Last updated: 11 October 2026
The short answer: buy a country plan if your trip stays in one country, and a regional plan (Europe, Asia Pacific) if it stays in one region: both give more data for the money. Buy a global eSIM only when your route crosses regions, such as Europe then Asia, a round-the-world ticket or a cruise with ports on several continents. Whichever you pick, check two things before you pay: that every country on your route is on the plan's list, and how much data you get at full speed each day.
This guide explains how to choose, what our own bundles cover and where they fall short, and how the global plans from Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily, Roamless and Ubigi compare, with prices checked on 11 October 2026.
How to choose an international eSIM
One country, one region or the whole world
- One country: a country plan almost always gives the most data for the money. Start from that country's page, such as Japan or Mexico. For a country where providers differ a lot, our Egypt comparison shows what to check. Going to Korea only? Our best eSIM for Korea compares country plans.
- One region: a regional plan covers every country on its list with one install, so a rail trip from Paris to Rome or a backpacking loop from Bangkok to Hanoi needs no second eSIM. Your allowance is shared across the countries, not split per country.
- Several regions: a global plan saves you buying and installing an eSIM in each region. You pay more per GB for that convenience, so it is worth it when the trip really does cross regions, or when you will not know your route until you are on the road.
A useful test: if two thirds of your days are in one region, a regional plan plus a short plan for the odd stop elsewhere often costs less than a global plan for the whole trip. Crossing regions or adding a layover? See eSIM for multiple countries.
Fixed, daily or unlimited data
Plans come in three shapes, explained in full in fixed, daily or unlimited data:
- Fixed: a set amount of data for a set number of days, such as 5 GB for 30 days. Good when your use is uneven or light.
- Daily: a fresh allowance every day, such as 1.5 GB a day. Good for steady use, and you cannot burn a week's data in one afternoon.
- Unlimited: no cap on the total, but almost always a daily amount at full speed, then a slower speed until the next day.
The full-speed allowance matters more than the word "unlimited"
An unlimited plan that slows to 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day behaves very differently from one that keeps full speed for 5 GB. 1 Mbps is enough for maps and messages and slow for video. Look for the daily full-speed amount and the slowed speed on the plan page before you buy. If a provider does not publish one, assume the network may slow you at busy times.
Check the coverage list, country by country
No global eSIM covers every country, and the headline number is not the whole story: "global" plans range from about 120 countries to about 200 in the comparison below. Check every stop on your route against the list, especially small islands, territories (Puerto Rico, Réunion, French Polynesia) and countries where networks are restricted. If one stop is missing, a short local plan for that leg is usually the fix.
Hotspot, refunds and support
- Hotspot: if you will work from a laptop on your phone's connection, check the hotspot rule. Holafly, for example, caps sharing at 1 GB a day.
- Refunds: rules differ a lot. Some providers refund an eSIM you have not installed, some refund only in app credit, and some refund only when the phone cannot use an eSIM. Read the rule before you buy, and install the eSIM only once your trip is certain.
- Support: when data stops working abroad you want a person who answers fast. Check the channels and the hours.
Our international and regional bundles
Every plan below is data only: your usual SIM keeps your number for calls and texts. The plan cards on each page show our current prices.
Global (170 countries)
The Global (170 countries) plan covers 167 countries on six continents, so the name rounds up. It includes the United States, Canada and Mexico, most of Central and South America, Caribbean islands such as Jamaica, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, Europe including Norway, Iceland and Turkey, the Gulf, India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, much of Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and others) and Pacific islands such as Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. It suits trips such as a Costa Rica road trip that adds another country, or an Iceland northern lights trip, which our Europe plan does not cover.
Places it leaves out include Myanmar, Brunei, Bhutan, Lebanon, Aruba, the US Virgin Islands, the Seychelles, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Check the full list on the page.
Plan shapes: a one-day plan with 0.6 GB for a layover, daily plans of 1.5 GB a day for 7 or 15 days, and 5 GB for 30 days.
Global (75 countries)
The Global (75 countries) plan covers 73 countries: the United States and Canada, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, India, Southeast Asia's main destinations, Australia, New Zealand, and in the Gulf Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. It leaves out Mexico and all of Central and South America, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and most of Africa, and Cambodia, Laos, the Maldives and Nepal. It costs less than the 170-country plan for the same data, so it suits a trip such as Europe then the United States, or Japan then Australia.
Plan shapes: a one-day plan with 0.6 GB, 0.6 GB a day for 3 days, and 1.5 GB a day for 7, 15 or 30 days.
Europe
The Europe plan covers 30 countries, from Portugal to Poland, including the United Kingdom and Switzerland. It does not cover Norway, Iceland, Turkey or the Balkan countries outside the EU, such as Serbia and Albania. It is our only bundle with unlimited plans across a whole region: 3 to 15 days, with full speed for the first 5 GB each day. There are also daily plans of 1.5 GB a day for 3 to 30 days, and a one-day plan. More in our eSIM for Europe guide.
Asia Pacific
The Asia Pacific plan covers 18 destinations: Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. India is not on it. Two plans are on sale: 10 GB for 7 days, and 1.5 GB a day for 30 days.
We also sell a Hong Kong, Macau and China bundle with fixed, daily and unlimited plans, for a trip that stays in those three.
What our global plans lack
We would rather you know before you buy:
- No unlimited global plan. Our two global plans are daily or fixed only. Airalo, Holafly, Saily and Ubigi sell global plans with unlimited data.
- No long validity. Our global plans run 30 days at most. Airalo, Saily, Nomad and Ubigi sell global data valid for 180 or 365 days, which suits several short trips a year.
- Fewer shapes. The 170-country plan has one fixed plan (5 GB) and no 30-day daily plan; the 75-country plan has no fixed plan larger than 0.6 GB.
- No top-ups yet. If you run out, you buy a second plan.
- Fewer countries than the widest plan. Ubigi's World plans list up to 201 destinations, more than our 167.
- No pay-as-you-go. For a trip with very light use across many countries, Roamless's per-GB balance can cost less.
Where we are strong: daily allowances that suit steady use on a multi-country trip, the full-speed rule stated on every unlimited plan, a person answering in the chat or at support@esimlounge.com every day from 07:00 to 23:00 Paris time (how we look after you), and a full refund to your card if we cannot issue your eSIM or it fails because of us (refund policy). As of 11 October 2026, our 5 GB for 30 days on the Global (170 countries) plan cost less than every 5 GB global plan in the table below, and our 7 days of 1.5 GB a day cost less than half of Airalo's or Holafly's 7-day global unlimited plan.
Global eSIMs compared
Prices in US dollars, as of 11 October 2026. Holafly's come from its own global page. Airalo's own page showed us euro prices only, and Nomad's euro prices only; Saily's site blocked our check, and Ubigi's world page would not load. For those four we took the US dollar prices from esimDB's global listings, and we say so in each row. Roamless's come from its own site, checked for our Roamless review on the same day.
| Provider | Countries | Fixed data examples | Unlimited | Full speed on unlimited, then | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo Discover | 160 (data plans), 162 (unlimited) | 1 GB, 7 days $8.50; 3 GB, 30 days $24; 5 GB, 60 days $35; 20 GB, 365 days $66 | 7 days $45, 15 days $96, 30 days $159 | 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps | esimDB |
| Holafly Global | The page lists 142; it also says 121 and "150+" | None: unlimited only | 3 days $24.90, 7 days $46.90, 15 days $96.90, 30 days $161.50 | No published daily amount; operators may slow you for up to a day. Hotspot 1 GB a day | Holafly's own page |
| Nomad Global | 123 | 1 GB, 7 days $12; 3 GB, 30 days $25; 5 GB, 30 days $40; 10 GB, 30 days $62 | None | Not applicable | esimDB |
| Saily Global | 121 | 1 GB, 7 days $8.99; 5 GB, 30 days $29.99; 10 GB, 30 days $44.99 | 30 days $59.99 | 30 GB for the 30 days, then 1 Mbps (no daily amount stated) | esimDB |
| Roamless Global | 127 on its own site (esimDB says 126) | 1 GB, 30 days $8.45; 10 GB, 30 days $56.95; or pay as you go from $1.95 to $19.95 per GB depending on the country | 7 days $44.73 | 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps | Roamless's own site |
| Ubigi World / Best World | 201 (World), 178 (Best World) | World 1 GB, 30 days $14; World 10 GB, 30 days $59; Best World 10 GB, 30 days $39 | Best World 8 days $49 | 25 GB for the 8 days, then 2 Mbps (no daily amount stated) | esimDB |
| eSIM Lounge Global (170 countries) | 167 | 5 GB, 30 days; daily 1.5 GB a day for 7 or 15 days | None | Not applicable | Our page |
Two things to note. esimDB's own FAQ says Roamless has no unlimited global plan, while Roamless's site listed one when we checked, so confirm in the app. And esimDB's Ubigi page lists unlimited Best World plans while its FAQ says Ubigi has none; confirm on Ubigi's site.
Who each one suits
- Airalo: the widest choice of global plan lengths, from 7 days to a year, plus Discover+ plans with a US number for calls and texts. Unlimited is expensive for long trips. See our Airalo review.
- Holafly: heavy users who never want to count, on trips of a week or two. It is the most expensive per day, and hotspot sharing stops at 1 GB a day. See our Holafly review.
- Nomad: a long-validity global data pack at a low price per GB, if you can live without unlimited. See our Nomad review.
- Saily: a 30-day global unlimited plan with 30 GB at full speed, plus ad blocking and web protection in the app. Its 121 countries are fewer than most. See our Saily review.
- Roamless: frequent travelers with light use, who want one eSIM and a balance that carries to the next trip. See our Roamless review.
- Ubigi: the longest country list we found, and plans for tablets and laptops as well as phones.
- eSIM Lounge: steady daily use on a multi-country trip of up to a month, with human support. For our full take on the brands, see Airalo alternatives.
Before you fly
- Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked: the 30-second check.
- Install at home, on Wi-Fi. Installing needs an internet connection, and most plans only start counting days when they first connect in a covered country. Guides for iPhone and Android.
- Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line only. A travel eSIM always roams, so it needs data roaming on. Leave data roaming off on your usual line so it never charges you. More in what is data roaming.
- Keep your number. Your usual SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts; the eSIM carries the data. Messaging apps keep working on your usual number over the eSIM's data.
Compared with your US carrier's travel pass
Most US carriers charge by the day abroad. As of our carrier guides, checked on 10 and 11 October 2026:
- AT&T: International Day Pass at $12 a day, with at most 10 daily fees per line per bill, so a two-week trip can still cost $120. See AT&T international roaming.
- Verizon: TravelPass at $12 a day per line, or a $100 International Monthly Plan with 20 GB of high-speed data. Unlimited Ultimate includes 15 GB a month abroad. See Verizon international roaming.
- Visible: Global Pass at $10 a day outside Mexico and Canada. See Visible international roaming.
- T-Mobile and Mint Mobile: see T-Mobile international roaming and Mint Mobile international roaming.
For a trip of more than a few days on a plan without international data, a travel eSIM is usually far cheaper for the data, and couples save twice because carrier passes are charged per line. Your carrier's pass wins for a day or two, or when your plan already includes the countries you visit. More in travel eSIM vs international roaming, and for carrier passes, eSIMs, local SIM cards and pocket WiFi side by side with trip costs, see the best international phone plan for travel.
FAQ
What is the best eSIM for international travel?
The one that covers every country on your route with the right kind of data. For a trip in one country or one region, a country or regional plan gives more data for the money. For a trip across regions, a global plan: Airalo has the widest range of plan lengths, Holafly suits heavy users, Ubigi lists the most countries, Roamless suits light, frequent travelers, and our daily global plans suit steady use for up to a month.
Is a global eSIM worth it?
Yes, when your trip crosses regions or your route is open. It saves buying and installing a new eSIM in each region. For one country or one region it is usually poor value: the same data costs less on a country or regional plan.
Does an international eSIM work in every country?
No. Every global plan we checked has a list, from about 120 countries to about 200, and small islands, territories and countries with restricted networks are the usual gaps. On a cruise, travel eSIMs work in port and near the coast on land networks, not at sea. Check every stop against the plan's list before you buy.
Can I use one eSIM for several countries?
Yes. A regional or global plan covers every country on its list with one install, and your phone joins a local partner network each time you cross a border. The data is shared across the countries, not split per country.
Is an international eSIM cheaper than my carrier's day pass?
Usually, for anything longer than a couple of days. AT&T and Verizon charge $12 a day per line and Visible $10, while a week of data on a regional or global eSIM often costs less than two or three of those days. Your carrier wins if your plan already includes the country, or for a one or two day trip.
Do international eSIMs include calls and texts?
Most are data only, ours included. You keep your usual number on your own SIM, and calling apps work over the eSIM's data. Some providers sell a number as an extra: Airalo's Discover+ plans include a US number, and Saily and Roamless sell numbers separately.
Facts checked on 11 October 2026 against Holafly's global page (esim.holafly.com/esim-global), Roamless's own site, and esimDB's global listings for Airalo, Nomad, Saily, Roamless and Ubigi (esimdb.com/global/airalo, /nomad, /saily, /roamless, /ubigi); US carrier prices from our carrier guides, checked on 10 and 11 October 2026 against each carrier's own pages. Our coverage lists come from our catalogue on the same day. Prices and terms change, so check them before you buy.