MileClear vs MileIQ - Which Mileage Tracker is Right for UK Drivers?
Choosing a mileage tracker as a UK driver in 2026 means looking past the big American brand names. MileIQ is well-established and widely recognised, but it was built for the US market. MileClear was designed from day one for UK drivers - using HMRC rates by default, tagging gig platforms like Uber and Deliveroo, and working completely offline. The single biggest practical difference: MileClear's tracking is unlimited and free forever, where MileIQ stops at 40 drives a month on its free tier before moving you to a paid plan. For any driver doing more than the occasional business trip, that one detail decides which app is actually usable.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Built for HMRC, Not the IRS
MileIQ is an American product. When you first open it as a UK driver, you are looking at mileage rates that have nothing to do with HMRC. You either configure it manually - or you end up calculating the wrong deductions for your self-assessment return.
MileClear uses HMRC rates as the default with no setup required: 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles (raised from 45p on 6 April 2026), 25p per mile after that for cars and vans, and 24p flat for motorbikes. Your tax deduction total is correct from the moment you start tracking. If you drive for work in the UK, this is not a minor convenience - it is the difference between accurate and inaccurate records.
Unlimited Free Tracking - No 40-Drive Cap
This is the single biggest day-to-day difference. MileIQ's free tier stops at 40 drives a month, after which you need a paid plan - and MileIQ's price more than doubled in 2026. Driversnote's free tier stops at 15 trips a month. TripLog does now offer unlimited free tracking, but it is US-built (IRS rates by default) and gates its reports behind a yearly pass. For any UK driver doing more than the occasional business trip, the cap is the deciding factor - a Deliveroo rider runs into MileIQ's inside two shifts, a DPD route hits it before mid-morning on day one, a hybrid manager with a fortnight of site visits is on the wall by week three.
MileClear gives you unlimited trip tracking, the live Tax Readiness card, Anonymous Benchmarking, HMRC Reconciliation, MOT and tax expiry reminders, the Activity Heatmap, shift mode, automatic drive detection, achievements, and real-time fuel prices for free - with no cap on the number of trips, no time limit, no surprise paywall on the tracker itself.
Pro is £4.99 per month - well under half of what MileIQ charges since its 2026 price rise - and adds the Self Assessment wizard, HMRC-ready PDF and CSV exports with a signed attestation cover sheet, the Accountant Portal, on-device receipt scanning, CSV earnings import from gig platforms, business insights, and unlimited saved locations. If you only need the Tax Readiness card, Anonymous Benchmarking, MOT reminders, and trip tracking, MileClear is free forever.
Gig Platform Intelligence
MileIQ classifies trips as either business or personal. That is fine if you have a single employer, but it tells you almost nothing if you drive for multiple platforms. MileClear lets you tag every trip and shift with the platform you were working for: Uber, Deliveroo, Amazon Flex, Just Eat, Stuart, Gophr, DPD, Yodel, Evri, or Bolt.
This means you can see earnings per mile, earnings per hour, and a side-by-side platform comparison - so you know exactly which platforms are paying their way and which ones are costing you money once fuel and depreciation are factored in. No other UK mileage app offers this level of per-platform breakdown.
Offline-First Reliability
Delivery drivers and couriers frequently work in areas with poor mobile signal - industrial estates, underground car parks, rural postcodes. MileClear stores every trip locally on your device first using SQLite, then syncs to the server when you have a connection. You never lose a trip because of a dropped signal.
MileIQ depends on a server connection for full functionality. If you drive in areas where signal is unreliable, that is a real risk. Offline-first is not a premium feature in MileClear - it is how the app works by default.
Where MileIQ Still Wins
It would not be a fair comparison without acknowledging where MileIQ has an advantage. MileIQ is available on both iOS and Android, which gives it a clear edge over MileClear right now. MileClear is currently iOS-only, with Android on the roadmap. If you use an Android device, MileIQ or one of the other alternatives may be your only option until Android launches.
MileIQ also has a longer track record and a larger user base, which can matter if you want an app with years of reliability data behind it. MileClear launched in 2026 and is still building its reputation - though it already has drivers across the UK using it daily. If you are on iOS and drive for a gig platform in the UK, MileClear is almost certainly the better fit. If you are on Android or want the most established option regardless of UK-native features, MileIQ remains a legitimate choice.
What Actually Matters for UK Mileage Tracking in 2026
The gig economy in the UK has grown significantly. Millions of drivers work across Uber, Deliveroo, Amazon Flex, Just Eat, DPD, and similar platforms - often juggling two or three at once. The tax rules for these workers are clear: you can claim 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in each tax year, then 25p per mile beyond that (the first-tier rate rose from 45p to 55p on 6 April 2026). For motorbikes, it is 24p flat. These HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAP) rates are how self-employed drivers calculate the vehicle-running-cost portion of their self-assessment return.
A mileage tracker that gets this wrong - or requires manual configuration - creates real risk. If you file a self-assessment return with incorrect mileage rates, you could under-claim your deductions (costing you money) or over-claim them (creating a problem with HMRC). Using a US-built app without properly configuring the rates is an easy mistake to make.
Beyond the rates themselves, gig workers need to track what counts as a business mile. For Uber drivers, that means passenger trips and positioning miles (driving to a busier area to pick up jobs), but not the commute from home to your first pickup location. For Deliveroo riders, that means restaurant-to-customer miles and repositioning, but cycles are treated differently from motorbikes under HMRC rules. These details matter, and a generic mileage app cannot help you work through them.
MileClear was built with these specifics in mind. The shift mode lets you group trips into working sessions that mirror how gig work actually happens - you start your shift, track every trip within it, then end the shift and get a scorecard showing your total miles, earnings per mile, and how that compares to your previous shifts. The platform tags let you attribute each trip to the right platform so your records are accurate if HMRC ever asks to see them.
You can also compare MileClear with other alternatives. See how it compares for Uber drivers, Deliveroo riders, and Amazon Flex drivers. If you want a detailed look at everything MileClear can do, visit the features page or check the pricing page to see exactly what is included for free and what is in Pro.
Common Questions
Can I import my MileIQ trips into MileClear?
You can manually add past trips to MileClear, or import earnings history via CSV. Direct MileIQ import is not currently supported, but most UK drivers find it easier to start fresh from the date they switch - your historical records from MileIQ remain accessible in that app.
Does MileClear work for employed drivers claiming mileage from their employer?
Yes. You can track all your business trips and export a mileage log your employer can use to reimburse you at HMRC rates. If your employer pays less than the HMRC rate, you can also claim the difference on your self-assessment return.
Is there a free trial for MileClear Pro?
MileClear's free tier is genuinely unlimited for trip tracking - there is no trial period, it is just free. The Tax Readiness card, Anonymous Benchmarking, HMRC Reconciliation, and MOT reminders are all on the free tier. Pro features like the Self Assessment wizard, PDF exports, and the Accountant Portal can be unlocked at any time for £4.99 per month.
Does MileIQ really cap the free tier at 40 drives a month?
Yes. After 40 drives in a calendar month, MileIQ stops tracking until you move to a paid plan (its price more than doubled in 2026) or wait for the next month to start. Driversnote caps its free tier at 15 trips a month. TripLog now offers unlimited free tracking, but defaults to US IRS rates and gates its reports behind a 7-day premium pass per year. For UK gig drivers and any employee doing regular site visits, a 15-40 trip cap is gone in days. MileClear has no monthly drive cap at all - tracking is unlimited and free forever, HMRC rates are applied by default, and the Pro upgrade (£4.99/month) is purely for the exports and business insights.
Does MileClear work without internet?
Yes. Trips are recorded to your device first and synced when you are back online. You never lose data due to a signal drop.
Ready to Switch to the UK-Native Option?
Download MileClear free on the App Store. No credit card required. Start tracking your miles with HMRC rates from day one.