Comparison

Directed SmartStart vs iiCanada

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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)

About

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.

Highlights
  • Regional news organization
  • Personalized notifications
  • Event calendar integration
  • News sharing options
  • Video library
  • Employment opportunities
Features
Read full description

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

Directed SmartStart4 screens
iiCanada4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Directed SmartStart versus iiCanada: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDirected SmartStartiiCanada
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (123 ratings)3.9 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings123 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB42 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperDirectedInsha Canada, Inc.

Customer experience

Directed SmartStart

All ratings123 ratings
Positive39.0%
Neutral10.6%
Negative50.4%
Written reviews132 reviews
Positive22.0%
Neutral11.4%
Negative66.7%

iiCanada

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative41.7%

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

None

Directed SmartStart

No in-app purchases

None

iiCanada

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Directed SmartStart free?
Directed SmartStart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iiCanada free?
iiCanada is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Directed SmartStart or iiCanada?
iiCanada is rated higher. Directed SmartStart averages 2.7 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while iiCanada averages 3.9 from 8 ratings.
Do Directed SmartStart or iiCanada have ads?
Neither Directed SmartStart nor iiCanada shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Directed SmartStart or iiCanada?
Directed SmartStart ships an update every 3 months, and iiCanada every 2 weeks. Most recently, Directed SmartStart was updated on October 7, 2026 and iiCanada on September 28, 2026.

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