Comparison

CBSA CanBorder vs 511 Alberta

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

Head to head
About

CBSA CanBorder

Get real-time land border wait times for Canadian and US ports of entry. Plan your trips with estimated best crossing times and get turn-by-turn directions.

Highlights
  • Real-time border wait times
  • Select ports of entry
  • Trip planner function
  • Estimated best crossing times
  • Turn-by-turn directions
Features
Read full description

Having land border wait times at your fingertips helps you make an informed decision about where and when to cross the border. The CanBorder app provides estimated wait times at select ports of entry in Canada and the United States. Short on time? Use the trip planner function to generate an estimated best day, time and port of entry at which to cross the border, along with turn by turn directions to get you there. The CanBorder app is a free service provided by the Canada Border Services Agency.

About

511 Alberta

This app offers real-time road and traffic information for Alberta drivers. It helps plan routes, anticipate delays, and provides access to over 200 cameras for current conditions. Users can also receive audio alerts for upcoming delays and submit reports on road issues.

Highlights
  • Real-time road conditions
  • Incident alerts
  • Over 200 live camera feeds
  • Route comparison and scheduling
  • Drive mode audio alerts
  • Citizen reporter for road issues
Read full description

Welcome to the new 511 Alberta app. The 511 Alberta mobile app provides real-time road and traffic information to Alberta drivers. Construction, congestion, and other delays are centrally monitored by the many cameras, sensors, and other data available to Alberta Transportation. Our 511AB app will help you plan your route, anticipate delays, and get where you're going faster. New Version Information The new 511 Alberta includes a completely new app which will require a new installation. This app features a scrollable, zoomable map that displays: - Road Conditions - Incidents, such as collisions and other road hazards - Over 200 Cameras, frequently updated so you can see the conditions for yourself Other features of the app include: - Route Comparison, enter a destination and get 3 routes with travel times displayed - Route Schedules, you can save a route and set a daily time to have the app run that route before you leave so you can receive automatic notifications - Drive Mode Alerts, you can just start driving with the app on and you will be notified with an audio alert of any delays on the road ahead of you - Citizen Reporter – submit audio reports to the 24/7 Traffic Management Centre (TMC) for issues and conditions that you experience on your route

Screenshots

CBSA CanBorder4 screens
511 Alberta4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 511 Alberta at 29% against CBSA CanBorder's 11%. CBSA CanBorder's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CBSA CanBorder ships an update every 4 months, 511 Alberta every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
CBSA CanBorder versus 511 Alberta: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCBSA CanBorder511 Alberta
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.2 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews11.4% of reviews28.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB101 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCanada Border Services AgencyIBI Group

Customer experience

CBSA CanBorder

All ratings24 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive11.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative81.8%

511 Alberta

Written reviews59 reviews
Positive28.8%
Neutral5.1%
Negative66.1%

In-app purchases

None

CBSA CanBorder

No in-app purchases

None

511 Alberta

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CBSA CanBorder free?
CBSA CanBorder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 511 Alberta free?
511 Alberta is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CBSA CanBorder or 511 Alberta have ads?
Neither CBSA CanBorder nor 511 Alberta shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CBSA CanBorder or 511 Alberta?
CBSA CanBorder ships an update every 4 months, and 511 Alberta every 3 months. Most recently, CBSA CanBorder was updated on September 23, 2026 and 511 Alberta on September 20, 2026.

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