Francis Energy vs Element Charging
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Francis Energy
Locate and manage electric vehicle charging sessions with real-time availability updates. View charger details, save favorites, and monitor your charging progress and history. Supports a wide range of EV models and charging connector types.
- Real-time charger availability
- Charger details and favorites
- Remote charging session control
- Live charging information
- Charging history and statements
- Supports CCS and CHAdeMo
- Finds Level 2 chargers
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When you sign up for a free Francis Energy account, you can use the app to: • Check the availability of chargers in real-time • See charger details and save your favorite charging locations • Start and stop your charging session from your phone • View live charging information while you take a break from the road • See your charging history and view statements Francis Energy’s DC fast charging stations support all CCS (SAE Combo) and CHAdeMo compatible EVs. You can also use the app to find Level 2 chargers (with J1772 connectors) You can charge almost all electric vehicles on the road with us from manufacturers including: Audi BMW Chevrolet Ford Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Polestar Porsche Rivian Tesla Toyota Volkswagen
Element Charging
This application consolidates all your electric vehicle charging requirements into a single platform. Access home, workplace, depot, and public charging stations seamlessly.
- Unified EV charging access
- Home charger management
- Workplace charger management
- Depot charger management
- Public charger access
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One EV charging app for all of your charging needs. Home, Workplace, Depot, and Public chargers are accessible in one application.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Element Charging at 2.3 against Francis Energy's 1.5. Element Charging also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 15 months). Francis Energy's advantage is ratings volume (28 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Element Charging holds the better App Store score, 2.3 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Francis Energy has 28 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Francis Energy ships an update every 15 months, Element Charging every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Francis Energy | Element Charging |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.5 (28 ratings) | 2.3 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 9.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 28 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Francis Energy, LLC | Element Vehicle Management Services, LLC |
Customer experience
Francis Energy
Element Charging
Bugs and requests
Francis Energy
Reported bugs
25 issues- App crashes immediately after starting charge
- App crashes on iOS 17.3.1
- App gets stuck in a billing history loop
- App doesn't remember password
- App doesn't integrate with Google or Apple for login
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- App doesn't allow password visibility
- App doesn't seem to have a working timer
- App won't allow cutoff at 80%
- App requires license plate number
- App requires excessive personal information
- App crashes after starting charger
- App doesn't load chargers quickly
- App doesn't accurately display chargers
- App says chargers work when they don't
- App doesn't load charging data
- Charging ends when leaving the app
- Permission failure at charging station
- Chargers have hardware issues
- Credit card reader failures
- Station timed out during initial connection
- Cannot enter car model or change password in app
- Error message: car belongs to someone else
- Password incorrect, no reset email received
- Customer service doesn't know why chargers work/don't work
- App doesn't show chargers in the area
Requested features
13 requests- Fix non-working chargers
- Improve app reliability and fix bugs
- Make app more user-friendly
- Offer dark mode
- Integrate with car's in-dash system (new Chevy EVs)
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Allow password autofill/remember me functionality
- Allow password visibility toggle
- Implement charging timer and 80% cutoff
- Don't force app signup for basic charging
- Reduce required personal information for signup
- Put stations on a major charging network
- Transfer user accounts/funds from old apps
- Improve customer service responsiveness and knowledge
Element Charging
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Francis Energy
No in-app purchases
Element Charging
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Francis Energy free?
Is Element Charging free?
Which has better reviews, Francis Energy or Element Charging?
Do Francis Energy or Element Charging have ads?
Which is updated more often, Francis Energy or Element Charging?
Other comparisons
