PlugCompass vs Apple Maps for EV charging
Short answer: Apple Maps is best for driving: with a supported car it plans charging stops and can show live availability for networks you pick. PlugCompass is for choosing the charger: it rates each one on price, real speed, reliability, access and ports, and works in any browser.
PlugCompass is a free EV charging map that turns open government data, operators' live status and drivers' check-ins into one independent 0–10 score for 240,000+ charging locations in the U.S., the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland, with live availability for 292,000+ charge points refreshed every few minutes. Distance and advertising never change a score.
Side by side
| What you need | PlugCompass | Apple Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Independent score per charger | Yes: a 0–10 PlugCompass Score from price, speed, reliability, access and ports, with every part shown. Distance and ads never change it. | Not found in their public documentation. |
| Price per kWh, comparable across stations | Yes where the operator publishes a price: turned into a comparable price per kWh (start and time fees folded in). Unpublished prices are shown as "not published", never guessed. | Not found in their public documentation. |
| Live availability | Yes in Europe: 292,000+ charge points in the Netherlands, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden, refreshed every few minutes. Not in the U.S. yet. | For selected providers and countries, for networks you set as preferred (iOS 17 and later). |
| Did charging work here recently? | Drivers' one-tap "Did it work?" check-ins, Open Charge Map reports and operators' live status, plus monthly charger reliability reports per network. | Not found in their public documentation. |
| Real charger power (kW) and plug filters | Per-charger kW from official data, filters for speed, plug, network, price, place type and open now. | Shows chargers that fit your car's plug once EV routing is set up. |
| What's nearby while you charge | "While you charge": cafés, food, restrooms, grocery and shops within about 300 m (OpenStreetMap). | Yes: any place search around the charger. |
| Turn-by-turn navigation and route planning | No. Tap Directions and PlugCompass opens Google Maps for the drive. | Yes. EV routing with charging stops for supported cars (the list of car brands keeps growing). |
| Where it works | the U.S., the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland | Worldwide; live charger data only for selected providers and countries. |
| Cost and account | Free, no account needed. Works in any browser and can be installed as an app. | Free on Apple devices. |
Use Apple Maps when
- You drive a car that Apple Maps EV routing supports and want charging stops planned for you.
- You are outside the countries PlugCompass covers.
- You want navigation in CarPlay.
Use PlugCompass when
- You want to compare chargers on price per kWh, real power and reliability before you go.
- You use Android, a laptop or a car Apple Maps doesn't support.
- You are in the Netherlands, Finland, France, Norway or Sweden and want live availability from the operators' official feeds.
Best of both: find and compare chargers on the PlugCompass map, then tap Directions to drive there. See how we score for the full method.
Questions
- Is PlugCompass better than Apple Maps?
- They do different jobs. Apple Maps is best for driving: with a supported car it plans charging stops and can show live availability for networks you pick. PlugCompass is for choosing the charger: it rates each one on price, real speed, reliability, access and ports, and works in any browser.
- Is PlugCompass free?
- Free, no account needed. Works in any browser and can be installed as an app.
- Where does PlugCompass work?
- the U.S., the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Elsewhere it says the country isn't covered yet.
- Does PlugCompass show live availability?
- Yes in Europe: 292,000+ charge points in the Netherlands, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden, refreshed every few minutes. Not in the U.S. yet.
More comparisons
Checked on 23 October 2026. Information about Apple Maps comes from the public sources below and can change; PlugCompass's numbers update automatically. Something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.