As a rideshare driver, tracking mileage is crucial for maximizing your earnings and reducing your tax burden. The IRS can be very particular when it comes to taking a mileage deduction. At a minimum, they will require the total miles you drove, dates of each trip, locations you drove to, and the business purpose of the trip. A 2019 IRS publication explains these types of expenses in detail.
To simplify the expense tracking process, many rideshare drivers utilize a mileage tracking app. These apps eliminate the old school practice of carefully logging odometer readings with pen and paper. Mileage tracking apps are convenient and helpful in maintaining an accurate record, which is imperative in case the IRS ever decides to audit you.
Since there are so many mileage tracking apps out there, rideshare drivers are often uncertain which one to choose. At Gridwise, our goal is to help increase drivers’ performance on the road, and one way we accomplish that is by providing answers to common questions, like, “Which mileage tracking app is best for me?”
We prepared this blog post to help drivers answer that question. We’ve compared popular mileage tracking apps based on the most important aspects: availability, cost, and features specific to rideshare drivers. Keep reading to see what we found out.
Gridwise Shift Tracker
Availability: iOS and Android
Cost: Free
Features:
By starting a shift on Gridwise you will automatically track all the miles that you drive during your shift.
As a driver, you now have a button at the very top of your screen in the Gridwise app that says “Go Online.” Pressing that button starts your driving session.
Now you’ll see a “Shift Active” bar.
Here you’ll get a real-time look at how far you’ve driven and how long you’ve driven for the current day, the previous day, and the entire week.
Turn your shift status to “On” every time you start driving so your miles and time are automatically tracked.
After you’ve finished a shift, you’ll be prompted to input your driving statistics for that session.
And you’ll be able view your weekly and daily results on the Earnings tab. This will include your total earnings and total number of trips given.
You’ll then receive a shift summary email with more detailed stats.
Best of all, Gridwise isn’t just for Rideshare (Uber and Lyft) drivers. Gridwise is also one of the best mileage tracfkers for:
MileIQ
Availability: iOS and Android. Also, the MileIQ Dashboard is available on your laptop, desktop, or tablet.
Cost: Free if you take fewer than 40 drives per month. If you want unlimited drives per month, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee of $5.99 ($4.99 per month if billed annually).
Features:
MileIQ automatically logs your miles and works in the background without the need to press “start” or “stop” during your trips. It also integrates with Freshbooks and Excel. However, you’ll need to categorize each trip as either personal, charity, or professional by swiping left or right. Based on your miles recorded, MileIQ can create a complete record of all your tax deductible and reimbursable mileage—but doesn’t include accounting tools like expense calculation.
Although MileIQ is reliable, it’s more suitable for business drivers who drive the same route every day rather than rideshare drivers with varying routes. Most rideshare drivers complete more than 40 drives per month, so you’ll likely have to pay the fee.
Hurdlr
Availability: iOS and Android
Cost: Basic version is free; full version $7.99/month or $58.99/year
Features:
Hurdlr actively tracks your business mileage with an automatic start and stop. The free version includes expense and semi-automatic mileage tracking. Premium users get all features tracked automatically, plus real-time quarterly and year-end tax estimates.
This app can generate graphs to show your net earnings and expenses over time. It also integrates with your Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Square, and bank account. Another unique feature of Hurdlr is the in-app customer support, which provides you with help from a real human. However, some drivers find this app to be a bit of a battery hog, according to Harry Campbell, aka The Rideshare Guy, and others have reported it to be slow starting and not entirely accurate.
SherpaShare
Availability: iOS and Android
Cost: $5.99/month or $59.88/year (Super Premium starts at $10/month)
Features:
SherpaShare offers unlimited, automatic mileage tracking via GPS. It also allows you to track hourly revenue, chat with other drivers, see where other drivers are, and get driving recommendations.
The drawback with SherpaShare is that there is no free version available, so you might want to try other apps first.
TripLog
Availability: iOS and Android; also, TripLog has a web platform with additional features.
Cost: Free for up to five vehicles; there’s also a basic plan for $2/month or premium for $4/month
Features:
TripLog’s free version includes standard features like GPS mileage tracking and Google Maps driving route.
If you upgrade to a paid version of TripLog, you’ll have access to features like automatic mileage tracking, daily cloud backup, the ability to upload receipt photos for other driving expenses, and unlimited IRS-ready reports. Additionally, TripLog enables you to estimate your gas mileage and find the best gas prices. If you have multiple employees, the ability to install it on five different vehicles could come in handy.
Unfortunately, the free version doesn’t include automatic tracking, so you’ll have to enter miles manually. You also won’t be able to test out the app’s mileage tracking features before you pay for the service.
Stride
Availability: iOS and Android
Cost: Free
Features:
Stride enables drivers to track their mileage as well as other driving-related expenses. It uses smartphone GPS passive mileage tracking, which means you turn it on when you start the day’s driving, then turn it off when you’re done. All the mileage tracking will be done automatically in the background. Stride also tracks expenses like parking fees, car washes, and tolls.
Aside from tracking mileage, you can also use Stride to file your receipts and expense records. This feature can be beneficial at tax time, since all your business deductions will be in one place.
Everlance Mileage Tracker
Availability: iOS and Android
Cost: Free up to 30 rides a month, then $8/month or $60/year
Features:
The Everlance mileage tracker features clean design and intuitive interface, so it’s easy to use. It automatically generates IRS forms for mileage deductions, as well as tracks expenses through photo receipts (helpful for car details, gas purchases, and more). Although there is technically a free version, 30 rides a month doesn’t get you very far. Odds are you’ll end up with the paid version. Users have reported some faulty automatic tracking, so make sure you test a few times before committing to pay.
So what’s the best mileage tracking app?
Gridwise stands out as the only tracker created specifically for rideshare drivers and with enough features on the free version to benefit you in numerous ways. Gridwise offers free mileage tracking, driving stats, and analytics, in addition to airport and event insights. If you’re a rideshare driver tracking mileage and driving analytics for your taxes across multiple rideshare apps, then Gridwise is a great option.
If you have more advanced needs and want to track more driver-related expenses, then you may want to consider something like Hurdlr, Stride, or Everlance.
What do you think the best mileage tracking app is and why? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!
