eSIM Deal Scan

Travel data plans compared on one page - verified prices across 10 destinations, per-GB rates, hotspot and top-up policies, and what each provider is actually good for. No sponsored rankings.

Data checked: 2026-08-17 · Airalo, Nomad and Holafly plan prices verified on the providers' sites across 10 destinations; "indicative" rates are typical published pricing - exact price always at the provider

Provider	Japan	USA	Europe	Pricing model	Unlimited	Hotspot	Countries
Airalo prices verified 2026-08-17	from $11.5 unlimited / 3d · Softbank network (+1 other)	from $11.5 unlimited / 3d · T-Mobile network (+1 other)	from $11.5 unlimited / 3d · regional plan, 41 countries	Country, regional, and global data packages; unlimited plans on major destinations	Yes	Allowed on most plans	200+	Get eSIM
Nomad prices verified 2026-08-17	from $4 1 GB / 7d · KDDI au / SoftBank	from $5 1 GB / 7d · T-Mobile (AT&T/Verizon also mentioned)	from $5.5 1 GB / 7d · 35+ countries; 20 GB and 50 GB were on-sale prices when checked	Country and regional packages - aggressive fixed-GB pricing plus unlimited plans	Yes	Allowed (tethering supported per FAQ)	165+	Get eSIM
Holafly prices verified 2026-08-17	from $11.9 unlimited / 3d · KDDI/Softbank	from $11.9 unlimited / 3d · unlimited only	from $11.9 unlimited / 3d · 33 countries	Unlimited-data specialist - single-country and regional plans, all unlimited	Yes	Limited	170+	Get eSIM
Saily indicative pricing	~$2–$4.5/GB indicative	~$2–$4.5/GB indicative	~$2–$4.5/GB indicative	Country and regional data packages; unlimited on major destinations	Yes	Allowed	200+	Get eSIM
Yesim indicative pricing	~$1.1–$6/GB indicative	~$1.1–$6/GB indicative	~$1.1–$6/GB indicative	Data packages plus true pay-as-you-go balance; unlimited plans; optional virtual phone numbers	Yes	Allowed	150+	Get eSIM
GigSky indicative pricing	~$4–$10/GB indicative	~$4–$10/GB indicative	~$4–$10/GB indicative	Country, regional, and global packages - plus cruise-ship and inflight plans nobody else sells	Yes	Allowed	190+	Get eSIM
Drimsim indicative pricing	~$8–$12/GB indicative	~$8–$12/GB indicative	~$8–$12/GB indicative	True pay-per-use (per-MB billing), no packages, no expiry - one universal SIM/eSIM	No	Allowed	197+	Get eSIM

Prices are for new eSIM purchases, in USD, and change often - the provider's own page is the authoritative source. For stays longer than ~30 days, very heavy data use, or if you need a local phone number, a local prepaid SIM bought at the destination is usually cheaper than any travel eSIM. Travel eSIMs win on convenience: connected on landing, no store visit, no ID paperwork at a counter.

Prices by destination

Cheapest verified plan per provider, cheapest first. Jump to: Japan · USA · Europe · Thailand · Turkey · Mexico · Indonesia · Vietnam · UAE · South Korea

Japan

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad KDDI au / SoftBank	$4 1 GB / 7 days	$11 3 days	Get eSIM
Airalo Softbank network (+1 other)	$11.5 unlimited / 3 days	$11.5 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly KDDI/Softbank	$11.9 unlimited / 3 days	$11.9 3 days	Get eSIM

USA

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad T-Mobile (AT&T/Verizon also mentioned)	$5 1 GB / 7 days	$15 3 days	Get eSIM
Airalo T-Mobile network (+1 other)	$11.5 unlimited / 3 days	$11.5 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly unlimited only	$11.9 unlimited / 3 days	$11.9 3 days	Get eSIM

Europe

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad 35+ countries; 20 GB and 50 GB were on-sale prices when checked	$5.5 1 GB / 7 days	$19 5 days	Get eSIM
Airalo regional plan, 41 countries	$11.5 unlimited / 3 days	$11.5 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly 33 countries	$11.9 unlimited / 3 days	$11.9 3 days	Get eSIM

Thailand

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad	$5 1 GB / 7 days	$16 10 days	Get eSIM
Airalo unlimited grid	$9.5 unlimited / 3 days	$9.5 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly	$11.9 unlimited / 3 days	$11.9 3 days	Get eSIM

Turkey

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad 20 GB and 50 GB were sale prices	$4 1 GB / 7 days	$17 5 days	Get eSIM
Airalo Turk Telekom	$11.5 unlimited / 3 days	$11.5 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly	$11.9 unlimited / 3 days	$11.9 3 days	Get eSIM

Mexico

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad	$5 1 GB / 7 days	$10 3 days	Get eSIM
Airalo unlimited grid; data+calls plans also sold	$10.5 unlimited / 3 days	$10.5 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly Movistar / Telcel	$10.9 unlimited / 3 days	$10.9 3 days	Get eSIM

Indonesia

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad Telkomsel	$4 1 GB / 7 days	$18 5 days	Get eSIM
Airalo Hutchison 3 (+1 other)	$11 unlimited / 3 days	$11 3 days	Get eSIM

Vietnam

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad Vietnamobile / MobiFone	$4 1 GB / 7 days	$18 5 days	Get eSIM
Airalo VNPT	$11.5 unlimited / 3 days	$11.5 3 days	Get eSIM

UAE

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad	$4 1 GB / 7 days	$12 3 days	Get eSIM
Airalo Etisalat	$12.5 unlimited / 3 days	$12.5 3 days	Get eSIM

South Korea

Provider	Cheapest plan	Cheapest unlimited
Nomad SKT / KT / LG U+	$4 1 GB / 7 days	$11 3 days	Get eSIM
Airalo unlimited grid	$12 unlimited / 3 days	$12 3 days	Get eSIM
Holafly SK Telecom / LGU+	$12.5 unlimited / 3 days	$12.5 3 days	Get eSIM

Providers without a row for a destination sell there too - we just haven't verified those prices yet, so we don't print a number we can't stand behind.

Provider notes

Airalo — Country, regional, and global data packages; unlimited plans on major destinations

Good for:

Biggest catalog in the market - 200+ countries plus regional and global packages
Unlimited-data plans on major destinations at flat, published prices (verified in this dataset)
Mature app with in-app top-ups; install before you fly

Watch out for:

Data-only: no phone number, so SMS-verification (banking, some apps) needs your home SIM active on roaming
Small fixed-GB packages can cost more per GB than a local SIM
Support is ticket-based and can be slow at peak travel season

Hotspot: Allowed on most plans - a few operators restrict it; the plan page states it · Top-ups: Yes, in-app without buying a new eSIM (most destinations) · Phone number: no (data only) · ID checks: A few destinations (e.g. some Gulf states, Turkey local plans) require ID verification; most need none

Get Airalo →

Nomad — Country and regional packages - aggressive fixed-GB pricing plus unlimited plans

Good for:

Cheapest fixed-GB pricing among the majors on many destinations ($4 for 1 GB Japan, 50 GB for $35)
Both fixed-GB and unlimited plans, so light and heavy users both fit
Included although it pays us no commission - it is often the right answer on price

Watch out for:

'Unlimited' plans have a daily high-speed allowance, then throttle to 512 kbps until the daily reset
US unlimited plans price above Airalo/Holafly equivalents
Data-only: no phone number

Hotspot: Allowed (tethering supported per FAQ) · Top-ups: Add-on data plans available for most plans · Phone number: no (data only) · ID checks: None for most destinations

Get Nomad →

Holafly — Unlimited-data specialist - single-country and regional plans, all unlimited

Good for:

The unlimited-data specialist - every plan is unlimited, no plan-size guessing
Strong network partners (e.g. KDDI/Softbank in Japan) and 4G/5G where available
Included although it pays us no commission - heavy users who won't count GB often want exactly this

Watch out for:

Hotspot/tethering is capped (~1 GB/day) - a real limit if you feed a laptop from your phone
Costs more than fixed-GB plans for light users; no small-plan option
Data-only: no phone number; plans can't top up after expiry

Hotspot: Limited - data sharing/tethering capped around 1 GB per day · Top-ups: Limited - expired single-country plans stop working rather than topping up · Phone number: no (data only) · ID checks: None for most destinations

Get Holafly →

Saily — Country and regional data packages; unlimited on major destinations

Good for:

Built by Nord Security (the NordVPN company) - includes ad blocking, web protection, and virtual-location extras at no charge
Aggressive per-GB pricing on fixed plans - often among the cheapest for light data users
24/7 live-chat support

Watch out for:

Younger service (launched 2024) with a shorter track record than incumbents
Data-only: no phone number
App required - no manual QR-only flow on some devices

Hotspot: Allowed · Top-ups: Yes, in-app · Phone number: no (data only) · ID checks: None for most destinations

Get Saily →

Yesim — Data packages plus true pay-as-you-go balance; unlimited plans; optional virtual phone numbers

Good for:

One reusable eSIM for every future trip - buy new data without reinstalling
Pay-as-you-go balance option suits short hops and multi-country itineraries
Optional virtual phone number covers the SMS-verification gap most eSIMs have

Watch out for:

Per-GB price on packages is mid-pack, not the cheapest
Smaller coverage list than Airalo/Saily
App-centric; support reviews are mixed on complex refund cases

Hotspot: Allowed · Top-ups: Yes - packages or pay-as-you-go balance that never expires · Phone number: Optional paid virtual number (calls/SMS) - rare among travel eSIMs · ID checks: None for data plans

Get Yesim →

GigSky — Country, regional, and global packages - plus cruise-ship and inflight plans nobody else sells

Good for:

The only major travel eSIM with dedicated cruise-ship (at-sea) and inflight coverage plans
Operating since 2010s - longest track record in the category
Land+sea bundle plans fit cruise itineraries that mix port days and sea days

Watch out for:

Premium per-GB pricing - routinely beaten by Airalo/Saily on ordinary land trips
Data-only: no phone number
Cruise plans are the reason to pick it; for a normal city trip cheaper options exist

Hotspot: Allowed · Top-ups: Yes, in-app · Phone number: no (data only) · ID checks: None for most destinations

Get GigSky →

Drimsim — True pay-per-use (per-MB billing), no packages, no expiry - one universal SIM/eSIM

Good for:

Zero plan-juggling: one eSIM, 197 countries, billed only for what you use
Balance and SIM never expire - ideal for frequent multi-country travelers
Includes a real phone number, which almost no travel eSIM offers

Watch out for:

Per-MB rate works out expensive for heavy data (~EUR 10/GB in Europe) - packages beat it beyond ~1-2 GB
Upfront eSIM cost before any data is used
Best as a backup/light-use SIM, not a primary for streaming or hotspotting

Hotspot: Allowed · Top-ups: Balance top-up; never expires · Phone number: Real number included (calls/SMS billed per use) · ID checks: None

Get Drimsim →

Methodology & disclosure

What we are: a comparison tool. We sell nothing, process no payment, and complete no transaction - every purchase happens on the provider's own site at the provider's own price.

How we rank: from published prices, coverage, and feature data - never from commission rates. When a local prepaid SIM is the honest answer, we say so.

Affiliate disclosure: some "Get eSIM" links are affiliate links; if you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This funds the data upkeep.

Prices: entries marked verified were checked against the provider's site on the date above; entries marked indicative are typical published rates. Providers reprice often; always confirm at the link.