Comparison

CBSA CanBorder vs NL 511

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

NL 511

This app provides real-time highway, ferry, and traffic information for safe route planning. It features a zoomable map with current conditions, incidents, and weather alerts. Receive audio notifications for events impacting your travel.

Highlights
  • Real-time highway conditions
  • Ferry status updates
  • Traffic incident alerts
  • Winter road conditions
  • Zoomable map interface
  • Audio travel alerts
  • Environment Canada weather
Read full description

NL 511 is a free traveler information service operated by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. The NL 511 app provides near real-time highway, ferry and traffic information to drivers to help them safely plan their route. This includes information on ferry delays, winter road conditions, construction activities, incidents, and road closures. This app features a scrollable, zoomable map that displays: • Traffic Conditions • Winter Road Conditions • Incidents • Cameras • Construction • Road Closures • Marine Weather • Ferry Status Information • Wreckhouse Wind Warnings • Environment Canada Weather The app also features audio alerts that notify drivers of events that may affect travel. Information is provided by Department of Transportation and Infrastructure field staff or contracted operators as follows: • Winter road conditions are updated three times daily or whenever significant changes occur. The information provided reflects the latest reported conditions. • Roadwork is updated as construction phases begin, when there is new information and when the work is completed. • Major events along highways resulting in significant disruptions is updated as new developments occur or when the event ends. • Ferry information is updated regularly throughout the day and when significant delays occur.

Screenshots

CBSA CanBorder4 screens
NL 5113 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NL 511 at 25% against CBSA CanBorder's 11%. CBSA CanBorder's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.6). 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, NL 511 every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
CBSA CanBorder versus NL 511: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCBSA CanBorderNL 511
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.2 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews11.4% of reviews25.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB78 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%

NL 511

Written reviews8 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

In-app purchases

None

CBSA CanBorder

No in-app purchases

None

NL 511

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CBSA CanBorder free?
CBSA CanBorder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NL 511 free?
NL 511 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CBSA CanBorder or NL 511 have ads?
Neither CBSA CanBorder nor NL 511 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CBSA CanBorder or NL 511?
CBSA CanBorder ships an update every 4 months, and NL 511 every 6 months. Most recently, CBSA CanBorder was updated on September 23, 2026 and NL 511 on August 18, 2026.

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