From real Reddit threads
The best free mileage tracker, according to Reddit
On Reddit, “free” splits two ways: truly-free apps that are basic, and freemium apps that auto-track but cap your trips. Here is what drivers actually say, plus an honest look at what each free tier really gives you.
Updated June 2026. Quotes are verbatim from public Reddit threads. For the full app roundup, see what Reddit says about mileage trackers.
What each free tier actually gives you
| App | Free tier | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Stride | Free forever | Barebones; you have to remember to start it; no saved routes or AI classify. |
| TruMile | 40 auto trips/mo + unlimited manual | Auto-detection is capped at 40/mo on free; manual entry is unlimited. |
| MileIQ | 40 auto drives/mo | Hard cap, then $13.99/mo to continue. |
| Everlance | 30 auto trips/mo | Cap hits fast for full-time drivers. |
| Hurdlr | Unlimited (semi-auto) | Free tier is semi-automatic; full auto is paid. |
| Driversnote | 15 trips/mo | Smallest free tier here. |
Free-tier figures confirmed 2026-06-05 from each app’s in-app purchase screen.
What Reddit says about the free options
Stride is the free pick drivers name most often. The praise is “free and simple”; the complaints are that it is basic, glitchy, and easy to forget to start.
“Stride is free & pretty easy to use.”
“I'm a bigger fan of stride because its simpler and marking payments as write offs is super easy.”
“It seems to work fine but I tend to forget to shut it off so it gets stupid. And I forget to turn it on as well at times. But stride works pretty well for me.”
“Stride is a complete waste of bandwidth. I use my car's odometer.”
“Odometer+ is much better than MileIQ. You can just turn Odometer+ on and off and you don't have to pay.”
Where TruMile fits on “free”
TruMile is newer and not in these threads yet, so no invented praise. On the free question specifically: TruMile’s free tier is 40 auto-detected trips a month plus unlimited manual entries, the same monthly auto allowance as MileIQ, with no email or credit card. If you drive more than ~40 auto trips a month you will hit the cap like any freemium app, but unlike the truly-free apps it adds saved routes, AI classify, and an IRS-ready export when you upgrade, at the lowest paid price in the category. See the full ranking.
How we gathered this
Quotes are real comments from public Reddit threads in driver and self-employed communities, each linked to its source. We collapsed line breaks for readability but did not change wording, and we excluded company representatives, promotional posts, and duplicated comments.
Common questions
- What is the best free mileage tracker according to Reddit?
- Stride is the most-recommended truly-free app on Reddit: free forever and simple, but barebones, and drivers note you have to remember to turn it on. The free auto-tracking tiers of MileIQ (40/mo), TruMile (40/mo plus unlimited manual), Everlance (30/mo), and Driversnote (15/mo) add automation but cap how many trips they detect for free.
- Is Stride really free?
- Yes, Stride is free. The trade-off Reddit drivers point out is that it is basic (no saved routes or AI classification) and you have to remember to start it, and some find it glitchy.
- What is the catch with free mileage trackers?
- Two catches show up repeatedly on Reddit. Truly-free apps like Stride are barebones and manual to start. Freemium apps give automatic detection but cap the free trips per month (MileIQ 40, Everlance 30, Driversnote 15), then require a subscription.
- Does TruMile have a free tier?
- Yes. TruMile is free for 40 auto-detected trips a month plus unlimited manual entries, the same monthly auto allowance as MileIQ, with no email or credit card required.
Free for 40 auto trips a month.
Plus unlimited manual entries. No email, no credit card.
Download free on the App Store