan
- Unlimited users on all plans, including the free plan
- Intuitive workflow interface
Cons
- Doesn’t support route planning
- The free plan doesn’t support linking bank accounts or credit card
5. MileWiz
If you find yourself making business trips to the same places over and over, this may be the mileage tracking app for you. MileWiz gives you the ability to set up addresses that you regularly visit and automatically categorize trips from and to those addresses.
This app would be easy to overlook because, at first glance, it looks like it’s designed for a company managing a fleet of vehicles and drivers. It is, but it also works very well for individual drivers.
You don’t need to do anything manual with MileWiz. The advanced tracking algorithm automatically tracks your trips using motion sensor data and your phone’s GPS. You won’t need to worry about missed trips as the app is optimized for precision.
Pricing is as follows:
- The free version allows 20 free trips each month.
- The individual version is $5 billed monthly or $50 billed annually.
- The team version is $50 per month per driver.
Pros
- Automatic mile tracking
- Support mileage export
- Easy to install and configure
- Doesn’t require manual input
- Optimized for precision
- Advanced GPS and motion sensor tracking
Cons
- It does not have an Android app
How To Choose The Best Mileage Tracker App?
There are a lot of different mileage tracker apps available on the market, so how do you know which one is the best for you?
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a mileage tracker app:
Ease of use
The app should be easy to use and understand. It should have a clear interface that is simple to navigate.
Accuracy
The app should be able to track your mileage accurately. It should also be able to track your route and give you an estimate of your fuel consumption. In fact, some of these apps have weather monitoring features.
Cost
The app should be affordable. There are many free options available, but they may not be as accurate or easy to use as the paid options.
Compatibility
The mileage tracker app should be compatible with your phone and your car. It should also be compatible with any other devices you use, such as a GPS tracking system.
Customer support
Most importantly is customer support. The mileage tracker app should have good customer support in case you have any problems using it.
Once you’ve considered these factors, you can start looking at specific apps and comparing them. Be sure to read reviews before downloading, and always test the app yourself to see if it meets your needs.
The Best Mileage Tracker Apps Are …
The real issue here is what is best for you. Five excellent mileage tracking apps were reviewed and it’s time to decide. If you are looking for a place to get started, check out three winners listed below.
- MileIQ – Easiest to Use
- Hurdlr – Best Mileage/Expense Tracker App
- MileWiz – Best Automatic Categorization
