At the same filling station, the most expensive and cheapest moments of a day often sit more than 10 cents per liter apart.
At the same filling station, the most expensive and cheapest moments of a day often sit more than 10 cents per liter apart. The fuel companies' price cycles create the spread, and fuel-price apps make it visible. Every one of them draws data from the Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe at the Bundeskartellamt, to which each station must report its prices in real time; because the data basis is identical, presentation decides. How quickly do you see the best price nearby? Does the app warn when prices fall? Can it cleanly filter E10, diesel and LPG? The five candidates differ on exactly those points. A July 2026 update notes that TankenApp, with its price forecast, is new to the comparison. This is a Germany-focused comparison for iPhone users who refuel regularly and want to capture the day's price swings rather than always paying whatever the pump currently shows.
Our verdict
Benzinpreis-Blitz remains the fastest app for a quick price check before refueling, while clever-tanken carries the category's best price forecast. ADAC members and electric drivers get fueling and charging together in ADAC Drive, which combines both with route planning in a single free app.
clever-tanken.de finds the cheapest stations nearby in real time and adds a price alert notifying users at favorable prices. It is free with no in-app purchases and funds itself through affiliate links and ad partnerships with station brands. According to the source it offers the category's best price forecast, showing whether waiting until tonight pays off and learning the cycles of a driver's regular stations; the design is not the most modern.
Some apps were not returned for this store region.
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Questions & answers
Where do fuel-price apps get their data from?
From the Markttransparenzstelle für Kraftstoffe (MTS-K) at the Bundeskartellamt. Filling stations are required to report price changes there, so every app uses the same official source. Any difference between the apps arises solely from how the data is processed and displayed.
When is refueling the cheapest?
Usually in the evening, between 6 pm and 10 pm. Over the day there are several price valleys, and apps with a forecast function, such as clever-tanken, show when they are expected. Filling up during those windows is where the savings materialize.
Why does the pump price sometimes not match the app?
A few minutes of reporting delay lie between a price change and its display in the app. Especially when prices are falling, the pump can already be cheaper than the app shows, since the station first has to transmit the new value before it propagates through the comparison.
More related apps
App library · United States App Store. Prices and availability reflect the last check.
