How to Choose a Mileage Tracker: Free Limits, Prices and What to Check (2026)
Updated: 3 days ago
Short answer: Before you pick a mileage tracker, check four things: how many trips the free plan covers, what a paid plan costs for a full year, whether trips are logged automatically, and whether it exports a report your employer or tax office will accept. Many free plans cap automatic trips at roughly 15 to 40 a month, and a few don’t cap trips but limit reports. At the time of writing, paid plans run from about $60 to $140 a year in US dollars. Fuelshine is free to start and can also check your log against your car’s own odometer.
A mileage tracker should save you time and protect your claim, not add another chore. The differences between apps come down to price, free limits, and what each one checks. Here is what to compare, with the math, so you can pick one that fits how much you drive.
What to check before you choose a mileage tracker
What to check | Why it matters | What to look for |
Free plan limit | Free plans often cap automatic trips each month. | A cap of 40 drives covers about 20 round trips. Count your own month first. |
Full-year price | A low monthly price can add up. | Compare the yearly total, not the monthly headline. |
Automatic trip detection | Manual logging is the main reason people stop using an app. | Trips are recorded in the background with no need to open the app. |
Business or personal tagging | Only work trips belong in a report. | One tap or swipe per trip, and you control which trips are shared. |
Report export | Your employer or tax office needs the date, destination, purpose and distance. | A report you can send in one step. |
Where the distance comes from | Phone GPS gives an estimate of your route. | Ask whether the app can also check against the car’s own odometer. |
Canada and US rates | The CRA and the IRS use different rates and units. | Support for kilometres and miles, and the current rate for each. |
How far does a free plan go?
Most free plans count each drive separately, so a trip to a client and back can use two. A cap of 40 drives covers about 20 round trips a month, a cap of 30 covers about 15, and a cap of 15 covers about 7.
Count one month of your work drives. If it is under about 15 round trips, a free plan is enough. If it is more, the price and the trip cap start to matter.
Is the price worth it? The math
Take a plan that costs $139.92 a year. At the 2026 IRS rate of 76¢ a mile, 184 business miles is about $140 of deductible mileage. In Canada, at the CRA rate of 73¢ per km, about 192 km does the same.
A deduction lowers your taxable income rather than paying you that amount, so the real saving is smaller. If your employer reimburses you, every logged mile or kilometre is cash. Either way, a driver logging thousands of work miles passes the break-even point quickly.
What GPS-only apps don’t check
Most mileage trackers estimate distance from your phone’s location. That works well, but nothing in it shows the number matches your car. Fuelshine can optionally compare your logged distance with the vehicle’s own odometer, through its connected-car data, for supported vehicles and with no device to install.
It is optional, and the app tracks your trips without it. If you are ever asked to back up a claim, a log that matches your odometer is easier to defend.
If your employer reimburses you
If you drive your own vehicle and your employer pays you per kilometre or mile, you need a report your employer will accept. Our guide on how to track mileage for reimbursement walks through it. Whichever app you pick, check that it exports a report you can send to your manager.
2026 mileage rates: Canada and US
Canada (CRA): 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 km driven for work, then 67¢ per km after that (4¢ more in the territories). Amounts are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
United States (IRS): 76¢ per mile from July 1, 2026, after 72.5¢ per mile from January 1 to June 30. Amounts are in US dollars (USD).
See our guides to the best CRA mileage app in Canada and the best IRS mileage app for 2026.
Try Fuelshine free
Free to start on Android and iPhone.
Managing drivers instead of just yourself?
If you run mileage reimbursement for a team, read our employee mileage reimbursement software buyer’s guide or book a short demo.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mileage tracker cost?
Many free plans cap automatic trips each month. At the time of writing, paid plans run from about $60 to $140 a year in US dollars, so compare the yearly total and the free limit before you pay.
Is there a free mileage tracker?
Yes. Many apps have a free plan, usually with a monthly cap on automatic trips or limited reports. Fuelshine is free to start on Android and iPhone.
How many trips does a free mileage tracker allow?
It varies by app. Many free plans cap automatic trips at roughly 15 to 40 a month, and each drive counts separately, so a round trip can use two.
Which mileage tracker is best if my employer reimburses me?
Look for automatic trip detection, one-tap business or personal tagging, and an export your employer will accept, with the date, destination, purpose and distance for each trip. Fuelshine adds an optional check against your car’s own odometer.
Does a mileage tracker check my odometer?
Most estimate distance from your phone’s GPS. Fuelshine can also compare your log with the vehicle’s own odometer data for supported vehicles. It is optional, and the app tracks trips without it.
What are the 2026 mileage rates in Canada and the US?
In Canada, the CRA rate is 73¢ per km for the first 5,000 km driven for work and 67¢ per km after that, with 4¢ more in the territories. In the US, the IRS rate is 76¢ per mile from July 1, 2026, after 72.5¢ per mile from January 1 to June 30.
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