Build vs buy: choosing a CSMS for your charging network
There are four ways to get a CSMS: write your own, start from an open-source OCPP server, rent a hosted SaaS, or license a ready white-label platform. Writing the OCPP server is the small part; payments, wallet, refunds, support tools and driver apps are most of the work. For a small Armenian network, a ready platform with local payments usually reaches the first paying customer faster. This page compares the options and lists their risks, including ours.
The four options
| Option | Control | Time to launch | Local payments | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Write your own | Full | Longest | You build every integration | Underestimating payments, refunds, apps and support; you maintain it forever |
| Open-source OCPP server plus your own layers | High | Long | You build them | The protocol part is covered, the business part is not; check licence, activity and security updates |
| Hosted SaaS CSMS | Low to medium | Short | Depends on the vendor; Armenian providers may be missing | Data and roadmap in someone else’s hands; per-charger fees grow with the network |
| Licensed white-label platform | Medium to high, especially if installed on your server | Short | Included if the vendor has them | Vendor dependence; features you need but the product lacks |
This is a general comparison, not a ranking of named products. We have not compared specific competitors.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table
What the protocol does not give you
OCPP defines how a charger and a CSMS exchange messages. It says nothing about taking a payment, keeping a driver’s balance, refunding the unused part of a prepayment, issuing a receipt, billing a company, handling a failed webhook or answering a driver at night. Those are the parts that take months. See what is a CSMS.
Questions to ask any vendor, including us
- Which OCPP versions work today, and which messages are actually handled?
- Which payment providers are connected, and what happens when a payment webhook is lost?
- What happens to meter readings if the server restarts?
- Can we host it ourselves, and can we get our data out?
- Who builds the features we need, and at what price?
- What is not built yet? Ask for the list in writing.
Where our platform fits
The EV Armenia platform is a licensed product with an OCPP server for 1.6J, 2.0.1 and 2.1, Armenian payments (Idram, IDBank/ArCa, Fastshift), a wallet, an admin panel and white-label apps. It can be hosted by us or installed on your server. Its limits are listed on the overview page: no automatic load management, no Telcell, Apple Pay or Google Pay, an OCPI module that is off by default, and no fiscal receipts. If one of those is a requirement today, another option may suit you better.
A simple decision guide
- One to a few dozen chargers in Armenia, need local payments soon: a ready platform.
- A software company with a strong team and unusual needs: build or extend open source.
- Many countries, many currencies: a hosted SaaS with international payments may fit.
- Not sure: run a pilot with a few chargers before committing.
Questions and answers
Should we build our own CSMS?
Only if software is your business and you can maintain payments, apps and support for years. Otherwise a ready platform is faster.
Is an open-source OCPP server enough?
It covers the protocol. You still need payments, wallet, apps, support tools and security work.
Can I try before committing?
Yes. Start with a pilot of a few chargers. Write to us to discuss it.
Sources
Talk to us about your charging network
Tell us about your stations and payments. We reply within one business day.