Directed SmartStart vs iiCanada
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Directed SmartStart
Control your car remotely from your smartphone or smartwatch. Start, lock, unlock, and locate your vehicle, with advanced features like real-time status and safety notifications. Includes roadside assistance access.
- Remote start, lock, unlock
- Vehicle location tracking
- Real-time vehicle status
- Safety notifications (speeding, geofencing)
- Trunk release and panic button
- Roadside assistance access
- Apple Watch control
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Start, locate and control your car from virtually anywhere with your iPhone or Apple watch! "Making the cloud-connected car a reality" - Edmunds.com "Without a doubt, one of the coolest apps I've ever seen" - GIZMODO With the release of its all-new 5th generation Directed SmartStart app, connecting with and controlling your vehicle is easier than ever – including real time status via the updated dashboards, and control via your Apple watch! - Add a Directed SmartStart GPS module to the Directed remote start or security system in your car so you can start, lock and unlock your car from virtually anywhere. You can also locate your car, share its location with your friends or family, and get safety notifications if your Directed SmartStart-protected car is speeding or goes where it's not supposed to go. - For the ultimate connected car experience, install a complete Directed SmartStart Digital System and you’ll also get engine runtime and real time status on your choice of app dashboard. Get notified if your vehicle sets a diagnostic code, or check your fuel, battery, or odometer right in the app! - All 4G LTE GPS modules come with a free 30-day GPS trial so you can check out the cool features right away, and there’s even an option for a year of free Basic service. Step up to Secure service to get 2-way control confirmations or add GPS or Small Fleet & Family for the ultimate in car control and monitoring along with extended warranty and theft protection. The sleek, modern dashboards of Directed SmartStart 5.3 mobile app give you fingertip control over the following features of your installed Viper remote start or security/remote start system: - Lock/arm - Unlock/disarm - Remote car starter - Trunk release - Panic - Aux channels Follow these three simple steps to get Directed SmartStart: 1) Download the free Directed SmartStart app 2) Get a SmartStart system installed in your vehicle 3) Set up your account, and start using your SmartStart system Directed SmartStart also includes Directed Motor Club, providing convenient 24/7 access to our nationwide roadside assistance network. Just press a button in the app to get connected for towing due to breakdown or accidents, or assistance with a dead battery or flat tire. Member roadside assistance is free with Secure or higher level service plans and pre-registration. Even if you don’t sign up, you can use the guest program for the same great service at a fixed cost. Latest features: - Real time status on your favorite dashboard! Check the remote start runtime or whether your doors are locked and more instantly just by opening the app! (digital systems only) - Monitor the battery, odometer, and fuel level in the extended Status page (requires a digital system, some features may not be supported on all vehicles) - Convenient widget for one-touch command execution without needing to open the app first - Start, lock, unlock or locate your car using your Apple watch, or send other commands - Receive alert notifications on your phone and Apple watch - Four user-selectable dashboards and launch page settings – now you can customize the app for the way you use it - Modern dashboard "swipe up to start" feature eliminates accidental remote start commands - Map page integrates GPS and SmartPark features seamlessly – locate your vehicle, or track down where you parked - Manage notifications: Each user can select how they want to receive alerts or other notifications. Choose from push alerts with custom sound effects, email, or SMS (SMS alerts may not be available outside North America)
iiCanada
Access regional, national, and global news organized by location. Personalize notifications for topics of interest and add events directly to your calendar. Share news easily via email and social media.
- Regional news organization
- Personalized notifications
- Event calendar integration
- News sharing options
- Video library
- Employment opportunities
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Get the latest regional, national and global news. See your information arranged by region. Add events directly to your calendar. Personalize the App so you can be notified based on what interests you. Share news stories by Email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. The iiCanada App offers the following: What’s New Upcoming Events Volunteering Opportunities Employment Opportunities Latest and archival videos Funeral and Samar Information Speeches Daily Diamonds Choose your notification preferences under “My Profile”. To refresh content, pull down on any main content area - see the in-app help page for further details. If you choose to receive push notifications, a unique identifier relating to your device will be stored by iiCanada to provide you with the service. No other personal data relating to you (such as a username or email address) is processed. iiCanada will keep your information secure and not share it with anyone else in accordance with the iiCanada’s Privacy Policy. To read iiCanada’s Privacy Policy, go to https://iicanada.org/privacy-policy If you install the iiCanada App, you accept iiCanada’s Terms of Use at https://iicanada.org/general-terms-and-conditions-use.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iiCanada at 3.9 against Directed SmartStart's 2.7. iiCanada also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 22%). Directed SmartStart's advantage is ratings volume (123 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iiCanada holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Directed SmartStart has 123 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of Directed SmartStart's written reviews are positive against 50% of iiCanada's.
Directed SmartStart ships an update every 3 months, iiCanada every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Directed SmartStart | iiCanada |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (123 ratings) | 3.9 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 22.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 123 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 179 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Directed | Insha Canada, Inc. |
Customer experience
Directed SmartStart
iiCanada
Bugs and requests
Directed SmartStart
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on launch
- Geofencing not working
- Remote start failures
- Incorrect vehicle status
Requested features
4 requests- Siri/Shortcuts integration
- Improved status indicators
- Scheduled remote start
- Multilingual support
iiCanada
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Directed SmartStart
No in-app purchases
iiCanada
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Directed SmartStart free?
Is iiCanada free?
Which has better reviews, Directed SmartStart or iiCanada?
Do Directed SmartStart or iiCanada have ads?
Which is updated more often, Directed SmartStart or iiCanada?
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