Question 1

Is MileIQ or ShiftTracker better for gig workers?

Accepted Answer

MileIQ is one of the oldest GPS-based mileage trackers — fully passive auto-classification of drives as Business or Personal. ShiftTracker uses odometer-based logging at shift start and end — the IRS Publication 463–compliant format — without running continuous background GPS. MileIQ is the right pick if you want fully passive auto-tracking and don't mind the battery hit. ShiftTracker is the right pick if you want battery-friendly logging in the format the IRS specifically asks for, plus integrated shift earnings and expense tracking.

Question 2

How does MileIQ's mileage tracking work?

Accepted Answer

MileIQ runs in the background using GPS to detect when you start and stop driving. After each drive, you swipe to classify it as Business or Personal. The trade-off: battery drain on top of your gig platform's GPS, and the produced log is a GPS trace rather than the odometer reading format IRS Publication 463 asks for. ShiftTracker takes 5 seconds at shift start and end to capture odometer + earnings, with no background GPS running.

Question 3

Is MileIQ worth it for DoorDash and Uber drivers?

Accepted Answer

MileIQ works fine for gig drivers if you prefer fully passive tracking and accept battery cost. But MileIQ only tracks mileage — it doesn't track per-shift earnings, expenses, or compute hourly rates. ShiftTracker bundles odometer-based mileage with earnings, expenses, and tax estimates in one app. For most full-time gig drivers, the integrated approach saves time over running MileIQ + a separate earnings tracker.

Question 4

How much does MileIQ cost compared to ShiftTracker?

Accepted Answer

MileIQ Pro is $5.99/mo or $59.99/yr. ShiftTracker offers a free tier plus premium features at competitive pricing. MileIQ's free tier limits you to 40 drives per month, which a full-time gig driver burns through in 3–4 days. ShiftTracker's free tier doesn't have a drive cap.

Question 5

Can I claim MileIQ mileage logs at tax time?

Accepted Answer

Yes — MileIQ exports business mileage as a CSV or PDF report for your tax return. But MileIQ's log shows GPS-detected drives, not odometer readings. IRS Publication 463 specifically lists odometer readings as the canonical mileage log format. In an audit, an odometer-based log (which is what ShiftTracker captures) is generally more defensible than a GPS-trace log.

Feature	ShiftTracker	MileIQ
Odometer-Based Mileage Logging	✅	❌
Battery-Friendly (No Background GPS)	✅	❌
Manual Trip Logging	✅	✅
Drive Classification	✅	✅
IRS-Compliant Reports	✅	✅
Shift-Based Tracking	✅	❌
Earnings Tracking	✅	❌
Expense Tracking	✅	❌
Peak Hour Analysis	✅	❌
Earnings Heatmaps	✅	❌
Multi-Platform Dashboard	✅	❌
AI Recommendations	✅	❌
Microsoft 365 Integration	❌	✅

ShiftTracker vs. MileIQ

Feature Comparison

The Bottom Line

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