Guide
How to choose a car maintenance app
We make Lugnut, so read this with that in mind. We've tried to be fair: every app below does some things well, and the right one depends on what you want from it.
What to look for
- Reminders by distance and time. "Every 10,000 km or 12 months, whichever comes first" is how most schedules work.
- Getting records in quickly. If logging a service takes five minutes of typing, you'll stop doing it. Receipt scanning and import from other apps help.
- Your units and taxes. Kilometres or miles, litres or gallons, and receipts with GST, HST or QST if you're in Canada.
- Privacy and an account. Some apps need an account and store your data on their servers; others keep it on your device.
- Getting your data out. CSV export or a backup file means you're not locked in.
- Price model. Free with ads, a one-time purchase, or a subscription.
How the popular apps compare
Details for other apps come from the sources listed below and the App Store at the time of writing. Prices and features change, so check the App Store before you choose.
| App | Good at | Price | Account and data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lugnut | Receipt and dealer invoice scanning, reminders, Canadian and U.S. recalls and taxes, OBD2 diagnostics, seasonal tire advice. iPhone, iPad and Mac. | Free for one vehicle; Pro CA$2.99/month or CA$19.99/year | No account; records stay on your devices |
| CARFAX Car Care | VIN-based setup, manufacturer-style schedules, recall alerts. | Free | Vehicle data goes to CARFAX |
| Drivvo | Broad expense tracking (fuel, service, insurance, fines, parking) and reports. | Free tier; Pro around $2.99/month | Account and cloud sync |
| Fuelly | Fuel economy tracking and comparison with other owners; basic service logs. | Free, ad-supported | Account required |
| Simply Auto | Fuel, maintenance and mileage tracking, with voice input for fill-ups. | Free with in-app purchases | Check the App Store listing |
| Road Trip | Detailed fuel economy statistics, service logs, iCloud sync without an account. iOS only. | One-time purchase | No account; iCloud sync |
Which one?
- You mostly track fuel economy: Fuelly or Road Trip.
- You want everything about car costs, including fines and parking: Drivvo.
- You want a free app with recall alerts and don't mind an account: CARFAX Car Care.
- You have a shoebox of receipts, use a shop or dealer, live in Canada, or want OBD2 history and no account: Lugnut.
Whatever you choose, make sure you can export your records. If you switch to Lugnut later, Lugnut Pro can import logs from Fuelly, Drivvo, Fuelio, Simply Auto, aCar, Road Trip MPG, LubeLogger and spreadsheets.