PlanElec as an alternative to Trikker: a comparison (2026)

PlanElec is a browser-based alternative to Trikker for producing single-line diagrams and situation plans for Belgian installations. Trikker runs on Windows and costs €45 per month excl. VAT. PlanElec runs in any browser and is currently free during Early Access. If you work fully offline, Trikker still serves you better.

This comparison is written by the team behind PlanElec. The figures on Trikker come from their own website, with the source and the date we checked them, so you can verify every point yourself.

Comparison at a glance

Trikker details checked on 20 August 2026 at trikker.be and trikker.be/pricing. Prices and features may change. If you spot a discrepancy, let us know — we will correct this table.

Why electricians look for an alternative

Trikker has been the established choice for single-line diagrams in Belgium for over fifteen years. People who look for an alternative usually do so not because the program works badly, but because their way of working no longer fits a single fixed PC.

Working across devices. One Trikker licence covers one PC at a time. When you switch computers you re-enter your licence code; if it is still active on another device, it has to be released there first. Anyone alternating between office, home and site runs into this regularly.

Not on Windows. Trikker currently runs on Windows. A macOS version is announced for late summer 2026, with a web version to follow. If you already work on a Mac or iPad, there is no working option for you today.

Cost for a handful of diagrams a year. €45 per month or €360 per year is well spent if you draw diagrams daily. For a firm producing a few per year, or an owner who needs a single dossier to sell a house, the arithmetic looks different.

German-speaking installers. Trikker is offered in Dutch, French and English. In the East Cantons a share of installers work in German. PlanElec is available in four languages, German included.

The substantive difference: drawing versus planning

This is where the two programs genuinely differ, and it decides whether PlanElec is an improvement for you or not.

Trikker is a drawing program. You drag AREI symbols onto a sheet and build up your single-line diagram and situation plan. You decide the structure, you keep the overview, and the result is exactly what you drew. That gives full control, and if you know the standard well, it is fast.

PlanElec starts from a project model. You first draw the floor plan, place the loads in it, define the circuits and lay out the distribution board. The single-line diagram is derived from that. Add a socket or a circuit later and the drawing is rebuilt, without you redrawing the diagram by hand.

That difference has two consequences. Floor plan, circuits, board and diagram cannot drift apart, because they come from the same data — with two separate drawings, keeping them consistent is your job. In return you have less freedom in the layout: what the model does not know, you cannot draw in it either.

If you work changes in continuously during a renovation, the project model is the clearest practical advantage. If you produce one diagram and never return to it, that advantage counts for less.

When Trikker remains the better choice

There are situations where we would point you to Trikker, competitor or not.

You work without an internet connection. Trikker needs a connection to activate and re-checks the licence occasionally, but works offline for a period in between. PlanElec runs in the browser and needs a connection. On sites without coverage, that settles it.

Your plans arrive only as DWG. PlanElec reads DXF; Trikker also reads DWG. If the architect's drawings invariably arrive as DWG and whoever produced them cannot supply a DXF, Trikker saves you that conversion step.

You have a settled workflow. Fifteen years of product history means a mature symbol library, an active user community, and inspectors who recognise the diagrams. Changing a working routine costs time, and that effort has to pay for itself.

You do not want a product in Early Access. PlanElec is new. That means a smaller user base and features still under development. If you have no room for that, an established product is the safer choice.

What to know before switching

Your existing diagrams do not come with you

PlanElec cannot read Trikker files. The workable route is to finish current dossiers in Trikker and start with PlanElec on your next new project. Redrawing an existing installation in full is possible, but costs the time of a normal build-up.

What the self-check does and does not do

The AREI self-check in PlanElec is a planning aid. It flags supported check points, for example on protective devices and cable cross-sections, and shows which data is missing. It is not an official conformity assessment and does not replace inspection by an approved body. The report itself lists which checks are supported and which are not — read that before relying on it.

What an inspector expects from the document

No drawing program, Trikker included, makes a diagram compliant by itself. What matters is that the documentation is legible, complete and standard-compliant, and that it matches the actual installation. Both programs produce a PDF that can meet this; the correctness of the content remains with whoever drew it.

What "Early Access" means in practice

PlanElec is currently free and payment processing is not active. We are not naming a future price today, because we have not set one. What we do commit to: you can export your single-line diagram and situation plan as PDF at any time. Those documents stay usable, independently of the application.

Frequently asked questions

What does Trikker cost in 2026? €45 per month excl. VAT (€54.45 incl. VAT for consumers) or €360 per year excl. VAT (€435.60 incl. VAT). Both licences renew automatically and can be cancelled through the customer portal. A free licence with watermark is available for education. Checked on 20 August 2026.

Is there a free alternative to Trikker? Trikker itself offers a free demo, limited to five circuits and one page of situation plan, with a watermark — useful to try out, not for official plans. PlanElec is currently free during Early Access with full functionality, PDF export included.

Does Trikker run on a Mac? Not today. Trikker runs on Windows; a macOS version is announced for late summer 2026 and a web version should follow. PlanElec already runs in the browser on macOS, Windows, Linux and iPad.

Can I import my Trikker diagrams into PlanElec? No. There is no import of Trikker files. If you switch, finish current dossiers in Trikker and start with PlanElec on the next project.

Can I use my architect's drawing? Yes. Load the plan as a DXF file and PlanElec places it as an underlay beneath your floor plan. If the file carries a unit, PlanElec takes the scale from it. If it does not — which is common, because DXF coordinates are unitless in themselves — PlanElec proposes a unit based on the building's dimensions and asks you to confirm it. Either way, there is nothing to redraw or measure. PlanElec does not read DWG: ask for a DXF export instead, which any CAD package produces in seconds.

Will an inspector accept a diagram from PlanElec? An inspector assesses whether the documentation is legible, complete and standard-compliant and whether it matches the installation — not which program produced it. PlanElec exports the single-line diagram and situation plan as PDF with standardised symbols. The correctness of the content remains with the author.

Related articles

• Creating a single-line diagram: the complete guide
• What is a situation plan?
• Planning a distribution board: structure and layout
• Getting started with PlanElec

Try it yourself

With PlanElec you plan floor plan, circuits and distribution board within one project and export the single-line diagram and situation plan as PDF. During Early Access this is currently free, with no installation. The self-check supports preparation and does not replace an official inspection. Start now →