How to pay less for gas: 5 free apps I use to find the lowest fuel prices nearby

Free for iOS and Android, GasBuddy is simple to use. Just fire up the app and tap the button to find gas. The first time you do this, you’ll have to give the app permission to view your location. You can also tell it what type of gas you need — regular, premium, diesel, etc. In response, a list of nearby gas stations pops up. Each entry displays the name and address of the station, the number of stars it gets based on user ratings, and the price per gallon.

You can sort the list by price or distance, change the grade of gas you want, and see prices for credit-only or credit and cash. Tap the name of a specific station, and you can get directions to any station, which are then routed to Apple Maps on an iPhone or Google Maps on an Android device.

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And there’s more. If you become a GasBuddy member, you can collect rewards and save money on future visits to the pump. A standard membership is free, while a premium plan with higher savings costs $10 a month. To cash in on the discount, you also have to link your bank account to collect the rewards and use a GasBuddy credit card to pay for gas.

I’m always wary of linking my financial information to third-party apps, so I use GasBuddy just to check out local gas prices. And here, the app is quick and easy to use. But GasBuddy also has its own website where I can check prices across the US and calculate the cost of a trip.