Introduction

Across Canada, Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) must complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to keep their designation in good standing. CPD keeps skills current, supports ethical practice, and helps with changing standards.

This guide compares widely used online CPD platforms for Canadian CPAs, what each does well, where there are trade-offs, and who each option fits. Use it to match a platform to your practice, schedule, and reporting needs.

How we evaluated

We focused on five things that matter most in day-to-day Canadian practice:

• Verifiable certificates & audit readiness
• Canadian-relevant content (tax, assurance, ethics, IFRS/ASPE, tech)
• Tracking & certificate storage for easy year-end reporting
• Value & pricing flexibility (single course, bundles, unlimited)
• Team administration (seats, progress, compliance reporting)

Comparison of CPA CPD Course Providers

CPA Canada

CPA Canada provides recognizable, structured learning—especially national conferences and certificate-style programs. If you prefer a curated, time-boxed experience with strong brand recognition, this is a reliable annual anchor.

Pros:

• Flagship events and programs with clearly documented CPD hours
• Strong signalling value and networking opportunities

Cons:

• Time-bound format with less “pick-and-mix” flexibility
• Typically, premium pricing compared to on-demand libraries

Best for:

CPAs who want a marquee event or certificate to anchor the year then use an on-demand platform to fill the remaining hours.

CPDformula

A Canadian-focused CPD marketplace designed for verifiable, audit-ready learning. CPDformula emphasizes simple tracking, certificate storage, and firm-friendly tools—so solo CPAs and teams can finish hours and prove them quickly.

Pros

• Verifiable, audit-ready certificates for every completed course
• Canadian-relevant library across tax, assurance, ethics, analytics, and practice management
• Team License for firms (seats, invites, progress and compliance tracking)
• Multiple formats (on-demand video, readings, occasional audio/transcripts) and pricing choices (single courses, bundles, Unlimited Pass)
• Built around verification, evidence, and reporting (great for audits)
• Good value if you need several courses or want an all-access option

Cons

• No free CPD library
• Unlimited Pass requires an annual subscription
• Not a podcast-first approach

Best for

• Solo CPAs who want fast, verifiable hours and clean exports
• firms that need seat management and progress visibility without spreadsheets.

LumiQ 

LumiQ is built around podcasts that count for CPD, with tracking and team options. Great for earning hours while commuting or walking.

Pros

• High-quality content from top speakers, industry professionals
• All courses comply with the CPD regulations.
• It is the most convenient and Flexible way of learning and completing your CPD requirement.

Cons

• It is the most expensive CPA CPD provider at CA$979 for the Unlimited Subscription Plan.
• It is available in audio format only and lacks Audio Visual Learning experience.
• Limited courses on ethics and other subject areas are available.

Best for 

CPAs who prefer learning by listening and want to earn verifiable hours on the go.

Conclusion

All three options can help Canadian CPAs meet CPD obligations. Which CPD provider is the right fit for you?

It depends on your goals, budget, and how you like to learn. This comparison of four leading platforms gives you a clear starting point.

Focus on a few basics when you decide: verified certificates and audit readiness, Canadian course relevance, total cost for the hours you need, flexibility of formats (on-demand, podcast, live), and, if you manage a team, admin tools for tracking.