Comparison

PlugShare vs Autel Charge

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PlugShare

Discover and share EV charging stations worldwide. This app provides a comprehensive map with real-time reviews, photos, and filtering options for various plug types and charging speeds. Plan your electric vehicle trips and find compatible chargers easily.

Highlights
  • EV charging station map
  • Community reviews and photos
  • Filter by plug type and charging speed
  • Real-time station availability
  • EV trip planner
  • Pay with PlugShare
  • Add new stations
Features
Read full description

Download the most accurate EV and Tesla charging station map. PlugShare is the world’s largest EV driver community. Drivers contribute station reviews and photos to help the EV community make the most informed charging decisions possible. Drivers can filter the PlugShare map by plug type, including CHAdeMO and SAE/CCS, as well as charging speed, including Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast Chargers such as Tesla Superchargers. You can also filter by charging provider – the PlugShare map includes detailed station information for every major EV charging network in North America, Europe, and much of the rest of the world, including: - ChargePoint - Tesla Destination - Electrify America - Supercharger - EVgo - FLO - SemaConnect - Shell Recharge - Renovatio Asset Management - Chargefox - Blink - SemaCharge - Volta - bp pulse - BC Hydro EV - GRIDSERVE Electric Highway - ChargeNet - Sun Country - NRMA - Petro-Canada - Circuit Electrique - Pod Point - Evie Networks - GeniePoint - Vector - Lidl eCharge - Ivy - Osprey Charging Network Ltd With PlugShare, you can: - Find public charging stations compatible with your EV (or EVs if you have multiple electric vehicles) - See each station’s PlugScore™ rating to quickly gauge charger reliability based on real driver reviews - Filter for connector type, charging speed, and amenities like food or bathrooms - Check for station functionality and current availability - Link to your favorite navigation app for directions to your selected charger - Pay for charging with Pay with PlugShare (at participating locations) and monitor your session - Add new charging stations to the map as you discover them - Receive notifications when a new charger is installed nearby - Find all the charging stations along a road trip route with a built-in EV trip planner - Use PlugShare with Apple CarPlay to browse nearby charging locations, bookmarked locations, and trips you've planned from the built-in display of CarPlay compatible vehicles - And more! PlugShare helps drivers find chargers compatible with any EV, including Tesla Model X, Tesla Model Y, and Tesla Model 3; the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Bolt, VW ID.4, Nissan LEAF, BMW i3, Audi e-tron, Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Porsche Taycan, Kia e-Niro, Volvo XC40, Polestar and all other electric vehicles on the market. Download PlugShare and join the PlugShare community today! Privacy Policy: https://company.plugshare.com/privacy.html Terms and Conditions: https://company.plugshare.com/terms-embed.html

About

Autel Charge

Manage your electric vehicle charging experience, whether at home or on the go. Monitor charging sessions, track energy costs, and optimize charging schedules. Find and use public charging stations with ease, including real-time availability and navigation.

Highlights
  • Home charger setup and configuration
  • Schedule off-peak charging
  • Real-time charging statistics
  • Public charger availability map
  • Filter public chargers by connector/power
  • Navigate to charging stations
  • Home charger sharing for revenue
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Autel Charge application bring you an excellent experience when you're charging on Autel MaxiCharger at home or on the road. The advantages of our intelligent charging solutions for home use include: • Scan the QR code on your home charger to streamline the setup and configuration process. • Link Autel charge card to start and stop charging via it. • Fast and convenient charging via the Autostart feature. • Schedule charging sessions during off-peak times to reduce electricity costs. • View real-time charging statistics including: Power usage, energy costs, charging amperage, charge duration and much more! • View monthly energy consumption details. • Set your local energy prices to calculate charging costs using home chargers. • Distribute charging power evenly within a charger group to maximize charging efficiency within limited total charging power via dynamic load balancing. • Home Charger Sharing supporting sharing home chargers with other drivers for extra revenue. • Fast and convenient self-service invoicing for reimbursement of charging costs. • Convenient management of charge records by exporting charge history as Excel files by month. When on the road, the Autel Charge application offers the following features: • Start and stop charging using your Autel Charge card or by scanning the QR code on the public charger. • Displays the availability status of public chargers on the map. (available, in-use, out of order, etc.) • Filter chargers displayed on the map by desired connector types. • Filter by required charging power on the map. • View site information within the map including pictures, address, energy prices, hours of operation, quantity of chargers and connectors. • Navigate to a desired site using the integrated navigation map. • Link your credit card to streamline the payment process using public chargers. • Scan QR code to start and stop the charger with just one tap.

Screenshots

PlugShare4 screens
Autel Charge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Autel Charge at none against PlugShare's 2. Autel Charge also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). PlugShare's advantage is ratings volume (144K vs 1.3K) and review sentiment (54% vs 46%). On price, rating, update cadence and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PlugShare sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Autel Charge asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PlugShare against 4.8 for Autel Charge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PlugShare has 144K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of PlugShare's written reviews are positive against 46% of Autel Charge's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlugShare ships an update every 3 weeks, Autel Charge every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
PlugShare versus Autel Charge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlugShareAutel Charge
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (144K ratings)4.8 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.1% of reviews — better45.7% of reviews
Number of ratings144K — better1.3K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#44 — better#185
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB238 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRecargo, Inc.Autel Digital Power Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

PlugShare

All ratings141,757 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews1,002 reviews
Positive54.1%
Neutral9.1%
Negative36.8%

Autel Charge

All ratings1,282 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews243 reviews
Positive45.7%
Neutral10.3%
Negative44.0%

User reviews

PlugShare

From 144K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Comprehensive charging station information
  • 📍 Helpful for planning long-distance trips
  • ⭐ Useful community-driven updates and reviews
  • 🔍 Ability to filter by charger type and network
  • 💡 Innovative features like trip planning

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app updates causing issues
  • 🗺️ Mapping and navigation could be improved
  • 🔍 Inconsistent or missing charger details
  • 🤖 Difficulty updating or adding new stations
  • 💸 Concerns about unexpected charges

Autel Charge

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Stable connection
  • 🔒 Secure app
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Provides useful information
  • 👍 Customizable charging settings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unstable WiFi connection
  • 🐛 Charging history not working
  • 🐛 App issues after updates
  • 🐛 Firmware update problems
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience

Bugs and requests

PlugShare

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Inconsistent behavior when checking in at chargers
  • Issues with saving or syncing user preferences
  • Incorrect or outdated charger information

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved trip planning with multiple stops
  • Ability to view charger availability in real-time
  • Integration with in-car navigation systems
  • Customizable filters and sorting options
  • Notification system for charger status updates

Autel Charge

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Charger firmware update issues
  • Charging session not stopping properly
  • Incorrect currency display
  • WiFi password length restriction
  • Login and account creation problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to set charge percentage limits
  • More customizable charging schedules
  • Support for multiple users/accounts
  • Integration with digital wallets
  • Improved reporting and analytics

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PlugShare

Subscriptions2
  • PlugShare Ad-Free (Monthly)$1.491 Month
  • PlugShare Ad-Free (Annual)$14.991 Year
None

Autel Charge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlugShare free?
PlugShare is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Autel Charge free?
Autel Charge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PlugShare or Autel Charge?
Autel Charge is rated higher. PlugShare averages 4.7 out of 5 from 144K ratings, while Autel Charge averages 4.8 from 1.3K ratings.
Do PlugShare or Autel Charge have ads?
PlugShare shows ads; Autel Charge does not.
Which is updated more often, PlugShare or Autel Charge?
PlugShare ships an update every 3 weeks, and Autel Charge every 2 weeks. Most recently, PlugShare was updated on November 7, 2026 and Autel Charge on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, PlugShare or Autel Charge?
PlugShare currently peaks at #44 in the App Store charts, and Autel Charge at #185. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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