If you’re looking for a Canadian Smartwaiver alternative with true data residency in Canada, bilingual features, and integrated communication tools, Activity Messenger offers more than just digital waivers.
Smartwaiver is popular across North America, but it does not offer Canadian server hosting, French interfaces, or automation features — all of which are essential for compliance with PIPEDA, provincial laws, and Law 25 in Quebec.
In this article, we’ll compare Smartwaiver and Activity Messenger from a Canadian perspective, looking at key similarities, major differences, and how Activity Messenger goes beyond digital waivers to offer online forms, SMS reminders, registrations, and automation tools.
DISCLAIMER: Activity Messenger is our software. We created it to address the gaps we saw in other waiver and registration tools, especially around Canadian compliance and data residency.
Smartwaiver is widely used across North America, but several limitations make it challenging for Canadian organizations:
Missing automation features: No automated reminder workflows or SMS follow-ups for unsigned waivers.
👉 Note: You may qualify for up to $2,400 through the CDAP Grow Your Business Online Grant to digitize your forms using a Canadian platform like Activity Messenger.
Canadian organizations often switch from Smartwaiver when they need more than basic waiver capture or must comply with Canadian data residency laws. The most common groups migrating to Activity Messenger include:
If your organization needs bilingual forms, integrated payments, registration syncing, or compliance with data residency requirements, Smartwaiver often becomes too limited.
Both platforms allow you to create customizable waivers with drag-and-drop fields, conditional questions, and digital signatures.
What sets Activity Messenger apart: You can design your waivers directly through Canva, keeping everything fully on brand — from colours to typography to layout.
Both platforms offer intuitive builders that allow you to:
No technical experience required.
Both systems save all signed documents and data securely in your account.
Activity Messenger adds:
Both tools allow you to send waivers by text message — ideal for:
Activity Messenger enhances this feature with automated SMS workflows.
Smartwaiver offers general customer support, but not Canadian-specific service.
Activity Messenger provides:
Smartwaiver stores all waiver data in the United States.
Activity Messenger stores 100% of your data in Canada, helping your organization stay compliant with:
This is a major requirement for camps, schools, municipalities, and public-sector organizations.
Smartwaiver is waiver-only.
Activity Messenger includes:
Making it ideal for sports programs, camps, childcare, and recreation departments.
Activity Messenger lets you automate multi-step reminders:
This dramatically improves completion rates.
Smartwaiver does not offer automation workflows.
Smartwaiver handles digital waivers only.
Activity Messenger replaces multiple tools by offering:
Switching can offer significant savings for Canadian organizations using several U.S.-based apps.
| Feature | Activity Messenger | Smartwaiver |
| Ease of Use | ✅ Simple, modern interface | ✅ Simple interface |
| Digital Signatures | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Customizable Waivers & Forms | ✅ Fully customizable + Canva integration | ✅ Customizable |
| Canadian Data Hosting | 🇨🇦 Yes — 100% in Canada | 🇺🇸 No — U.S. only |
| Compliance | ✅ Designed for Canadian compliance | ❌ Not aligned with Canadian laws |
| Bilingual (EN/FR) | ✅ Fully bilingual interface & support | ❌ Not available |
| Email Marketing | ✅ Included (newsletters, campaigns) | ❌ Not included |
| Bulk SMS Messaging | ✅ Included | ⚠️ Basic SMS only |
| Automated Reminder Workflows | ✅ Automatic SMS/email follow-ups | ❌ Not available |
| Registrations & Payments | ✅ Integrated registration platform | ❌ Not included |
| Attendance Tracking | ✅ QR check-ins, rosters, attendance sheets | ❌ Not included |
| Surveys & Feedback Forms | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included |
| Ticketing & Events | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included |
| Customer Support | ✅ Canadian-based, bilingual | ⚠️ U.S.-based support |
📌 Read More: Want to compare even more waiver apps? Check out our blog, 8 Best Digital Waiver Software Tools in Canada. You can also read our Jotform vs Smartwaiver vs Activity Messenger article for a targeted look at these popular platforms.
A digital liability waiver is an electronic version of a traditional paper waiver that allows participants to sign online or on a mobile device. Canadian organizations use digital waivers to streamline check-in, reduce paper handling, and securely store documents on compliant servers. When stored in Canada, digital waivers help organizations meet PIPEDA, provincial privacy rules, and Quebec’s Law 25 requirements.
Smartwaiver does not host data in Canada, so organizations needing Canadian data residency often choose Activity Messenger. It provides Canadian server hosting, bilingual forms and interfaces, automated SMS/email reminders, registration syncing, and privacy compliance.
Many Canadian businesses — especially camps, recreation programs, sports clubs, and municipalities — require that participant data be stored within Canada. Smartwaiver stores all data in the United States, which can conflict with internal policies or provincial requirements. A Canadian-hosted alternative like Activity Messenger ensures data stays on Canadian soil and aligns with Canadian privacy obligations.
Yes. When participants register for a program, camp, class, or event, they can sign their waivers directly during checkout. These signatures automatically sync to rosters, attendance lists, and participant profiles, reducing manual follow-up and improving compliance.
Yes. Activity Messenger combines waivers, registrations, payments, email marketing, SMS messaging, surveys, and automations into one platform. Many Canadian organizations replace multiple U.S. tools, such as Smartwaiver, Mailchimp, Eventbrite, and SurveyMonkey, to reduce costs and keep data stored exclusively in Canada.
No. Smartwaiver stores all waiver data on U.S. servers. Organizations that must keep participant information in Canada or follow stricter standards, such as Law 25 in Quebec, typically require a Canadian-hosted platform like Activity Messenger.
Smartwaiver can be used in Canada, but it does not meet Canadian data residency requirements.
Smartwaiver is a strong digital waiver tool, but when it comes to Canadian camps, recreation programs, sports organizations, and municipalities, it leaves significant gaps. Teams often juggle multiple U.S. tools, manage disconnected systems, and spend extra time manually following up on unsigned waivers or syncing registrations.
Activity Messenger is built specifically to replace these workarounds. Instead of forcing Smartwaiver to meet your broader operational needs, choose a platform designed for your reality: bilingual forms, automated SMS/email reminders, integrated registrations, attendance tracking, and full Canadian data hosting.
💡 Ready to simplify waivers and operations while keeping your data in Canada? Book a demo with Activity Messenger to see how your workflows can be streamlined.
