Note (September 2026): Trapster, listed below, shut down at the end of 2014, and iOnRoad is no longer listed on Google Play or the US App Store. PlugShare’s station count and other outdated details have been corrected.
The best smartphone apps for drivers are Waze and Google Maps for navigation and live traffic, PlugShare for EV charging, Drivvo for fuel and maintenance records, SpotAngels for parking rules, and Roadtrippers for road trips. All are free to download on Android and iOS as of September 2026; two older picks, Trapster and iOnRoad, are no longer available.
Key Takeaways
- Waze and Google Maps, both owned by Google, are the strongest free navigation apps and both show speed-camera alerts.
- PlugShare, owned by EVgo since July 2021, is the go-to map for EV charging stations.
- Trapster shut down at the end of 2014, and iOnRoad is no longer listed in the main app stores.
- Drivvo, SpotAngels, Automate and Roadtrippers are free to download but sell some features.
- Set apps up before you drive: NHTSA counted 3,275 deaths in distraction-affected crashes in the US in 2023.
Everywhere you look, you will most likely see modern technology being used to make things better; even in cars. Considering how much time people have to spend inside their cars, it makes sense to have apps that can make driving better. At the moment, here are some of the best smartphone apps for drivers.
Best Driving Apps for Android and iOS
1) Waze
Waze is a free app available on both Android and iOS platforms. The app gives drivers information about the traffic conditions they are about to face and helps them navigate various routes during their journey. Waze also shows crowd-sourced alerts for accidents, police, red-light and speed cameras, potholes and other hazards, and it flags speed-limit changes, toll prices, and fuel and EV charging stations along the route, according to its Google Play listing (September 2026). Google has owned Waze since June 2013, when it bought the Israeli company for $1.3 billion.
2) Drivvo
You can keep track of almost everything to do with your car with this app. Some of the things you can keep a close eye on when using Drivvo include maintenance, repairs, mileage, and the like. In addition to keeping these records, the app can give you reminders on when to do maintenance. Now listed as Drivvo – Car Expense Tracker, the app also logs refueling, electric and hybrid charging, expenses such as insurance, fines and parking, and vehicle inspection checklists, and it covers cars, motorcycles, trucks and business fleets. Drivvo is free to download on Android and iOS, and some features are sold through in-app purchases.
3) AutoMate
The button below links to Automate by LlamaLab, a general-purpose Android automation app rather than a dedicated car dashboard. Drivers can use Automate to build their own routines from more than 410 building blocks, for example starting a task when they reach a location or join a Wi-Fi network, sending messages, or opening other apps such as a navigation or music app. Automate is free to download on Google Play, offers in-app purchases, and is available only for Android. Set up any routine before you drive, not while the car is moving.
4) GPS Speedometer and Odometer
GPS Speedometer and Odometer is available for free. The app is now listed on Google Play as GPS Speedometer: Speed Tracker by developer Cool Niks, and the free version shows ads. With this app, you can determine how fast you are going with just your smartphone. No GPS speedometer is 100% accurate. The developer’s current listing describes high GPS accuracy and says the app works offline, but it no longer quotes a specific accuracy percentage, so treat the reading as a guide and keep your car’s own speedometer as the reference. Among the stats it gives you are total distance traveled, maximum speed and average speed; the current version also offers speed alerts, trip history and a HUD mode that reflects your speed onto the windshield at night.
GPS Speedometer and Odometer App for Android
5) Plugshare
Plugshare has always been, and still is, one of the best free apps drivers can use. PlugShare, launched in 2009 by Recargo and owned by the US charging network EVgo since July 2021, caters to drivers who have swapped gas-powered cars for electric vehicles.
If you have an electric car, this app will help you know where the next charging station is located. The app’s database has grown far beyond the roughly 100,000 public stations this article once cited: it held approximately 600,000 stations as of June 2022, according to Wikipedia. PlugShare lets you filter the map by plug type (such as CCS and CHAdeMO), charging speed and network, check whether a station is working, add new stations, and pay at participating locations with Pay with PlugShare. It also works with Android Auto.
6) Trapster
Trapster was a free app for drivers who kept running into speed traps, but it no longer exists: on December 1, 2014, Trapster announced it was shutting down, and the service went offline at the end of 2014. The app let drivers know where speed cameras and red-light cameras were and warned them about live speed traps reported by other users. Launched in November 2007 and sold to Nokia’s NAVTEQ division in 2010, Trapster peaked at 22 million users. Today, Waze and Google Maps both offer similar user-reported police and speed-camera alerts where local law allows them.
7) iOnRoad
iOnRoad is no longer listed on Google Play or the US App Store as of September 2026, so the buttons below may not lead to a working download. When it was available, iOnRoad used the phone’s camera, GPS and gyroscope to warn drivers about the car in front of them, lane departures and potential collisions. Harman bought iOnRoad in April 2013 to build its technology into in-car systems. You will also get such a car’s distance information so that you can determine what separation distance to maintain to avoid a collision.
8) SpotAngels
SpotAngels, listed on Google Play as SpotAngels Parking Map & Deals, can make city driving much less stressful. The app helps you avoid parking tickets by mapping street-parking rules such as street cleaning, time limits, meter hours and permit zones, and it shows free street parking and bookable garage deals at more than 5,000 garages and lots in more than 100 cities, according to its App Store listing (September 2026). Additionally, after you park your car, the app will keep a record of the parking location so that you can find it more easily afterwards. SpotAngels’ community of users adds to its accuracy by reporting open spots and photographing parking signs. Some features require the paid SpotAngels Plus subscription, which comes with a free 7-day trial.
9) Roadtrippers
The makers of this app thought that drivers on a road trip needed a special app; and they were right. This app makes road trips more effective. Roadtrippers offers information about hotels, campgrounds, points of interest, places to eat, gas stations and the like, and after adding features from Campendium it includes more than 150,000 campground reviews. Planning a road trip is much easier with it: the free version plans trips with up to three stops, while Premium membership allows up to 150 stops per trip plus offline maps, according to the Google Play listing (September 2026).
10) Google Maps
This mapping and navigation app gives very detailed information about many places in the world. Google bought Waze in 2013, but Google Maps and Waze remain separate apps. Google Maps offers live traffic, automatic rerouting, speed-camera alerts (added in January 2019), EV charging stations on routes, and offline maps for areas with poor signal. The app is free and, with more than 10 billion Google Play downloads, it is by far the most widely installed app on this list.
To Sum App
If you don’t have an app to help you out as a driver, them you are missing out on a lot of conveniences modern technology has in store for you. With these apps, finding your way, avoiding police speed traps, and avoiding accidents should be a lot easier. So, don’t hesitate to give them a try, you will be glad you did.
Which Driving Apps Still Work? Status Check
Of the 10 apps in this list, 8 are still available and 2 are gone. The table below shows each app’s status, as checked on the Google Play Store and the US App Store in September 2026. Download counts and ratings are Google Play figures and change over time.
| App | Best for | Platforms | Status (September 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waze | Live traffic, police and hazard alerts | Android, iOS, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Available, free; 500M+ downloads, rated about 4.3 |
| Drivvo – Car Expense Tracker | Fuel, maintenance and expense logs | Android, iOS | Available, free with in-app purchases; 5M+ downloads, about 4.4 |
| Automate (LlamaLab) | Custom phone automation routines | Android only | Available, free with in-app purchases; 5M+ downloads, about 4.6 |
| GPS Speedometer: Speed Tracker | GPS speed, trip distance, HUD mode | Android | Available, free with ads; 5M+ downloads, about 4.7 |
| PlugShare | Finding EV charging stations | Android, iOS, Android Auto | Available, free; 1M+ downloads, about 4.6 |
| Trapster | Speed-trap alerts | None | Shut down at the end of 2014 |
| iOnRoad | Collision and lane-departure warnings | None | Not listed on Google Play or the US App Store |
| SpotAngels | Street-parking rules and parking deals | Android, iOS | Available, free with paid SpotAngels Plus; 500K+ downloads, about 4.5 |
| Roadtrippers | Road-trip and campground planning | Android, iOS, Apple CarPlay | Available, free with Premium upgrade; 1M+ downloads, about 2.6 |
| Google Maps | All-round navigation and places | Android, iOS | Available, free; 10B+ downloads, about 3.2 |
What Are the Best Apps for Drivers by Need?
The best app for a driver depends on the job it has to do. Most drivers need one navigation app plus one or two specialist apps.
- Navigation and traffic: Waze or Google Maps. Waze leans on live reports from other drivers; Google Maps adds transit, walking, business listings and offline maps.
- Speed-camera and police alerts: Waze and Google Maps, now that Trapster has closed. Check whether such alerts are legal where you drive.
- Electric vehicles: PlugShare, which lists charging stations across networks and lets you filter by plug type and speed. For charging at home, see our home EV charger installation guide.
- Running costs and maintenance: Drivvo, which logs fuel, charging, services and expenses and reminds you when maintenance is due.
- Parking: SpotAngels in the US cities it covers. Parking pressure is growing in many cities, as our look at why parking is becoming an urban crisis explains.
- Road trips: Roadtrippers for multi-stop routes, campgrounds and roadside attractions.
How to Choose a Driving App
- Check it is still maintained. Look at the “Updated on” date in the Play Store or App Store. Apps such as Trapster and iOnRoad disappeared, and an abandoned app can show stale data.
- Check coverage. Crowd-sourced apps such as Waze, PlugShare and SpotAngels are only as good as the number of users in your area; SpotAngels, for example, lists specific US cities.
- Compare free and paid tiers. Drivvo, Automate, SpotAngels and Roadtrippers all sell paid features. Prices vary by country and change often, so check the store listing before you subscribe.
- Review permissions and privacy. Navigation, parking and automation apps need your location, and some need Bluetooth or background access. Grant only what the feature needs.
- Prefer in-car display support. Apps that work with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, such as Waze, put controls on the car’s screen instead of your phone.
How to Use Driving Apps Safely
Driving apps help only when they do not distract the driver. According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,275 people were killed and an estimated 324,819 people were injured in 2023 in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. NHTSA reported that 8 percent of fatal crashes in 2023 were distraction-affected.
- Set your destination, playlist and alerts before you start moving.
- Mount the phone in a fixed holder or use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay rather than holding the phone.
- Use voice commands, and let a passenger handle reports and searches.
- Treat speed and camera alerts as a guide; road signs and your vehicle’s speedometer take priority.
- Follow local laws on phone use while driving, which differ between countries and states.
For more on the risks, read our guide to the dangers of distracted driving, and for broader habits see ways to become a better driver. Our car owner’s guide covers buying, maintaining and insuring a car.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free app for drivers?
Waze and Google Maps are the best free all-round apps for drivers. Both are owned by Google and free to use. Waze focuses on live, driver-reported alerts for traffic, police and hazards, while Google Maps adds offline maps, public transport, and business and place information.
Is Trapster still available?
No. Trapster announced on December 1, 2014 that it was shutting down, and the service went offline at the end of 2014. Waze and Google Maps now provide user-reported police and speed-camera alerts in many countries.
Which app shows speed cameras?
Waze shows police, red-light camera and speed camera locations reported by its users, and Google Maps added speed-camera alerts in January 2019. Availability depends on the country, and some places restrict speed-camera warnings, so check local law.
What is the best app for finding EV charging stations?
PlugShare is one of the best-known apps for finding EV charging stations. It is free on Android and iOS, lists stations across major charging networks, and lets drivers filter by plug type and charging speed. EVgo has owned PlugShare since July 2021.
Which app helps you avoid parking tickets?
SpotAngels helps drivers avoid parking tickets by mapping street-cleaning times, meter hours and other street-parking rules, and it can remember where you parked through your car’s Bluetooth. It covers a list of US cities and sells extra features through SpotAngels Plus.
Is it safe to use apps while driving?
Driving apps are safest when set up before the trip and used hands-free through a mount, voice commands, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. NHTSA counted 3,275 deaths in crashes involving distracted drivers in the US in 2023.
