# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison Plug Types

Type C vs. Type N

Comparing 2 standards across 7 specifications. 7 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type C
Type N
Type C →

Type C, the "Europlug," is the most widely accepted plug in the world by country count -- 2 round, slightly tapered pins, ungrounded, rated just 2.5A/250V. Its flexible pins give it a secure friction-fit in sockets built for several other, larger round-pin standards.

View full Type C spec sheet →
Type N →

Type N is used in two places -- Brazil and South Africa -- but they are genuinely different implementations, not one standard: Brazil's NBR 14136 uses two different pin-diameter variants and skips a shutter requirement that South Africa's SANS 164-2 (closer to the source IEC 60906-1 spec) includes.

View full Type N spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

7 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type C
Type N
Pin Count
2 round pins, 4mm diameter, tapered/flexible 3 round pins in a triangle (symmetrical layout)
Grounded
No Yes, both implementations
Common Regions
Most of continental Europe, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, South Korea, and more Brazil (exclusively) and South Africa (exclusively) -- used nowhere else as a primary standard
Rated Current
2.5 A —
Rated Voltage
250 V —
Rated Current (Brazil)
— 10 or 20 (4.0mm or 4.8mm pins respectively) A
Rated Current (South Africa)
— 16 (uniform 4.5mm pins) A

Other Alternatives to Compare

Compare Type C vs. Type A → Compare Type C vs. Type B → Compare Type C vs. Type D → Compare Type C vs. Type E → Compare Type C vs. Type F (Schuko) → Compare Type C vs. Type G → Compare Type C vs. Type H → Compare Type C vs. Type I → Compare Type C vs. Type J → Compare Type C vs. Type K → Compare Type C vs. Type L → Compare Type C vs. Type M → Compare Type C vs. Type O →