Francis Energy vs Spectrum Explorer
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
Spectrum Explorer
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Spectrum Explorer helps families find autism-friendly parks, ABA therapy centers, sensory-friendly venues, adaptive activity providers, and inclusive events — organized by state across the entire United States. Finding places that truly work for a child with autism is one of the hardest parts of parenting on the spectrum. Parents spend hours searching online only to arrive somewhere too loud, too crowded, or unprepared. Spectrum Explorer changes that. EVERY LISTING IS AUTISM-SPECIFIC • Parks with quiet zones and smooth accessible paths • ABA therapy centers with board-certified specialists • Sensory-friendly museums, gyms, and activity centers • Adaptive activities: therapeutic riding, art therapy, adaptive sports • Inclusive autism events across all 50 states SENSORY RATINGS ON EVERY LISTING Each place is rated for noise level, crowd level, and quiet room availability so you know what to expect before you go. LOCATION-AWARE DISCOVERY Automatically detects your city and surfaces places within 40 miles. Browse any city across 50+ US metro areas organized by state with sticky section headers. ACCESSIBILITY FIRST • High-contrast mode • Larger text option • Wheelchair accessibility flagged on every listing • Interactive Apple Maps with color-coded category pins PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account required. No ads. No subscriptions. Your location coordinates never leave your device. Everything is stored locally using on-device storage. 350+ LISTINGS · 50+ CITIES · 5 CATEGORIES · ALWAYS FREE
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Spectrum Explorer at every 3 months against Francis Energy's every 15 months. Spectrum Explorer also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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.
Francis Energy ships an update every 15 months, Spectrum Explorer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Francis Energy | Spectrum Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.5 (28 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 9.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 28 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Francis Energy, LLC | Reynaldo Paulino |
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)
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- 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
Spectrum Explorer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Francis Energy
No in-app purchases
Spectrum Explorer
No in-app purchases
