Four free apps for finding cheap gas

Waze isn't a gas price program per-se, but along with the crowd-sourced traffic and speed trap info, it brings along crowd-sourced gas prices. It doesn't show as many gas stations as the other apps on this list, but if you are already using it for your traffic and accident reports, then it may help by showing what the local gas prices are as well.Mapquest Gas Prices, is also similar to the first two with it's own little wrinkles...basically if you use mapquest navigation on your phone, it will intergrate with that program, and it will also let you select certain stations as favorites so you can check out their prices at a glance from the home screen, but really nothing special unless you already use mapquest on a regular basis. The first let you navigate with Google maps which is a lot more popular.Gas Guru is very similar to Gas Buddy, but with a few more bells and whistles. Like Gas Buddy, you can pick between a list view or map view, but Gas Guru defaults to the map view. However, it also adds a couple of features like ratings for gas prices, where "Good" prices appear in yellow and even lower or "Best" prices are highlighted in green. It also has a link at the bottom of the map that highlights the station with the absolute lowest price in the area.View the list »
Gas Buddy is probably the most popular of the gas price apps, because number one, it works, and two, it's very easy to use. There are not a lot of bells and whistles here, it just gives you list of all the nearest gas stations along with their prices. You can sort the list by distance away from your location, to see the cheapest gas in your general vicinity, or you can sort by price and check the lowest prices overall no matter what the distance. There is also a map view where you can plot the prices in Google maps, and get directions.

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With Chicago's gas prices at historic highs, already tight budgets become just that much tighter. To add insult to injury, the so-called experts who study this stuff say they're not even sure why prices are sky-high. That sure doesn't help drivers in Chicagoland, where the average gas price is around 4 bucks, well above the national average of $3.71. Now while you probably arent going to find gas at or below the national average around here, there are a few android apps that will let you find prices that are pretty close. All of them make use of your smartphone's GPS ability to find the stations nearest your location, they just present the information a little differently. Here's a list of apps to help you find the "cheap" gas!

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View the list
  • Gas Buddy is probably the most popular of the gas price apps, because number one, it works, and two, it's very easy to use. There are not a lot of bells and whistles here, it just gives you list of all the nearest gas stations along with their prices. You can sort the list by distance away from your location, to see the cheapest gas in your general vicinity, or you can sort by price and check the lowest prices overall no matter what the distance. There is also a map view where you can plot the prices in Google maps, and get directions.
  • Gas Guru is very similar to Gas Buddy, but with a few more bells and whistles. Like Gas Buddy, you can pick between a list view or map view, but Gas Guru defaults to the map view. However, it also adds a couple of features like ratings for gas prices, where "Good" prices appear in yellow and even lower or "Best" prices are highlighted in green. It also has a link at the bottom of the map that highlights the station with the absolute lowest price in the area.
  • Mapquest Gas Prices, is also similar to the first two with it's own little wrinkles...basically if you use mapquest navigation on your phone, it will intergrate with that program, and it will also let you select certain stations as favorites so you can check out their prices at a glance from the home screen, but really nothing special unless you already use mapquest on a regular basis. The first let you navigate with Google maps which is a lot more popular.
  • Waze isn't a gas price program per-se, but along with the crowd-sourced traffic and speed trap info, it brings along crowd-sourced gas prices. It doesn't show as many gas stations as the other apps on this list, but if you are already using it for your traffic and accident reports, then it may help by showing what the local gas prices are as well.
View the list

, Chicago Android Examiner

Paul Cash is a 10-year veteran of the consumer electronics industry, with five of those spent working for a major electronics manufacturer. He is a unrepentant gadget junkie who loves to share his knowledge with anyone who will listen. Contact him at this address with any questions or story ideas!

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