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

Type D vs. Type E

Comparing 2 standards across 5 specifications. 4 key differences identified.

Comparing:
Type D
Type E
Type D →

Type D is the old British 5A standard (BS 546, 1934) -- three large round pins in a triangle. It predates and is completely incompatible with the UK's later Type G, and remains the primary domestic standard in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka today.

View full Type D spec sheet →
Type E →

Type E is the French/Belgian standard -- unusually, its round grounding pin is fixed in the socket, not the plug. It's used across France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia, and a hybrid CEE 7/7 plug design bridges it with the incompatible German Type F.

View full Type E spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

5 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Type D
Type E
Pin Count
3 round pins in a triangle (large, non-coplanar sizing) 2 round power pins; earth pin projects from the socket, not the plug
Rated Current
5 A 16 A
Rated Voltage
250 V 250 V
Grounded
Yes Yes (mandatory)
Common Regions
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Namibia, and roughly 40 countries with British-influenced history France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia

Other Alternatives to Compare

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