EV Charger Manufacturer Software vs ELVO: 6 Questions

Use this article if you:

• just bought, or are about to buy, stations that come with the manufacturer’s free software
• run, or will run, stations of more than one brand
• want to know what you give up before you migrate stations away from the manufacturer’s software

Many charger brands come with free manufacturer software, usually a cloud portal or an app. In October 2026 we read the product pages, help centres and terms of charger brands sold in Europe. Below are six questions to ask before you rely on that software, with what we found for each.

We are ELVO, an OCPP platform that runs charging stations of any brand. A company told us recently that the free platform it got with its new stations takes only that brand, and that support is thin. If you want to compare on your own hardware, a 30-day free trial of ELVO connects one station next to the software you have now.

The facts about manufacturers come from their own websites, help centres and terms, opened in October 2026. We do not name the brands.

6 questions to ask before you accept free manufacturer software

1. Is it free for all your stations, and for how long? Often only with conditions. One portal is free for up to two stations. From the third station, monthly fees start at the end of 2026. One brand gives a free SIM card for the first year and then charges EUR 10 per station per year. One keeps 5% of each paid session before it pays the site owner. Ask the seller for the conditions in writing, for the number of stations you plan to have.
2. Does it work with a second brand? Some portals are built only for the manufacturer’s own stations, and one says so in its FAQ. If you may add another brand later, or take over a site with different stations, ask in writing whether the portal will take them. Our guide to mixed-brand fleets covers that case.
3. Can you migrate the station from the manufacturer’s software to another platform yourself? At several brands you cannot. The manufacturer has to unlock the migration first, through a support ticket, its sales team, an account its staff create, or a form. Some brands also need a site visit. Before you buy, ask the seller who unlocks it and how long it takes.
4. What changes when you migrate the station away from the manufacturer’s software? Depending on the brand, the manufacturer’s app and portal can stop working for that station. Its load and phase balancing can stop. RFID cards registered in its portal can stop starting a charge, so you add them again in the new platform. Even after the migration, some stations keep a second connection to the manufacturer’s own portal. They send it operating data, and the manufacturer keeps delivering their firmware updates. At one brand, you cannot remove that connection. Support can change too: one manufacturer sends questions about a migrated station to the new platform first. Ask the seller which of these apply to your model.
5. Can it take payment from drivers? Most portals that mention payment leave billing drivers to you or to another system. They give you session data for a report or an export, and you collect the money yourself. One portal that does collect payment keeps 5% of each paid session.
6. Is the software itself certified for OCPP? OCPP is the open protocol a station uses to talk to its platform. The Open Charge Alliance certifies platforms against it, and some public tenders ask for a certified platform. Among the brands we checked, one holds a certificate for its platform, and that platform is sold in the US and Canada only. Some brands hold certificates for their stations, but a station certificate covers the station, not the manufacturer’s portal.

Manufacturer software vs ELVO comparison

Question	Free manufacturer software (brands we checked, October 2026)	ELVO
Price	Free to start. Some brands set written conditions: free for two stations only, EUR 10 per station per year for the SIM card after the first year, or 5% of each paid session	EUR 3.99 per station per month after a 30-day free trial, plus 3% only on paid charging sessions (ELVO pricing); month to month, cancel at any time
Brands	Some portals take only the manufacturer’s own stations	Stations of any brand that speak OCPP, compatible with 700+ charger models
Getting started	Included with the station	Sign up yourself, with no sales calls and no setup meetings
Migrating to another platform	At several brands, the manufacturer has to unlock the migration; some brands need a site visit	Export sessions, transactions, drivers and settings to Excel at any time; no exit fees
After the migration	At one brand the portal and app stop; at another, load balancing and the RFID cards stop	You manage RFID cards, power limits and firmware updates in ELVO, if the station offers them over OCPP
Payments from drivers	Most portals leave billing to you or another system; one keeps 5% of each paid session	Drivers pay in the ELVO driver app, and the money goes straight to you
Platform certificate	One brand we checked holds one, for a platform sold in the US and Canada only	OCA.0016.1071.CSMS, Full and Security

When the manufacturer’s software is enough

If every station is one brand, you need no billing and no second brand is coming, the manufacturer’s software can be enough. Check the conditions from question 1 first. Also ask the seller whether you can migrate the stations to another platform later without the manufacturer.

Where ELVO is the stronger choice

One platform for every OCPP brand. ELVO runs stations of any brand that speak OCPP, and it is compatible with 700+ charger models. If your model is not in ELVO’s list of models, you add it yourself in two steps and register the station like any other.

Cards, power limits and firmware in one place. These are the settings that stop working or stay with the manufacturer when you migrate away from its software. In ELVO you manage them for every station that offers them over OCPP. You manage RFID cards and import them from Excel. You group stations under a shared power limit, and ELVO spreads it across the stations that are charging, with no extra hardware on site. From the dashboard you restart stations, update firmware, and change access rules and prices.

Payments: the money goes straight to you. Drivers start, stop and pay in the ELVO driver app, free on iOS and Android. The money goes straight to you. ELVO’s fee is 3% of each paid session, invoiced monthly together with your subscription.

OCPP certificate OCA.0016.1071.CSMS. ELVO holds an Open Charge Alliance certificate for its platform, from June 2025, for the full set of OCPP functions and security. If a tender asks for a certified platform, you send the certificate number and the test report summary attached to it.

Resell ELVO to your clients, at your own price. ELVO has two plans. On Standard, the plan you sign up for yourself, you resell the platform to your clients at your own price.

Migrate one site first. You can run ELVO on one site next to your current software, with no setup fees and no commitment.

Migrating stations from the manufacturer’s software to ELVO

Before you migrate a station, write down what the manufacturer’s software does for it today. That means the RFID cards, the current limits, any load balancing between stations, and who updates the firmware. Set those up in ELVO first.

Then add the station in your ELVO account: pick the model, enter the station ID, and copy the OCPP URL into the station. The OCPP URL is the address a station uses to reach its platform. The place where you change the OCPP URL differs by brand. At some brands you change it remotely, from the manufacturer’s portal. At others someone needs a site visit, with a laptop or a phone connected over Bluetooth. Our guide to mixed-brand fleets shows where the setting sits, brand by brand.

Try ELVO free for 30 days. You need no sales call, and the plan runs month to month. Connect one station, keep the rest where they are, and compare the two on your own hardware.

Frequently asked questions

Is the free software from my EV charger manufacturer really free?

Often, with conditions. Among the brands we checked, one portal is free only up to two stations. One charges EUR 10 per station per year for the SIM card after the first year. One keeps 5% of each paid session. Ask the seller for the conditions in writing, for all your stations.

What stops working when I migrate my charger from the manufacturer’s software to another OCPP platform?

The answer differs by brand. At one brand we checked, the manufacturer’s portal and app stop working completely. At another, its load and phase balancing stops, and RFID cards registered in its portal no longer start a charge. Ask the seller what stops working, for each model you buy.

Can the manufacturer’s software take payment from drivers?

Usually not. Most manufacturer portals that mention payment leave billing drivers to you or to another system. They give you session data for a report or an export. One portal that does collect payment keeps 5% of each paid session.

Is the manufacturer’s software OCPP certified?

Usually not as a platform. Among the brands we checked, one holds a platform certificate, and that platform is sold in the US and Canada only. Some brands hold certificates for their stations. A station certificate covers the station, not the manufacturer’s portal.

Do I need the manufacturer’s permission to use another platform?

At several of the brands we checked, yes in practice. The manufacturer unlocks the migration through a support ticket, its sales team, an account its staff create, or a form. Some brands also need a site visit. Before you buy, ask the seller who unlocks it and how long it takes.

Can I run stations of different brands on ELVO?

Yes. ELVO is compatible with 700+ charger models from different brands. You add each station in your account and copy the OCPP URL ELVO gives you into the station. The station then reports to the same platform as the others.

Read next

• How to integrate EV chargers from different brands
• What is OCPP? A practical guide for charging operators
• White-label charging software for installers

Sources

• Open Charge Alliance certified products registry, full registry read and counted in October 2026
• Open Charge Alliance, ELVO certificate OCA.0016.1071.CSMS
• Product pages, help centres and terms of charger manufacturers sold in Europe (not named), opened in October 2026

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

Published 27 October 2026.