CBSA CanBorder vs NL 511
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Real-time border wait times
- Select ports of entry
- Trip planner function
- Estimated best crossing times
- Turn-by-turn directions
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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.
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.
- Real-time highway conditions
- Ferry status updates
- Traffic incident alerts
- Winter road conditions
- Zoomable map interface
- Audio travel alerts
- Environment Canada weather
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
| Parameter | CBSA CanBorder | NL 511 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (24 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 11.4% of reviews | 25.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 24 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Canada Border Services Agency | IBI Group |
Customer experience
CBSA CanBorder
NL 511
In-app purchases
CBSA CanBorder
No in-app purchases
NL 511
No in-app purchases









