Business Mileage Tracking: Spreadsheet vs App

The spreadsheet approach

A spreadsheet is the traditional way to track mileage. You create a column for date, start, destination, miles and purpose, and enter each journey by hand.

Spreadsheets are free and flexible. But they have serious drawbacks: you have to remember to enter journeys, you have to calculate distances manually, and there is no automatic HMRC rate calculation.

• Pros: free, flexible, no sign-up needed
• Cons: manual entry, no distance calculation, easy to forget, no HMRC rates
• Best for: very low mileage drivers who already use spreadsheets

The mileage app approach

A mileage app like MileageCalendar automates the entire process. Journeys are recorded automatically — via calendar import, GPS tracking or postcode calculation — and the HMRC rate is applied for you.

You do not need to remember to log journeys, calculate distances or apply rates. The app does it all. You just review and confirm.

• Pros: automatic recording, distance calculation, HMRC rates, accounting export
• Cons: requires sign-up (but free plans exist)
• Best for: anyone who drives for work regularly

The key differences

Here is how spreadsheets and mileage apps compare on the things that matter:

• Distance calculation: spreadsheet = manual, app = automatic
• HMRC rates: spreadsheet = manual, app = automatic with threshold tracking
• Forgotten journeys: spreadsheet = common, app = rare (especially with GPS or calendar)
• Time per month: spreadsheet = hours, app = minutes
• Accounting export: spreadsheet = manual, app = one click
• HMRC compliance: spreadsheet = depends on you, app = built in

Why most sole traders switch

The main reason sole traders switch from spreadsheets to apps is time. A spreadsheet might save you the subscription cost, but it costs you hours every month — and those hours are worth more than the subscription.

The second reason is accuracy. Spreadsheets rely on you entering every journey. Apps record them automatically. More journeys means a bigger claim and better HMRC compliance.