NewStart Canada vs Guide Canada
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NewStart Canada
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Moving to Canada, or have you just arrived? NewStart Canada walks you through the real first steps: your SIN, health coverage, banking, housing, employment rights, and government benefits, explained clearly in 13 languages. Built for real newcomer situations, whether you're still planning the move or already settling in. WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH NEWSTART CANADA: • Get Your SIN – Understand how to apply for your Social Insurance Number within your first 3 days. Step-by-step guide, required documents, and deadlines. • Set Up Health Insurance – Navigate provincial health coverage. Know which province you're in, how to enroll, and what's covered. • Open a Bank Account – Compare major Canadian banks, learn what documents you need, and get your finances started. • Understand Your Work Rights – Learn about employment standards, minimum wage, workplace safety, and your rights as a worker. • Find Housing & Tenancy Info – Understand tenant rights, lease agreements, and housing resources in your province. • AI Assistant – Ask anything about settling in Canada. Get instant answers powered by AI, available 24/7. • Province-Specific Guidance – Select your province and get information tailored to where you live. DESIGNED FOR NEWCOMERS: Whether you're a permanent resident, temporary foreign worker, or international student, NewStart Canada gives you the knowledge to take confident steps in your new home. Available in multiple languages. Built with the newcomer experience in mind. Download NewStart Canada today and start your journey with confidence.
Guide Canada
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Arriving in Canada? Guide Canada tells you what to do, in what order, for your province or territory and your situation. YOUR SETTLEMENT CHECKLIST • Steps for your first days, first week, first month and first year: SIN, health card, driver's licence, bank account, school for your children, taxes… • Tailored to all 13 provinces and territories, to your status (permanent resident, worker, student, asylum claimant, refugee…) and to your family. • Each step explains why, how, what documents to bring, the cost and the wait time, with a link to the official website. • “Most urgent”: what to do first when you step off the plane, in order. • Also: how to recognize scams that target newcomers, and how to protect yourself from extreme cold. • Check off what's done and track your progress. MY CITY • Resources for 52 cities across Canada: settlement organizations, job search help, English and French classes, Service Canada and provincial offices, health care without a family doctor, food banks, winter coats, housing, schools, legal help… Tap a card to open the organization's website. • Based on your status (student, temporary worker…), the app shows you which services you are eligible for. EMERGENCY • Your province's key numbers, one tap away, even without Internet. MY FILE, SAFE ON YOUR PHONE • Keep your SIN, health card number, UCI, expiry dates… • Everything is encrypted by your phone and can be locked with your fingerprint, face or passcode. • Reminders before a permit or card expires. • Note your appointments: a reminder the day before and one hour before, and add them to your calendar. • Your emergency contact, one tap away in the Emergency tab. OFFLINE, NO ACCOUNT • All content is inside the app. Only links to official websites need Internet. • No account, no analytics, no personal data collected. Content corrections reach you automatically. OFFICIAL SOURCES Every piece of information shows its source and the date it was checked: Canada.ca, IRCC, Service Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, provincial and territorial government websites, and the organizations named. The full list is in the app (More > Sources). IMPORTANT NOTICE Guide Canada is an independent app. It is not affiliated with any government and does not represent any public body. It does not give legal or medical advice: when in doubt, the official organization has the final word.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NewStart Canada at weekly against Guide Canada's every 6 months. NewStart Canada also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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.
NewStart Canada ships an update weekly, Guide Canada every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NewStart Canada | Guide Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | L Bullard | Gishleine Oukouomi Djouonang |
In-app purchases
NewStart Canada
No in-app purchases
Guide Canada
No in-app purchases


