Because gas prices always fluctuate (even changing within one day!) it’s good to know that smart phone apps have committed themselves to helping you find the best deal. Three of the popular apps are listed below, with their pros and cons (note only one is compatible with Android and Blackberry):
Fuel Finder
Grade: B+ Price: $2.99
Pros: Highly customizable, deep feature set
Cons: Price freshness bug
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
This app, formerly known as Gas Buddy and still associated with the popular site by that name, has more bells and whistles than its competitors, which for the most part justifies the fact that it’s the most expensive in the category. From the main screen you can search by price or distance and get a list or map-view option, plus the ability to search other locations by ZIP code. The extra charge might be due to the “citizen gas reporter” or the color-coded prices.
GasBook
Grade: A- Price: Free
Pros: Fuel Log function keeps track of costs; intuitive reporting feature
Cons: Free version features ads
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
GasBook is the most impressive free app of its type. The main search function works like most other fuel apps, toggling between a list view and map view that lets you filter your searches by price or distance. You can get a detailed screen showing fuel grades and the ability tog et directions. You can also track distance and calculate costs and fuel usage.
Poynt
Grade: B+ Price: Free
Pros: Maps locations directly to Google Maps or BlackBerry Maps; filters by fuel type
Cons: Ad-supported; does not filter by brand
Compatibility: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7
Poynt is most notable for providing information about everything from restaurants and movies to the cheapest E85 fuel. It also has the advantage of being compatible with mostly all phone platforms. You can map a station’s location, or alert contacts via email or Twitter. This app is ad-supported, however, which can be very annoying, and there’s no way to filter gas by brand.
