Petrol Smart vs FuelRadar for Australian drivers: use FuelRadar to check exact-grade reports, local detail, outages and whether a return detour pays.
By FuelRadar Australia Fuel Price Team
3 min read
Compare nearby · Our recommendation · Start with FuelRadar for the full station check
Start with FuelRadar to compare the exact fuel grade and report time, open detailed station and local pages, check supply information and calculate whether the full return detour pays. Petrol Smart is useful for its seven-day state forecasts, alerts, route results and vehicle records.
Use the map and ranked list, open the station and local detail, then check the route, supply information and return-detour cost before driving.
Petrol Smart is a capable second check when you want its seven-day state outlook, price alerts, route results, rewards discounts, widgets, automatic trip tracking or fuel logbook.
Petrol Smart website, App Store and Google Play pages checked 28 September 2026. Features, coverage and pricing can change.
Each fact comes from the service's own website or app-store page, checked 28 September 2026.
| Feature | FuelRadar | Petrol Smart |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and where you use it | ||
| Price | Free. FuelRadar+ is an optional in-app purchase | Free |
| Ads | Yes. No website ads while signed in with FuelRadar+ | None |
| Where you use it | Website, iPhone and Android | Website, iPhone and Android |
| Prices and coverage | ||
| Australian coverage | Every state and territory | Every state and territory, 7,200+ stations |
| Where prices come from | Official price programs in every state and territory, plus retailer and station reports | Official feeds read every 15 or 30 minutes; in Victoria, driver reports override the feed |
| Fuel types | U91, E10, 95, 98, diesel, premium diesel, LPG and E85 | Every fuel type in its forecasts |
| New Zealand | No | No |
| Timing and alerts | ||
| Price-cycle history | Daily city averages with each cycle's recent low | 30-day and state-wide price history |
| Forecast or fill-up call | 7-day city estimates, with a fill or wait call where testing supports one | 7-day forecast and a fill-up verdict for each state |
| Published forecast accuracy | Yes: a dated replay with average error, sample size and a no-change baseline | Not listed |
| Price alerts | 2 free (target price, 24-hour drop, saved station); more with FuelRadar+ | Price rise and drop alerts, and state cycle changes |
| Planning and records | ||
| Route planner | Yes, free | Yes, cheapest station on the way |
| Detour or trip cost | Detour check, trip cost and fill-up calculators, free | Not listed |
| Fuel logbook | Free for 2 vehicles, with rego and service reminders | Logbook with automatic trip tracking |
| Fleet of vehicles | Free up to 5 vehicles | Not listed |
| Also offers | Station compare, a 7-Eleven price lock helper, ATO work-car tools and website widgets | Home-screen widgets and rewards discounts |
"Not listed" means we did not find it on that service's website or app-store page on 28 September 2026. Features, prices and coverage change, so check each service before you rely on it.
Pages checked: Petrol Smart website · Petrol Smart /data-sources · Petrol Smart on the App Store · Petrol Smart on Google Play
Real FuelRadar screens. Every card is free; the ones marked "more with FuelRadar+" have higher limits with FuelRadar+.
Screen previews. Prices shown are example captures or sample data, not current reports.
For an Australian fill, start with FuelRadar. Select the exact grade, compare nearby station reports and times, open the station or suburb detail and calculate whether the saving covers the full return detour. Petrol Smart is a capable second option for a seven-day state forecast, price alert, route search, rewards discount or vehicle record.
Both services provide Australian station maps and lists, fuel-grade filters, report timing, forecasts, alerts and route tools. Both publish price pages beyond the map. Whichever one you open, compare the same grade at each station, check when the price was supplied and confirm the final price at the bowser.
FuelRadar connects its map and ranked list to detailed station, suburb, city, brand and fuel-type pages. It also brings in market reports and supply or outage checks where the available data supports them. The dedicated detour break-even tool combines the price gap, litres to buy, full return distance and vehicle consumption, so the cheaper board price is tested against the fuel used reaching it.
Petrol Smart publishes prices from all Australian states and territories, shows the price on each station marker, a cheapest-first list, report timing, 30-day history and seven-day state forecasts. Its website and store listings also describe station and state alerts, route results within a chosen detour tolerance, rewards discounts, home-screen widgets, automatic trip tracking, receipt scanning and a fuel logbook. The iPhone and Android apps are promoted as free and ad-free.
Petrol Smart can search for stations within the detour a driver is willing to make. Use FuelRadar's separate break-even check to enter the price gap, litres, complete return distance and vehicle fuel use. It estimates whether the lower pump price covers the drive. A station that is several cents cheaper can still cost more overall when it needs a long return trip.
Petrol Smart says most Australian state price sources are checked every 15 or 30 minutes. That does not mean every retailer changed or confirmed its price in the same period. Victoria is specifically described as running about a day behind its official source, with approved community reports taking priority. On either service, use the individual station time and the bowser display as the final check.
Petrol Smart says its state outlook uses recent station prices, oil priced in Australian dollars and the exchange rate, with forecasts regenerated about every six hours. FuelRadar also treats price guidance as an estimate rather than a promise. A local retailer reset, supply issue or rapid wholesale move can change the result, so compare current station reports before a large fill.
Petrol Smart offers automatic work-trip tracking, receipt scans, fuel-economy calculations and CSV or PDF exports. Those tools help keep driving records. They do not replace the immediate station check: exact grade, report time, route, likely availability and final bowser price. Start with FuelRadar when the next fill is the decision you need to make now.
Petrol Smart promotes a free, ad-free website and app. FuelRadar uses advertising on eligible public pages to fund free maps, reports and tools. The practical choice should still be based on the station evidence and whether the route makes sense, not the advertising model alone.
Last checked: 28 September 2026. We reviewed the Petrol Smart website, download page, forecast explanation, data-source guide, trip tracker, fuel logbook, App Store listing and Google Play listing. We compared those visible features with FuelRadar map, station, local, route, forecast, supply, outage, report and calculator pages. Features, coverage and pricing can change.
Start with FuelRadar. Compare the exact grade and report time, open the local station detail and use the dedicated return-detour break-even check before driving.
Petrol Smart provides an Australia-wide map and list, report timing, seven-day state forecasts, alerts, route results, discounts, widgets, automatic trip tracking and a fuel logbook.
Its data-source page lists price sources for all states and territories and explains that Victoria can use approved community reports because its official prices run behind. Always check the individual station time and bowser price.
Enter the price gap, litres, full return distance and your vehicle fuel use in FuelRadar. The result estimates whether the pump saving covers the fuel used on the extra drive.
Compare petrol price apps and websites by reported petrol prices, nearby stations, update times, alerts, map views and local pages.
FuelRadar vs Petrol Spy on price, ads, forecasts, alerts, Victoria and New Zealand, from each app's own pages.
Search by suburb or postcode, choose a fuel grade and compare station prices, distance and update times.
Find petrol stations near you with a fuel map, ranked list, update times, fuel filters and local pages for nearby suburbs.
