If you drive a lot for work, then accurate mileage tracking is essential for getting all your deductions and reimbursements. Fortunately, there are many different mileage tracking apps available to suit the needs of both individuals and companies. In this guide, we round up the six best mileage tracking apps for personal and business use to help you figure out which one is right for your needs.
Jump to:
- Top mileage tracker apps: Comparison table
- Top mileage tracker apps
- Key features of mile tracker apps software
- How do I choose the best mile tracker apps for my business?
- Review methodology
Top mileage tracker apps: Comparison table
| Starting price for paid plan | Automatic mileage tracking | Trip categorization | Customization | Forever free plan | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | Starts at $30 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Try QuickBooks |
| Zoho Expense | Starts at $3 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Zoho |
| Hurdlr | Starts at $8.34 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Hurdlr |
| Everlance | Starts at $10 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try Everlance |
| FreshBooks | Starts at $17 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Try FreshBooks |
| MileIQ | Starts at $5.99 per month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Try MileIQ |
Top 6 mileage tracker apps
QuickBooks Online: Best overall mileage tracking appQuickBooks Online: Best overall mileage tracking app
QuickBooks is the industry standard accounting software that needs no introduction. While it’s known for its accounting and bookkeeping features, it also offers mileage tracking on all paid plans. The mobile app has GPS capabilities that automatically track mileage, and QuickBooks will also generate mileage reports to show you what’s deductible and what’s not.
Plans and pricing
- QuickBooks Simple Start: Costs $30 per month with access for one user.
- QuickBooks Essentials: Costs $60 per month with access for up to three users.
- QuickBooks Plus: Costs $90 per month with access for up to five users.
- QuickBooks Advanced: Costs $200 per month with access for up to 25 users.
Features
- Automatic GPS tracking with the mobile app.
- Can also add trips manually after the fact.
- Mileage reports help you figure out deductions.
- Categorize individual trips as personal or business.
Pros
- Mileage tracking available on all paid plans.
- Expense tracking and management also available.
- Comprehensive accounting and bookkeeping features.
- Well-known among accountants.
Cons
- Expensive compared to many other competitors.
- Not a great choice for people looking only for mileage tracking.
- Must choose between a free trial and 50% off the first three months.
- Capped at 25 users even on the most expensive plan.
For more information, read the full QuickBooks Online review.
Zoho Expense: Most user-friendly app
Zoho is known for its colorful, user-friendly interfaces, and its expense management app is no exception. Zoho Expense is easy to navigate, though it may present a bit of a learning curve to users who haven’t previously used a Zoho app before. It also has super affordable pricing plans and a forever free tier of service, making it a great choice for freelancers and other small-business owners on a budget.
Plans and pricing
- Free: $0 for up to 3 users.
- Standard: $3 per user per month billed annually, or $5 per person per month billed monthly.
- Premium: $5 per user per month billed annually, or $8 per person per month billed monthly.
- Enterprise: $8 per user per month billed annually, or $12 per person per month billed monthly.
Features
- Custom mileage rates for different policies, departments or cost centers.
- Custom mileage rates based on different vehicles.
- Mileage tracking through four options: GPS, distance covered, point-to-point map locations and odometer readings.
- Mileage reports for each user to see how much they’ve tracked.
Pros
- Mileage tracking available on all plans, including the free one.
- Complete expense tracking and management solution.
- Seamlessly integrates with the Zoho Books accounting solution.
- Colorful, easy-to-navigate interface.
Cons
- Free plan’s storage is limited.
- Onboarding and setup process can be lengthy.
- Customer support could be improved.
- Must upgrade to the Premium plan for travel expense management.
For more information, read the full Zoho Expense review.
Hurdlr: Best for affordable plans
Hurdlr is another mileage and expense tracking app that offers affordable pricing plans as well as a forever free plan. The free plan offers unlimited and semi-automatic mileage tracking, while the paid plans offer additional features like automatic expense tracking and real-time tax calculations. Hurdlr doesn’t really have approval workflows, making it a good choice for freelancers and other small-business owners who don’t need to worry about reviewing employees’ drives.
Plans and pricing
- Free: Free forever.
- Premium: $8.34 per month billed annually, or $10 per month billed monthly.
- Pro: $16.67 per month billed annually.
Features
- Capture your drives, deductions and reimbursements in the app.
- Repeat drives will be automatically tagged.
- Categorize mileages for multiple businesses.
- Basic income tracking available if you connect your accounts.
Pros
- Well-suited to freelancers and other self-employed people.
- Interface is minimalist and easy to navigate.
- Generates balance sheets, income reports and other reports.
- Pro plan includes basic double-entry accounting.
Cons
- Not as comprehensive as QuickBooks.
- Doesn’t offer approval workflows.
- App only starts tracking mileage once the car is going over a certain speed.
- Could use more robust reports.
Everlance: Best travel expense tracker
Everlance combines mileage tracking and expense management, making it a great choice for those specifically looking for a travel expense tracker. The app automatically starts tracking a trip as soon as the car starts moving and classifies trips as it learns your drives. Sort expenses with a single swipe, and store photos of receipts in the cloud so you never have to worry about losing them.
Plans and pricing
- Occasional Driver: Free for up to 30 trips a month.
- CPM (Cents Per Mile) Program: $10 per user per month billed annually, or $12 per user per month billed monthly.
- FAVR (Fixed and Variable Rate) Program: $33 per user per month billed annually.
Features
- Visual map shows start location, route and end location.
- Autoclassifies trips taken during specific days and hours.
- Favorite place detection identifies locations that you visit often.
- Sorts trips with custom purposes and tags.
Pros
- Easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
- Download IRS-compliant mileage reporting spreadsheets.
- Responsive customer service.
- Starts tracking as soon as the car begins moving.
Cons
- Free plan only autotracks 30 trips per month.
- Automatic tracking can occasionally be buggy.
- App can drain the battery quickly, especially if GPS is also running.
- Trips won’t be logged if the phone battery is low or location services are turned off.
For more information, check out our roundup of the best expense tracking apps, which features Everlance.
FreshBooks: Best for service-based contractors
FreshBooks is accounting software that is a more affordable competitor to QuickBooks, and it also includes tools for mileage and expense tracking. This makes it an all-in-one solution for service-based contractors, freelancers and other small-business owners looking for single software that will meet multiple needs. While more expensive than some standalone mileage trackers on this list, FreshBooks offers much more functionality, so it’s good value for the money.
Plans and pricing
- Lite: $17 per month billed monthly, or $204 billed yearly. Allows users to bill five clients per month.
- Plus: $30 per month billed monthly, or $360 billed yearly. Allows users to bill 50 clients per month.
- Premium: $55 per month billed monthly, or $660 billed yearly. Includes unlimited billable clients.
- Select: Custom quote pricing for enterprises.
Features
- Automatic mileage tracking for drives.
- View potential deductions for every trip.
- Sort and filter trips easily.
- Views and download reports.
Pros
- Expense tracking also included.
- Comprehensive accounting features.
- More affordable than QuickBooks.
- Eliminates the need for multiple software platforms.
Cons
- More expensive than standalone mile tracking solutions.
- No double-entry accounting for basic plan.
- Expensive to add additional users.
- Inventory tracking is limited.
For more information, read the full Freshbooks review.
MileIQ: Best personal and business tracking
If you are looking for a mileage tracking app for both personal and business use, definitely consider MileIQ. It features multiple pricing plans for both individuals and teams, so you can choose the one that fits your needs and budget best. The pricing plans are also quite affordable, on par with some of the other cheaper options on this list. You should know that this app is designed purely for mileage tracking only, so it doesn’t include expense tracking or accounting features.
Plans and pricing
- Free: Free for up to 40 drives a month.
- Unlimited: $5.99 per month for one individual and unlimited drives.
- Teams Lite: $5 per user per month billed monthly.
- Teams: $8 per user per month billed monthly.
- Teams Pro: $10 per user per month billed monthly.
Features
- Add multiple vehicles to track miles for each one.
- Set work hours to automatically classify business drives.
- Input custom mileage rates.
- Mark locations you regularly visit to speed up classification.
Pros
- Simple solution for mileage tracking only.
- Affordable month-to-month plans don’t require an annual commitment.
- App lets users modify or eliminate personal drive time.
- Easy for employees to submit mileage reports.
Cons
- Free plan only tracks 40 drives per month.
- No expense tracking features.
- App can struggle to distinguish locations very close to each other.
- Trip grouping isn’t always logical.
Key features of mileage tracking apps
Automatic and manual tracking
Most mileage tracking apps offer automatic tracking, meaning they start tracking your trip automatically once your vehicle is in motion. Automatic tracking offers various degrees of accuracy depending on which app you choose — some take up to a quarter mile to engage, which can cut into your deductions if you take lots of short trips. Most apps also allow you to manually input a trip after the fact, in case you forget to turn on GPS tracking.
Trip categorization
The best mileage tracking apps don’t just let you select whether or not a trip is business or personal; they let you assign it to one of multiple companies. This is especially helpful if you own or work for more than one business and make driving trips for all of them. More advanced mileage tracking apps will learn your driving behavior over time and start to automatically categorize trips based on time of day and frequent locations, saving you manual work.
Customization
Mileage tracking apps come preloaded with the default deduction rates that apply in your country. However, many apps also allow you to set your own custom deductions, add company reimbursement information, add multiple vehicles, mark your favorite locations and more. These customizations mean that you won’t have to enter the information manually each time you log a trip.
Mileage reports
Tax compliance is one of the major reasons for mileage tracking. That’s why it’s important that whatever mileage tracking app you choose makes it easy to generate a mileage report, download it in Excel or another format, and share it with your accounting team or the IRS. Many apps also generate visual reports so you can check on the status of your deductions and reimbursements throughout the year.
Approvals
If you’re a freelancer in business for yourself, then this feature won’t matter as much to you. But if you’re a business owner with multiple employees who track their miles, then you might want their mileage logs to be passed to an administrator or supervisor before approving them for reimbursement. Not all mileage tracking apps give you the ability to set up approval workflows, so if this matters to your business, then you should prioritize it in your search.
How do I choose the best mileage tracking apps for my business?
When choosing a mileage tracking app, consider your budget as well as your needs. A freelancer or solopreneur will be looking for something different (and likely have a different budget) than a company that needs mileage tracking for an entire fleet of door-to-door salespeople.
Forever free apps are available, but they typically have limited features and cap the number of drives you can log each month. However, Forever free plans are helpful if you want to test an app for a more extended trial before committing to a monthly or annual paid plan.
While there are a few standalone apps that only offer mileage tracking, many of them bundle it together with other features like expense tracking or even a full-blown accounting suite. It may actually be more affordable and less complicated in the long run to choose an all-in-one software like QuickBooks or FreshBooks. If you anticipate needing other software besides just mileage tracking, be sure to compare all the plans and really crunch the numbers before making your final selection.
Review methodology
To determine the best mileage tracking apps, we factored in user reviews and product documentation. We considered features such as automatic mileage tracking, trip categorization, customization, mileage reports and approvals. We also weighed other factors such as pricing, user interface and customer support.
Subscribe to the Executive Briefing Newsletter
Discover the secrets to IT leadership success with these tips on project management, budgets, and dealing with day-to-day challenges.
Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays
