Best Travel eSIM 2026: Airalo vs Holafly vs Saily vs Yesim vs Nomad vs Ubigi vs aloSIM
There is no single best travel eSIM, but there is a best one for each trip, and on published criteria Ubigi scores highest: 89 out of 100. It has the lowest combined 10 GB price of the seven across Europe ($15), Japan ($16.50) and the USA ($14), and its unlimited plans allow 60 GB at full speed before slowing. Airalo (81) is the safest choice for unusual destinations, Nomad eSIM (79) is the value pick for Japan on a fixed plan and the only one of the seven with a free trial, Saily (77) has the clearest unlimited terms and the best security features, Yesim (71) the cheap regional bundle, Holafly (66) the heavy-data-on-one-phone option, and aloSIM (61) the one that gives you a phone number.
Verified 28 September 2026 · Nomad eSIM from its price list of 10 September 2026 and its help centre; the other six read on their own pages and Trustpilot in the first week of September 2026
Which travel eSIM is best in 2026? The scores
| Provider | Price | Plans | Unlimited | Networks | Reviews | Security | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | 20 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 89 |
| Airalo | 11 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 81 |
 Nomad eSIMPartner | 15 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 79 |
| Saily | 12 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 77 |
| Yesim | 18 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 71 |
| Holafly | 8 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 66 |
| aloSIM | 12 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 61 |
How the scores are built. Price (20): the sum of each provider's 10 GB, 30-day price for Europe, Japan and the USA; Holafly, which sells unlimited plans only, is scored on its 15-day unlimited prices against the others' unlimited plans. Plan choice (20): fixed and unlimited options, regional and global bundles, destinations covered. Unlimited terms (15): whether the full-speed allowance and reduced speed are published, and hotspot policy. Network transparency (15): whether the plan page names the underlying operator in Japan, Spain, the USA and Kenya. Review evidence (15): Trustpilot score weighted by review volume. Security and ownership (15): audited security, jurisdiction, parent company.
Nomad eSIM is a paid partner of this site: a labelled placement (the module above and the rows marked Partner), no say in the rubric, scored the same way as the other six and third of seven. Airalo and Yesim links on this page are no longer affiliate links. Ubigi, which tops the table, pays this site nothing.
Revision, 28 September 2026. Nomad eSIM's security and ownership score rose from 7 to 12 of 15 after its parent company's attestations were verified at source, taking its total from 74 to 79 and its place from fourth to third of seven. The criterion weighs the parent company, so the evidence counts; the product itself is not named in the audit scope, which is why it sits below Airalo's product-level SOC 2. No other score changed.
In this comparison
- The scores
- What a 10 GB plan costs by provider
- Which unlimited eSIM is really unlimited
- Which network each eSIM uses
- How secure the providers are
- Head-to-heads: Airalo vs Holafly, Airalo vs Nomad eSIM, Yesim vs Airalo, Holafly vs Saily
- Nomad eSIM in detail: plans, networks, trial and Pass
- Which travel eSIM is fastest: Ookla's Q2 2026 results
- Which eSIM to buy for your trip
- Four questions that pick the plan
- The mistakes that cost money
- Frequently asked questions
How much does a travel eSIM cost? 10 GB prices by provider
For 10 GB over 30 days Ubigi has the lowest combined price across the three markets that matter most, Europe $15, Japan $16.50 and the USA $14, though Nomad eSIM's Japan 10 GB at $16 (sale, list $18) undercuts it in that one market. The most expensive fixed-data plan for Europe is aloSIM at $36, with Saily at $35.99 and Airalo at $31 just behind. The spread between cheapest and dearest for the same allowance is 2.4 times, which is why the brand you know is not the brand you should buy without checking. Full pricing logic, including how fixed and unlimited compare at 5, 10 and 20 GB, is in the eSIM cost guide; if you are unsure how much you will use, the data estimator settles it in two minutes.
| Provider | Europe 10 GB | Japan 10 GB | USA 10 GB | Global 10 GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | $15.00 (37 destinations) | $16.50 | $14.00 | $59.00 (200+ destinations) |
| Yesim | $19.20 (33 countries) | $19.20 | $16.80 | $34.80 (83 countries) |
| Nomad eSIM Partner | $23.00 (35 countries) | $16.00 sale (list $18) | $25.00 | $62.00 (123 destinations) |
| Airalo | $31.00 (41 countries) | $25.00 | $22.50 | $57.00 (10 GB/180 days, 160 countries) |
| Saily | $35.99 (35 countries) | $17.99 | $22.99 | $56.99 (10 GB/180 days, 121 destinations) |
| aloSIM | $36.00 (35 countries) | $18.00 | $23.00 | $50.00 |
| Holafly | No fixed plan; 15 days unlimited $50.50 | No fixed plan; 15 days unlimited $50.50 | No fixed plan; 15 days unlimited $50.50 | No fixed plan; 15 days unlimited $96.90 (142 countries) |
Two cautions on the table. Yesim's and Nomad eSIM's displayed prices are discounts against a higher list price (Yesim's Japan 10 GB shows $19.20 against a $44.40 list; Nomad's Japan 10 GB $16 against $18), so they move. And Airalo's and Saily's global plans run 180 days, which suits a frequent traveller better than a 30-day plan at a similar price. The country guides carry the destination-specific detail: Europe, Japan, the USA, the Middle East, Africa on safari and multi-country Southeast Asia.
Which unlimited eSIM is really unlimited?
None of them at full speed, and only four of the seven tell you where the slowdown starts. Ubigi publishes 60 GB per 30-day plan before dropping to 2 Mbps, the largest single allowance of the seven, pooled over the plan's 30 days rather than reset each day, so one heavy day does not slow the line; Airalo's 3 GB a day adds up to more across a month but caps every day. Airalo publishes 3 GB a day then 1 Mbps, resetting every 24 hours. Saily publishes 3 GB a day in Europe and 5 GB a day in Japan and the USA, then 1 Mbps. Nomad eSIM publishes 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps on its Europe, UK, France, Italy and USA plans and about 1 to 2 Mbps on other plans, confirmed by the company on 17 September 2026. Holafly and Yesim publish no threshold at all and defer to the local operator's fair-usage policy; Yesim's Trustpilot one-star reviews cite caps of 5 Mbps and third-party testers report 512 kbps.
| Provider | Full-speed allowance | Speed after | Hotspot | Europe 15 days | Japan 15 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | 60 GB per 30-day plan | 2 Mbps | Allowed on every plan | $35 (30 days $62) | $39 (30 days $65) |
| Saily | 3 GB a day (Europe), 5 GB a day (Japan, USA) | 1 Mbps | Allowed; terms forbid excessive multi-device sharing | from $49.99 | $48.99 |
| Airalo | 3 GB a day | 1 Mbps | Unlimited tethering within the daily allowance | $49 | $48 |
| Nomad eSIM Partner | 2 GB a day | 1 Mbps on Europe, UK, France, Italy and USA plans; about 1 to 2 Mbps elsewhere | Allowed; shared devices draw on the same daily allowance | No 15-day plan; 5 days $19, 10 days $34 | 14 days $41 (7 days $25) |
| aloSIM | 2 GB a day (USA); varies by destination | Not published | Where the network allows | $49 | 7 days $27; 30 days $74 |
| Holafly | Not published; operator fair-usage policy | Not published; "no more than one day" | Capped at 1 GB a day | $50.50 | $50.50 |
| Yesim | Not published; partner operator policy | Not published; users report 512 kbps to 5 Mbps | Available on most plans | about $44.40 | $36 |
Hotspot is the second trap. Holafly caps sharing at 1 GB a day on its unlimited plans, which its own FAQ says is "to preserve network integrity"; for a couple sharing one connection that makes a fixed 20 GB plan from anyone else the better buy. Airalo places no limit on tethering within its daily allowance, Ubigi allows data sharing on every plan, and Saily markets unlimited hotspot on its unlimited Europe plan while its terms forbid "excessive tethering" across multiple devices. Sources: Airalo's fair-use policy, Saily's terms of service, Ubigi's Europe unlimited plan page, Nomad eSIM's unlimited-plan help article, Holafly's unlimited FAQ. One more: Nomad eSIM's unlimited plans are non-refundable under its refund policy; its fixed-data plans can be refunded within 30 days of purchase, with the exclusions the policy lists (unlimited plans, Nomad Pass, UK voice plans, the Thailand 10-day 50 GB plan, discount-code purchases once installed or activated, and an eSIM already removed from the phone).
Which network does each travel eSIM use?
The network matters more than the brand, and six of the seven publish it on the plan page. In Japan the strongest combination is KDDI plus NTT Docomo, which only Ubigi and Yesim offer; Airalo runs on SoftBank. In Kenya the safari question is Safaricom (Airalo, Ubigi) versus Airtel (Holafly, Nomad eSIM, aloSIM), and Safaricom's rural footprint is the deeper one. Saily is the outlier: its plan pages name the network only for Japan and otherwise say "best local networks", which cost it seven points on this rubric. Check the network before you buy, every time; the Japan and Korea decision matrix and the Shinkansen connectivity guide show what that looks like in practice.
| Provider | Japan | Spain | USA | Kenya |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | KDDI and NTT Docomo | Orange | T-Mobile | Safaricom |
| Airalo | SoftBank and one other | Orange | T-Mobile and one other | Safaricom |
| Holafly | KDDI and SoftBank | Orange, Movistar, Vodafone, Yoigo | AT&T and T-Mobile | Airtel |
| Nomad eSIM Partner | KDDI au and SoftBank | Movistar and Orange | AT&T or Verizon on fixed plans; T-Mobile on unlimited | Airtel |
| Yesim | NTT Docomo, SoftBank, KDDI | Telefónica and Orange | AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile | Not named |
| aloSIM | KDDI | Orange | T-Mobile | Airtel (5 GB maximum plan) |
| Saily | KDDI and SoftBank | Not named | Not named | Not named |
How secure are travel eSIM providers? The standards, compared
No travel-eSIM brand holds GSMA certification itself, because the certification is not designed for them. The GSMA's consumer eSIM standard, SGP.22, and its SAS-SM security accreditation attach to the SM-DP+ platforms that prepare, store and deliver eSIM profiles: Thales, IDEMIA, Giesecke+Devrient, Kigen, 1GLOBAL and a handful of others. A consumer app such as Airalo or Holafly resells profiles prepared on one of those platforms. None of the seven providers here names its SM-DP+ publicly, and the GSMA's compliant-products database is available to members only, so a traveller cannot verify the chain from the outside. The GSMA's own compliance process and its 2024 security analysis of SGP.22 are the primary sources; Kigen's guide to eSIM certification explains what SAS-UP and SAS-SM audit.
What a brand can hold is an audit of its own operation. Airalo is the only one of the seven with one at product level: a SOC 2 Type II attestation announced in March 2025. Nomad eSIM's parent, LotusFlare Inc, holds a SOC 2 Type II attestation and ISO 27001 compliance (KirkpatrickPrice, August 2023) and ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certification (A-LIGN, April 2025), scoped to LotusFlare's telecom platform rather than to the Nomad eSIM product, and the company states that its payment infrastructure is PCI DSS compliant; Nomad eSIM's own security page says profiles use "GSMA-approved security protocols" and names no audit of the product. Verified at source on 28 September 2026, that parent-level evidence lifted Nomad eSIM's security score from 7 to 12 of 15, one point below Airalo's product-level attestation. Holafly's trust centre lists no certification and says several are planned. Saily's parent, Nord Security, runs a public bug-bounty programme and Saily bakes DNS-level ad blocking and web protection into the app, though its own blog is careful to say its "virtual location" feature does not provide end-to-end encryption. Yesim became a GSMA member in August 2026 and ships a VPN on iOS only.
| Provider | Owner and jurisdiction | Audited security | Built-in extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo | AirGSM Pte Ltd, Singapore (Delaware domicile); $220m Series C led by CVC, July 2025 | SOC 2 Type II, announced March 2025 | None |
| Saily | Nord Security; Saily UAB, Vilnius, Lithuania for EEA customers (GDPR) | None named; parent runs a public bug-bounty programme | DNS-level ad blocker and web protection; "virtual location" (not end-to-end encryption); optional US number $0.99 a month |
| Ubigi | Transatel, part of NTT Group, Paris (GDPR); operates its own mobile network code 901-37 | None published; responsible-disclosure policy | None |
| Nomad eSIM Partner | LotusFlare Inc, Santa Clara, California | None for the product itself; parent LotusFlare Inc holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 (2023) and ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 (2025), scoped to its platform; PCI DSS stated by the company | None |
| Yesim | Genesis Group AG, Baar, Switzerland | None published; GSMA member since August 2026 | VPN on iOS; virtual UK, US, Dutch and Canadian numbers from $3.60 a month |
| Holafly | Holafly Limited, Dublin, Ireland (GDPR) | None yet; trust centre says certifications are planned | "Always On" 1 GB a month backup data |
| aloSIM | AffinityClick Inc, Ottawa, Canada (PIPEDA; EU adequacy) | None published | Free Hushed US or Canadian phone number with eligible plans |
The caveats worth carrying. A travel eSIM is data-only, so it is not the line tied to your bank's SMS codes; the SIM-swap risk sits with your home number, which stays on your home carrier. Some providers route traffic through third countries, which affects privacy and geolocation more than security. A DNS-level ad blocker is not a VPN. And the residual risk in the GSMA's own analysis is a compromised SM-DP+, which is exactly why the platform's SAS-SM accreditation, not the app's branding, is the assurance that counts. If you travel to a country that restricts services, the international eSIM guide covers what works and what does not.
Airalo vs Holafly, Airalo vs Nomad eSIM, Yesim vs Airalo, Holafly vs Saily
Is Airalo or Holafly better?
Airalo for most trips. It sells fixed and unlimited plans, publishes its 3 GB-a-day threshold, allows unlimited hotspot and covers more destinations. Holafly's case is a single heavy-data phone where you never want to think about allowances, and a 4.7 Trustpilot score from 110,554 reviews against Airalo's 4.1 from 42,099. Holafly's 1 GB-a-day hotspot cap and unpublished throttle are the two facts that decide it. The full case for and against Airalo is in Is Airalo worth it?.
Airalo or Nomad eSIM?
Nomad eSIM on price for a fixed plan (Japan 10 GB $16 against Airalo's $25; Europe $23 against $31), Airalo for breadth, regional plans and a reusable global eSIM. Nomad eSIM's unlimited plans suit a short trip with fixed dates: 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps, and no refund once bought. For anything else its fixed-data plans are the better buy. Nomad eSIM names its networks in every market checked, offers a free 1 GB trial that Airalo does not, and its iOS app is rated 4.8. The full head-to-head is Nomad vs Airalo 2026.
Yesim or Airalo?
Yesim for a European regional trip on a budget (10 GB $19.20 against $31, and 33 countries is enough for almost every itinerary), and for a virtual UK or US number to receive banking codes. Airalo for anything outside Europe, for a published unlimited threshold, and for the deeper app ecosystem. Yesim's Swiss ownership is a plus; its 2,943-review Trustpilot base is thin next to Airalo's 42,099. The longer version is the Yesim vs Airalo head-to-head and Is Yesim worth it?.
Holafly or Saily for two weeks in Europe?
Saily. Its unlimited Europe plan starts at $49.99 against Holafly's $50.50 for 15 days, publishes a 3 GB-a-day full-speed allowance, allows hotspot sharing, and its fixed 10 GB ($35.99) and 25 GB plans let a normal tourist avoid paying for unlimited at all. Holafly's advantage is the review base and the "Always On" 1 GB monthly backup; neither outweighs an unpublished throttle and a 1 GB hotspot cap.
Nomad eSIM in detail: plans, networks, trial and Pass
Nomad eSIM scores 79 of 100 on this rubric, third of seven: strong on fixed-data prices and named networks, average on review evidence and on security now that its parent company's attestations have been verified, weak on unlimited terms. It is owned by LotusFlare Inc of Santa Clara, California, and is a paid partner of this site; the score was set the same way as the other six, and the one revision, to its security score on 28 September 2026, is recorded beneath the score table. What follows is the plan-level detail a buyer needs, with Nomad's own help-centre pages cited as evidence.
Plans and prices. Four plan families matter for the trips on this page, all in USD from Nomad's plan pages and confirmed against its price list of 10 September 2026. Europe: 10 GB for 30 days $23 across 35 countries including the UK, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland (Turkey and the Faroe Islands are outside this plan), 20 GB $27 (sale, list $37), 50 GB $35 (sale, list $48), unlimited $19 for 5 days or $34 for 10. Japan: 10 GB $16 (sale, list $18), 5 GB $10, 1 GB for 7 days $4. USA: 10 GB $25, 20 GB $36 (sale, list $38), 50 GB $41 (sale, list $60), 75 GB over 180 days $89. Global: 5 GB $40 or 10 GB $62 across 123 destinations, which is that plan's coverage, not the brand's catalogue of 200-plus. Sale prices expire without notice, so budget on the list price. Nomad eSIM sells two Europe plans: the 35-country plan quoted here (Gibraltar and San Marino in; Turkey out) and a 36-country plan that adds Turkey, the Canary Islands and Northern Cyprus and drops Gibraltar and San Marino, priced separately on the plan page.
Fixed data or unlimited. The unlimited plans give 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps for the rest of that day on the Europe, UK, France, Italy and USA plans and about 1 to 2 Mbps on other plans; the allowance resets every 24 hours from activation, and a hotspot draws on the same 2 GB (Nomad eSIM's unlimited-plan terms). Unlimited plans, Nomad Pass, UK voice plans and discount-code purchases once installed are excluded from refunds; fixed-data plans can be refunded within 30 days of purchase provided the eSIM is still on the phone (refund policy). Validity cannot be extended, but an eligible add-on bought before or after expiry activates when the plan ends and keeps the same eSIM in service; leftover data does not roll over (validity and add-ons). A plan activates when it first connects to a supported network, or automatically 60 days after purchase, so check that deadline against your travel dates before buying early.
| Market | Network |
|---|---|
| Japan | KDDI au and SoftBank |
| United Kingdom | Three (Hutchison), O2 and Vodafone |
| Spain | Movistar and Orange |
| Italy | Iliad and Vodafone |
| France | Free Mobile and Orange |
| USA | AT&T or Verizon on fixed-data plans; T-Mobile on unlimited plans (check the network field on the plan you select) |
| Kenya and Tanzania | Airtel, 4G where available |
| South Africa | Vodacom |
The free trial. Eligible new users get 1 GB for 3 days at no charge and with no card, redeemed in the Nomad eSIM app in an eligible destination: the USA, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Mexico and Egypt are among them; Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa are not. Hotspot works on the trial, which makes it a free compatibility test before you buy a full plan from anyone: claim the free 1 GB Nomad eSIM trial. None of the other six providers on this page offers one.
Nomad Pass. A Europe subscription: $3 per 30 days, auto-renewing, with 1 GB refreshed on the same eSIM each cycle and 15 per cent off eligible Europe data add-ons. It cancels without a fee, is Europe-only, is for registered users and is non-refundable; it is not a 10 GB plan and not a lifetime fee. It suits repeat European travellers and light-data users on a single trip; compare the recurring fee plus add-on prices with a one-off prepaid plan before choosing. Nomad eSIM Europe plans and Nomad Pass.
Where it does not fit. Turkey, the UAE, India and China: a Nomad eSIM cannot be bought or installed once you are on their networks, so buy, install and size the plan before departure; a plan installed beforehand can be topped up in-country, according to the company. The 35-country Europe plan quoted here excludes Turkey and the Faroe Islands; for Turkey, take Nomad eSIM's 36-country plan, Airalo's Eurolink or Saily's Europe plan. The 11-country Africa plan skips Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Rwanda, which Nomad eSIM sells as standalone country plans instead (TN Mobile, Orange, Econet and Airtel respectively), so a circuit through several of them means several eSIMs. And the security attestations sit with its parent company rather than the product, which is why it scores below Airalo on that criterion. Support is by live chat and email around the clock, with no published response time.
Reviews. Trustpilot rates Nomad eSIM 4.3 of 5 from 43,814 reviews, 72 per cent of them five-star (Trustpilot, read 24 September 2026); the iOS app holds 4.8. The full assessment, plan family by plan family, is in Is Nomad eSIM worth it?, and the head-to-head with the runner-up on breadth is Nomad vs Airalo.
Which travel eSIM is fastest? Ookla's Q2 2026 results
Nomad eSIM recorded the highest global median download speed among the travel eSIM brands Ookla measured in the second quarter of 2026, 80.26 Mbps, with 1GLOBAL a fraction behind at 80.21, Ubigi at 75.89, Holafly at 56.87 and Airalo at 30.11. The figures come from Ookla's "Travel eSIM Performance" analysis of Android Speedtest data across more than 50 travel eSIM brands and about 190 destinations in Q2 2026, as published in Nomad eSIM's release of 7 September 2026; Ookla's own article is Travel eSIM Performance. Speed is not a scored criterion on this rubric this year; it will be reviewed at the next revision.
| Provider | Global median download, Mbps |
|---|---|
| Nomad eSIM Partner | 80.26 |
| 1GLOBAL | 80.21 |
| Ubigi | 75.89 |
| Holafly | 56.87 |
| Airalo | 30.11 |
Two cautions. A global median flattens large local differences: the speed you get is set by the network your eSIM lands on in that country, the plan type (an unlimited plan slows after its daily allowance) and your phone, so a brand's global figure is a weak predictor of one trip. And 1GLOBAL is listed because Ookla measured it, not because it is on this rubric; it was not assessed here. Saily, Yesim and aloSIM are not among the five providers named in the release.
Which eSIM should I buy? Pick by trip
| Your trip | Pick | Why | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two weeks in Europe, normal use | Ubigi 10 GB, $15 | Cheapest by a wide margin; Orange in Spain | Yesim 10 GB, $19.20 |
| Two weeks in Europe, heavy data | Ubigi 15-day unlimited, $35 | 60 GB at full speed before 2 Mbps; hotspot allowed | Saily unlimited from $49.99 |
| Japan on a fixed plan | Ubigi 10 GB, $16.50, or Nomad eSIM 10 GB, $16 (sale) | Both on KDDI: Ubigi adds NTT Docomo, Nomad eSIM adds SoftBank and a free 1 GB trial to test first; hotspot allowed on both | Saily 10 GB, $17.99 |
| USA from Europe | Ubigi 10 GB, $14 | T-Mobile; covers Hawaii and Puerto Rico, not Alaska | Yesim 10 GB, $16.80 |
| Several Southeast Asian countries | Airalo regional plan | Broadest regional coverage and the largest app ecosystem | Nomad eSIM Global 10 GB, $62 (123 destinations) |
| Safari in Kenya and Tanzania | Airalo (Safaricom in Kenya) | Safaricom has the deepest rural coverage; Ubigi also uses it at $42 for 10 GB | Nomad eSIM Tanzania 5 GB, $13 on Airtel, as the budget option; Holafly (Airtel) only if you want unlimited |
| Monthly business travel | Airalo Discover+ or Saily global | One reusable eSIM, top up per trip; Saily adds a US number for $0.99 a month | Ubigi World 10 GB, $59 |
| You need a phone number | Saily (US number) or Yesim (UK, US, NL, CA numbers) | Only two of the seven sell numbers; aloSIM bundles a free Hushed number | aloSIM |
| Unusual destination, thin coverage | Airalo | 200+ destinations and the most-tested app; check the network on the plan page first | Ubigi (201 destinations) |
| Try before you buy | Nomad eSIM free trial: 1 GB for 3 days, $0 Partner | No card; eligible new users in the USA, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Mexico and Egypt; hotspot works | None of the other six offers a trial |
| Several trips a year to Europe | Nomad Pass, $3 per 30 days Partner | 1 GB each cycle on the same eSIM, 15 per cent off eligible Europe add-ons, cancels free; Europe-only and non-refundable | Keep one Ubigi or Airalo eSIM and top it up per trip |
Which travel eSIM should I buy? Four questions
Answer four questions and the page picks the plan, on the same prices, networks and terms as the tables above; every possible answer is printed in full below the questions, so it can be read, quoted or checked without pressing anything.
Every quiz outcome in full
Thirteen outcomes and one note on dates, all printed here. With the buttons above, the matching one is shown on its own.
Europe on a budget: Ubigi 10 GB for $15
Ubigi's 10 GB, 30-day Europe plan is $15 across about 37 destinations, on Orange in Spain, with hotspot allowed on every plan. Yesim at $19.20 and Nomad eSIM at $23 are the next cheapest for the same allowance; Nomad eSIM adds a free 1 GB trial, Nomad Pass for repeat trips and named networks in Spain, Italy, France and the UK.
Heavy data in Europe: Ubigi unlimited, 15 days for $35
Ubigi's unlimited Europe plan gives 60 GB at full speed before 2 Mbps, with hotspot allowed, at $35 for 15 days or $62 for 30. If you would rather buy a large fixed plan with named networks, Nomad eSIM's Europe 50 GB is $35 (sale, list $48) and refundable within 30 days of purchase, which its unlimited plans (5 days $19, 10 days $34, 2 GB a day at full speed) are not.
Europe with a named network: Nomad eSIM 10 GB for $23
Nomad eSIM names its operators in the UK (Three, O2, Vodafone), Spain (Movistar, Orange), Italy (Iliad, Vodafone) and France (Free Mobile, Orange), supports manual network selection, and its 35-country plan covers the UK, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland: 10 GB for $23. For Turkey, take its 36-country plan (priced on the plan page) or Airalo's Eurolink ($31). Ubigi names Orange in Spain at $15 if price matters more than choosing the network.
Japan on a fixed plan: Nomad eSIM 10 GB for $16, or Ubigi for $16.50
Nomad eSIM's Japan 10 GB is $16 (sale, list $18) on KDDI au and SoftBank; Ubigi's is $16.50 on KDDI and NTT Docomo, and both allow hotspot. Nomad eSIM also offers a free 1 GB, 3-day trial in Japan, so you can test coverage before paying; its unlimited Japan plans (3 days $11, 7 days $25, 14 days $41, 21 days $49) give 2 GB a day at full speed, then about 1 to 2 Mbps, and are non-refundable.
USA on a budget: Ubigi 10 GB for $14
Ubigi is the cheapest of the seven for 10 GB in the USA at $14, on T-Mobile, and covers Hawaii and Puerto Rico but not Alaska. Yesim ($16.80) and Airalo ($22.50) follow; Nomad eSIM's 10 GB is $25 on AT&T or Verizon. Crossing into Canada or Mexico, buy a North America plan instead: Nomad eSIM 20 GB for $35 (sale, list $62) or an Airalo regional plan.
USA with a named network: Nomad eSIM on AT&T or Verizon
Nomad eSIM's fixed USA plans run on AT&T or Verizon (5 GB $16, 10 GB $25, 20 GB $36 sale) and its unlimited plans on T-Mobile; check the network field on the plan you select before paying. Ubigi ($14) and Airalo ($22.50) name T-Mobile. Crossing into Canada or Mexico, Nomad eSIM's North America 20 GB at $35 (sale) covers all three countries; a USA-only plan does not.
Heavy data in the USA: a large fixed plan
A large fixed plan beats unlimited for most heavy users: Nomad eSIM's 50 GB for 30 days is $41 (sale, list $60) on AT&T or Verizon, and its 75 GB for 180 days is $89. Airalo's unlimited slows after 3 GB a day and Nomad eSIM's after 2 GB, both to 1 Mbps; Ubigi's 10 GB at $14 can be topped up if you would rather buy as you go.
Safari in Kenya, Tanzania or across borders: Airalo for one cross-border eSIM, Nomad eSIM on price
Airalo runs on Safaricom in Kenya, which has the deepest rural reach, and one Africa plan covers about 36 countries, so a circuit through several borders needs one eSIM where every country on the route is on its list (Namibia and Zimbabwe were not on it as read on 24 September). Nomad eSIM's regional Africa plan covers 11 countries; Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Rwanda sit outside it and are sold as standalone Nomad eSIM plans (TN Mobile, Orange, Econet and Airtel), one eSIM per country. On the main circuits Nomad eSIM is the budget option: Tanzania 5 GB $13 and Kenya 5 GB $23 on Airtel, South Africa 5 GB $11 on Vodacom. The safari eSIM guide matches plans to routes park by park.
Several regions on one trip: a global plan
Airalo Discover+ (10 GB, 180 days, $57, about 160 countries) and Saily's global plan ($56.99, 121 destinations) run for 180 days, which suits a trip through several regions. Nomad eSIM Global covers 123 destinations at 5 GB $40 or 10 GB $62 for 30 days, and Ubigi World 10 GB is $59; check each country list against your route, because none of the four covers everywhere.
Try before you pay: Nomad eSIM's free 1 GB
Nomad eSIM gives eligible new users 1 GB for 3 days at no charge and with no card, redeemed in its app in an eligible destination: the USA, Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Mexico and Egypt are among them; Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa are not. Hotspot works on the trial, so it doubles as a compatibility test before you buy a full plan from anyone, and none of the other six offers one: claim the Nomad eSIM free trial.
You need a phone number: Saily or Yesim
Saily sells a US number for $0.99 a month and Yesim virtual UK, US, Dutch and Canadian numbers from $3.60 a month; aloSIM bundles a free Hushed US or Canadian number with eligible plans. Data-only eSIMs from the other four will not receive banking SMS codes, so keep your home SIM active for those.
Several trips a year to Europe: Nomad Pass
Nomad Pass costs $3 per 30 days, auto-renews, refreshes 1 GB on the same eSIM each cycle and takes 15 per cent off eligible Europe data add-ons; it is Europe-only, non-refundable and cancels without a fee (Nomad eSIM Europe plans and Pass). It suits repeat European travellers and light-data users on a single trip; compare the recurring fee plus add-on prices with a one-off prepaid plan before choosing. Airalo and Ubigi let you keep one eSIM and top it up per trip with no subscription.
Several trips a year, different regions: a reusable global eSIM
Airalo Discover+ and Saily's global eSIM are built to be kept and topped up trip after trip (both 10 GB for 180 days, $57 and $56.99), and Saily adds a US number for $0.99 a month. Nomad eSIM Global (5 GB $40 or 10 GB $62, 123 destinations, 30 days) works for a single multi-region trip but has no subscription or long validity.
Your dates might move: buy fixed data, not unlimited
Nomad eSIM's fixed-data plans can be refunded within 30 days of purchase under its policy; its unlimited plans and Nomad Pass cannot. Airalo's 14-day withdrawal right ends once the eSIM is used, and a Nomad eSIM plan activates by itself 60 days after purchase, so check that deadline against the new dates.
Buy the plan, not the brand
Check the network on the plan page, buy fixed data unless you stream all day, and install before you fly.
Nomad eSIM plansUbigi plansNomad eSIM is a paid partner. Ubigi, Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Holafly and aloSIM links are not paid; this site earns nothing on them.
The buyer's guide walks through the same decision in plain steps, and if you are still weighing whether an eSIM beats your carrier's roaming pass at all, eSIM vs roaming and when an eSIM makes sense answer that first.
The mistakes that cost real money
- Buying unlimited for a normal holiday: a 10 GB plan covers two weeks of maps, messaging and browsing for $15 to $31.
- Sharing a Holafly unlimited plan between two phones: the hotspot cap is 1 GB a day.
- Unlimited plans from Nomad eSIM, and Nomad Pass, are non-refundable; buy fixed data if your dates might move.
- Leaving data roaming on for your home SIM: the eSIM does nothing to stop your carrier billing.
- Choosing Airtel over Safaricom for a Kenyan safari because the plan was cheaper.
- Install on hotel Wi-Fi the night before, activate on landing.
- Keep your home SIM active for calls and codes, set the travel eSIM as the data line; two eSIMs on one phone is standard on recent iPhones.
- Read the network name on the plan page before paying.
- Top up the same Ubigi, Airalo or Nomad eSIM on the next trip rather than installing a new one; for several Europe trips a year, Nomad Pass keeps 1 GB live for $3 per 30 days.
- If anything fails on arrival, the troubleshooting guide fixes 90 per cent of it in four steps.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best travel eSIM in 2026?
On this rubric Ubigi scores highest, 89 out of 100, because it has the lowest combined 10 GB price of the seven across Europe ($15), Japan ($16.50) and the USA ($14), its unlimited plans allow 60 GB at full speed before slowing to 2 Mbps, and it names its networks (KDDI and NTT Docomo in Japan, T-Mobile in the USA, Safaricom in Kenya). Airalo scores 81 and remains the safest choice for unusual destinations; Nomad eSIM scores 79 as the value pick for Japan on a fixed plan, with the only free trial of the seven; Saily scores 77 with the clearest unlimited terms and the strongest security features.
Is Airalo or Holafly better?
Airalo for most trips, Holafly only for heavy data on one phone. Airalo sells fixed-data plans (Europe 10 GB/30 days $31; Japan 10 GB/30 days $25) and unlimited plans with a published 3 GB per day full-speed allowance and unlimited hotspot. Holafly sells unlimited plans only (Europe, Japan or USA 15 days $50.50), publishes no throttle threshold and caps hotspot sharing at 1 GB per day. Holafly's Trustpilot score is higher (4.7 from 110,554 reviews against Airalo's 4.1 from 42,099).
Is Holafly's unlimited data really unlimited?
Not at full speed, and Holafly does not publish the threshold. Its FAQ says some operators apply a fair-usage policy that may reduce speed after a certain amount of high-speed data, for no more than one day. Hotspot sharing is capped at 1 GB per day. By comparison Airalo states 3 GB per day then 1 Mbps, Saily 3 GB or 5 GB per day then 1 Mbps, Nomad eSIM 2 GB per day then 1 Mbps on its Europe, UK, France, Italy and USA plans (about 1 to 2 Mbps elsewhere), and Ubigi 60 GB per 30-day plan then 2 Mbps.
Is Saily legit?
Yes. Saily is operated by Nord Security, the Lithuanian company behind one of the largest consumer VPN products; the contracting entity for European customers is Saily UAB in Vilnius. It has a 4.7 Trustpilot score from 30,582 reviews, publishes its throttle thresholds (3 GB or 5 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps), and builds DNS-level ad blocking and web protection into the app. Its weakness is that plan pages name the underlying network only for Japan (KDDI and SoftBank).
Which travel eSIM is cheapest for Europe?
Ubigi, at $15 for 10 GB over 30 days across about 37 European destinations, then Yesim at $19.20 (33 countries) and Nomad eSIM at $23. Airalo charges $31, Saily $35.99 and aloSIM $36 for the same allowance. For 15 days of unlimited data in Europe the range is Ubigi $35, Yesim about $44.40, Airalo $49, aloSIM $49 and Holafly $50.50; Nomad eSIM's longest European unlimited plan is 10 days at $34.
Can I use a travel eSIM as a hotspot?
Usually, but the unlimited plans differ. Airalo allows unlimited tethering within its 3 GB daily full-speed allowance, Saily markets unlimited hotspot on its unlimited Europe plan, Ubigi allows data sharing on every plan, Nomad eSIM allows hotspot on the plans quoted here, with shared devices drawing on the same allowance, and aloSIM allows it where the local network does. Holafly caps hotspot sharing at 1 GB per day on unlimited plans, which makes it a poor choice for a couple sharing one connection.
Is Nomad eSIM reliable?
Nomad eSIM is a legitimate provider owned by LotusFlare Inc of Santa Clara, California, with a 4.3 Trustpilot score from 43,814 reviews (72 per cent five-star, read 24 September 2026) and a 4.8-rated iOS app. It names its networks (KDDI au and SoftBank in Japan, Movistar and Orange in Spain, AT&T or Verizon on fixed USA plans and T-Mobile on unlimited, Airtel in Kenya) and supports manual network selection. Its fixed-data plans are refundable within 30 days of purchase; its unlimited plans, which give 2 GB a day at full speed and then 1 Mbps on the Europe, UK, France, Italy and USA plans (about 1 to 2 Mbps elsewhere), are not, so match the plan type to how firm your dates are.
Do travel eSIM providers have GSMA certification?
Not as brands. GSMA SGP.22 compliance and SAS-SM accreditation attach to the SM-DP+ platforms that prepare and deliver eSIM profiles (Thales, IDEMIA, Giesecke+Devrient, 1GLOBAL and others), not to the consumer app that resells them, and the GSMA's compliant-products list is available to members only. None of the seven providers compared here publishes which SM-DP+ it uses. Airalo holds a SOC 2 Type II attestation (March 2025); Holafly's trust centre lists no certification yet; Yesim joined the GSMA as a member in August 2026.
Which eSIM companies should I avoid?
None of the seven compared here needs avoiding; the risk sits in the plan type, not the brand. Avoid unlimited plans where the provider does not publish its throttle threshold (Holafly and Yesim) if you need predictable speed; note that Nomad eSIM's unlimited plans are non-refundable while its fixed-data plans are refundable within 30 days; and avoid very small resellers with no published network, refund terms or review history. Check the underlying network for your destination before buying; that matters more than the logo on the app.
Read next
- Is Nomad eSIM worth it in 2026? Plans, prices, networks, free trial and the score
- Nomad vs Airalo 2026: prices, coverage, networks and which to buy
- eSIM for Europe 2026: one regional bundle or local plans?
- eSIM for Japan 2026: which plan, how much data
- How much does an eSIM cost in 2026?
- Pros and cons of eSIM: an honest assessment
- Is a travel eSIM actually worth it?
- eSIM vs physical SIM: what's the difference?
Prices, allowances and review counts were read on each provider's own site and Trustpilot in the first week of September 2026, with Nomad eSIM's from its price list of 10 September 2026, and change without notice; every figure is quoted with its allowance and validity so you can check it against the plan page on the day you buy. Rankings are scored against published criteria. Partners are labelled.