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Short answer: Ubigi is the best travel eSIM for most people right now. It has the longest country list, the lowest price per gigabyte we found, and plans that last 30 days instead of seven. Airalo is the safer, pricier default. Saily has the happiest users. Pick by your route, then check the live price before you pay.
They all sell the same thing. What separates them is how many countries the plan really reaches, what happens when you hit the cap, and whether the price still looks good at checkout. We priced all three.
UbigiThe cheapest gigabyte in this guide, the longest country list, and entry plans that last 30 days instead of seven.
AiraloTen million installs and the most polished app here. You pay more per gigabyte for the safest set of hands in the business.
I have a very specific memory of an arrivals hall in Lisbon at 11 at night. Dead phone. Taxi rank emptying out. My carrier had sent me a helpful text about a roaming bundle, which I could not read, because reading it needed data.
That was the trip that cured me of sorting out mobile data later.
An eSIM fixes this in a way that feels almost like cheating the first time you do it. You buy a plan in an app, scan a code, and you are online before the seatbelt sign goes off. Nothing to pry open with a paperclip. No tiny chip to lose on an airport floor. Your normal number stays where it is, so your bank can still text you a login code.
The problem now is that everyone sells one. Open the store and you get a wall of blue logos all promising 200 plus countries and no roaming fees, and we have written about the best eSIM apps for Android before. They cannot all be right, and the price gaps between them are not small.
So we stopped reading the marketing and priced the plans instead. Same question for all seven: what does one gigabyte actually cost, and where does the plan really work? The ranking below changed because of the answers.
What Actually Separates These Seven
Four things decide whether a travel eSIM was a good buy. The rest is noise.
The first is cost per gigabyte. Headline prices hide this. A 1GB plan at $9 and a 10GB plan at $39 look like two different products, but one works out at $9 a gig and the other at $3.90. The cheapest rate in this guide is $1.45. The dearest is around $26. Same data, same phone, eighteen times the money.
The second is how many countries the plan really covers. Almost everyone quotes a big number on the homepage. That number usually belongs to the whole catalog, not to the one global plan you are about to buy. Airhub advertises 190 plus. Its actual global plans list 89 to 101. Count the list on the checkout page, not the banner.
The third is what happens when you run out. Some providers slow you to about 2 Mbps and let you keep going, which still handles maps and messages. Others cut you off and make you buy again in a hotel lobby at two percent battery. It helps to know which one you bought, and it helps more to watch the meter with a data usage app before you get there.
The fourth is whether you get a phone number. Most travel eSIMs are data only. That is usually fine, because WhatsApp and iMessage do not care. It stops being fine when a hotel wants to call about a late check in, or a restaurant takes bookings by phone and nothing else.
One thing to settle before you spend anything: your phone has to support eSIM and be carrier unlocked. Every iPhone since the XS does, as does every Pixel since the 3 and most Samsung flagships from the S20 on. Dial *#06# and look for an EID number. If one appears, you are fine. If your phone came from a carrier on contract, ask them to unlock it first, because none of this works otherwise. Worth reading up on how a data SIM differs from a normal SIM if the distinction is new to you.
The Seven, Side By Side
Every figure below is the entry plan and the best per gigabyte rate we could find on each provider’s global plan, checked when this guide was last updated. Discounts move these numbers often, so read the table as the shape of the market rather than a receipt.
| Provider | Global reach | Starts at | Best rate per GB | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ubigi | 201 countries | $5500MB, 30d | $1.45 per GB | Frequent trips, lowest cost |
| 2Airalo | 162 countries | $8.501GB, 7d | $3.30 per GB | The safest all rounder |
| 3Saily | 121 countries | $8.991GB, 7d | $2.00 per GB | Best rated app, privacy extras |
| 4aloSIM | 148 countries | $101GB, 7d | $3.10 per GB | A free phone number included |
| 5Jetpac | 102 countries | $71GB, 4d | $1.93 per GB | Short hops and lounge perks |
| 6Airhub | 101 countries | $205GB, 30d | $1.93 per GB | A plan that makes real calls |
| 7Flexiroam | 150 countries | $5.99100MB, 10d | $26 per GB | Inflight data, regional plans |
Cost per gigabyte came first, taken from each provider’s own global plan ladder rather than its cheapest teaser. Then reach, counted as the countries the global plan actually lists, not the marketing headline. Then what happens at the cap, read from the fair use policy. App store ratings and install counts broke the remaining ties. Local and regional plans are priced separately by every provider here, so treat these figures as the shape of each lineup and confirm your own destination in the app.
One disclosure, up front: Ubigi is a commercial partner of this site. That relationship did not decide the ranking. Its top placement rests on two numbers you can check yourself in a minute, which are the $1.45 per gigabyte rate and the 201 country list. No provider paid for placement, and nothing here was sent to a provider for approval.
1. Ubigi: The Cheapest Gigabyte You Can Buy
Rank One
Ubigi
Transatel, part of the NTT group · Travel and Local
Best overall, and the cheapest gigabyte you can buy.
Ubigi lists the local carriers and the 3G, 4G and 5G status for every country in the plan, before you pay.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 500MB | 30 days | $5 |
| 1GB | 30 days | $9 |
| 3GB | 30 days | $19 |
| 10GB | 30 days | $39 |
| 60GB, then 2 Mbps | 30 days | $108 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Ubigi is the one that surprised me. It is run by Transatel, which belongs to NTT, the Japanese telecom giant. That sounds like a boring corporate fact and it is also the whole reason the pricing works. Ubigi is not a reseller sitting on top of somebody else’s wholesale deal. It is a carrier with its own agreements.
The number that matters is $1.45 per gigabyte on the 60GB world plan. Nothing else here comes close. That rate lives on a big plan, so the smaller tiers are less dramatic, at 3GB for $19 and 10GB for $39. What is unusual at the entry point is the clock. $5 buys 500MB with a full 30 days of validity, while most rivals hand you seven days and dare you to finish.
Coverage is the other half of it. 201 countries is the longest list in this guide, and it includes places that usually cost extra, so a trip across three borders does not become three purchases. 5G is included wherever the local network has it. We have a longer Ubigi review if you want the full teardown, and it is also our top pick for travel in Japan.
It is not flawless. The app sits at 3.8 on Google Play, the third lowest score here, and the complaints are consistent. Activation can be fussy and the interface feels like it was designed by network engineers, because it was. Set it up at home on Wi-Fi, not at the departure gate.
One disclosure, since we put it first: Ubigi is a commercial partner of this site. That did not decide the ranking. The $1.45 rate and the 201 country list are both on their own site and take about a minute to verify, which is the only reason we are comfortable ranking it here at all.
2. Airalo: The Safe Default
Rank Two
Airalo
Airalo, the original eSIM marketplace · Travel and Local
The safest all rounder, and the app you will fight with least.
Airalo names the local carrier and answers the compatibility question on the same screen as the price.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | $8.50 |
| 3GB | 30 days | $24 |
| 5GB | 60 days | $35 |
| 10GB | 180 days | $57 |
| 20GB | 365 days | $66 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Airalo is the one a friend has already told you about, and there is a reason for that. It is the biggest name in travel eSIMs, the app is genuinely good, and at 4.5 on Google Play across 181,000 ratings and more than 10 million installs it has been stress tested by more people than everything else on this page put together.
You pay for that. The global Discover plan starts at $8.50 for 1GB over seven days, and the best rate we found was $3.30 a gigabyte, more than double Ubigi. The regional plans are much better value than the global one, so if your trip stays inside Europe or Asia, buy the regional bundle and skip Discover entirely.
What the extra money buys is fewer bad evenings. Support replies. Activation works. Topping up takes about twenty seconds. For a first eSIM, or for anyone who would rather not troubleshoot on holiday, that is worth something real.
3. Saily: The Best Rated App Here
Rank Three
Saily
Nord Security, the NordVPN team · Travel and Local
The best rated app here, with privacy tools nobody else ships.
Saily buries none of it. Plan size, days, and price sit together, and the security extras live one tab away.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | $8.99 |
| 5GB | 30 days | $29.99 |
| 10GB | 30 days | $44.99 |
| 30GB, then reduced | 30 days | $59.99 |
| 20GB | 365 days | $66.99 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Saily comes from Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, and it shows in exactly the places you would guess. Ad blocking and a web protection feature are built into the app, and the whole thing feels newer and calmer than most of its rivals.
Users like it more than anything else here. 4.5 on Google Play, 4.7 on the App Store. That is a very good score for a product this young.
The catch is reach. 121 countries is a short list next to the top two, so check that yours is on it before you get attached. Pricing is fair without being cheap, at $8.99 for 1GB and around $2 a gigabyte once you move up the tiers, which puts it between Airalo and Ubigi.
If you mostly travel to popular destinations and you care about the software, this is an easy pick. The built in protection is also a decent partial answer to the risks of hotel and cafe Wi-Fi, though it is not a substitute for a proper VPN.
4. aloSIM: The One With A Phone Number
Rank Four
aloSIM
AffinityClick, based in Canada · Travel and Local
The only one that hands you a working phone number for free.
aloSIM sells by destination first, and the phone number offer sits inside the same purchase flow.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | $10 |
| 3GB | 30 days | $26 |
| 5GB | 30 days | $35 |
| 10GB | 30 days | $50 |
| 20GB | 30 days | $62 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Most travel eSIMs are data only. aloSIM is one of the few that will sell you an actual phone number, and that matters more than people expect. Hotels call. Airlines call when a flight moves. A few banks still insist on a voice code.
Everything else about it is solid rather than thrilling. 148 countries, 4.4 on Google Play, $10 for 1GB to start and about $3.10 a gigabyte at the better tiers. That is roughly Airalo money without Airalo’s reach or its support desk.
Buy it for the number. If you do not need a number, Ubigi and Saily both charge less for the same data.
5. Jetpac: Cheap Data, Short Fuse
Rank Five
Jetpac
Jetpac, based in Singapore · Travel and Local
Cheap in a way that rewards short, frequent trips.
Jetpac leads with the price and the perk bundle, which is exactly how it wants you to compare it.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 4 days | $7 |
| 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps | 3 days | $17.50 |
| 5GB | 30 days | $30 |
| 10GB | 180 days | $50 |
| 30GB | 30 days | $69.99 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Jetpac is the value play, with one condition attached. $1.93 a gigabyte is the joint second cheapest rate in this guide, level with Airhub, and the entry plan is $7 for 1GB.
That entry plan lasts four days.
Four days is the shortest validity window on this page by a distance, and it is the detail people miss. For a long weekend in one city it is genuinely great value. For a two week trip it means buying a bigger plan up front or buying again halfway through. The longer plans have sensible windows, so just do not let the cheap headline pull you onto the wrong tier.
Coverage runs to 102 countries, which is fine for mainstream routes and thin everywhere else. The iOS app sits at 4.0, noticeably below the 4.4 the Android version gets. Jetpac does throw perks at you though, lounge passes among them on some plans, which is a real sweetener if your short hop comes with a long layover.
6. Airhub: Good Rate, Rough Ride
Rank Six
Airhub
GigHub Systems · Travel and Local
The one plan here that can actually ring a phone.
Airhub splits every destination into a data only track and a data plus voice track before you reach checkout.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 5GB | 30 days | $20 |
| 10GB | 30 days | $26 |
| 15GB | 30 days | $29 |
| 20GB with a phone number | 30 days | $40 |
| 100GB | 30 days | $59 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Airhub does two useful things. It sells data at $1.93 a gigabyte, matching Jetpac for the cheapest non Ubigi rate here, and some of its plans include real calls and texts instead of data alone.
Then there is the app, which scores 2.9 on Google Play. That is the lowest number in this guide by a wide margin, and it is not a few angry outliers. It is close to 700 ratings averaging out to that. The reviews describe failed activations and support that goes quiet.
The coverage claim needs a second look too. The marketing says 190 plus countries. The global plans on the checkout page list 89 to 101, depending which one you choose.
I would not make this the only connection on a trip that matters. As a cheap second plan on a phone that already has a working eSIM, it is defensible.
7. Flexiroam: Wide Reach, Hard Price
Rank Seven
Flexiroam
Flexiroam Asia, listed in Australia · Travel and Local
Buy it for the flights and the regional plans, not the global one.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Global, 100MB | 10 days | $5.99 |
| Global, 1GB | 90 days | $29.99 |
| Europe, 50GB | 10 days | $39 |
| Asia, 5GB a month | 60 days | $44 |
| In flight, 1GB | 24 hours | $10 |
Prices in US dollars, checked when this guide was last updated. Providers run discounts often, so the number you see may be lower.
Flexiroam has been doing this longer than most of the field, and its 150 country global list is genuinely broad. It also sells the smallest starter plan here, 100MB for $5.99, which has its uses when you land somewhere and need ten minutes of directions.
Do the division on that starter plan, though, and it works out at roughly $60 a gigabyte. Move up the range and the best global rate we could find was still around $26. There is no kind way to phrase that. You are paying about eighteen times Ubigi’s rate for data that behaves exactly the same.
It stays on the list for two things nobody else here does. It sells data you can use in the air, on around 38,000 aircraft, and its regional bundles are priced sanely even when the global one is not. It is last because the global plan is the one most people would click, and it is the worst buy on this page.
How To Pick Yours In Two Minutes
Skip the research if you recognize yourself in one of these.
- Several countries in one trip, or you simply want the lowest price: Ubigi.
- First eSIM ever, and it needs to just work: Airalo.
- You care about the app and stick to popular destinations: Saily.
- Someone needs to be able to phone you: aloSIM.
- One short trip, one city, tight budget: Jetpac.
- You want calls and texts and can tolerate a rough app: Airhub.
- You want data you can use in the air, or a well priced regional bundle: Flexiroam.
Then do the single check that saves the most grief. Open the provider’s coverage list and find your destination by name before you pay. Not the region. The country. While you are at it, our international travel checklist covers the other things worth sorting before you fly.
How To Install An eSIM Before You Fly
Do this at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly. Airport Wi-Fi is where eSIM installs go to die.
- Buy the plan in the provider’s app or on their site. You get a QR code and a set of manual details by email.
- On Android, open Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then Add eSIM. On iPhone, open Settings, then Cellular, then Add eSIM.
- Scan the QR code, or paste the activation details by hand if the camera is being difficult.
- Label the new line something obvious like Travel so you never confuse it with your home line.
- Set your home line to voice only and switch its data roaming off. This is the step that prevents a surprise bill.
- Set the travel eSIM as your data line, then turn data roaming on for that line only. It feels wrong. It is correct, because the travel plan is technically roaming.
- Check when the clock starts. Most plans begin counting on first connection abroad, but a few start at purchase.
If nothing connects after you land, restart the phone once before you panic. That fixes it more often than support does. And download your maps for the city while you still have hotel Wi-Fi, because offline maps save a surprising amount of data over a week.
Questions Travelers Ask
Which eSIM is best for international travel?
Ubigi, for most people. It has the longest coverage list in this guide at 201 countries and the lowest cost per gigabyte we found at $1.45. Airalo is the better choice if you would rather pay more for the most polished app and the largest support team.
Do I keep my normal phone number with an eSIM?
Yes. A travel eSIM adds a second line to your phone. Your usual number stays active for calls and texts, so two factor codes still arrive. Turn data roaming off on the home line so it does not quietly use data at foreign rates.
Is a travel eSIM cheaper than carrier roaming?
Almost always, and not by a small margin. Carrier day passes commonly run $10 to $12 a day. A 3GB travel eSIM plan that lasts a month costs about the same as two of those days.
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
If it is an iPhone XS or newer, a Pixel 3 or newer, or a Samsung flagship from the S20 on, yes. Dial *#06# and look for an EID number in the list. The phone also has to be carrier unlocked.
What happens when the data runs out?
It depends on the provider. Some slow you to around 2 Mbps and let you carry on, which still handles maps and messaging. Others stop the connection until you top up. Ubigi’s larger world plans fall in the first group.
Can I make calls and send texts on a travel eSIM?
Usually not. Most travel eSIMs sell data only and you call over WhatsApp or FaceTime. aloSIM and Airhub are the exceptions here, both selling plans with a real number attached.
Should I install the eSIM before I fly?
Yes. Install at home on Wi-Fi. Nearly every activation problem people report comes from trying to set it up on an airport network with a dying battery.
The Verdict
Ubigi wins this on arithmetic. 201 countries, $1.45 a gigabyte, and 30 days of validity on a $5 entry plan is not a close call against the rest of the field. The only real objection is an app that assumes you know what an eSIM profile is, and setting it up before you leave makes that objection go away.
Airalo is still the answer if you would rather spend a little more and think about it a lot less. Saily is the one to watch, because the people who have it like it more than anyone here likes anything.
The rest are situational. Two of them come with warnings I would not skip. Airhub has the worst rated app here by a distance, and Flexiroam charges a global rate that makes no sense next to anyone else.
Whichever you choose, buy it before you get on the plane. The version of you standing in an arrivals hall at midnight will not be in the mood to comparison shop.
