Sitelapse vs TrueLook: Features, Pricing, and Canadian Support Compared

Full disclosure: we are Sitelapse, so we have a perspective. We have tried to be fair and factual throughout. Where TrueLook does something well, we will say so.

TrueLook and Sitelapse are two of the options Canadian contractors evaluate when choosing a construction camera provider. They occupy different positions in the market — TrueLook as an established US-based provider with competitive entry pricing, and Sitelapse as a Canadian company built specifically for the domestic market.

This comparison covers the areas that matter most for a construction project in Canada. For a broader three-way comparison that includes EarthCam, see our full provider comparison.

Company Overview

TrueLook

TrueLook was founded in 2010 in San Diego, California. They grew rapidly in the US construction camera market and were acquired by Hexagon — a large Swedish technology conglomerate — in 2022. The Hexagon acquisition brought additional resources and access to a broader construction technology ecosystem.

TrueLook ships cameras to Canada and serves Canadian clients, but they do not have a Canadian office, Canadian-based support staff, or direct partnerships with Canadian cellular carriers.

Sitelapse

Sitelapse is a Canadian company based in Mississauga, Ontario. We built the platform specifically for the Canadian construction market after seeing that existing providers treated Canada as an afterthought — shipping equipment across the border, routing support through American call centres, and relying on US cellular carrier roaming agreements for connectivity.

Our cameras, cellular connectivity, support, and platform are designed for Canadian conditions and Canadian clients.

Pricing Comparison

	TrueLook Essentials	TrueLook Advanced	TrueLook Premium	Sitelapse Basic	Sitelapse Pro	Sitelapse Enterprise
Monthly price	~$99	~$149	~$199+	$250	$350	$450
Cellular data	10 GB cap	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Storage retention	30 days	60 days	90 days	30 days	90 days	Up to 2 years
Post-project storage	1 year	3 years	Permanent	Duration of retention	Duration of retention	Negotiable
Integrations	Basic	Procore, Autodesk, Raken, DroneDeploy	All integrations	Basic	Basic	Procore, PlanGrid, custom
AI features	—	—	—	—	Progress + safety	Progress + safety
Stakeholder sharing	Sharing Centre	Sharing Centre	Sharing Centre	—	Role-based access	Role-based access
Video monitoring add-on	$100/mo	$100/mo	$100/mo	$1,800/mo (24/7 guard)	$1,800/mo	$1,800/mo

The honest take on pricing: TrueLook is cheaper, full stop. Their Essentials plan starts at roughly $99/month — less than half of Sitelapse Basic. If budget is your primary constraint, TrueLook offers a lower entry point.

However, the $99 Essentials plan comes with a 10 GB data cap. At 1080p with regular streaming, 10 GB can be consumed in a matter of days. Most Canadian contractors who choose TrueLook end up on the Advanced ($149) or Premium ($199) plan, which narrows the gap.

Sitelapse’s launch promotion of $149/month for the first three months further closes the gap for new customers.

Camera Hardware and Canadian Durability

TrueLook

TrueLook’s cameras are solar-powered, all-in-one units. The camera, solar panel, battery, and cellular modem are integrated into a single package. This is genuinely convenient — installation is straightforward and there are no separate components to manage.

Their cameras are rated for outdoor use and handle rain, heat, and moderate cold well. However, they are designed primarily for the US market. Canadian winters present a different challenge: sustained temperatures below -25°C, heavy snow accumulation on solar panels, and significantly reduced solar generation during December and January.

TrueLook cameras can work in Canadian winters, but performance may degrade in extreme cold and during the shortest days of the year when solar generation is minimal.

Sitelapse

Sitelapse cameras are built for Canadian conditions as a primary requirement, not an afterthought. Heated enclosures rated to -40°C come standard on every camera. LTE modems are configured for Canadian carrier networks. Mounting systems are designed for the wind loads and ice accumulation common on Canadian construction sites.

Our cameras are not solar-only. We configure power based on what is available at the site — site power, solar with battery backup, or hybrid. In Canadian winters, site power is often the most reliable option, and we design installations accordingly. For more on solar construction cameras, see our solar camera guide.

Cellular Connectivity in Canada

This is one of the most significant practical differences between the two providers, and it is not something most buyers think about until they have a problem.

TrueLook

TrueLook uses US cellular carriers with roaming agreements for Canadian coverage. This means your camera’s data traffic goes through a US carrier that has a roaming arrangement with a Canadian carrier. It works — but with caveats:

• Roaming is deprioritized. When the Canadian carrier’s network is congested, roaming traffic gets lower priority than native subscribers. On a busy urban site in Toronto or Vancouver, this can mean slower uploads and occasional connectivity drops.
• Coverage gaps. US carrier roaming agreements do not cover every tower and every region that native Canadian carriers cover. Rural and suburban coverage can be inconsistent.
• Latency. Roaming traffic may be routed through US infrastructure before reaching Canadian servers, adding latency to live feeds.

Sitelapse

Sitelapse uses native Canadian carrier SIMs — Bell, Rogers, or Telus depending on which has the strongest signal at your specific site. We test signal strength during site survey and select the optimal carrier.

Native SIM means:

• Full priority on the carrier network (no deprioritization)
• Access to all Canadian tower infrastructure
• Lower latency for live streaming
• Consistent coverage in suburban and semi-rural areas where roaming gaps exist

For a camera that needs to stream live video reliably for 12+ months, the difference between native and roaming connectivity is meaningful.

Software and Portal

TrueLook

TrueLook’s portal is clean and intuitive. Setting up cameras, viewing feeds, and managing access is straightforward. Their standout feature is the Sharing Centre — a system that lets you share camera access with stakeholders via links, embed codes, or email, without requiring them to create an account or log in. For projects where you want clients or public audiences to view progress with zero friction, this is a genuine advantage.

TrueLook’s platform handles live viewing, basic timelapse generation, weather overlay, and analytics. It is well-designed for its intended purpose, though power users may find the feature set limiting compared to more full-featured platforms.

Sitelapse

Sitelapse’s portal is a modern web application with live HD feeds, automated daily timelapse generation, timeline scrubbing (scroll day by day through your project history), and a multi-site dashboard for managing cameras across multiple projects.

On the Pro and Enterprise plans, stakeholder sharing uses role-based access — you create accounts for clients, owner reps, or investors with specific permission levels. This is more structured than TrueLook’s link-based sharing but requires users to log in.

Sitelapse also includes a system health monitoring dashboard that shows camera status, connectivity, and storage at a glance — useful for teams managing multiple cameras.

We are building toward AI-powered progress tracking and safety monitoring on our Pro and Enterprise plans, adding capabilities that go beyond basic camera viewing.

Data Storage and Retention

	TrueLook	Sitelapse
Essentials/Basic	30 days rolling	30 days rolling
Advanced/Pro	60 days	90 days
Premium/Enterprise	90 days	Up to 2 years
Post-project	1 year / 3 years / permanent (by tier)	Duration of retention period

TrueLook’s post-project retention is a strength, especially at the Premium level where footage is stored permanently. For projects where long-term archival matters — infrastructure with 10-year warranty periods, for example — this is worth considering.

Sitelapse’s Enterprise plan supports up to 2 years of active retention, with longer terms available for multi-year infrastructure projects. Our storage runs on Cloudflare R2’s global network.

Support and Service

TrueLook

TrueLook’s support is based in the US. Support hours are typically US Pacific or Central time. For a contractor in Ontario working Eastern Time, this means support may not be available first thing in the morning. Communication is in English, and the support team is knowledgeable about their product.

If you need on-site service (camera maintenance, relocation, troubleshooting), TrueLook coordinates this remotely or through third-party service partners in Canada. Response times for on-site visits may be longer than a local provider.

Sitelapse

Sitelapse support is based in Ontario, Eastern Time. We handle on-site service directly — no third-party coordination, no cross-border logistics. If a camera needs attention, we can typically schedule a site visit within 24–48 hours in the GTA and Southern Ontario.

For contractors who have experienced the frustration of waiting for a US-based provider to arrange a Canadian service visit, local support is a meaningful difference.

Integrations

TrueLook has an advantage here, particularly on their Advanced and Premium plans. They integrate with Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Raken, and DroneDeploy. For teams that live in Procore or Autodesk, having camera feeds and timelapse available directly in those platforms is valuable.

Sitelapse offers integrations with Procore and PlanGrid on the Enterprise plan, with custom API access for teams that need to build their own connections. Our integration library is smaller than TrueLook’s, which is an honest limitation.

Security Monitoring

The two providers take very different approaches to monitoring.

TrueLook offers a video monitoring add-on for $100/month. This provides motion-triggered alerts and monitoring through their platform. It is an affordable add-on for basic alerting.

Sitelapse offers 24/7 live video monitoring for $1,800/month per site. This is a fundamentally different service — trained security guards actively watching your camera feeds around the clock, with AI-assisted detection and incident escalation. It is significantly more expensive because it involves real people providing real-time surveillance, not just automated alerts. This service is designed for high-value sites where theft risk justifies the investment.

When to Choose TrueLook

• Your primary concern is cost and you need the lowest monthly price
• You are comfortable with US-based support and service
• Your site has reliable cellular coverage (urban location)
• You want the Sharing Centre for frictionless stakeholder access via links
• You need Procore, Autodesk, or DroneDeploy integration at a lower price point
• Your project is in a mild climate zone where extreme cold is not a concern

When to Choose Sitelapse

• You want a Canadian company with local support and service
• Your site is in Ontario or elsewhere in Canada where carrier coverage and winter performance matter
• You need cameras rated for sustained -30°C to -40°C conditions
• You want native Canadian carrier connectivity without roaming
• You need role-based stakeholder access with granular permissions
• You value a modern portal with system health monitoring
• You want the option of 24/7 live security monitoring by trained personnel

The Bottom Line

TrueLook and Sitelapse serve different segments of the Canadian construction market. TrueLook offers a proven, affordable option backed by Hexagon’s resources. Sitelapse offers a purpose-built Canadian alternative with local service and hardware designed for our conditions.

The right choice depends on your priorities. If budget is the primary driver and you are comfortable with a US-based provider, TrueLook delivers solid value. If Canadian conditions, local support, and native cellular connectivity matter to your project, Sitelapse is built for exactly that.

For a broader comparison that includes EarthCam, see our full three-way comparison. To see our pricing in detail, visit the pricing page.