Don’t overpay: Save big on international data with the 6 best eSIM services for travelers
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Smartphones are a huge help when traveling abroad. From maps to guide you around a new city to entertainment on long flights, your smartphone can make your trip easier and more enjoyable. But what about your phone bill?
Roaming with many US cell phone plans means high roaming costs. Sometimes carriers charge these based on how many texts you send, minutes you talk on the phone or how much data you use. Others charge a set daily fee, while some will include free low-speed data unless you pay up.
Thankfully, there’s a cheaper way to avoid high roaming charges if you have a relatively new iPhone or Android device that’s not locked by your carrier: eSIMs. These let you buy a prepaid data plan on a local network without having to buy a physical SIM card at a phone shop. Just download the eSIM, activate it and enjoy high-speed data.
This is often cheaper than buying international data from your US phone carrier. But where do you buy eSIMs without heading to a phone shop when you land? Let’s take a closer look at your options.
Does my phone support eSIMs?
Before you purchase an eSIM, ensure your phone supports them. Most newer iPhones (specifically, iPhone XS and newer), Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices support eSIMs, as well as newer devices from other manufacturers.
That said, your phone cannot be factory-locked if you want to use an eSIM from one of these services. This is common if you have a payment plan for your phone through one of the major carriers. If you purchased your device outright, however, it should be compatible.
Of course, there are a few exceptions to this rule. iPhones purchased in mainland China or in Hong Kong and Macao are also not usually compatible with eSIM services, either. Check with your phone’s manufacturer and the eSIM provider to ensure your device is compatible before purchasing.
Also, note that many phones will let you keep your local phone number active while you use one of these eSIM services. For example, on most iPhones, you can have your home phone carrier active for talk and text while the eSIM provides mobile data.
Installing an eSIM is pretty straightforward. Many eSIM marketplaces have an app that will walk you through the installation process. You can also buy eSIMs online with many of these services and simply scan a QR code to add it to your device.
The best eSIM services for international travel
Here’s a look at some of our favorite places to buy eSIMs for international travel. We took price, functionality and data allowances into account when picking these services.
Airalo
Airalo is a popular eSIM marketplace that our team has used for years. It offers three types of eSIMs: local, regional and global. Local eSIMs work in one set country while regional and global eSIMs have a larger reach. You can buy data by the gigabyte, with larger data packages offering longer validity periods.
Prices are often higher than buying directly from the carrier but you'll still save big when compared to roaming on your US data plan. For example, a 3GB UK data plan is valid for 30 days and costs $10 while a 20GB global plan is valid for 365 days and costs $69. You can buy global plans that include calls and texts for an additional charge.
You'll also earn Airmoney on every Airalo purchase which can be used toward future data purchases. Members earn between 5% and 10% in Airmoney, depending on their status tier, so rewards can add up quickly if you're a frequent traveler.
Instabridge
Instabridge also offers many different local, regional and global eSIM data plans. Local plans start at $2.50 and vary depending on where you travel, how much data you want and how long your plan is valid for. If you're planning a trip to Europe, you can buy a 10GB plan that's valid for 30 days across 34 countries for just $34.
We've also found that its mobile app is the most useful on this list. It's well-designed and has special features like a data-saving web browser, a VPN and a map that shows nearby Wi-Fi hotspots.
Ubigi
Ubigi has regional and local plans starting at just $2. The cheapest plans are valid for just one day and have low data allowances (500MG to 1GB), but can be worthwhile if you're only in a destination for a long layover. It also offers annual plans that give you a set amount of data per month. For example, you can buy the Europe Extended plan that includes 2GB of data per month for 12 months for $69 total.
eSIM USA
eSIM USA offers a variety of different plans for travelers to the US. However, it has an intriguing eSIM Global Unlimited plan that works in 149 countries worldwide. You can choose from three different unlimited plans that have differing amounts of high-speed data. Plus, you can choose from 1 to 30 days of validity, with plans starting at just $3.99.
Truphone
Truphone is another one of the more well-known eSIM marketplaces. It has plans starting at $4 for 1GB of data in many countries and also offers regional and global plans for travelers with more complex itineraries. Even better, many plans offer 100MB for free so you can test the service before you buy more data.
Saily
Saily — developed by the team behind NordVPN — offers some of the cheapest eSIM data plans we've found. For example, 1GB of data that's valid for 7 days is just $2.49 in the Czech Republic, $4.69 in the UK and $5.59 in Hong Kong. However, the company does not yet offer a global data plan, so you'll need to buy individual plans for each country you visit on a multi-stop itinerary.
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Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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