Alkaline exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis combines the advantages of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis and alkaline electrolysis (AEL), offering high efficiency like PEM at lower costs. However, there is a need to optimize catalysts and membranes to enhance efficiency and durability and reduce overall system costs. The ability to operate with non-precious metal catalysts helps reduce expenses. The contribution gives an overview of atmospheric plasma spray coating options using precious metal-free catalysts. High entropy alloys (HEA) are particularly promising candidates as low-cost and precious metal-free catalysts. HEAs are a novel class of materials formed by mixing equal or relatively large proportions of five or more elements. The term "high entropy" refers to the substantial increase in entropy resulting from the mixing of elements. Only alloys forming a solid solution without intermetallic phases are commonly considered high entropy alloys. In the study presented here, HEA coatings are applied by plasma spraying on porous transport layers of stainless steel fleece. During plasma spraying, a plasma jet heats and accelerates a stream of powder particles towards the substrate. The high energy of the plasma jet causes the particles to melt and then solidify upon impact, forming a coating. This process achieves high deposition rates combined with low material consumption. (Al,Co,Cr,Fe,Ni) coatings on porous transport layers of stainless steel fleece are fabricated using both mixed raw metal powder and high entropy alloy powders synthesized by high-energy ball milling. The coatings obtained from both powders are compared with respect to morphology, element distribution and crystal structure. Phase transformations and crystallization induced by the heat inside the plasma jet are investigated. In both cases, plasma spraying achieves highly crystalline HEA phases with characteristic cubic crystal structures. Finally, the HEA-coated porous transport layers are characterized electrochemically.