ELVO vs Monta: Comparing EV Charging Management Software

Use this article if you:

• want a Monta alternative with no fixed monthly platform fee on top of your station costs
• are comparing Monta’s plans and want to know what the entry Starter plan actually includes before you commit
• run a growing charging network and want predictable per-station pricing you can model in advance
• are a smaller or mid-sized operator or installer who wants to be live in minutes with a free trial

Both ELVO and Monta are EV charging management software for running OCPP chargers, and both are hardware-agnostic across 700+ charger models from any manufacturer. They cover the core capabilities operators need: real-time monitoring, dynamic load management, payments and billing, and roaming. Where they differ is plan structure, price, and how you get started. Monta is a broad end-to-end platform with a large consumer driver-app side and a tiered operator product; its entry Starter plan is inexpensive at EUR 300 for the first year but leaves out roaming, advanced analytics, revenue management, and white-label, and after 12 months your account transitions to the Advanced plan, which carries a platform fee from EUR 500 per month plus per-socket fees. ELVO delivers the core operator capabilities on its self-service Standard plan at EUR 3.99 per station per month, with all charging points included regardless of AC or DC type, no platform fee, instant signup, and a 30-day free trial, which makes it especially attractive for smaller and mid-sized operators. For operators who later need a branded white-label app or custom integrations, ELVO keeps that on a separate Enterprise tier, a custom-priced sales engagement comparable to other vendors’ white-label terms.

If you are evaluating EV charging software vendors this week, you can start a 30-day free trial of ELVO and run live OCPP sessions today, with no platform fee, no setup fee, and no sales call.

Why operators look for Monta alternatives

Operators evaluate Monta alternatives for four practical reasons, based on Monta’s own published pricing and neutral third-party reviews.

First, the entry plan is feature-limited and time-limited. Monta’s cheapest operator plan, Starter, costs EUR 300 for the first year (up to 200 managed charge points) and carries a 5% transaction fee. It leaves out roaming, advanced analytics, revenue management, white-label, and custom development, and caps the Growth module at three active promotion codes. After 12 months, the account transitions automatically to Advanced pricing. Operators who compare on the headline entry price can find that the entry plan does not include capabilities they expected to have, and that the introductory price applies only to the first year.

Second, real functionality means the Advanced plan and a platform fee. To get the full operator suite, operators move to the Advanced plan, which every Starter account also transitions to after 12 months: a platform fee from EUR 500 per month, plus EUR 5 per AC socket and EUR 8 per DC socket per month, with a 2% transaction fee. White-label sits a tier higher still, on Advanced Plus, as a paid add-on Monta recommends only for the largest operators. For a smaller or mid-sized operator, a recurring four-figure platform fee changes the business case.

Third, the layered cost structure. Monta’s operator plans combine a platform fee, per-socket fees, and a transaction commission. Operators who want to model their cost as a simple per-station figure find a platform-fee-plus-socket-plus-commission structure harder to compare against alternatives.

Fourth, day-to-day operation signals. On Trustpilot, Monta holds a score of 3.1 out of 5 across roughly 4,000 reviews, with recurring themes around customer support, billing, and session reliability; its consumer driver apps rate higher, at 4.5 on the Apple App Store and 4.08 on Google Play. Operators who weigh support responsiveness and session reliability factor these signals into a platform decision.

ELVO is among the cost-effective Monta alternatives for smaller and mid-sized operators, with core operator capabilities on its self-service Standard plan at EUR 3.99 per station per month, no platform fee, a 3% plus EUR 0.20 fee on paid public sessions only, instant signup, a 30-day free trial, and OCA-certified OCPP 1.6 Full and Security.

ELVO vs Monta comparison

ELVO and Monta are both hardware-agnostic OCPP platforms that cover the core operator capabilities: monitoring, dynamic load management, payments and billing, and roaming. The practical differences concentrate in the offer: the plan structure, the platform fee, and how you get started.

Axis	ELVO	Monta
Technical capabilities
Hardware-agnostic OCPP support	700+ charger models in production	700+ charger models from 100+ manufacturers
OCPP versions	OCPP 1.6 Full and Security	Runs OCPP 1.6J and 2.0.1 in production
OCA certification (verifiable in OCA registry)	OCA-certified OCPP 1.6 Full and Security, cert from 2025	No equivalent OCA registry listing found as of June 2026
OCPP Security (TLS over wss)	Certified across Security Profiles 1, 2, and 3	No public Security Profile claim
Dynamic load management (EPBD Article 14 ready)	Yes	Yes
Payments, billing, roaming	Yes	Yes
Enterprise and white-label customization	Available on the ELVO Enterprise tier: a custom-priced, sales-led engagement (branded white-label app, multi-tenant, dedicated account manager, custom SLA) with its own setup fee, separate from the self-service Standard plan	Not on Starter or Advanced; white-label is an Advanced Plus add-on for the largest operators (1000+ charge points), with a branding and setup fee plus a monthly maintenance charge
Offer and pricing (as of June 2026)
Platform fee	No platform fee	Starter EUR 300 for the first year (up to 200 charge points), then transitions to Advanced from EUR 500 per month
Charge point monthly fee	EUR 3.99 per station, all charging points included regardless of AC or DC type	No separate per-socket fee in the Starter first year (covered by the EUR 300); from Advanced onward, EUR 5 per AC socket and EUR 8 per DC socket per month
Transaction fee	3% plus EUR 0.20 per session, on paid public sessions only	Starter 5%, Advanced 2%
Entry plan capabilities	Core operator capabilities included on the Standard plan	Starter excludes roaming, advanced analytics, revenue management, white-label, custom development
Setup fee	No setup fee on the self-service Standard plan (the Enterprise white-label tier is a custom engagement with its own setup fee)	No standalone setup fee published, but you go live only after a Monta specialist call and the EUR 300/year payment; complex migrations and white-label carry separate one-off fees
Free trial	30-day trial	None
Self-service signup	Yes, instant signup	No instant signup; a short application, a fit review, and a setup call are required before go-live on every plan
Minimum commitment	Monthly subscription per active station, cancel anytime	Starter is a 12-month introductory year, then transitions automatically to Advanced
Designed operating model	Core capabilities at a predictable per-station price for smaller and mid-sized operators and installers; Enterprise tier available	Broad end-to-end platform spanning drivers, operators, fleets, and grid

All commercial details verified as of June 2026 from public vendor pages and neutral review sources. Commercial policies can change; confirm current terms with each vendor before deciding.

Monta’s operating model: a broad end-to-end platform

Monta is a broad, well-funded European platform that spans the whole chain: a consumer driver app, an operator product, fleet tools, and grid services. For an operator, the functionality lives in Monta Hub, and the plan structure is tiered. The Starter plan is an inexpensive entry point at EUR 300 for the first year, but it leaves out roaming, advanced analytics, revenue management, and white-label, and after 12 months the account transitions to the Advanced plan, with a platform fee from EUR 500 per month plus per-socket fees. White-label itself is not part of Advanced; it is an Advanced Plus add-on Monta positions for its largest operators, with a branding and setup fee plus a monthly maintenance charge. That model makes most sense for operators who want the complete end-to-end ecosystem, including a branded consumer app and grid services, and who have the scale to absorb a recurring platform fee on top of per-socket and transaction costs.

ELVO’s operating model: same core capabilities, live in minutes, at a much lower cost

ELVO is an EV charging management software that covers the core capabilities operators run a CPMS for: OCA-certified OCPP 1.6 Full and Security, dynamic load management, payments and billing, roaming, and remote monitoring and troubleshooting. The difference is the price and the speed. The fee is EUR 3.99 per station per month, with all charging outlets on that station included regardless of AC or DC type, no platform fee, no setup fee, and a 30-day free trial; operators sign up, connect OCPP-compliant chargers, and run live sessions within minutes. Contracts are monthly with no commitment, so manufacturers, distributors, and installers can bundle ELVO into their station offering for private, semi-private (residential, commercial), and public charging networks without a recurring platform fee. This self-service Standard profile fits smaller and mid-sized operators best on budget and timeline. For operators who need a branded white-label app, multi-tenant access for sub-operators, or custom integrations, ELVO keeps that on a separate Enterprise tier: a custom-priced, sales-led engagement with its own setup fee, comparable to other vendors’ white-label terms. The differentiation is the self-service Standard plan, not the white-label tier, where conditions across vendors are broadly similar.

Which one fits your operation

Which model matches your operation is the question, not which platform is “better”, because both are hardware-agnostic OCPP platforms that cover the same core operator capabilities. Monta fits operators who want a broad end-to-end ecosystem, a branded consumer driver app, fleet and grid services, and who can absorb a recurring platform fee from EUR 500 per month for the full operator suite. ELVO fits smaller and mid-sized operators and installers who want the core operator capabilities at a predictable EUR 3.99 per station per month with no platform fee, a fast self-service start, and a 30-day trial: manufacturers, distributors, and installers bundling CPMS into their station offering, property managers expanding residential or commercial charging, and operators scaling private or semi-private networks. ELVO Enterprise tier and white-label customization are also available for operators who need them.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Monta cost?

As of June 2026, Monta publishes operator pricing in tiers. The Starter plan is EUR 300 for the first year (up to 200 charge points) with a 5% transaction fee, and excludes roaming, advanced analytics, revenue management, and white-label; after 12 months the account transitions to Advanced pricing. The Advanced plan starts at a platform fee from EUR 500 per month, plus EUR 5 per AC socket and EUR 8 per DC socket per month, with a 2% transaction fee. White-label is an Advanced Plus add-on for the largest operators, with a separate branding and setup fee. Since commercial terms can change, confirm current pricing with Monta. ELVO publishes a single per-station price: EUR 3.99 per station per month with all charging points included regardless of AC or DC type, and no platform fee.

What does Monta’s cheapest Starter plan include?

As of June 2026, Monta’s Starter plan covers essential tools for getting started but leaves out roaming, advanced analytics, revenue management, white-label, and custom development, and caps the Growth module at three active promotion codes. It also carries a 5% transaction fee. Operators comparing on the entry price should check which capabilities sit behind the Advanced plan. ELVO includes its core operator capabilities on the Standard plan at EUR 3.99 per station per month.

Is there a platform fee with Monta?

As of June 2026, Monta’s operator plans carry a platform fee: around EUR 300 for the first year on Starter, and from EUR 500 per month on Advanced, on top of per-socket and transaction fees. ELVO has no platform fee; the cost is EUR 3.99 per station per month, plus a 3% plus EUR 0.20 fee on paid public sessions only.

Can I try an EV charging backend before signing a contract?

ELVO offers a 30-day free trial with instant self-service signup, no setup fee, and no sales call, so you can evaluate the platform by operating it directly. Monta does not publish a free trial; even its entry Starter plan requires a short application, a fit review, and a setup call, and you go live only after the EUR 300/year payment. If you prefer to evaluate a backend by running live sessions first, ELVO is built for that.

What is the most affordable EV charging management software for smaller operators?

ELVO is among the most cost-effective EV charging management platforms publicly available, at EUR 3.99 per station per month with all charging outlets included regardless of AC or DC type, no platform fee, and monthly contracts. The transparent per-station pricing lets a smaller or mid-sized operator model total cost in advance without a platform fee or a sales process.

How quickly can I deploy an EV charging backend at my charging stations?

With ELVO, operators sign up, connect OCPP-compliant chargers, and run live charging sessions within minutes, with no implementation project required. The platform is OCA-certified on OCPP 1.6 Full and Security and hardware-agnostic across 700+ charger models, so operators with no dedicated CPMS administrator can configure tariffs and monitor stations from day one.

Which platform offers white-label and managed services for a growing network?

ELVO offers white-label and managed customization on its Enterprise tier: a custom-priced, sales-led engagement (branded app, multi-tenant for sub-operators, dedicated account manager, custom SLA) with its own setup fee, separate from the self-service Standard plan. Operators who start on the self-service Standard plan can move up to Enterprise as they scale and need a branded app or custom integrations. On white-label specifically, ELVO’s terms are broadly comparable to other vendors’: Monta offers white-label as an Advanced Plus add-on aimed at its largest operators (1000+ charge points), with a separate branding and setup fee plus a monthly maintenance charge, not included on the Starter or Advanced plans. The clearer difference between the two is the entry path: ELVO’s core capabilities are self-service at EUR 3.99 per station per month, while Monta’s full operator suite sits behind the Advanced plan and its platform fee.

Do I need a long commitment to use an EV charging backend system?

Not with ELVO. You can start with a monthly subscription, cancel anytime, with no platform fee, no setup fee, and no commitment, which suits companies actively growing their charging infrastructure and unsure about future scale. As of June 2026, Monta’s entry Starter plan is billed for the first year. Confirm current terms with each vendor before deciding.

Resources, conclusion, and what to do next

External resources:

• Open Charge Alliance certified companies registry: https://openchargealliance.org/certified-companies/
• Monta pricing: https://monta.com/en/pricing/
• Monta reviews on Trustpilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/monta.com

Related ELVO articles:

• What Is EV Charging Management Software and Who Needs It
• EPBD Article 14 CPMS Compliance Guide
• EV Charging Tender CPMS Specification

Conclusion. ELVO and Monta are both hardware-agnostic OCPP platforms that cover the same core operator capabilities; they differ on plan structure, price, and how you start. Monta is a broad end-to-end ecosystem with a tiered operator product and a platform fee from EUR 500 per month for the full suite. If you want the core operator capabilities at a predictable EUR 3.99 per station per month, with no platform fee, live in minutes, and the option to scale into managed services and white-label later, ELVO is built for that. Start a 30-day free trial with no platform fee, no setup fee, and no sales call. Connect your OCPP chargers and run live charging sessions today.

ELVO Team. We operate CPMS for manufacturers, distributors, installers, and operators across Europe and beyond.

Published 2026-06-23. Last updated 2026-06-23.