The #1 Ocean EV alternative is free.
Plugchoice manages, smartens and bills any OCPP charger, the same job operators bought the Landis+Gyr and Etrel platform for. Free, hardware-agnostic, and built so a change of owner never strands your chargers.
Trusted by teams across EV charging
€0
every charger, forever
Free, and here to stay
€0 per charger, with no platform fee and no contract that can be sold out from under you.
Changed hands in a year
Exit announcement, sale to KD Group, then carved out as a separate company.
OCPP Proxy
Keep your current backend connected and switch in one click, with no site visit.
Direct connection
Chargers bind to Ocean as their backend, so a platform change becomes a charger project.
Smarter charging, more meters
Load balancing, solar and peak shaving on real meter data, with wireless meter support.
Load management
Static and dynamic load balancing, with the advanced pieces available on request.
Public pricing
Every price is on our pricing page. The platform itself is free.
Quote and subscription
A per-charger subscription, priced on request after a sales conversation.
Free to start. No credit card, no sales call, nothing to cancel.
When the platform moves, your chargers stay put.
Ocean changed direction, owner and corporate identity inside a year. With the OCPP Proxy your chargers connect to Plugchoice once, then route to any backend you like, so the next industry shake-up is someone else's problem. No downtime, no site visits, no lock-in.
Plugchoice
OCPP Proxy
Plugchoice
Always connected
Ocean EV
Switch anytime
Always on Plugchoice
Chargers connect once and never need to move again.
Any backend, one click
Route to Ocean or 221+ other operators, switched whenever you like.
No lock-in, ever
Change or drop a backend without touching a single charger.
Feature by feature, with the price attached.
Ocean is a capable CSMS, and the table says so. The difference is that with Plugchoice the core platform is free, every price is public, and you are never locked to one backend.
Take a look inside Plugchoice.
One portal to configure, monitor, smarten and bill every OCPP charger you run. Free to start.
304
charger brands supported
1,032
charger models run
221
operators connected
Plugchoice vs Ocean EV: common questions
Is Plugchoice a real alternative to Ocean EV?
Yes. Plugchoice manages, smartens and bills any OCPP charger, the same core jobs operators use Ocean for. It is free to start, with public pricing and an OCPP proxy that lets you migrate at your own pace.
What happened to Landis+Gyr and Ocean EV?
In February 2025 Landis+Gyr announced it would exit the EV charging business in EMEA. The former Etrel business was then sold to KD Group, and Ocean was carved out as a separate company, with customer relationships and data transferred. Ocean is active today. The lesson for operators is how fast the company behind a charger backend can change.
Is Ocean EV shutting down?
No. After the Landis+Gyr exit and the KD Group transaction, Ocean was spun off and presents itself as an active OCPP platform. The point of this comparison is not that Ocean is gone, it is that a backend can change owner and direction quickly, and Plugchoice is built so your chargers are never caught in the middle.
Can I switch from Ocean EV to Plugchoice?
Yes. The OCPP proxy lets Plugchoice run alongside Ocean, so you reroute chargers when you are ready. Any brand, no lock-in, no site visit.
Is Plugchoice really free?
The platform is free: charger management, monitoring, logging, cards and transactions all cost €0. Optional modules like Smart Charging and Billing are paid, and those prices are public.
How does smart charging compare?
Plugchoice has a dedicated module: load balancing, solar, peak shaving and dynamic tariffs on real meter data, including wireless meters. Ocean offers static and dynamic load balancing, with the advanced pieces available on request.
Is Plugchoice cheaper for billing?
Yes. Billing & Invoicing is a flat €5.95 per charger a month, published up front. Ocean handles payments through integrations on request, bundled into its subscription.
Same chargers. Smarter software. No surprises.
Connect your first charger in minutes. It is free, with nothing to cancel.
About this comparison
Ocean, OCEAN EV and the Ocean logo are trademarks of their respective owners. The platform was built by Etrel, acquired by Landis+Gyr AG, and after Landis+Gyr's 2025 exit from EV charging in EMEA the Etrel business was sold to KD Group and Ocean was carved out as a separate company. Landis+Gyr and Etrel are trademarks of their respective owners. All other names, logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This is an independent comparison published by Plugchoice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Ocean, Landis+Gyr or Etrel. Every detail about Ocean EV was taken from publicly available sources and was accurate to the best of our knowledge on the dates shown. Pricing, features and ownership change often, so please confirm the current details with each provider before deciding.
Sources
- 1.Landis+Gyr, 'Landis+Gyr prepares implementation of strategic initiatives and provides update on FY 2024 guidance', landisgyr.com newsroom, February 2025. States the decision to exit the EV charging business in EMEA and the related impairment and restructuring charges. Checked 8 June 2026.
- 2.Electrive, 'Landis+Gyr withdraws from charging infrastructure business', electrive.com, 11 February 2025. Independent industry coverage of the withdrawal. Checked 8 June 2026.
- 3.Landis+Gyr, 'Landis+Gyr signs share purchase agreement for EV Solutions business, ensuring business continuity', landisgyr.com newsroom, 2025. The sale of the former Etrel business to KD Group. Checked 8 June 2026.
- 4.Etrel, 'A new chapter begins' and the Ocean carve-out notices, etrel.com. KD Group's investment ended the liquidation process and Ocean was separated into its own company, with customer relationships and data responsibilities transferred. Checked 8 June 2026.
- 5.Ocean EV Charging, oceanevcharging.com. Ocean presented as an active OCPP-compliant EV charging platform for operators, including load-management features. Checked 8 June 2026.