An Uber mileage tracker is only as useful as the log it produces, so this guide starts with what the IRS expects in that log, then looks at what Uber and Lyft record on their own, and then compares tracking apps using their official pages rather than rankings. Which method to use for the deduction itself is a separate question.
What does the IRS want in a mileage log?
Publication 463 says that for car expenses you keep the mileage for each business use and the total miles for the year, along with the date, your business destination and the business purpose.[1] A log, diary, notebook or any other written record is acceptable. The IRS also lets you keep an adequate record for part of the year and use it to show business use for the whole year, as long as you can show the sampled period is representative. The Schedule C instructions add that written evidence may be kept in an electronic storage system that meets certain requirements.[2]
Commuting is the part drivers trip over: Publication 463 treats travel between your home and a regular place of work as personal. The rate that turns a log into a deduction is set by the IRS, which lists 72.5 cents per business mile for January 1 to June 30, 2026 and 76 cents for July 1 to December 31, 2026.[3] For what else drivers can write off, see Uber driver tax deductions.
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Does Uber or Lyft track mileage for you?
Both show a total, but neither gives you a log. Uber’s tax page says the annual tax summary shows total online miles on its first page: miles driven while waiting for a request, driving to the pickup and driving on the trip. Uber says the summary is not an official tax document and that it does not provide tax advice.[4] Lyft’s annual summary likewise lists rides, online miles and earnings, and Lyft calls it not an official tax document either.[5]
A yearly total answers “how many miles was I online?” It does not record the date, destination and purpose of each business use, and the question of which online miles are deductible is one for the IRS rules, not the platform. Keep your own record next to it. Uber’s page is titled for drivers and couriers, so delivery drivers should look for the same summary and check which miles it counts for them.
What should you compare in a tracking app?
Use criteria that match how you drive:
- Tracking mode. Automatic detection saves taps but can mislabel trips; manual entry is slower and fully in your hands.
- Free limit. A cap on automatic trips matters if you drive full time.
- Purpose and notes. The IRS wants a business purpose, so check whether you can add one.
- Export. You need a report you can hand to a tax preparer.
- Battery and data. Background location uses power, and the privacy policy says what is collected.
- Platform fit. Some apps track earnings from Uber, Lyft and delivery apps as well as miles.
Tip: Run a free plan for a week and compare its total with your odometer before trusting it for a whole year.
Which apps exist, according to their own pages?
Hurdlr’s help center lists three modes: automatic tracking, which starts at about 10 mph and is a Premium feature; semi-automatic tracking, where you start and stop the tracker; and manual entry.[6] Our Hurdlr review covers that app in depth.
Everlance’s pricing page lists a free Basic plan with 30 automatically detected trips per user per month and unlimited manual start-and-stop tracking.[7] Lyft’s tax page says Lyft drivers get 20 to 60 percent off Everlance Starter depending on their Lyft Rewards tier, but that offer can change, so confirm it in Lyft’s Tax Center.
MileIQ’s pricing page lists a free plan limited to 40 drives each month and a paid plan with unlimited drives.[8]
Gridwise is a driver assistant app for rideshare, delivery and gig workers that advertises automatic mileage tracking, expense tracking and CSV export, with a 14-day free trial.[9]
TripLog advertises automatic trip capture and sells optional hardware: a Bluetooth beacon that triggers tracking and a dedicated GPS device with a trip classification button. It invites you to register for a free account.[10]
Prices change, and several of these pages show more than one price set, so this guide quotes limits instead of dollar amounts.
How should you pick one?
Start with the log rules above, then match the app to your driving. A part-time driver may be fine with a free plan that has a trip cap, while someone driving daily needs unlimited automatic tracking or a manual routine. Whatever you pick, open one export before the year ends and look for the fields the IRS asks for: date, mileage, destination and purpose. If the report leaves out the purpose, add it in the app while the trip is still fresh, because a note written months later is harder to stand behind.
An app’s total is only as good as its tagging. A trip left unclassified, or a personal errand tagged as business, changes the number you carry to your return, so review the log monthly.
