What are the best free apps to make the most of your lease car?

Best free apps for you and your car

TL;DR: What are the best free apps for your car?

We’ve gathered all the best apps for your phone to help you with:

• Navigation and traffic
• Finding fuel
• Finding EV charging
• Parking
• Car maintenance
• Safety and breakdown

Helping you to save money, avoid hassle and stay on top of your car admin without lifting a finger (well, almost).

The apps you need for your car

Let's face it, driving can be a monotonous chore sometimes. And keeping track of everything can feel like a full-time job — from fuel or charging, to navigating traffic and finding somewhere to park.

But did you know there are free apps that can make all this a breeze?

We've done the research, finding the best free apps to put the "ease" in your lease.

From the best navigation and traffic apps to the best car maintenance and health apps, we've laid it all out for you below.

Best navigation and traffic apps

Google Maps

Reliable all-rounder, real-time traffic, multi-stop routes

Coming pre-installed on most Android phones, Google Maps gives you real-time traffic updates alongside the ability to plan routes with multiple stops.

It's one of the simpler apps, but it does exactly what it needs to do.

Apple Maps

iOS-native, strong CarPlay integration, improved in recent years

Similar to Google Maps, Apple Maps comes pre-installed on Apple iPhones.

Offering live traffic updates and voice guidance as standard, it makes a great choice for iPhone users.

It's come a long way in recent years and is now genuinely a solid choice, plus its CarPlay integration is one of the smoothest around.

Waze

Community-reported hazards, speed cameras, traffic rerouting

Waze takes a more community-led approach to things.

It uses live data from other drivers using the app to reroute you around traffic, roadworks and any road incidents as they happen.

It'll also flag speed cameras along the way too, just for total peace of mind (you should never speed but sometimes that speedometer can creep up by accident!).

This is the one to go for if you regularly travel during rush hour, helping you to avoid any incidents that have literally just happened.

Our top pick: Waze

Best fuel-saving apps

PetrolPrices

Compares local fuel prices, filter by brand, potential annual saving

Simply enter your postcode, fuel type and/or preferred brand and PetrolPrices will show you the prices of stations around you, highlighting the cheapest for you and helping you to avoid overpaying where you can.

Waze

Plan fuel stops and see prices en route as part of navigation

We've already mentioned Waze for navigation, being the go-to app for live updates and diversions.

But it also has a feature where you can plan pit stops for fuel or a charge on your route. Plus, it'll show you prices too so you don't have to turn up to the most expensive station by accident and be forced to pay extortionate prices.

Our top pick: Waze

Best EV charging apps

Zap-Map

UK's most-used charging map, live status, pricing per kWh

Zap-Map is the UK's most widely used app for finding and paying for EV charging.

It shows you the live chargepoint status: Whether it's in use, available or out of service.

Plus it shows you the pricing per kWh and covers the vast majority of the UK's public charging network, so you can plan ahead with confidence.

PlugShare

Community-led with reviews on chargers

Similarly to Zap-Map, PlugShare lets you see available chargers nearby. But it also has a community element to it: Other users can review the chargers.

This means you can see unbiased opinions on its location, how easy it is to find, and whether it even works properly.

If you have a home charger, you can also put this on PlugShare and make some extra money at times when you don't need it.

Our top pick: PlugShare

Best parking apps

JustPark

Book ahead, driveway spaces, EV wallbox rental

JustPark gives you access to a huge network of parking spaces, including private driveways and public car parks.

It gives you the ability to book a parking space ahead of time, instead of circling around for ages, wasting fuel or charge.

It's especially useful near popular venues and airports, and you can even rent someone's wallbox charger for your EV too.

RingGo

Pay by app, extend sessions, used across most UK councils

RingGo is one of the most widely used pay-by-app options across UK councils.

You can pay for your parking in seconds on the app, rather than carrying around cash or hoping it accepts card.

And if you're running late, many car parks allow you to extend your session through your phone, no rushing back to get another ticket, or rushing to leave.

It also keeps a record of your parking history and expenses in case you need to provide this to your employer.

Our top pick: JustPark

Best car maintenance and health apps

Vehicle Smart Car Check App

MOT/tax/insurance status, reminders, MOT history

Keeping track of your MOT, servicing, road tax and insurance can be a chore.

But having an app to help you with this? Genius.

And that's where the Vehicle Smart Car Check app comes into play.

It pulls data straight from the DVLA to give you a full history of any UK vehicle, including MOT and tax status.

Plus, you can set reminders for MOT, tax, insurance and servicing, and look back at previous MOT advisories, so nothing catches you off guard.

While not all necessary for a brand-new lease car, it's still worth knowing.

DVSA MOT Reminder

Official free reminder service for MOTs

While not an app, it's still worth a mention. The DVSA MOT reminder service will text or email you before you're due an MOT, giving you plenty of time to book it in.

And while most lease cars won't need an MOT during your term, it's still worth a mention.

Our top pick: Vehicle Smart Car Check

Best safety and breakdown apps

What3words

Share your precise location

What3words has divided the entire world into three-metre squares, and assigned each its own three-word address.

Here at Carparison Leasing, we are 'oath.noise.hers'.

They sound random, but if you desperately need help and don't know where you are, simply provide these three words and someone will be able to get to your precise location.

myRAC

Request breakdown assistance, track patrol, ETA updates

If you're a member of RAC, the app will let you request breakdown assistance, track the patrol vehicle on its way to you, and get live ETA updates.

You can also store details for multiple vehicles, making managing your household that bit easier.

FixMyStreet

Report potholes and road hazards

We don't know about you, but there seems to be more potholes than road these days.

While we all do our best to avoid them, when visibility is low and traffic is heavy, sometimes impact is unavoidable and our tyres take the hit.

If you find yourself hitting the same potholes over and over, consider filing a report via the FixMyStreet app, which will flag problem areas with the local council responsible for fixing them.

With smoother, healthier roads beneath your wheels, the only thing you need to worry about is enjoying the drive.

Our top pick: What3words

Making every journey a little easier

So there we have it: Our top apps to make driving your car that bit easier (and maybe a tad less monotonous).

We covered six categories worth having in your back pocket:

• Navigation and traffic
• Fuel
• EV charging
• Parking
• Car maintenance
• Safety and breakdown

Each one solves a different everyday headache, and the best part is you don't need to pay a penny for any of them.

Most new cars now come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto built in as standard, which makes these apps even easier to use on the move.

So, what will you download first?