The chargecloud alternative with a €0 platform.
Every Plugchoice price is on the pricing page, and you create the account yourself, without a consultation.
€0
for the platform, at any fleet size
- Unlimited chargers, locations and users
- Smart Charging from €25 a year per AC socket
- chargecloud stays connected through the OCPP proxy
chargecloud details from chargecloud.com, checked on 2 September 2026.
What you know before you sign
Plugchoice publishes every price, so you know the cost before you create an account.
- Every price is public€0 for the platform. Smart Charging is €25 a year per AC socket.
- Create an accountSign up yourself, without a card or a sales call.
- Point a charger at ws://ocpp.plugchoice.comWorks with chargers that speak OCPP 1.6J, depending on model, firmware and configuration.
- Charging the same dayThe charger shows up in the portal and the app once it connects.
Keep chargecloud while you try Plugchoice
The chargers connect to Plugchoice once, and chargecloud stays connected next to it. It keeps billing your sessions until you switch it off.
- One connection per chargerPoint the charger at Plugchoice. Plugchoice passes every message on to chargecloud.
- Switch chargecloud off with one toggleSwitch it off in the portal or the app, and the charger stays online without a site visit.
- 300+ back offices on the listAdd another one next to chargecloud. Each gets a role, Billing or Data and control, and only one holds Billing.
Plugchoice and chargecloud compared
chargecloud details from chargecloud.com, checked on 2 September 2026.
| Feature | Plugchoice€0 platform | Quote only |
|---|---|---|
| Price and start | ||
| Platform fee | €0, at any fleet size | Not published; the pricing page has no figures2 |
| Load balancing price | €25 a year per AC socket, in Smart Charging | No extra charge for load management1 |
| How you start | Create an account and connect a charger the same day | Contact form, then a consultation2 |
| Billing and roaming | ||
| Billing for public charging | Planned for the fourth quarter of 2026 | Automated billing for ad-hoc, B2B and B2C1 |
| Roaming | Planned for the fourth quarter of 2026 | Covered by its automated billing1 |
| Smart charging | ||
| Load balancing | Dynamic load balancing with a meter, in Smart Charging | Load management with bottleneck management and prioritisation1 |
| Peak shaving | In Smart Charging, where capacity tariffs exist | Yes1 |
| Solar | Solar balancing, in Smart Charging | Not stated on chargecloud.com1 |
| Brand and API | ||
| Your own brand | Partner Program, €29 a month per company | Apps, portals and invoices in your branding1 |
| API | REST API, documented at developer.plugchoice.com | Core API on chargecloud.dev3 |
Inside the Plugchoice portal and app
One account for both, free for every charger you connect.
Every charger in one list
Status, connection, location and serial number of each charger. Plugchoice translates the status of every brand into the same words.
The app for charger owners
Start, stop and lock the charger, follow each session and pick an energy mode from your phone.
The back offices on a charger
Each has a role, Billing or Data and control, and connects or disconnects with one click.
Smart Charging per location
The groups under the main fuse, the current per phase and the charge mode of the location. From €25 a year per AC socket.
A page per charger
Its connectors, sessions and commands, and the full OCPP message log, filterable and exportable.
Questions about switching from chargecloud
Yes. The charger connects to Plugchoice, and Plugchoice passes every message on to chargecloud. It keeps billing your sessions, and you switch it off only when you are ready.
Yes. Dynamic load balancing is part of Smart Charging and needs a meter. Smart Charging is €25 a year per AC socket, €74 for five years or €165 for the life of the charger. chargecloud charges nothing extra for load management and does not publish its platform price.
Not yet. Billing and roaming are planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, in the countries our payment partner covers. Billing will be a flat price per charger, never a percentage of a session. Until then, keep chargecloud connected for billing.
Chargers that speak OCPP 1.6J, depending on model, firmware and configuration.
chargecloud is based in Cologne and was founded in 2016. RheinEnergie and MENNEKES Elektrotechnik invested in it, and powercloud sold its shares.
Try Plugchoice next to chargecloud
Create a free account, point a charger at ws://ocpp.plugchoice.com and add chargecloud as its back office.
About this page
chargecloud and the chargecloud logo are trademarks of chargecloud GmbH. All other names, logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This page is published independently by Plugchoice and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by chargecloud. Every detail about chargecloud was taken from the sources below and was accurate to the best of our knowledge on the dates shown. Plans and features change often, so please confirm the current details with chargecloud before relying on them.
- chargecloud, 'Charging operations', chargecloud.com/en/operating-system/charging-operations. States that load management is included in the platform at no extra charge, with peak shaving, bottleneck management and prioritisation, describes one automated billing solution covering roaming, ad-hoc, B2B and B2C, and states that apps, portals and invoices run entirely in the customer's branding. Checked 2 September 2026.
- chargecloud, 'Preise' and 'Contact', chargecloud.com/de/preise and chargecloud.com/en/contact. The pricing page carries no figures and routes to a contact form for a consultation. Checked 2 September 2026.
- chargecloud, 'Home charging' and the developer hub, chargecloud.com/en/use-cases/home-charging and chargecloud.dev. Describe semi- or fully automated billing between employer and employee with PDF, CSV or JSON export for payroll, and a Core API. Checked 2 September 2026.
- chargecloud, 'Imprint', 'About us' and the newsroom, chargecloud.com/en. Name chargecloud GmbH in Cologne, commercial register HRB 88854, founding in 2016, and state that RheinEnergie and MENNEKES Elektrotechnik invested while powercloud divested its shares. Checked 2 September 2026.