Best car rental and taxi apps for iPhone: Uber, Zipcar, Taxi Magic, and more!

Looking for a cab or need to rent a car? These are the very best iPhone apps to get you where you need to be in no time!

What are the best iPhone apps for renting cars and catching taxis? If you don't own a car but need one on occasion, be it for a trip across town and a weekend out of town, there are a lot of great apps in the App Store that'll help you get a ride in just a few taps. But that doesn't mean all car rental and taxi apps are created equal — nor are the services themselves. So what are the absolute best apps for getting you the car you need to get where you need to go?

Uber

Uber is available in over 70 cities throughout 20 countries worldwide. Just fire up the app, create an account, and link a payment source. After that you're ready to go. Choose from an uberX ride — which are Uber verified drivers typically in unmarked cars — or choose a regular taxi, black car, or SUV. Toggling between different modes of transportation can also show you where drivers are in your vicinity so you know how long you'll be waiting for a ride. You can also get fare quotes right inside the Uber app. Once you've taken your Uber ride, your payment source is automatically charged so no physical money ever has to change hands.

If you don't mind paying a little more for convenience and trustworthy drivers, you want Uber.

Taxi Magic

Taxi Magic is currently available in around 60 cities across the United States as well as select cities in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Mexico. The premise is much the same as Uber but simply ties in with existing taxi companies and their drivers. Taxi Magic currently boasts over 25,000 taxi drivers. As your taxi makes its way to your location, you'll be able to track its progress inside Taxi Magic so you can be sure you don't miss your ride. Like Uber, you link a payment account to Taxi Magic to pay for your fare through the app. However, you'll need to use a credit card as Taxi Magic doesn't support PayPal.

If Uber isn't available in your area, give Taxi Magic a try.

Lyft

Lyft is an interesting service where pretty much anyone can register to be a Lyft driver. That may sound a little odd at first but since Lyft only continues to advertise the highest rated drivers, those are the only ones that stay on the map for any amount of time. Lyft also offers happy hour specials as well as discounts around certain hours, which can make it a cheaper option than services such as Uber.

For some of the best deals on for hire drivers, check out Lyft.

Easy Taxi

Easy Taxi is available in 86 cities across 26 countries and lets you quickly scrub through maps and find locations you'd like to be picked up at. From there, just make sure there are taxis in your area and you're good to go. Confirm your ride and then pay for it within the Easy Taxi app. Once you book a ride you should see the taxi's plate number and phone number appear on the map as well, making it easy for you to pick out both the car and the driver.

For great international availability, especially across the Middle East and Asia, check out Easy Taxi.

Zipcar

The Zipcar service itself has been around for quite some time and lets qualified drivers rent cars for decent rates across 16 major cities in both the United States and United Kingdom. The Zipcar app for iPhone makes renting a car for your next trip super simple. Just scrub the map and find a Zipcar location near you. You can then view what cars are available and view specifications such as gas mileage and going rental rates. You can also schedule a pickup time right from the app.

If you live in an area where the service is available and want to rent a car, look no further than Zipcar.

car2go

car2go is a rapidly growing car borrowing service with a twist. The unique thing about it is that you simply reserve, drive, park, and that's it. There is nowhere to return the car, just leave it when you're done for another car2go member to pick up. The car2go app lets you find a car2go and view information about it such as condition, fuel economy, and registration status. Once you've found the car you want, you can book it straight through the car2go app.

If Zipcar isn't available in your area, check out car2go. It's just as simple and easy to use.

Your picks for finding rental cars and taxis on your iPhone?

If you frequently take taxis or rent cars, what iPhone apps have you found to be the most useful? Do you use any of the above services straight from your iPhone? Let me know in the comments!