Gas prices are all over the place these days, and unless you want to pay top dollar to put the same stuff in your tank that is sold for less down the street, you need an easy way to check local prices without driving all over town. Here are just a few of our favorite apps that can help you find the most affordable gas stations (and maybe even make some money on the side).
GasBuddy
You can’t talk about gas prices online without mentioning GasBuddy. As the most popular option on the list, GasBuddy has been around since Y2K, starting as a website before jumping to smartphones in 2010.
Arm yourself with these apps for a complete look at your local gas prices.
What makes GasBuddy so great is that it offers quick and easy access to all the best prices in your area. In the list view, you can sort options by price, distance, gasoline grade, and whether cash or credit is accepted. You can also tap over to the map view to see nearby gas stations, along with glanceable price tags. GasBuddy is built on crowdsourced data, so if one of the listed gas prices is incorrect, you can report the mistake and submit a price update for other drivers.
Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/GasBuddy
Google Maps
You probably know Google Maps as one of the leading navigation apps on the App Store and Google Play, but while it’s good at getting directions and checking local traffic, it’s also surprisingly decent at gathering gas prices. Tap on the “gas” tab at the top of the screen (you may have to scroll over to find it) to get an instant view of all local gas stations, along with a quick map and list view of their lowest prices. You can select a gas station to open the overview menu, where you can see prices for regular, mid-grade, and premium gas at your chosen location.
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Scroll down, and you’ll find the “Popular times” graph, which shows the best and worst hours to stop by based on traffic estimates, along with the amount of time you should expect to wait for a fill-up.
Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/Google Maps
Waze
Waze started as a community-based navigation app that empowered users to share updates about traffic, road hazards, speed traps, and more, all intended to help fellow “Wazers” safely navigate the map. Although the app was purchased by Google in 2013, Waze has largely maintained its unique design and personality, leaning heavily on its crowdsourcing roots to deliver important information to drivers, including gas prices.
To see the prices in your immediate area, tap on the “Where to?” search bar and select “Gas.” Instantly, you’ll find a map of nearby stations, complete with markers advertising their lowest prices. Choose your favorite station to see a full list of prices on regular, mid-grade, and premium gasoline. On this screen, you’ll also see if the station has nearby parking to park your car so that you can go inside for drinks or snacks.
One of the best parts about Waze’s gas price feature is that you can set tracking preferences in the settings menu. You can choose your preferred gas type, station brand, and sorting options to ensure the most pertinent results show up first on the map.
Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/Waze
Upside
If you enjoy any of the shows on BlazeTV, you’ve probably heard of Upside. While it’s true that Upside has advertised on some of our podcasts, the company did not pay to be featured in this article. The reason this app made the list is because Upside is a genuinely useful service that can help you get cheap gas and even put some money back in your pocket.
Unlike the other apps here that display gas prices on a map, Upside labels stations with the amount of cash back you can earn. To get direct price information, select your preferred station. Prices are listed by the amount you’ll save on premium, regular, mid-grade, and diesel. Make sure you tap “Claim” at the bottom of the page to redeem the offer, and read the fine print below for redemption details.
While Upside can help you save money at the pump, there is one stark limitation — discounts are only available at Upside’s preferred partner gas stations. That means your favorite station might not offer cash back. For what it’s worth, though, Upside claims to support 50,000 stores nationwide, so the chances are high that there are still viable options in your area.
Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/Upside
Your ticket to savings
Gas is one of those things that you can’t live without, but just because it’s a necessity doesn’t mean you should pay top dollar. Arm yourself with these apps for a complete look at your local gas prices and save money every time you fill up. There’s no point in spending more for the same stuff that another station sells for less.
