My Car Journal vs spreadsheets: when to move your garage ledger

We are not anti-spreadsheet. Many owners start there, and for a single car with simple needs, a sheet can be enough. My Car Journal exists for the moment the sheet becomes friction — usually after the second car, the first lost receipt photo, or the missed service interval.

Where spreadsheets win

• Zero subscription if you already use Excel or Google Sheets
• Total control over columns and formulas
• Easy export for accountants who want CSV

Where a logbook app wins

• Capture at the source: log fuel and snap the receipt before you leave the forecourt — seven log types built in.
• Odometer discipline: mileage history without manual copy-paste between rows.
• Garage and History: active cars and sold cars with full timelines — sale date, price, mileage, and notes when you sell.
• Insights without pivot tables: spend by month, six months, year, or lifetime; category breakdown; recurring costs; biggest expenses — per car or across the garage.
• Clear limits on Free: one active car and one sold car in History; a proper upgrade screen when you need more.

Pricing in plain terms

Free: one active car in Garage, one sold car in History, all log types, receipt attachments, and spending insights within those limits. Pro: unlimited cars in Garage and History, same features — subscribe monthly or annually in the app; price shown in the App Store or Google Play. Manage or restore your subscription in Settings.

The right tool is the one you actually use

The best ledger is the one that gets updated every fill and every invoice. If a spreadsheet does that for you, keep it. If updates trail reality by weeks, try a tool built for the garage — My Car Journal launches 1 July 2026 on iOS and Android, with a waitlist if you want one email on launch day.