Is GasBuddy worth the drive?
Only when the cheaper price beats the gas you burn getting there, and the sign still matches the app. Type the three numbers and read the answer.
Your numbers
What the drive costs you
| Extra miles each way | Cost per gallon | A 15¢ gap nets |
|---|
A car rated 26 mpg, carrying the 12% real-world haircut this site applies to every EPA figure, filling 13 gallons at $3.20. Your time is priced at $0 an hour, so this is the gas burned getting there and nothing else. Fill up runs it with your car, your stations and every price counted.
Questions people ask
Is GasBuddy worth the drive?
Only when the cheaper price beats the gas you burn getting there and is still right when you arrive. A price 15 cents cheaper and 2 miles off your way nets about 11 cents a gallon on a 13 gallon fill. The same gap 6 miles away nets about 2 cents. If the sign turns out 10 cents higher than the app said, it nets nothing.
How much does the drive to a cheaper GasBuddy price cost?
About 2 cents a gallon for every 2 extra miles there and back, for a car doing 26 mpg on the label with a 13 gallon fill at $3.20. That is the gas burned getting there, nothing else.
Where do GasBuddy prices come from?
GasBuddy says its prices are primarily gathered from volunteer spotters, including everyday members. A price can therefore lag the sign. Type the difference in the third box to see what it does to your answer.
Does the Pay with GasBuddy+ card change the drive math?
The card works wherever Mastercard is accepted, so its base saving does not favor the farther station. GasBuddy says free members save at least 3 cents a gallon, up to 30 cents with a 25 cent Deal Alert, and up to 33 cents with extra savings. A Deal Alert applies at the station that carries it, so count it as part of the gap in the first box.
Is GasBuddy Premium worth it?
Premium costs $9.99 a month for the same 20 cents a gallon as Plus. That takes 50 gallons just to earn back the fee, more than the 38 gallons a typical driver buys in a month. PumpWatt costs nothing, so there is no fee to earn back.
Does PumpWatt claim GasBuddy prices?
No. PumpWatt is not connected to GasBuddy. Use GasBuddy to see prices and this page to decide whether the farther one is worth the drive.
Where does the rest of the math live?
Every default on this site, and where it came from, is listed on Methods. How GasBuddy compares with PumpWatt: PumpWatt vs GasBuddy.
GasBuddy figures from GasBuddy’s card help page and price reporting page, checked September 28, 2026. GasBuddy is a trademark of its owner. PumpWatt is independent, published by Anvimo LLC, and is not connected to GasBuddy.