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The 6 Best Apps to Find Cheap Gas

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Recently, I wrote about the many free gas rewards programs you could take advantage of to save even more at the tank.

In short, these programs worked much like your local grocery store chain or even pharmacy, wherein you sign up for a special card and swipe it anytime you’re at the pump.  In return, you can accrue points, in which you can sooner or later redeem for gas.

If you were to combine these reward programs and the apps to find cheap gas I’m about to mention, then there’s no reason you won’t find the cheapest gas in town.

In today’s post, I wanted to talk about the many cheap gas apps that take your location and let you know which gas stations are offering the best prices.  Combine these low prices with the gas rewards program and you’re good to go!

Apps to Find Cheap Gas

GasBuddy

4.4/5 rating | 10M downloads

Let’s lead off with the same company I mentioned in my free gas rewards program post — GasBuddy.

If you didn’t read that post, let me quickly talk about the awesome GasBuddy rewards program.  In short, GasBuddy has a debit card that you can use at any gas station and helps you save up to $0.25, all dependent on which membership level you choose.  Yes, they do have a free option, but all you need to do is link your checking account to the card and that’s it. Combine this rewards program with the cheapest gas prices in your area and there’s no reason you can’t save 10 to 20 percent more than someone not doing their research.

The GasBuddy app, being the #1 car companion app, just lets you know which gas stations are nearby and which ones offer the best prices at this moment.  You can even filter the search results by brands, amenities, locations and more.  They have a large community, so you can be assured the prices posted are usually up to date, but you can always check the time when the price was submitted to see when someone did so.

Aside from telling you where the cheapest gas is in town, the app also offers price hike alerts, local deals, daily $100 drawings, and even achievement opportunities if you complete certain user challenges.

GasBuddy is 100% free and is highly recommended as my #1 choice.



Gas Guru

3.5/5 rating | 500K downloads

Gas Guru, quite possibly the second most popular gas saving app, is operated by Yellowpages and helps you find the cheapest gas prices in your area.

Working just like GasBuddy, you just open the app and it will immediately show you the cheapest prices.  The biggest difference here, however, is that the prices are provided by OPIS (Oil Price Information Service) rather than community members.  Seeing this app isn’t as popular as GasBuddy, you will find that many of the listings, at least to me, were not as fresh, simply meaning the prices may not be up to date.  This isn’t always the case, however.

Gas Guru lets you filter your searches, save your frequent locations and get all of the detailed information you need.

Google Maps

4.3/5 rating | 5B downloads

If you use Google Maps, then you can take advantage of finding local gas stations simply by searching for gas stations wherever you are.

In doing so, Google will show the closest gas stations nearby as well as the prices at the time.  Above was a screenshot from my phone.  Like Gas Guru, it appears Google relies on OPIS data, so it should be fairly accurate but may be limited.

Personally, Google Maps is my favorite GPS and search tool as you can use it for much more than just gas prices.  I also love using it to find nearby hotel prices and restaurant reviews, both features I feel don’t get enough attention.

Waze

4.4/5 rating | 100M downloads

Waze is greatly known for its GPS, but they offer a lot of in-app features as well such as displaying gas prices at nearby gas stations.  It works just like Google Maps, where you will have to search for “gas stations” to see local results.

Like GasBuddy, Waze will get all of its gas prices from its community, but seeing it’s a sizeable community, most of the prices are usually up to date.  However, it’s not as accurate as GasBuddy, but this greatly depends as to where you live as some communities may not be as active as others.

If you’re already using Waze, just search for gas and you will immediately be presented with a few gas stations in your area along with the prices, similar to what you see here…

In doing so, Waze will show you a list of the prices as well as a color-coded chart that shows you which gas prices are higher and lower in comparison to other stations in the area.  As you can see, red is high, orange is average and anything green is below average.

GetUpside

4.5/5 rating | 1M downloads

The GetUpside app is very similar to that of the GasBuddy app, wherein you can earn cashback on your gas purchases, but there’s a slight difference.

To use the app, you will first need to search the local map to see which offers are available.  As the app works with more than just gas stations, you can get cash back on groceries and food as well, to name a few.  You can save quite a bit.

You will then want to claim the offer for the best gas prices in town and be sure to save your receipt as the app will ask you to snap a picture in order to prove your purchase.  Once the receipt is confirmed, you get cashback, sometimes in the tune of $0.25 off a gallon!

So, unlike GasBuddy, where you need to link your checking account, you will not have to do that here, making for a decent option if you’re uncomfortable linking your bank/credit card accounts.

At this moment, the only works in a select number of cities, but they are quickly expanding.  Refer to the official link below for more information.

The Coupons App

4.6/5 rating | 10M downloads

As the name implies, the Coupon App posts hundreds of coupons every day, from retail to fast food, and best of all, there’s no need to print them.  There’s something for everyone and is highly recommended if you’re a frugal spender like myself.

Aside from the many coupons and weekly ads the app posts daily, you can also search for gas prices nearby as seen here…

If you want to save on almost anything, it’s a great app to have, even if you don’t use the gas prices feature.

MapQuest

4.2/5 rating | 10M downloads

Yes, MapQuest still exists and functions quite well!  It’s not my favorite, but it’s another option if you want to explore the cheapest gas prices in town.

Like Waze and Google Maps, MapQuest also offers gas prices right inside of the app via its “layers” bar.  Like Google, you will have to search for gas stations, and from there, you can view the gas stations near you along with the price.



AAA

3.4/5 rating | 1M downloads

I’m going to list this here last as you do need to be an AAA member in order to take full advantage the app.

If you have been a member for some time, then you may already be familiar with what’s known as the TripTik Travel Planner.  If so, this is basically it, only that it’s a mobile version.

Aside from being able to help you find hotel and rental car discounts, the app can also help you find nearby gas stations with the cheapest price.

I don’t find this app all too useful in regards to the gas prices as there are many other options, however, the other features could be of use if you’re an AAA member.

  • Website:  AAA

Final Thoughts

There are quite a few apps to find cheap gas as you can see.  There’s really no right or wrong, but for me personally, I stick to both the Google Maps search function as well as the GasBuddy apps as these tend to be the most accurate and offer the best usability.

Again, be sure to sign up for one of the many free gas rewards programs out there to save even more.  When you combine both the rewards program and make an effort to find the cheapest gas, you will almost always be getting the cheapest gas in town.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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