How to Use GasBuddy to Find the Cheapest Gas Near You

GasBuddy is a free app that shows real-time gas prices at stations near you — so you can find the cheapest option before pulling into any station.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Download GasBuddy
2.Find Cheap Gas Near You
3.Filter by Fuel Type
4.Report a Price to Earn Points
5.Compare Prices on Your Route

Download GasBuddy

~22s

Search for "GasBuddy" in the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). Download the free app. Open it — GasBuddy immediately asks for your location to show nearby stations. Allow location access. You'll see a list of nearby stations with their current regular gas prices.

Quick Tip

The app works without creating an account, but creating one lets you save your home area, track savings, and earn points for reporting prices.

Find Cheap Gas Near You

~19s

The main screen shows nearby stations sorted by price (cheapest first by default). Tap "Map" to see them visually on a map. Green icons = cheapest, yellow = medium, red = expensive (relative to the area). The price shown includes how recently it was reported (e.g., "15 min ago"). More recently reported prices are more reliable.

Filter by Fuel Type

~25s

At the top of the screen, tap the fuel type selector to switch between Regular, Mid-Grade, Premium, and Diesel. Most cars use Regular (87 octane). Check your car's manual or inside the fuel door to confirm what your car requires before selecting. Luxury and sports cars often require Premium.

Warning

Do not use lower-octane fuel than your car requires (some vehicles require Premium) — it can damage the engine. Using higher-octane than required is wasteful but not harmful.

Report a Price to Earn Points

~19s

When you fill up, open GasBuddy and tap the gas pump icon to report the current price at that station. Select the fuel type, enter the price you see on the pump, and tap "Submit." You earn GasBuddy Points for each report. Points accumulate and can be used toward fuel discounts through the GasBuddy Pay card.

Compare Prices on Your Route

~18s

When driving somewhere unfamiliar, tap the map icon and zoom out to see stations along your route. This is especially useful when driving on a highway or in an unfamiliar city — you can plan a gas stop at the cheaper station coming up rather than the expensive one right at the exit.

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Gas prices vary significantly between stations in the same area — sometimes by $0.30-0.50 per gallon or more. GasBuddy is a free app that crowdsources gas prices from users and displays them on a map, so you can see which station has the cheapest fuel without driving around to check.

When you know gas prices before you go, you can plan your fill-up at the cheaper station. The app uses a combination of user-reported prices and data partnerships to keep prices current — many prices are updated within the past hour. Users who report prices earn small rewards (GasBuddy Points) which can be redeemed for fuel discounts.

GasBuddy has been around since 2000 and is free on iPhone and Android. Over 150,000 gas stations across the US and Canada are listed. With 90 million users, prices are frequently reported and reasonably accurate.

Beyond showing prices, GasBuddy also offers a GasBuddy Pay card — a free card that gives you $0.25/gallon off at any gas station when you link it to your bank account. This is separate from seeing prices and requires a separate sign-up. It's legitimate and uses ACH bank transfers like other debit cards.

The app also shows pump features at stations (pay at pump, car wash, restrooms, etc.) and user reviews of specific stations — useful for knowing whether a cheap station is also a good experience.

Gas prices fluctuate with oil markets, local taxes, and station competition. Keeping GasBuddy on your phone takes seconds of glancing before a fill-up and can save meaningful money over the course of a year.

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