shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Canstar?

Compare financial products with Canstar, including home, car & health insurance, home loans, credit cards, energy & super. See ratings and expert insights. - canstar.com.au

Depends. Use Canstar as a free starting point for comparing Australian loans, insurance, energy and super — its tables are filterable and cost you nothing. Never treat its star ratings as the final word: Canstar is paid by providers, so cross-check with CHOICE, Finder or a broker.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 9 public sources; many snippets are truncated. Note: 'Canstar Restorations' and 'Canstar Resources' appearing in search results are unrelated companies.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support-quality evidence in sources.
  • Security postureNo findings either way in reviewed sources.

Pricing

Free

Consumer comparison

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Australians comparing home loans, insurance, energy or super
  • First-home buyers shopping rates
  • Cost-of-living switchers (energy, credit cards)
  • Anyone wanting a free credit score check

Not for

  • Anyone wanting independent, commission-free product research
  • Borrowers with complex finances — see a mortgage broker instead
  • Non-AU/NZ consumers; product range is Australia and NZ only
  • Buyers who won't cross-check commercially skewed rankings

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Canstar earns commissions from listed providers — rankings favour commercial partners, not you.

medium

Tables don't list every provider; brokers and direct quotes sometimes beat Canstar's 'lowest'.

medium

Winners use Canstar awards as marketing badges; Reddit debates their real value.

low

Coverage is Australia and NZ only — useless elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free comparison across loans, insurance, cards, energy and super.
  • 4.4/5 rating on ProductReview for insurance comparisons.
  • Filterable tables let you deselect providers you don't want.
  • Free credit score check included.
  • Mobile app for comparisons on the go.

Cons

  • Commission-funded: providers pay for placement and ratings exposure.
  • Redditors openly question whether Canstar awards mean anything.
  • Mortgage brokers can surface deals lower than Canstar's tables.
  • Finance-savvy users describe the site as feeling stale.

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 9 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x6

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free for consumers; providers pay commissions.
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Filterable tables; user calls it best used.
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Ratings, awards and tools across many categories.
  • Support quality. No support-quality evidence in sources.
  • Security posture. No findings either way in reviewed sources.
  • 4.4/5 ProductReview rating As an insurance comparison website
  • 4/5 Trustpilot rating Customer service reviews
  • 59% Employees who'd recommend Glassdoor, ~3/5 employee rating
  • $0 disclosed Funding raised No funding rounds per Tracxn

Pricing

Consumer comparison

Free

  • All comparison tables and star ratings
  • Free credit score check
  • Free Canstar account to save comparisons

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Mixed: users praise the filterable comparison tables but criticize commission-driven rankings and commercially awarded stars.

“Canstar is the best I have used. You can desele”
Reddit, r/AusFinance
“I can find the lowest mortgage on Canstar, whic”
Reddit, r/AusFinance
“What's your view on Canstar awards”
Reddit, r/PersonalFinanceNZ
Full analysis

Based on 9 public sources; many snippets are truncated. Note: 'Canstar Restorations' and 'Canstar Resources' appearing in search results are unrelated companies.

Free AU comparison site worth a start, but commission-funded rankings mean always cross-check before you switch.

Methodology

Based on 9 public sources; many snippets are truncated. Note: 'Canstar Restorations' and 'Canstar Resources' appearing in search results are unrelated companies.

Sources

  1. Canstar — Compare Insurance, Loans, Credit Cards & Morecanstar.com.au
    official
  2. How We Get Paidcanstar.co.nz
    official
  3. Canstar reviews | ProductReview.com.auproductreview.com.au
    review
  4. Read Customer Service Reviews of canstar.com.au | Trustpilotau.trustpilot.com
    review
  5. Financial comparison websites compared — Reddit r/AusFinancereddit.com
    review
  6. Mortgage Broker vs Canstar — Reddit r/AusFinancereddit.com
    review
  7. Canstar awards meaningless? — Reddit r/PersonalFinanceNZreddit.com
    review
  8. Canstar Reviews — Glassdoorglassdoor.com.au
    review
  9. Canstar: Compare and Save — App Storeapps.apple.com
    official

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