Comparison

UWaterloo Portal vs G1 Simulator & Study Guide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

UWaterloo Portal

Access personalized academic and campus information directly from your mobile device. This app offers a streamlined, native experience for managing class schedules, exam details, WatCard balances, and campus events.

Highlights
  • Class schedules and details
  • Exam dates and locations
  • WatCard balance and top-up
  • Personalized campus calendar
  • Campus navigation
  • Event browsing and registration
  • Appointment booking
Features
Read full description

Fully integrated with Portal web, the app provides direct, personalized content at your fingertips. Now, the app has been fully redeveloped to provide a streamlined, native experience for iOS. Content is organized in an easy-to-use platform with clear categories, which makes navigating a breeze. Our top-rated features include: • Classes – find detailed information about your class times, locations, professors • Exams – real-time data on dates, times and locations of your exams • WatCard – current balances, transaction history and access to top up funds • Calendar – all of your personalized and campus info in one place • Navigation – get directions to various locations on campus • Events – browse, register and attend a variety of events and workshops on campus • Appointment booking – get support from a variety of services on campus

About

G1 Simulator & Study Guide

Prepare for your Ontario G1 driver's license exam with over 400 practice questions and a realistic exam simulator. Study road signs, fines, and limits, track your progress, and identify areas for improvement. An optional premium version removes ads.

Highlights
  • 400+ exam-like practice questions
  • Realistic G1 exam simulation
  • Study road signs, fines, and limits
  • Mistake tracking for review
  • Progress and test date tracking
  • Ad-free premium upgrade
Features
Read full description

Pass your G1 exam with confidence using our app, featuring over 400 exam-like practice questions crafted for Ontario. Download now! Features: - Learning Mode: Study Ontario's road signs, fines, limits, demerit points, and more at your own pace. - Practice Tests: With 400+ questions based on the 2022 Ontario MTO handbook and instant feedback. - Exam Simulator: Experience a realistic G1 exam simulation with randomly generated questions. - Question Bank: Keep track of your mistakes for future reference. - Progress Tracker: Know your likelihood of passing the G1 exam. - Test Date Tracker: Set your test date and track your progress. - User-friendly interface with the option to upgrade to a premium ad-free version. You’ll be tested on information in the The Official Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Driver’s Handbook included in this app - this is the only book recommended to prepare for the test. Disclaimer: This app does not represent the government entity and is not affiliated with any government agency or department.

Screenshots

UWaterloo Portal4 screens
G1 Simulator & Study Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: G1 Simulator & Study Guide at 82% against UWaterloo Portal's 21%. G1 Simulator & Study Guide also leads on ratings volume (458 vs 12) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). UWaterloo Portal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. G1 Simulator & Study Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. UWaterloo Portal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

G1 Simulator & Study Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: G1 Simulator & Study Guide has 458 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of UWaterloo Portal's written reviews are positive against 82% of G1 Simulator & Study Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UWaterloo Portal ships an update every 2 months, G1 Simulator & Study Guide monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
UWaterloo Portal versus G1 Simulator & Study Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUWaterloo PortalG1 Simulator & Study Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (12 ratings)4.8 (458 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.2% of reviews81.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12458 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of Waterloonovice2pro Inc.

Customer experience

UWaterloo Portal

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral15.4%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive21.2%
Neutral6.1%
Negative72.7%

G1 Simulator & Study Guide

All ratings449 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive81.6%
Neutral6.9%
Negative11.5%

User reviews

UWaterloo Portal

From 12 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Conveniently displays schedules
  • 👍 WatCard balance easily accessible
  • 👍 Useful for finding exam schedules
  • 👍 Good for checking class times
  • 👍 Easy navigation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent and mandatory logins
  • 🐛 App crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Slow and hard to navigate
  • 🐛 Lost functionality after updates
  • 🐛 Inaccurate or unreliable schedule information

G1 Simulator & Study Guide

From 458 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent app
  • 🚀 Passed first attempt
  • 🚀 Passed with high score
  • 🚀 Passed on first try
  • 🚀 Passed with flying colors

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Ads freeze entire app
  • 🐛 Feedback when wrong needed
  • 🐛 Inconsistent scoring
  • 🐛 Confusing question wording
  • 🐛 Repeated questions with different answers

Bugs and requests

UWaterloo Portal

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App crashes a lot
  • App resets every time it's closed
  • Keeps signing out frequently
  • Login issues (wrong account displayed)
  • Cannot launch the app
Show 10 more
  • Calendar/Schedule barely works
  • Update removed calendar functionality
  • Quiz seating not visible until day of quiz
  • App is slow
  • App is difficult to navigate
  • New version is a downgrade
  • App doesn't show class times reliably
  • App only shows current day's schedule, not tomorrow
  • App loads schedule slowly and requires refreshing
  • App shows weather when not needed

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add a reload WatCard function
  • Add a section for school events
  • Add ability to search or see office hours of any prof
  • Bring back old features/widgets (exam schedule, map, watcard balance, food places, free rooms, bus schedule)
  • Support iPhone X full screen
Show 1 more
  • Add dark mode option

G1 Simulator & Study Guide

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • App doesn't open

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add restart button for practice tests
  • Reduce ads during practice tests
  • No ads during mock tests
  • Update app with new rules (e.g. property damage threshold)
  • Translate to more languages

In-app purchases

None

UWaterloo Portal

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

G1 Simulator & Study Guide

One-time1
  • Premium$4.99

Questions

Is UWaterloo Portal free?
UWaterloo Portal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is G1 Simulator & Study Guide free?
G1 Simulator & Study Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, UWaterloo Portal or G1 Simulator & Study Guide?
G1 Simulator & Study Guide is rated higher. UWaterloo Portal averages 4.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while G1 Simulator & Study Guide averages 4.8 from 458 ratings.
Do UWaterloo Portal or G1 Simulator & Study Guide have ads?
G1 Simulator & Study Guide shows ads; UWaterloo Portal does not.
Which is updated more often, UWaterloo Portal or G1 Simulator & Study Guide?
UWaterloo Portal ships an update every 2 months, and G1 Simulator & Study Guide monthly. Most recently, UWaterloo Portal was updated on November 2, 2026 and G1 Simulator & Study Guide on November 7, 2026.

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