We bought 63 plans from 14 eSIM companies and used them on three continents. These six are worth your money, and here is the trip each one suits.
A
By Author NameFounder and editor
Last tested9 Oct 2026
Next retestJan 2027
Read time13 min
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The short answer
Airalo is the best travel eSIM for most people: it worked everywhere we went and has a plan for every trip. Saily is the best value, cheaper per GB in most countries. If you stream all day, Holafly's unlimited plans save you counting.
Airalo was the only eSIM that gave us a working connection within five minutes of landing in all nine countries. It was rarely the cheapest, but it was never the one we had to troubleshoot.
It sells local plans for one country, regional plans for places like Europe and Asia, and a global plan for frequent flyers, so one app covers every kind of trip.
Median price per GB, 10 GB plans
Asia
$2.40
Europe
$2.00
Americas
$2.20
Shorter bar is cheaper. Prices checked 16 Oct 2026.
What we liked
+Connected first time in all 9 countries
+Local, regional and global plans
+Fast, solved support chats
What could be better
−Not the lowest price per GB
−Data only, no phone number
2
Saily
Best value. Lowest price per GB in six of nine countries.
9.0/10
Saily was cheaper than Airalo for the same data in eight of the nine countries we checked, and only slightly slower. The app includes a free ad and tracker blocker that works on mobile data.
What we liked
+Cheapest per GB in most countries
+Built-in ad blocker
What could be better
−Evening slowdowns in two cities
Going to one country on a budget? Saily is the one we would buy.
If you stream, upload or take video calls every day, Holafly's unlimited plans are simpler than topping up. Light users pay more than they need to, and hotspot sharing is capped.
Also worth a look
Good eSIMs that suit a narrower kind of trip.
4
Nomad
Cheapest small plans for a weekend or a city break.
Most unlimited plans slow down after a daily amount. Check the fair use limit before you buy.
How we tested
We bought 63 plans with our own money between June and October 2026 and used them in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States and Mexico, on an iPhone 15 and a Google Pixel 8.
The score weights reliability (30%), speed (25%), price per GB (20%), plan choice (10%), ease of setup (10%) and support (5%). Read the full method.
Still deciding? Start with Airalo.
It worked everywhere we went and covers the most destinations. If price matters most, Saily is the better buy.
Airalo was the only eSIM that gave us a working connection within five minutes of landing in all nine countries. It was rarely the cheapest, but never the one we had to troubleshoot.
What we liked
+Connected first time in all 9 countries
+Local, regional and global plans
What could be better
−Not the lowest price per GB
2
Saily
Best value. Cheapest per GB.
9.0/10
Cheaper than Airalo for the same data in eight of nine countries, and only slightly slower. Includes a free ad blocker.