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.

PlugCompass vs charge-card and roaming apps

Short answer: Charge-card and roaming apps (one card or app that works at many networks) are for paying; their map shows the chargers where their card works, at their price. PlugCompass doesn't sell charging: it rates every public charger on the same facts, so the ranking isn't tied to a card or a deal.

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	Charge-card and roaming apps
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.	Usually none, or ratings from their own users.
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 Unpublished prices are shown as "not published", never guessed.	Their own card price, which can differ from the pay-as-you-go price at the charger.
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.	Often, where the network shares status with them.
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.	Their own users' reports.
Real charger power (kW) and plug filters	Per-charger kW from official data, filters for speed, plug, network, price, place type and open now.	Yes, usually.
What's nearby while you charge	"While you charge": cafés, food, restrooms, grocery and shops within about 300 m (OpenStreetMap).	Varies.
Turn-by-turn navigation and route planning	No. Tap Directions and PlugCompass opens Google Maps for the drive.	Usually hands over to your maps app.
Where it works	the U.S., the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland	Chargers where their card or app works.
Cost and account	Free, no account needed. Works in any browser and can be installed as an app.	App free; the card may have a monthly or per-session fee.

Use charge-card and roaming apps when

You want one card or app that starts charging at many networks.
You travel abroad and want to avoid signing up for each local network.

Use PlugCompass when

You want to see every public charger, not only where one card works.
You want to compare the operators' own pay-as-you-go prices, speed and reliability.

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 charge-card and roaming apps?: They do different jobs. Charge-card and roaming apps (one card or app that works at many networks) are for paying; their map shows the chargers where their card works, at their price. PlugCompass doesn't sell charging: it rates every public charger on the same facts, so the ranking isn't tied to a card or a deal.
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

vs Google Maps vs Apple Maps vs a charging network's own app EV charging maps in the United States EV charging maps in the Netherlands EV charging maps in Finland EV charging maps in France EV charging maps in Norway EV charging maps in Sweden

Checked on 23 October 2026. Information about charge-card and roaming apps comes from how these apps generally work; we don't name individual companies and can change; PlugCompass's numbers update automatically. Something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.