Scoring sheet
How we scored the best eSIMs for international travel
Every score in The best eSIMs for international travel comes from this sheet: the tools we considered, the scale for each criterion, and the evidence and date behind each score.
This page shows the working behind the best eSIMs for international travel: the field we considered, the trips we priced, the criteria and weights, what each score means, and every score with the source behind it.
Everything here comes from desk research. On November 4, 2026 a script read every plan that 21 travel eSIM providers sell for 15 destinations, about 8,100 plans in all, from each provider's own pages as a visitor in the United States sees them, in US dollars. The same day we read each provider's terms, fair use policy, refund policy and help pages. We did not buy a plan, install an eSIM or use one abroad, so nothing here measures network speed, coverage or support.
The question and the reader
The question, in the reader's words: "What's the best eSIM for international travel?" People also search for Airalo vs Holafly vs Saily, the cheapest eSIM for Europe, the best eSIM for Japan, and an eSIM that allows hotspot use with no hidden limits. We asked four AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity, through their APIs with web search on) those five questions on November 4, 2026, which gave 20 answers. Those answers and the pages they cite built the field below.
The reader lives in the United States, has an unlocked phone that takes an eSIM, and is planning a trip abroad of one or two weeks. They want mobile data that works when they land, at a fair price, without a surprise slowdown or a plan they can't get their money back on. Travelers to Europe, Japan or Mexico get the same winner for the same reasons, so they get one page, with a price for each destination.
Must-haves
A provider had to pass all three to be scored. These are filters, not criteria.
- It sells data eSIMs online to buyers in the United States, with prices in US dollars, paid by card. ("Paid by card" was added during the review, when Silent.link, which takes only cryptocurrency, came up in the field.)
- It sells its own plans for all 15 destinations below, under one set of terms. A marketplace that resells other companies' plans fails this, because the refund and fair use rules belong to whoever really runs each plan.
- Each plan's price, data allowance and validity can be read before buying.
The field
The field is every provider named in the 20 AI answers, plus the providers ranked on TechRadar's list, the page the answers cited most. Every provider that passes the must-haves is scored.
| Provider | Named in the 20 AI answers | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | 18 | Scored |
| Holafly | 17 | Scored |
| Saily | 12 | Scored |
| Ubigi | 12 | Scored |
| Nomad | 8 | Scored |
| Maya Mobile | 4 | Scored |
| Jetpac | 3 | Scored |
| Orange Travel | 3 | Not scored: Orange Travel's site shows prices in euros only, so it fails must-have 1 |
| MobiMatter | 3 | Not scored: a marketplace that resells plans from other companies (Gemini named "Sparks / eSIM Go packages" on it), so it fails must-have 2 |
| Roamless | 2 | Scored |
| Mobal | 2 | Not scored: sells eSIM plans for Japan only, so it fails must-have 2 |
| Yesim | 1 | Scored |
| aloSIM | 1 | Scored |
| eSIM4Travel | 1 | Scored |
| Horizon | 1 | Scored |
| Sim Local | 1 | Scored. It also sells some carriers' plans as their agent; we scored everything it sells, under its terms and the plan's own rules, and say where that matters |
| JamboSIM | 1 | Scored |
| VoyaSIM | 1 | Scored |
| Qrispy | 1 | Scored |
| UPeSIM | 1 | Scored. It sells no plans for Mexico or the Dominican Republic, which fails must-have 2 as written; we scored it anyway because the gap shows up directly as missing prices (scored 0), and noted it here |
| ETravelSim | 1 | Scored |
| Trip.com | 1 | Not scored: a travel booking site that resells eSIM plans, so it fails must-have 2 |
| SimOptions | 1 | Not scored: a comparison and resale site for other companies' plans, so it fails must-have 2 |
| Firsty | 1 | Not scored: its checkout charged in euros (€4.50 for 1 GB) with a US phone number, so it fails must-have 1 |
| Sakura Mobile | 1 | Not scored: sells eSIM plans for Japan only, priced in yen, so it fails must-haves 1 and 2 |
| Silent.link | 1 | Not scored: takes cryptocurrency only, so it fails must-have 1 |
| Simbye | 1 | Not scored: simbye.com redirected to Google search on November 4, 2026, with no store to buy from |
| Airhub | 0 | Scored (fifth on TechRadar's list) |
| FlexiRoam | 0 | Scored (seventh on TechRadar's list) |
| GigSky | 0 | Scored (eighth on TechRadar's list) |
| ByteSIM | 0 | Not scored: twelfth on TechRadar's list, but its site showed a Cloudflare bot check to our page reader on every visit, so its prices couldn't be read the same way as the others' |
| A US carrier's international plan or day pass | Several | Not scored: a different product, not a travel eSIM. The page covers when it beats an eSIM |
The trips we priced
The price criteria rest on 45 trip prices for each provider: three trips to each of 15 destinations.
Destinations: Mexico (MX), Canada (CA), the United Kingdom (GB), France (FR), Italy (IT), Spain (ES), Germany (DE), Greece (GR), Portugal (PT), the Dominican Republic (DO), Japan (JP), South Korea (KR), Thailand (TH), Australia (AU) and Turkey (TR). They are the countries Americans most often fly to, with Europe's most visited countries in place of a single "Europe".
Trips:
- A week: at least 3 GB of full-speed data that lasts at least seven days (maps, messages, social apps, some photos).
- Two weeks: at least 10 GB of full-speed data that lasts at least 14 days (the same, plus some video and calls).
- Heavy use: at least 21 GB of full-speed data within seven days (3 GB a day, for hotspot use or streaming).
Rules:
- Each trip price is the cheapest plan a provider sold on November 4 that covers the trip, without a coupon or a first-purchase discount. A longer plan counts if it is cheaper; a plan with calls or texts counts if it is the cheapest that has the data.
- Country, regional and global plans all count. A Europe plan counts for France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece and Portugal at every provider, and for the United Kingdom and Turkey only where we confirmed the plan's country list includes them (Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi, Jetpac and GigSky).
- An "unlimited" plan counts for the full-speed data it states: 3 GB a day for seven days covers the heavy-use trip exactly, if you spread the use evenly. Where a provider states no full-speed allowance for a plan (all of Holafly's, Yesim's and Maya Mobile's unlimited plans, JamboSIM's outside Japan, and some of ETravelSim's, Airhub's and Sim Local's), we counted the plan as covering the trip, because that is how it is sold, and marked the price with an asterisk below. That vagueness costs points under clear limits instead.
- Where a provider states a daily allowance in its terms or plan popups rather than on each plan (Saily, aloSIM, Jetpac and UPeSIM, 3 GB a day), we used that allowance. Saily gives 5 GB a day in some countries; we used 3 GB everywhere, which can only make Saily's heavy-use price look higher, not lower.
- Pay-as-you-go balances (Roamless, and Qrispy's Global Wallet) count at their price per GB times the data the trip needs.
- Jetpac, ETravelSim and Horizon show some prices as discounts from a higher list price. We used the price charged on November 4.
- Horizon and UPeSIM show prices in euros to a US visitor until the currency menu is switched to US dollars. We used the dollar prices from that menu, which is what a US buyer pays.
- Sim Local sells its own plans in every destination, and in some countries also carriers' plans as an agent (for example KDDI in Japan and Three in the United Kingdom). Both count, as both are sold on its site.
The prices for every provider, destination and trip are in the tables below, with the plan behind each in the data file that comes with this test.
Criteria and weights
These were set before any provider was scored.
| Criterion | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Price for typical trips | 40 | The 30 week and two-week trip prices, each scored against the cheapest provider for that trip, averaged. |
| Price for heavy use | 15 | The 15 heavy-use trip prices, scored the same way, averaged. |
| Clear limits | 25 | Five checks of two points each: hotspot use allowed with no separate cap or restriction, the full-speed allowance on unlimited plans stated, the speed after that allowance stated, the network named for each destination before you buy, and no claim on the provider's plan pages that its own terms contradict. |
| Refunds and flexibility | 20 | Up to four points for a cash refund of an unused plan for any reason, two for a refund of unused data after the plan has started for reasons other than a fault, two for a plan clock that starts when you connect or land rather than at purchase, and two for adding data or days to the same eSIM. |
Why these weights: price is what travelers compare, and most trips are a week or two of ordinary use, so the typical trips carry 40 points. Heavy use matters to fewer travelers and gets 15. The most common complaints about travel eSIMs are an "unlimited" plan that slows to a crawl and a hotspot that stops working, which is why clear limits carry 25. A trip can be canceled or changed, so refunds and flexibility carry 20. Network speed and coverage are not scored, because the only independent test with a published method we found, findyouresim's Japan test, covers Tokyo alone and is funded by affiliate links, and we didn't test abroad.
What each score means
Price for typical trips
Each of the 30 trip prices scores 10 when it is the cheapest of the 21 providers for that trip, and loses one point for every 10% above the cheapest, down to 0 at twice the cheapest price or more. A provider with no plan for a trip scores 0 for it. The criterion score is the average of the 30. So 10 means cheapest on every trip; 7 means about 30% above the cheapest on average; 4 means about 60% above; 0 means twice the cheapest or more everywhere.
Price for heavy use
The same scale, averaged over the 15 heavy-use prices.
Clear limits: the sum of five checks
- Hotspot: 2 if the provider allows hotspot use on every plan with no separate cap or restriction beyond the plan's own data; 0 if hotspot use is capped or restricted on some plans.
- Full-speed allowance: 2 if every unlimited plan states how much full-speed data it includes (or the provider sells no unlimited plans); 0 if not.
- Speed after the allowance: 2 if the slower speed is stated (or the provider sells no unlimited plans); 0 if not.
- Network: 2 if the plan page names the network or networks for each destination before you buy; 0 if not.
- Consistency: 2 if nothing on the provider's plan pages is contradicted by its own terms or help pages; 0 if a claim is.
Refunds and flexibility: the sum of four parts
- Refund of an unused plan (a trip that's canceled): 4 for a cash refund to the original payment method for any reason, including a change of plans; 3 for a cash refund with a deduction or with small refunds paid as store credit; 2 for store credit only, or a refund only when the eSIM won't work; 0 for no refund.
- Refund after the plan starts (a trip that's cut short): 2 if the terms allow a refund of unused data after the plan has started for reasons other than a fault on the provider's side; 0 if not.
- Plan clock: 2 if validity starts when you first connect or arrive, not when you buy; 0 if not.
- Top-ups: 2 if you can add data or days to the eSIM you already have; 0 if not.
Two rules apply to both refund parts. A refund the provider only "may" give, case by case or at its discretion, scores half the points of the same refund promised outright, rounded down. A refund that covers only some of a provider's plans also scores half, rounded down. These were added during the review, when two providers' refunds after a plan starts turned out to be discretionary, and applied to every provider.
Prices
Each table gives the cheapest plan that covers the trip at each provider on November 4, 2026, in US dollars. Rows are in rank order. The lowest price in each column is in bold. An asterisk marks a plan sold as unlimited that states no full-speed allowance. A dash means the provider sold no plan that covers the trip.
A week: 3 GB for at least seven days
| Provider | MX | CA | GB | FR | IT | ES | DE | GR | PT | DO | JP | KR | TH | AU | TR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon | $6.88 | $4.59 | $1.78 | $1.74 | $1.77 | $1.78 | $1.78 | $1.86 | $1.82 | $7 | $5.85 | $2.52 | $2.52 | $2.61 | $1.50 |
| JamboSIM | $5.99 | $10.99 | $3.99 | $3.99 | $2.99 | $2.99 | $3.99 | $3.99 | $2.99 | $6.99 | $3.99 | $4.99 | $3.99 | $3.99 | $2.99 |
| eSIM4Travel | $7.11 | $6.60 | $3.06 | $2.84 | $3.15 | $3.01 | $2.77 | $2.90 | $3.02 | $8.43 | $3.25 | $4.28 | $2.68 | $3.37 | $2.52 |
| Ubigi | $9 | $9 | $5 | $4 | $5 | $5 | $4 | $6 | $6 | $9 | $10 | $7 | $5 | $8 | $6 |
| Nomad | $7 | $8 | $9 | $6 | $7 | $6 | $8 | $9 | $9 | $16 | $7 | $8 | $6 | $7 | $6 |
| Airalo | $8.50 | $9 | $9 | $7.50 | $7.50 | $6 | $8 | $9 | $6.50 | $17 | $8 | $9 | $6 | $8 | $6.50 |
| Jetpac | $10 | $9 | $9 | $7 | $10 | $5 | $8.50 | $9 | $6 | $21 | $7 | $9 | $5 | $7 | $5.50 |
| VoyaSIM | $9 | $9.10 | $3.36 | $3.36 | $3.36 | $3.36 | $3.36 | $3.36 | $3.36 | $9.60 | $4.20 | $4.20 | $4.20 | $4.20 | $3.36 |
| Sim Local | $8.25 | $9.50 | $13.25 | $6.50 | $6.25 | $6.50 | $6.50 | $6.25 | $6.25 | $9 | $7.50 | $9 | $5.50 | $7.50 | $7 |
| Qrispy | $14.45 | $9.95 | $5.55 | $5.55 | $5.55 | $5.45 | $5.55 | $5.45 | $5.45 | $14.45 | $6.95 | $6.95 | $6.95 | $6.95 | $5.45 |
| UPeSIM | - | $17.64 | $7.05 | $7.05 | $7.05 | $7.05 | $7.05 | $7.05 | $7.05 | - | $10.58 | $20 | $11.76 | $9.41 | $15.29 |
| Saily | $9.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 | $6.99 | $8.99 | $9.99 | $7.99 | $20.99 | $7.99 | $8.99 | $5.99 | $7.99 | $6.99 |
| Roamless | $8.45 | $7.35 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $5.85 | $13.35 | $7.35 | $7.35 | $5.95 | $7.35 | $5.85 |
| aloSIM | $12 | $13 | $8.50 | $8 | $9 | $7 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $8.50 | $17 | $8 | $9 | $6 | $8 | $6.50 |
| FlexiRoam | $7.90 | $7.90 | $7.20 | $5.60 | $6.80 | $5.60 | $6.40 | $7.20 | $5.20 | $31.50 | $6.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $6.40 | $5.20 |
| Yesim | $11.88 | $10.80 | $11.52 | $11.52 | $11.52 | $11.52 | $11.52 | $11.52 | $11.52 | $16.20 | $10.56 | $19.20 | $8.40 | $7.92 | $10.80 |
| Holafly | $24.50* | $36.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $23.90* | $24.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $39.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* |
| ETravelSim | $9.99 | $9.99 | $6.75 | $7.19 | $6.50 | $6.75 | $6.75 | $6.75 | $6.75 | $26.99 | $7.99 | $6.50 | $8.49 | $7.99 | $6.25 |
| Maya Mobile | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* |
| GigSky | $8.49 | $8.49 | $5.99 | $6.49 | $6.99 | $5.99 | $7.49 | $8.49 | $5.99 | $13.99 | $7.49 | $8.49 | $5.49 | $11.99 | $5.99 |
| Airhub | $13 | $9.50 | $5.35 | $5.90 | $4.49 | $6 | $5 | $8.50 | $3.99 | $21.99 | $4.50 | $7.50 | $5.50 | $6.49 | $5.90 |
Two weeks: 10 GB for at least 14 days
| Provider | MX | CA | GB | FR | IT | ES | DE | GR | PT | DO | JP | KR | TH | AU | TR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon | $22.46 | $16.08 | $5.46 | $5.30 | $5.43 | $5.47 | $5.47 | $5.72 | $5.57 | $15.05 | $11.49 | $8.81 | $7.92 | $8.27 | $4.51 |
| JamboSIM | $13.99 | $23.99 | $6.99 | $6.99 | $7.99 | $4.99 | $6.99 | $6.99 | $4.99 | $15.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | $6.99 | $7.99 | $4.99 |
| eSIM4Travel | $20.91 | $19.33 | $8.07 | $8.07 | $8.38 | $8.15 | $7.86 | $8.28 | $7.96 | $26.23 | $9.44 | $11.65 | $7.54 | $9.86 | $6.28 |
| Ubigi | $24 | $19 | $11 | $10 | $12 | $12 | $10 | $12 | $11 | $21 | $16.50 | $14 | $11 | $16 | $13 |
| Nomad | $15.50 | $17 | $17.50 | $14 | $18.50 | $14 | $14 | $18 | $16 | $27 | $16 | $18 | $10 | $15 | $13 |
| Airalo | $17.50 | $20 | $18.50 | $16.50 | $18 | $13.50 | $15.50 | $19.50 | $10.50 | $36 | $17.50 | $18.50 | $10.50 | $17.50 | $15 |
| Jetpac | $24.99 | $22 | $17 | $14 | $18 | $12.50 | $14.50 | $16 | $10.50 | $36 | $16 | $17 | $11.50 | $16.50 | $14 |
| VoyaSIM | $27.30 | $19.80 | $8.60 | $9.40 | $8.60 | $8.60 | $8.60 | $8.60 | $8.60 | $29.20 | $9.40 | $9.40 | $9.40 | $9.40 | $8 |
| Sim Local | $18.75 | $23 | $13.25 | $14.50 | $17.50 | $15.25 | $14.25 | $17.75 | $11.50 | $16.50 | $16.25 | $18.75 | $10.25 | $16.25 | $14.25 |
| Qrispy | $42.45 | $28.95 | $12.95 | $12.95 | $14.95 | $11.95 | $13.95 | $13.95 | $9.95 | $42.45 | $17.45 | $16.95 | $17.45 | $16.95 | $12.95 |
| UPeSIM | - | $35.30 | $11.76 | $11.76 | $11.76 | $11.76 | $11.76 | $11.76 | $11.76 | - | $17.64 | $47.07 | $23.53 | $15.29 | - |
| Saily | $23.99 | $30.99 | $18.99 | $16.99 | $20.99 | $15.99 | $16.99 | $22.99 | $16.99 | $37.99 | $17.99 | $18.99 | $10.99 | $17.99 | $15.99 |
| Roamless | $18.45 | $22.95 | $18.95 | $16.95 | $18.95 | $13.95 | $15.95 | $19.50 | $10.95 | $36.95 | $14.95 | $18.95 | $10.95 | $17.95 | $15.45 |
| aloSIM | $25 | $20 | $14.50 | $14.50 | $19.50 | $14.50 | $14.50 | $14.50 | $14.50 | $32 | $18 | $21 | $16 | $18 | $15.50 |
| FlexiRoam | $25.70 | $25.70 | $14.80 | $12.40 | $16 | $12 | $12.40 | $15.60 | $10 | $102.90 | $14 | $14.80 | $9.50 | $20 | $12 |
| Yesim | $28.80 | $26.40 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $52.80 | $19.20 | $19.20 | $13.20 | $19.20 | $16.80 |
| Holafly | $42.90* | $47.90* | $48.90* | $47.50* | $41.90* | $43.50* | $48.90* | $48.90* | $47.50* | $61.90* | $47.50* | $47.50* | $47.50* | $48.90* | $47.50* |
| ETravelSim | $19.99 | $19.99 | $11.99 | $9.99 | $11.19 | $11.99 | $11.99 | $11.99 | $11.99 | $26.99 | $12.50 | $14.99 | - | $14.99 | $9.25 |
| Maya Mobile | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* | $27.99* |
| GigSky | $21.49 | $21.49 | $9.79 | $14.79 | $17.79 | $9.79 | $14.29 | $18.29 | $9.79 | $31.99 | $16.79 | $17.79 | $9.79 | $29.99 | $14.29 |
| Airhub | $25 | $23 | $7.75 | $13.90 | $18.49 | $11 | $14 | $17.99 | $11.99 | $28.99 | $15.99 | $15.50 | $9.49 | $13.49 | $9.90 |
Heavy use: 21 GB within seven days
| Provider | MX | CA | GB | FR | IT | ES | DE | GR | PT | DO | JP | KR | TH | AU | TR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon | $111.49 | $79.56 | $26.48 | $25.66 | $26.34 | $26.58 | $26.55 | $27.72 | $27.01 | - | $20.80 | $43.19 | $38.76 | $40.60 | $21.70 |
| JamboSIM | $23.99* | $35.99* | $10.99* | $9.99* | $7.99* | $7.99* | $7.99* | $8.99* | $7.99* | $22.99* | $12.99* | $12.99* | $11.99* | $12.99* | $7.99* |
| eSIM4Travel | $50.13 | $53.74 | $15.95 | $15.99 | $16.61 | $16.22 | $11.49 | $15.72 | $15.72 | - | $19.17 | $32.71 | $15.19 | $20.05 | $12.54 |
| Ubigi | $58 | $29 | $21 | $19 | $19 | $18 | $20 | $22 | $23 | $39 | $25 | $25 | $22 | $32 | $22 |
| Nomad | - | $69 | $35 | $35 | $35 | $35 | $32 | $31 | $35 | $65 | $35 | $39 | $15 | $32 | $31 |
| Airalo | $23.50 | $28.87 | $27 | $23.50 | $23 | $23.50 | $24 | $27 | $27 | $37 | $26.50 | $29 | $21 | $26.50 | $24.50 |
| Jetpac | $24 | $30.50 | $25 | $24.99 | $20 | $23.50 | $24.99 | $24.99 | $23.99 | $63 | $25.99 | $26.99 | $20.99 | $25 | $25.50 |
| VoyaSIM | $67.87 | $43.50 | $20.83 | $28.90 | $28.22 | $28.22 | $28.22 | $28.22 | $28.22 | $64.51 | $15.40 | $28.90 | $16 | $28.90 | $26.10 |
| Sim Local | $19.75 | $31 | $13.25 | $17 | $17.50 | $27 | $26.50 | $20.75 | $18.50 | - | $19* | $27.50 | $13* | $27.50 | $18.50 |
| Qrispy | $114.45 | $72.45 | $22.95 | $22.45 | $22.45 | $22.45 | $22.95 | $29.95 | $23.25 | $114.45 | $49.35 | $49.35 | $23.95 | $49.35 | $19.95 |
| UPeSIM | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Saily | $24.99 | $28.99 | $26.99 | $23.99 | $22.99 | $22.99 | $23.99 | $26.99 | $26.99 | - | $26.99 | $26.99 | $20.99 | $26.99 | $26.99 |
| Roamless | $23.73 | $27.72 | $25.62 | $23.52 | $22.68 | $23.10 | $23.73 | $25.62 | $25.62 | $41.58 | $23.52 | $26.25 | $20.58 | $25.62 | $24.15 |
| aloSIM | $25 | $32 | $25 | $25 | $27 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $25 | $37 | $27 | $29.50 | $27 | $26.50 | $25 |
| FlexiRoam | $90 | $54.50 | $35.80 | $35.80 | $21.20 | $36 | $35.80 | $21.20 | $21.20 | $86.60 | $43 | $43 | $16.70 | $21.20 | $35.80 |
| Yesim | $42* | $36.12* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $57.60* | $29.40* | $29.40* | $26.88* | $29.40* | $27.72* |
| Holafly | $24.50* | $36.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $23.90* | $24.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $39.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* | $27.50* |
| ETravelSim | $25* | $25* | $17* | $15.99* | $17* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | - | $19.99* | $27.50 | $12.99* | $19.99* | $17.99 |
| Maya Mobile | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* | $19.99* |
| GigSky | $34.93 | $34.93 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $34.93 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $24.43 | $34.93 | $24.43 |
| Airhub | $42* | $31* | $20.30* | $21.90 | $24.43 | $17.50 | $24.43* | $21 | $21 | $51.99 | $22.50 | $15.50 | $8.21 | $26.60 | $21.49 |
Scores
Totals are the site's weighted sums of the scores shown, to one decimal. Medians are over the destinations the provider covers.
Horizon: total 8.2
- Price for typical trips: 9.2. Cheapest on 21 of the 30 typical trips (12 weeks and nine fortnights), none of them ties. Median $1.86 for a week and $5.72 for two weeks, from 30-day plans such as United Kingdom 3 GB at $1.78 and 10 GB at $5.46, and Japan 10 GB at $11.49 (Horizon's Japan page, in US dollars from the site's currency menu). Its weakest destinations are Mexico ($6.88 for a week, $22.46 for two weeks) and Japan ($5.85 for a week). Its Japan page showed different plan sets on different loads; we read it twice and used every plan seen.
- Price for heavy use: 0.3. Horizon sells no unlimited plans, so 21 GB in a week needs a 25 GB or 50 GB plan: $20.80 in Japan, $21.70 in Turkey, $25.66 to $27.72 in Europe, $79.56 in Canada and $111.49 in Mexico, and none for the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 10. "Hotspot sharing is free on every Horizon plan" and "Horizon fixed-data plans have no throttling" (Horizon's terms). No unlimited plans, so checks 2 and 3 score 2. Plan pages name the networks (O2 and Vodafone in the United Kingdom; NTT Docomo and SoftBank in Japan). 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 10. "We always refund the full amount you paid when you request it, whether your eSIM is unused, partly used or fully used. There is no time limit for requesting a refund", to the original payment method (Horizon's refund policy, version 2.0, updated September 12, 2026): 4 + 2. The plan starts on first connection at the destination: 2. Top-ups are sold for many packages: 2.
- Who runs it. Horizon is a brand of LuShen L.L.C., registered in Prishtina, Kosovo; payments are handled by Paysera. It had four reviews on Trustpilot on November 4, 2026. Nothing in the rubric scores track record, and we haven't tested whether the refund promise is kept.
JamboSIM: total 6.4
- Price for typical trips: 5.8. Cheapest on eight typical trips: a week in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and two weeks in Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Thailand and Australia. Median $3.99 for a week and $6.99 for two weeks, from 30-day plans such as Japan 3 GB at $3.99 and 10 GB at $7.99 (JamboSIM's Japan page). Canada is its weak spot ($10.99 for a week, $23.99 for two).
- Price for heavy use: 8.9. Cheapest in 11 of 15 countries, from seven-day unlimited plans at $7.99 to $12.99 in 12 countries ($22.99 to $35.99 in Mexico, Canada and the Dominican Republic). Only the Japan page states an allowance (3 GB a day at full speed, then about 1 Mbps until local midnight); the other 14 are priced as sold, unlimited with no stated allowance, so this score rests on them.
- Clear limits: 6. Hotspot is allowed; the acceptable use policy bars only tethering "designed to dodge the Fair Usage Policy" and commercial use: 2. JamboSIM's terms say a fair use policy, where it applies, "is shown clearly on the product page before you buy", but outside Japan the unlimited plans state no allowance and no slower speed: 0 + 0. Networks are named on each plan (SoftBank, KDDI and Rakuten in Japan): 2. Consistency: 2. 2+0+0+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. A full refund only for a provisioning failure, a double charge or an eSIM that never arrived, within 30 days; none once installed and none if "your travel plans changed, your trip got cancelled" (JamboSIM's refund policy): 2 + 0. "Validity starts on activation": 2. Top-ups are sold: 2.
- Who runs it. Goomla B.V., Almere, the Netherlands, which calls itself a reseller.
eSIM4Travel: total 6.1
- Price for typical trips: 5.5. Cheapest on one typical trip (a week in Japan, $3.25 for 3 GB lasting 30 days). Median $3.06 for a week and $8.28 for two weeks (eSIM4Travel's Japan page and its other country pages). We used the promotional price where a plan showed one.
- Price for heavy use: 2.2. Seven-day unlimited plans at 3 GB a day, $11.49 to $20.05 in 11 countries, $32.71 in South Korea, $50.13 in Mexico and $53.74 in Canada, and none for the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 8. Hotspot use is allowed with no separate cap: 2. Unlimited plans state 3 GB a day: 2. The plan cards state the speed after it: 2. Plans name their networks in the plan name (SoftBank and KDDI in Japan; O2, EE and Vodafone in the United Kingdom): 2. But the plan cards say "up to 1Mbps" after the allowance while eSIM4Travel's FAQ says 128 kbps on daily plans: consistency 0. 2+2+2+2+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 8. "If your travel plans change and you no longer need your eSIM, we'll give you a full refund", to the original payment method, within two months of purchase; no refund once used (eSIM4Travel's refund policy): 4 + 0. Validity starts when the eSIM connects at the destination, with 90 days to activate: 2. Top-ups on most products: 2.
- Who runs it. FreshQ Inc., California.
Ubigi: total 4.8
- Price for typical trips: 1.4. Never the cheapest once the field was widened. Median $6 for a week and $12 for two weeks, from one-off plans such as France 3 GB for 30 days at $4 and 10 GB for 30 days at $10 (Ubigi's France plans). Its weakest destinations are Japan ($10 for a week) and Mexico ($24 for two weeks).
- Price for heavy use: 0.6. $18 to $25 for 21 GB in a week in most countries, from unlimited plans with a stated allowance, but $29 in Canada, $32 in Australia, $39 in the Dominican Republic and $58 in Mexico (a 15-day plan).
- Clear limits: 10. Ubigi's help center explains how to tether with no cap mentioned. Unlimited plans state their allowance: "25GB of full speed data, then optimized to 2 Mbps" on France Unlimited 7 days, 20 GB in Mexico and Australia, and 5 GB a day in Japan, Spain, Italy, Canada and Turkey (Japan Unlimited 8 days). Each plan page names Ubigi's partner networks (KDDI, NTT Docomo and SoftBank in Japan). 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 8. A refund to the original payment method if you haven't used any data, requested within 14 business days of purchase, and none once you've started (Ubigi's refund page): 4 + 0. Smartstart starts the plan "upon arrival at destination": 2. Top-ups on the same eSIM: 2.
- Network test. findyouresim's Tokyo test measured Ubigi's latency at 87 ms, against 13 to 18 ms for eSIMs on local networks. Not scored.
Nomad: total 4.2
- Price for typical trips: 1.3. Never the cheapest. Median $7 for a week and $16 for two weeks (Nomad's Mexico page and the other country pages). Among the cheapest for two weeks in Mexico ($15.50) and Canada ($17).
- Price for heavy use: 0.1. Nomad's 50 GB plans for 30 days cost $31 to $39 in most countries, $65 in the Dominican Republic and $69 in Canada, and there was none for Mexico. Its $15 Thailand price is a DTAC plan its refund policy excludes.
- Clear limits: 10. "Yes, Nomad's eSIMs support tethering / hotspot" (Nomad's plan pages). Unlimited plans state the daily allowance and the speed after it, for example "2GB/day at 4G/5G. 1 Mbps after 2GB" ("2GB/Day. 512kbps after 2GB" in South Korea). Networks are named on each plan. 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. Refundable within 30 days if not installed or activated; after activation, a partial refund only when a network or technical failure stopped the service (Nomad's refund policy). The policy excludes unlimited plans, DTAC Thailand plans and UK voice plans, so under the some-plans rule the unused-plan refund scores half: 2 + 0. The plan starts when it connects to a supported network: 2. Add-on plans top up the same eSIM: 2.
- Order. Nomad and Airalo both show 4.2; Nomad is listed first because its total from the scores above is 4.235 against Airalo's 4.21.
Airalo: total 4.2
- Price for typical trips: 0.9. Never the cheapest. Median $8 for a week and $17.50 for two weeks, read from each destination page, such as Airalo's Japan page. Airalo's older public price feed lists a smaller, different set of plans than the pages sell, so we read the pages.
- Price for heavy use: 1.0. Unlimited 7-day plans at $21 to $29 in most countries, $37 in the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 10. Airalo's unlimited plans fair use page: "There is no limit on tethering or the number of devices you connect", and after 3 GB in a day (5 GB on some countries' plans) the speed drops to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day. Each package names its network. 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. Refunds for a wrong purchase or changed plans are in Airmoney, Airalo's store credit: "Airmoney (our in-app currency) is the only available refund method in the app" (Airalo's refund help): 2 + 0. Plans start on first use: 2. Top-ups: 2.
Jetpac: total 4.1
- Price for typical trips: 0.6. Never the cheapest. Median $8.50 for a week and $16 for two weeks (Jetpac's Japan page). These are the prices charged; Jetpac shows nearly every plan as a discount from a higher list price (Japan Unlimited 30 days: $65.99, listed at $150).
- Price for heavy use: 0.9. $20 to $27 for 21 GB in a week in most countries, from unlimited 7-day plans or 30 GB plans, but $63 in the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 10. Unlimited plans give 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps, and Jetpac advertises hotspot use "even on unlimited packs" (Jetpac's Japan plan page). Operators are listed per country. The plan pages' "Flexible refund policy" is a general claim that its terms' refund rules don't contradict outright, so consistency stays at 2. 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. "Once you have installed the eSIM, it will be considered used and no refunds will be offered"; refunds are for an incompatible device or connection trouble (Jetpac's terms): 2 + 0. A pack starts when you activate it or first connect, and an unactivated pack keeps for three months: 2. Top-ups: 2.
VoyaSIM: total 4.0
- Price for typical trips: 3.5. Never the cheapest. Median $3.36 for a week, from daily plans of 500 MB a day for seven days in most of Europe, and $9.40 for two weeks; Japan 3 GB for 15 days was $4.20 (VoyaSIM's Japan page). Mexico and the Dominican Republic cost $27.30 and $29.20 for two weeks.
- Price for heavy use: 0.6. Daily plans with VoyaSIM's own multi-day discount, $15.40 in Japan and $16 in Thailand, but $20.83 to $28.90 in most countries and $64.51 to $67.87 in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 6. VoyaSIM's hotspot help page says "Every VoyaSIM plan allows personal hotspot and tethering", but its terms list "sharing of data connection (tethering) beyond reasonable personal use" among prohibited uses: hotspot 0 and consistency 0. Daily plans state their allowance and the speed after it, and plans name their operators. 0+2+2+2+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 5. The refunds help page says an eSIM "that has not been activated or used can be refunded in full", but the terms say refunds "may be issued" and none for a "change of travel plans". Under the discretion rule, part 1 scores 1 + 0. Validity starts when the eSIM connects at the destination: 2. Top-ups: 2.
Sim Local: total 4.0
- Price for typical trips: 1.3. Never the cheapest. Median $7 for a week and $16.25 for two weeks, from Sim Local's own plans such as Thailand 10 GB for 30 days at $10.25 (Sim Local's Thailand plans) and carrier plans it sells as an agent.
- Price for heavy use: 2.3. Cheapest in Mexico ($19.75, its own seven-day unlimited plan at a stated daily allowance) and low in the United Kingdom ($13.25 for a Three plan with 25 GB for 30 days) and Thailand ($13); $26.50 to $31 in several other countries, and none for the Dominican Republic. Two prices (Japan and Thailand) come from carrier plans with no stated allowance.
- Clear limits: 6. Sim Local's own unlimited plans state 5 GB or 10 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps, but the carrier plans it sells don't all: its Japan plan on KDDI states no daily cap (fair use is judged on three days of heavy use, with a 1 Mbps floor) and caps hotspot use at 3 GB (Sim Local's Japan plans): hotspot 0 and allowance 0. The speed after the allowance is stated, plan detail pages name the networks, and we found no contradiction. 0+0+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 8. A refund if the eSIM hasn't been activated, requested within 14 days (Sim Local's refund policy): 4 + 0. Validity starts on first connection: 2. Top-ups: 2.
- Order. VoyaSIM and Sim Local both show 4.0; VoyaSIM is listed first because its total from the scores above is 3.99 against 3.965.
Qrispy: total 3.7
- Price for typical trips: 0.1. Never the cheapest. Median $5.55 for a week, mostly from its Global Wallet at about $1.85 a GB in Europe ($2.35 in Japan), and $14.95 for two weeks (Qrispy's Japan page). Mexico and the Dominican Republic cost $42.45 for two weeks.
- Price for heavy use: 0. $19.95 to $29.95 in Europe and Turkey, about $49 in Japan, South Korea and Australia, and $114.45 in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, never within twice the cheapest.
- Clear limits: 10. Plan data on Qrispy's pages allows hotspot use at full speed on unlimited plans, states 2 GB or 3 GB a day at full speed and up to 1 Mbps after, and names the networks. 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. Qrispy's refund policy page returned "not found" on November 4, 2026, and its terms, written mostly for its business phone service, say "all Fees paid are non-refundable"; a Qrispy blog post says it may consider refunding an unactivated eSIM. Under the discretion rule: 2 + 0. Plans start on first connection: 2. Top-ups and wallet top-ups: 2.
UPeSIM: total 3.5
- Price for typical trips: 0. It sells no plans for Mexico or the Dominican Republic, nor a two-week plan for Turkey (five trips scored 0), and its other prices were all at least twice the cheapest: $7.05 for a week and $11.76 for two weeks in Europe (UPeSIM's France page, in US dollars from the currency menu), $10.58 and $17.64 in Japan.
- Price for heavy use: 0. No plan it sold covered 21 GB within seven days in any of the 15 countries.
- Clear limits: 10. Its FAQ allows hotspot use, says unlimited plans give 3 GB a day at full speed then 1 Mb/s, and each plan names the network it roams on. 2+2+2+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 5. Its terms allow a voucher, at UPeSIM's discretion, for an eSIM that was never installed: store credit, halved under the discretion rule, 1 + 0. The plan starts on first connection: 2. Top-ups: 2.
- Who runs it. A company in Paris; the site shows euros by default.
Saily: total 3.4
- Price for typical trips: 0.4. Never the cheapest. Median $8.99 for a week and $17.99 for two weeks (Saily's Japan page).
- Price for heavy use: 0.9. Unlimited 7-day plans at $21 to $29, and none for the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 6. Unlimited plans state 3 GB or 5 GB a day at full speed by destination, then 1 Mbps, resetting at local midnight, and networks are named (Saily's terms). But the plan pages promise "Limitless hotspot sharing with friends and family", while the terms prohibit, on unlimited plans, "excessive tethering or sharing of data via hotspot with multiple devices or users beyond occasional personal use": hotspot 0 and consistency 0. 0+2+2+2+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 8. A full refund if the eSIM isn't installed or the plan isn't activated; after activation, a refund only when more than 99% of the data is unused, which is in effect an unused plan (Saily's terms): 4 + 0. The plan starts when you land: 2. Top-ups in the app: 2.
- Order. Saily and Roamless both show 3.4; Saily is listed first because its total from the scores above is 3.395 against 3.365.
Roamless: total 3.4
- Price for typical trips: 1.0. Never the cheapest. A balance charged per GB, $1.95 a GB in most of Europe (Roamless's France page) and $2.45 in Japan (Roamless's Japan page): a $5.85 week in Europe and a median $17.95 for two weeks, where its fixed plans are cheaper than the balance.
- Price for heavy use: 1.1. Unlimited at 3 GB a day, $20.58 to $27.72 for seven days in most countries.
- Clear limits: 8. Hotspot is listed as "Unlimited", unlimited plans state 3 GB a day then 1 Mbps, and networks are named. But the plan page says "Credits never expire", while Roamless's terms say credits become inactive after 12 months of inactivity and may be canceled: consistency 0. 2+2+2+2+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 4. "All transactions are final and no refund will be issued" (Roamless's terms): 0 + 0. The balance or plan starts on first connection: 2. Top up the balance any time: 2.
aloSIM: total 3.2
- Price for typical trips: 0.3. Never the cheapest. Median $8.50 for a week and $16 for two weeks (aloSIM's Japan page). Its $14.50 plan for 10 GB over 15 days covers two weeks in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Greece and Portugal.
- Price for heavy use: 0.9. $25 in most countries, $26.50 to $29.50 in Italy, Japan, Thailand, Australia and South Korea, $32 in Canada and $37 in the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 6. aloSIM's terms section 5(b) say "Using any Unlimited Plan to transmit high volumes of Data across access points connected to computers or other Devices is prohibited", and 5(e) limits tethering to your own devices and travel party: hotspot 0, scored the same way as Saily's clause. The plan pages state "3 GB of high-speed data every day" on unlimited plans and name the network. But the plan pages say the speed then drops to 1 Mbps, while the terms say 512 kbps and that the daily allowance can change at any time: consistency 0. 0+2+2+2+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 7. The terms let you request "a full refund of any related payments" for an eSIM or plan not yet activated, and a refund of "the unused portion" of an active plan, which aloSIM "may accept or reject"; refunds are "at its sole discretion" (paragraphs (r), (s) and (t)). Under the discretion rule: 2 + 1. Plans start when you activate them: 2. Top-ups of data and days in the app: 2.
FlexiRoam: total 3.1
- Price for typical trips: 1.0. Never the cheapest. Median $6.40 for a week and $14.80 for two weeks, such as Portugal 10 GB for 15 days at $10 (FlexiRoam's Japan page and its other country pages). Two weeks in the Dominican Republic cost $102.90.
- Price for heavy use: 0.2. $16.70 in Thailand and $21.20 in Italy, Greece, Portugal and Australia, but about $36 in the rest of Europe and $86.60 to $90 in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
- Clear limits: 6. Its help center allows hotspot use (FlexiRoam's hotspot answer): 2. Unlimited plans carry a 3 GB daily fair use limit: 2. The speed after it isn't stated: 0. Plan pages name no networks: 0. No contradiction found: 2. 2+2+0+0+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. FlexiRoam's refund policy refunds only for faults, mostly as wallet credit, less a 5% administration fee, within 120 days: 2 + 0. Validity starts on activation, which must happen within three months: 2. Top-ups roll unused data over: 2.
Yesim: total 3.0
- Price for typical trips: 0.2. Prices are set in euros; the site shows them in dollars at its own rate (€1 = $1.20 on November 4), and those are the prices scored. Median $11.52 for a week and $19.20 for two weeks (Yesim's Japan page).
- Price for heavy use: 0.1. Unlimited 7-day plans at about $29, $42 in Mexico and $57.60 in the Dominican Republic, none with a stated allowance.
- Clear limits: 6. Plan pages list hotspot as "available (depends on a carrier)" and name the operators. On unlimited plans, "Yesim itself does not enforce a FUP; partner providers may" (Yesim's unlimited plans policy), with no allowance or slower speed stated. 2+0+0+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 7. A refund within 30 days if the plan hasn't been activated, used or expired, but refunds of €10 or less come as Ycoins, Yesim's store credit (Yesim's refund policy): 3 + 0. Validity starts on connection: 2. You can't top up a plan's balance, but you can add a new plan to the same eSIM: 2.
Holafly: total 2.9
- Price for typical trips: 0. Holafly sells only unlimited plans, so a week costs $23.90 to $39.50 and two weeks $41.90 to $61.90 (Holafly's Japan page), at least twice the cheapest provider for every typical trip.
- Price for heavy use: 0.6. $23.90 to $39.50 for seven days of unlimited data, with no full-speed allowance stated.
- Clear limits: 4. Hotspot is capped: "a 7-day plan includes 7 GB" of sharable data (Holafly's Japan page). Holafly's own FAQ says a local operator may slow the connection after an unstated amount of use, restored the next day (Holafly's unlimited data FAQ). Networks are named. 0+0+0+2+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 9. A full refund for a change of plans if the eSIM hasn't been activated, requested within six months of purchase; for activated eSIMs, "we will analyze your specific case", and a partial or full refund "may be issued depending on the data you have used" (Holafly's refund policy). Under the discretion rule: 4 + 1. The plan starts on arrival: 2. Extra days can be added in the app: 2.
ETravelSim: total 2.4
- Price for typical trips: 0.9. Never the cheapest. Median $6.75 for a week and $11.99 for two weeks, such as Japan 10 GB for 30 days at $12.50 (ETravelSim's Japan page); no two-week plan for Thailand. Prices are shown as discounts (Dominican Republic 20 GB for 30 days: $26.99, listed at $59).
- Price for heavy use: 2.5. Unlimited 7-day plans at $12.99 to $27.50 in 14 countries, 12 of them with no stated allowance, and none for the Dominican Republic.
- Clear limits: 2. Hotspot isn't allowed on the United Kingdom's unlimited plans and is capped at 6 GB a week on Japan's: 0. Japan's unlimited plan says "No fair-use cap", and the United Kingdom's states nothing, so no allowance or slower speed is stated: 0 + 0. The United Kingdom page names no network: 0. No contradiction with its terms found: 2. 0+0+0+0+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 6. A refund, less $5, only for a mistaken order that hasn't been installed, requested within five days (ETravelSim's refund policy): 2 + 0. Validity starts on activation: 2. Top-ups: 2.
- Order. ETravelSim and Maya Mobile both show 2.4; ETravelSim is listed first because its total from the scores above is 2.435 against 2.39.
Maya Mobile: total 2.4
- Price for typical trips: 0.1. One global unlimited plan at the same price everywhere: $19.99 for seven days and $27.99 for 14 days (Maya Mobile's Japan page), up to 13 times the cheapest price for a week.
- Price for heavy use: 3.0. $19.99 for seven days is the lowest heavy-use price in Canada and the Dominican Republic, but only if the unstated daily quota (below) covers 3 GB a day.
- Clear limits: 2. "Yes. Maya fully supports mobile hotspot and tethering … no restrictions" (Maya's plan pages): 2. The plan pages say "No caps, no throttling, no surprises", while Maya's terms say "high-speed delivery is subject to a daily quota, and speeds after that quota depend on local network conditions", without saying how big the quota is. No networks are named. 2+0+0+0+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 7. "A full refund (less any applicable payment processing fees)" if you haven't used any data and ask within 30 days; after use, a partial refund only for a network fault on Maya's side (Maya's terms): 3 + 0. Plans show "Activation once connected to the network": 2. Auto Top-Up and extra plans: 2.
GigSky: total 2.3
- Price for typical trips: 0.9. Never the cheapest. Median $7.49 for a week and $16.79 for two weeks, such as United Kingdom 10 GB for 30 days at $9.79 (GigSky's United Kingdom page). GB and TR prices include its Europe plan, whose country list includes them.
- Price for heavy use: 0.7. $24.43 in most countries and $34.93 in Mexico, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Australia.
- Clear limits: 4. The FAQ offers "unlimited hotspot to any devices": 2. Unlimited plans state 3.5 GB a day: 2. After that the speed is only "reduced": 0. Plan pages name no networks: 0. Plan pages say "Refunds Available" and the FAQ says refunds are handled case by case, while the terms say purchases "will not be refunded", and the FAQ's monthly allowance text conflicts with the daily one: consistency 0. 2+2+0+0+0.
- Refunds and flexibility: 4. The terms, which govern, say purchases will not be refunded: 0 + 0. The plan starts when it first connects: 2. Top-ups: 2.
Airhub: total 2.0
- Price for typical trips: 1.1. Cheapest on none outright, but some very low prices, such as Portugal 4 GB for 30 days at $3.99 (Airhub's Portugal page). Median $5.90 for a week and $14 for two weeks; the Dominican Republic cost $21.99 and $28.99.
- Price for heavy use: 1.8. Cheapest in Thailand, $8.21 for 500 GB over seven days (Airhub's Thailand page), $15.50 to $31 in the other countries apart from Mexico ($42) and the Dominican Republic ($51.99); four prices come from "Unlimited" day passes with no stated allowance.
- Clear limits: 2. Hotspot rules vary by plan (Japan's 15-day plan caps hotspot use at 14 GB): 0. "Unlimited *" day passes state no full-speed allowance or slower speed: 0 + 0. Many plans name only "Multi-Network": 0. No contradiction with its terms found: 2. 0+0+0+0+2.
- Refunds and flexibility: 4. Airhub's refund policy gives cash refunds only on Unlimited Day Passes, so under the some-plans rule: 2 + 0. When validity starts varies by plan: 0. Top-ups: 2.
The order
Horizon leads by 1.9 points out of 10. It wins because it was the cheapest provider for most ordinary trips, by a wide margin in Europe, and loses no points on limits or refunds; its only weak criterion is heavy use, worth 15 points.
The price scale matters here. Each trip scores 0 at twice the cheapest price, and Horizon's prices in Europe are so low that most providers score near 0 for typical trips. We checked whether that scale decides the order by re-scoring the same prices three other ways, without changing anything else:
| Price scale | First | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As set: 0 at twice the cheapest | Horizon 8.2 | JamboSIM 6.4 | eSIM4Travel 6.1 | Ubigi 4.8 |
| 0 at three times the cheapest | Horizon 8.5 | eSIM4Travel 7.5 | JamboSIM 7.2 | Ubigi 6.2 |
| 0 at four times the cheapest | Horizon 8.8 | eSIM4Travel 8.0 | JamboSIM 7.5 | Ubigi 7.3 |
| Log scale, 0 at four times | Horizon 8.6 | eSIM4Travel 7.3 | JamboSIM 7.1 | Ubigi 6.5 |
Horizon is first and Ubigi fourth under every scale. On gentler scales eSIM4Travel passes JamboSIM, because JamboSIM's lead rests on heavy-use prices from plans with no stated allowance, and eSIM4Travel scores better on limits and refunds. We kept the scale set before scoring, as our rules require.
Further down, four pairs show the same rounded total and are listed by their totals before rounding: Nomad and Airalo (4.2), VoyaSIM and Sim Local (4.0), Saily and Roamless (3.4), and ETravelSim and Maya Mobile (2.4).
Corrections made while researching
- The first draft scored 10 providers. The review found that the field left out providers on TechRadar's list and several named once in the AI answers, with skip reasons that only postponed a decision. We priced and scored 11 more (Horizon, JamboSIM, eSIM4Travel, VoyaSIM, Sim Local, Qrispy, UPeSIM, FlexiRoam, ETravelSim, GigSky and Airhub) and skipped the rest with the must-have each fails. Horizon, JamboSIM and eSIM4Travel then took the top three, and Ubigi, first in the draft, fell to fourth.
- Two parsing errors in our price reader were fixed during the review: Nomad's South Korea plans state "2GB/Day" with a capital D, which was missed, and Ubigi's daily-allowance plans were read as a total allowance. Both changed heavy-use prices.
- Airalo's prices were first read from its older public price feed, which lists a smaller set of plans than its pages sell; we re-read every destination page.
- aloSIM's hotspot score was first 2; its terms restrict tethering on unlimited plans the same way Saily's do, so it now scores 0, like Saily.
- The discretion and some-plans rules for refunds were added during the review and applied to every provider. They lowered aloSIM, Holafly, Nomad, VoyaSIM, Qrispy, UPeSIM and Airhub.
- Sim Local's page-wide "up to 10GB" a day was first applied to the carrier plans it sells; it describes only its own plans, so those carrier plans were re-read from their own pages.
- "Paid by card" was added to must-have 1 when Silent.link came up in the field.