SteerLog as a Vehicle Maintenance Tracker alternative (2026)
Thinking of leaving Vehicle Maintenance Tracker? Here is an honest look at SteerLog next to it. You will see what is better, what Vehicle Maintenance Tracker still does well, and how to bring your service history across. The CSV import is free.
Updated · SteerLog: free for one car, Pro is a one-time purchase (price shown in the App Store for your country)
What people leave Vehicle Maintenance Tracker over
A 2026 update to Vehicle Maintenance Tracker reset service dates to 01/01/1900 or 01/01/0001 for a lot of users. The odometer reading and the notes on each service mostly survived. The date did not. Close to 95 one- and two-star reviews report this between May and September 2026. Some reviews also name a second reason to leave: the app moved from a one-time purchase to a yearly VMT Pro plan (about $10 a year).
SteerLog is the log you’ll still have in 15 years. It lives on your phone, syncs to your own iCloud, and you can always export it. Reminders by date and mileage show up on your lock screen.
Get SteerLogVehicle Maintenance Tracker vs SteerLog
| Factor | Vehicle Maintenance Tracker | SteerLog |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Free app + VMT Pro subscription (~$10/year) | Free for one car; Pro is a single one-time purchase, no subscription |
| Account | Not stated in the current App Store listing | None — no sign-up, no login |
| Where data lives | Not stated in the current App Store listing | Your iPhone + your own iCloud |
| Export | CSV export available | CSV, PDF, and a full backup file, free |
| Import path | — | Free CSV import, with a guide built for VMT's export |
| Reminders by date and mileage | Not stated in the current App Store listing | Yes, both |
| Documents | Not stated in the current App Store listing | Photo receipts + PDFs (Pro) |
| EV charging | Not stated in the current App Store listing | Logged natively, like any fill-up |
| Languages | Not stated in the current App Store listing | 35 |
| Beyond cars | Mowers, generators, boats — tracked by engine hours | Cars only, today |
SteerLog is a new app with only a few App Store ratings so far. We are not hiding that. A row marked "not stated" shows what VMT's current listing does and does not say. It is not a guess either way.
What Vehicle Maintenance Tracker does better
Do you look after more than cars, like a mower, a generator or a boat? Vehicle Maintenance Tracker tracks those too, by engine hours in place of miles. SteerLog is for cars only today, EVs and hybrids included. So if your garage has small engines, VMT still does a job SteerLog does not.
How to move your history
Vehicle Maintenance Tracker's CSV export keeps your history, even on rows where the date shows 1900 or 0001. SteerLog's import does not drop those rows. It guesses a real date from the odometer reading and marks it as a guess. So you can tell which dates are exact and which are close. Full steps: Import from Vehicle Maintenance Tracker.
Questions, answered
Is SteerLog free?
Yes, for one car. Full history, reminders, widget, charts, iCloud sync and CSV/PDF export are all free. A one-time Pro purchase adds unlimited cars and Insights. Its price is shown on the App Store for your country. There is no subscription.
Will my Vehicle Maintenance Tracker history import even if the dates were reset?
Yes. Export your CSV from Vehicle Maintenance Tracker. If a row's date was wiped to 1900 or 0001, SteerLog's import guesses a date from that row's odometer reading. It marks the date as a guess and keeps the row.
Does SteerLog track anything besides cars?
Not yet. SteerLog is built for cars, EVs and hybrids included. If you also log a mower, generator or boat by engine hours, Vehicle Maintenance Tracker still does that.
Is SteerLog new — should I trust it with my history?
SteerLog is a new app with only a few App Store ratings so far. But your history is not tied to us. It lives on your iPhone and your own iCloud. You can export it free as CSV, PDF or a backup file at any time. So trying it costs you nothing you can't get back.
Why the switch is low-risk
SteerLog starts from one idea: your car’s history belongs to you. It lives on your phone and your own iCloud. No account, no company server, no subscription. Import, export, backup files, and CSV/PDF are free forever, because a log you can’t move isn’t yours. See how SteerLog works.