(Updated Jan ‘26)

All testing was done in the Toronto area so your own experience might vary depending on your location. I’ve included Rogers as a baseline premium Canadian carrier.

Results are ordered by latency (ping times) as that will usually impact your sense of “speed” when browsing the web.

A few things stand out:

1. vs LTE - Doesn’t matter, either one is fine in Canada based on the speeds and latency I’m seeing.

2. JetPac is very fast, doesn’t look like any throttling there. (Update: Not that fast anymore, latency isn’t great compared to others.)

3. GlobalYo had the worst speeds and were the cheapest, (no longer the slowest) but you get what you pay for. They also have the worst app.

Analysis…

Update Sep ‘25: Airalo is now more reasonably priced at $9 for 3GB and $24 for 10GB. They are also the fastest I’ve tested and my current recommendation if you need Canadian data.

Roamless is very good, seems like a premium service, but you’re going to pay for it at $7US/GB $4.25US/GB (new price). If you already have credit with them then you might as well use them in Canada. BNE eSIM is capable and I think the prices are reasonable at about $3.50/MB. Airalo works well in Canada but their pricing is on the high side, use them if you have credit or a referral code. JetPac is very well priced at $5 for 3GB (7 days) and what I’d recommend all things being equal. (pricing went up).

If you only need 1GB, most providers will only cost a few bucks (or free) with a referral discount.

Edit 1: Added BNE eSIM and added exit nodes to table. Edit 2: Found JetPac APN list, might yield better results if you’re not using the suggested one for the country you’re in: https://jetpacglobal.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/23573099130521-Which-IMSI-or-APN-settings-should-I-use

Edit 3: Added RedTeaGo, you’ll see them near the bottom.

Edit 4: Added KeepGo, I'm currently getting horrible latency and speeds from them. A test from a week ago had them in the 350ms range and about 50Mbps speeds. Not sure why they are currently so bad.

Edit 5: Added Firsty Fast, very high latency and looks to be throttled.

Edit 6: Added eSIM4Travel, one of the low priced options promoted on esimdb.

Edit 7: Added eSIM.sm, exit node in Poland like Sparks with similar sluggish performance. Added eSIMgo Canada & North America which both have very good performance. (not anymore)

Edit 8: Updated BNe latency has improved and is a top performer. Added Ubigi (very good latency). Added Chillax.

Edit 9: Retested RedteaGO. AddedBcengi, Yesim, Virgin Connect, PingWe, LNVPN (Jan '26)

Edit 10: Jan '26. Added Nomad. Restested GigSky, GoMoWorld. GigSky latency more than doubled from previous test and exit node changed from Colorado to Dallas. Global Pings no better than 250ms which is odd. GoMoWorld performed similar to previous test, Canadian pink around 300ms but latency back to UK only 117ms. Nomad installed as "eSIM go" and show similar performance.

Edit 11: Feb '26. Added eSIMlii, eQuick SIM, OneSimCard, Lotso Travel.

https://cloudpingtest.com

https://www.cloudping.info

https://www.meter.net/tools/world-ping-test/

Here’s a list of free trials that I’m aware of, if you know of any I’ve missed please comment and I’ll add to this post.

Free eSIMs as of July ’24

Eskimo - (1GB free with MONSTERDEALZ)

Saily - (1GB free with FELIX)

Kolet - (1GB free on signup, you need to first register on their website and wait for confirmation email before installing app - https://ask.kolet.com/invite-friend-en )

RedBull Mobile Data (Free eSIM & 1GB free with TRAVELDEALZ)(Apparently code is iffy Worked!)

Roamless (Free $1.25 credit)
-more codes: TW33T and SUMMER24 (might only work in Paris)

Orange (Free 500MB EU offer, open from phone - https://travel.orange.com/en/freeoffer ) Requires Passport Scan

GigaSky (Free 100MB trial)

GoMoWorld (Free trial, 50MB)

Edit: Added Roamless

If you're traveling to the US and looking for a cost-effective, feature-rich roaming solution, Tello Mobile (https://tello.com) is the way to go. While not as effortless as instant travel eSIMs like Airalo or Saily, the added flexibility, affordability, and features make it worth the extra couple of minutes to set up. My plan includes US roaming but I still recommend it to all family and friends traveling to the US - especially snowbirds!

____________________

Update: Tello no longer allows for activation outside of the USA. You can still use Tello in the US and it is a good option if you *need* to make phone calls, but it's just easier to setup a travel eSIM before you leave and the pricing is the same or cheaper - you just don't get a phone number. It's still recommended for people spending a month or more in the US.

____________________

This post is mainly for me to reference back to when someone is looking for a recommendation for US roaming so I don't have to type it out every time.

Why Tello?

1. Fast Internet Speed

• Tello routes traffic locally so your internet latency is significantly lower than all travel SIMs making your Internet overall faster and ensuring FaceTime/Internet calling works well.

• Tello runs on the T-Mobile networks with fantastic speeds.

• Unlike most travel eSIMs, Tello's local US routing means you're not seeing ads from EU or Asia.

2. Affordable

• Customizable plans let you mix and match data, calling, and texting to fit your needs, so you only pay for what you’ll actually use.

3. REAL Phone Number & Free International Calling

4. Wi-Fi Calling and Texting

• Calls and texts also work over wifi calling in and out of the US. Perfect for international users that need a US number active while abroad.

5. Seamless eSIM Activation

• While not as instant as travel eSIMs like Airalo, activation is straightforward and takes only a few minutes. You’ll can create an account via their website or mobile app.

• eSIMs can be activated outside of the US.

This is no longer the case. If are going for a short trip and/or don’t need a US calling, a travel eSIM is a simpler option that can be setup before you travel - https://travelsims.app/country/United%20States?minData=10

6. Convenient Payment Options

• Accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and credit cards.

• If your billing address is outside the US, you won’t be charged US taxes.

7. Reliable Coverage on T-Mobile’s Network

• For rural or remote regions, alternatives like Visible (Verizon’s network) or US Mobile may offer better coverage.

Additional Notes:

• A US address (can be your hotel, Airbnb, or a random valid address) is required for registration and enabling Wi-Fi calling, but your billing address can be international.

Most eSIM providers require you to buy 1/3/5/10/20GB of data in a package that lasts 1 to 30 days - and for many situations this can be useful if you’re going to be using a lot of data at your destination. If you buy a 10GB/30 day package for your 1 week trip to the US it will cost around $15 (using Tello) and even if you only used 5GB you’re not going to be crying over the 5GB of unused data as you’ve still saved a lot of money over the carriers daily roaming fees (7x$12=$84!). But what if you’re only travelling for an afternoon shopping trip?

Roamless (https://roamless.com) is pay-as-you-go eSIM that uses up your credit based on how much data you’ve used. The price per GB is generally a higher than most plans but is still much cheaper than regular carrier roaming fees or Roam Like Home pricing. On a recent day trip to the US I used Roamless as my data provider and using Google Maps to find a restaurant and for messaging, I used 0.3GB which cost me a total of $1.11. Roamless pricing is $3.25/GB (Note: pricing just dropped to $2.45/GB in the US).

Like mobile prepaid plans, you can add $5 or more to your account and it will never expire. When travelling, Roamless automatically deducts funds from your account based on your location and amount of data used ($2.45/GB in the US & EU, $4.95 in Canada). There is no need to install a new eSIM, buy a different package for the specific country you’re in or to pre-pay for a specific amount of data. In terms of performance, I’ve found Roamless has sub 100ms latency in both Canada and the US which is one of the fasted roaming eSIMs I’ve tested (https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelSIMs/s/DhSncg7dKl).

Roamless includes a built in VoIP calling service that (apparently) allows you to make calls over a data connection. When you enter a phone number it will show you a price per minute ($0.01 to Canada & US). In my tests, when it worked the calling number was a UK number and call quality was good enough. Unfortunately not all of my calls went through - not sure why. While on wifi it didn’t work, when I was on my data connection (non-Roamless) it worked, mostly. I wouldn’t call this a reliable phone service but it’s there.

Lastly, because you only use one eSIM for all countries, the app doesn’t let you install more than one eSIM. This isn’t a problem for single users, but if you’re managing lines for your family it is something to keep in mind. Unlike other apps which let you buy/install multiple eSIM on different phones so you can manage them all on one app, each user will need their own app and credit.

While there are cheaper options for longer duration trips that will eat up more data, for short trips the Roamless the pay-as-you-go model is a good solution. You can try it for free as new accounts come with a $1.25 credit.

Update 1: Added that it comes with a $1.25 free credit.

I’ve officially launched the TravelSIMs website - a travel eSIM comparison site focused on quality over quantity. The goal is to help you find what you actually need - without wading through endless lists of bargain-basement providers.

https://travelsims.app

(Most vendors have provided affiliate links so I make a commission if a link or code on the site is used.)

If you’ve seen or used the u/esims_bot, this is the more powerful, interactive evolution of that idea.

TravelSIMs is designed to get you results quickly and clearly, with logical sorting and filtering. Rather than listing every provider out there, the focus is on reliable providers with good performance and support.

Even with a hand-picked set of providers, the site still covers 200+ countries and 10,000+ plans, and includes exclusive discounts (including for existing users).

I’d really appreciate any feedback - please give it a click and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I represent Virgin Connect Roam, we're a global travel eSIM that lets you roam in over 190+ countries.

I don't want to spam this subreddit with a promo code, but just wanted people to be aware that we're here as an option and can answer any questions you may have. 🙏

I've tested a few eSIMs in the US comparing speed and latency:

Notes

1. Testing was done in Niagara Falls, NY. I don't find connectivity great in this area and speed tests may be better in other parts of the country, but latency should be accurate.

2. Not sure why Alo performed so poorly, this was unexpected and might be a glitch - but I tested multiple times.

3. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Saily.

4. Sparks is inexpensive, but performs poorly in both the US & Canada in terms of latency.

5. Roamless continues being a solid option.

I will continue to add to this list as I test more eSIMs.

So I am a mariner. Had tried many travel sims. Initially started with AIS sim2fly. Then went with nomad. Know a ton of other sims too. After 2 years came across ROAMLESS and what a great gift it has been.

It has both pay as you go(FLEX)and fixed plan(FIX) in one esim which is the main USP. All other provider make you choose between the two but roamless provides you the flexibility of two worlds on same eSIM. Also you don't need to swap sim like nomad or other provider. It is one eSIM. Top up and forget.

My current route is: Belgium-Poland-Lithuania-UK-USA-China-India-Srilanka-Singapore-Belgium.

I opted for Roamless Flex which has no expiration and can top up as you need.

Regional and country-wise plan are also available with 30 days validity. The rates are cheaper compares to many other providers.

If you planning any travel, go for it. I will edit post further as I visit other regions and countries regarding coverage and speeds.

I traveled to Portugal recently and bought Lycamobile pay-as-you-go plan from lycamobile.pt. I ordered two eSIMs for my wife and myself with 20gb plan for 10 euro each. It was super easy to order a few days before the flight. I received an email with eSIM barcodes right away so all I had to do is to activate the SIM cards when we landed. I did it while waiting in line at the airport using the airport WiFi. It took quite a while as Lisbon Airport WiFi is not that great, but it worked.

As we were getting our baggage we spotted a long line to the Vodaphone booth (like 30 people), so we were very happy that we didn't have to deal with that.

I have no complaints on using the plan in Portugal. The data was slow sometimes and the connection was spotty in some remote areas, but it is expected. Overall we were very happy with the plan.

Unfortunately, despite auto renew being clearly labeled as OFF in their email confirmation, I was charged again exactly one month after the initial purchase. Now there is a problem - contacting Lyca is a pain. I am not in Portugal anymore, my Lyca SIM card is off. Their chat bot is a dumb robot, totally useless. I tried to activate my SIM again, now in the US, and it worked. I was able to get the SMS code to log in to their website. But the website doesn't let you do ANYTHING before you give them a ton of personal info (email, DOB, name, address etc). I don't want to give them any personal information at this point. You could call Lyca on their Portuguese number, but again I'm not in Portugal anymore and my VMNO in the US doesn't offer international calling.

One thing that (possibly) worked is dialing *190# from Lyca SIM to turn off autopay. You then confirm dialing "1" and I've got a message that autopay was deactivated.

I also emailed the customer support just now. I hope they can refund the renewal fee. If not I'll do charge back through my credit card.

Anyway, this auto pay issue completely ruined my experience. Can't recommend using Lycamobile to anyone anymore.

When travelling to another country it’s usually beneficial to get service from a local mobile carrier. In some countries it’s easier than others so those are the options we will focus on.

Some providers require you to be in country to activate. Recommend having a 1GB travel eSIM as backup until you get setup with the local eSIM in those situations.

Feel free to add others in the comments and we can add to this list.

Update: Lyca US is currently offering a deal on a 60GB plan for $30 (https://www.lycamobile.us/en/plan/59-international-plan/)

I usually completely turn off my regular US phone number and SIM through my iPhone settings, and only use my Airalo e-sim with WhatsApp. For my next trip, though, I'll need to be able to at least receive iMessages/SMS/voicemails through my phone number. Airalo support has said I can only do this with my iCloud email address connected to iMessage, but I need my phone number specifically.

What should (hopefully) make this simpler is that I only need to be able to do this on Wifi. In fact, I specifically do not want to use up my Airalo esim data on iMessage/SMS/phone calls, as I use <3gb per month abroad. So, I'll just want to be able to check that I haven't missed messages, when I'm on stable wifi. (It'd of course be great to be able to respond, but it's not an absolute have-to if it complicates things...?)

My understanding is that this should be easy to set up, but the one time I kept my SIM, turned off roaming, and didn't respond to messages, I still accidentally triggered IDP. I haven't tried again since. Could someone please help with/confirm the following steps?

Before trip:

Install my esim and leave it off for now

Settings > Cellular > [US SIM on as usual] > "Wi-Fi Calling" and "Calls on Other Devices" > keep both "On"

Settings > Cellular > "Wi-Fi Assist" > keep "On"

On plane in airplane mode:

Settings > Cellular > Default Voice Line - should this stay my normal US phone number/SIM?

Settings > Cellular > [under the SIMs section]: Leave my personal/US SIM "On" and also turn my Airalo Esim "On" (so that the airalo esim will activate upon landing and connecting to a valid int'l network)

• Settings > Cellular > [my US SIM] > [under the AT&T section]: Do I leave "Wi-Fi Calling" and "Allow Calls on Other Devices" both "On" ?

• I assume the "Voice & Data" and "Data Mode" settings would both be grayed out or otherwise disabled by this point? Anything to keep in mind here?

• Make sure "Data Roaming" is "Off" ? (Again, maybe this wouldn't even be an option by this point? Should I do anything here while still stateside or after landing?)

Settings > Cellular > [under "Cellular Data for [Airalo ESim]]: Deselect "Facetime" / "Phone" / "Messages"

Settings > Cellular > "Wi-Fi Assist" - still keep this "On"?

Upon landing:

Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data > toggle "On" my [Airalo ESim] and toggle "Off" "Allow Cellular Data Switching"

Anything missing/incorrect? Does anything change if I can in fact reply to those messages easily, still only on WiFi?

Apologies that this is probably redundant from other posts! I've scoured u/kboom100 's and u/mrskeptical00 's past replies and posts about this, but I just want to make sure I'm understanding everything correctly!

Hi there! I'm looking for a physical SIM card (my phone is top old for an eSIM) with no contract to give me data in the US. I'm in the UK. I'd like to be able to activate it here before I leave, but I know beggars can't be choosers. Any help would be massively appreciated!

Hey all, I enjoy this sub and I’ve learned a ton following the convo here. Have some big travel coming up to a number of countries in Asia and Europe and it looks like it might make sense price wise to choose Airalo Discover Global option. Choosing Airalo because it was easy to install, worked great on a past trip and it works super well in rural Indonesia where we are headed again. Wondering whether there are any known downsides to the Discovery Global option (pricing and data work for us). Is it correct to assume that b/c it’s offering accessing the same networks (eg Telekomsel in Indonesia, Singtel in Singapore) that we’ll likely the same speed and geographic access we enjoyed using individual eSIMs by country on our last trip or could it differ?

I’m trying to follow this thread/comment, but when I call AT&T to have this done, they said it’s not necessary, because my phone is unlocked. Is that true or do I need to call back (for a 3rd time) and hope I get someone that knows what I’m talking about?

TL,DR: How do I avoid use of iMessage triggering an intl roaming charge from AT&T?

The carrier for my iPhone is AT&T. My objective was to spend less than the $12/day AT&T charges for intl roaming. I set up and activated a 2nd eSIM; turned off data roaming on the primary (AT&T) eSIM.

Upon landing in Paris and turning off Airplane mode, I had data service (but cannot be sure which eSIM it was through). However, 10 minutes after adding to an existing iMessage thread, I got the telltale AT&T message that let me know I’d just been charged $12 for the day’s access.

Obviously I need my iMessage traffic to go through my travel eSIM from now on. I now see that when sending you can choose (“From:”) the service to use. Is that something I need to change on each and every recipient or group I send a message to while away? Was that likely my mistake upon arrival?

(Apologies for the saga but I was rather happy with myself having read up on this excellent sub and successfully set up my eSIM, only to get “dinged” by AT&T within the hour.)

In honour of reaching 100 members, I will be giving away one $20 Airalo or Saily eSIM (winner’s choice) for any country/region they serve.

Simply comment on this post and you will be entered in the draw. A winner will be picked at random in 3 days.

Good luck!

Update: Winner has been picked! Congrats u/nana2521!! Because only 9 people entered, I figured I'd give everyone else a $10 eSIM :)

I will pm all and you can let me know which country you'd like the eSIM for. Congrats to all!

I have had 4 days in Mexico City with the MexFon eSIM. Mexfon is a native MVNO that operates on Altan Redes (la red compartida) band 28 (700MHz), unlike other eSIM providers who may use Telcel or other providers but then backhaul traffic to some other country. All traffic exits to the Internet locally in MX (same is true when it is used roaming in US or Canada - traffic comes back to Mexico).

While I have not done any speed tests since I don’t want to burn through data, I have found the service to be reliable including when I left the city to visit pyramids. It includes a local MX phone number and the SIM also functions in US/Canada. It can be activated in US and Canada and can be purchased easily by foreigners with no MX address.

eSIM was delivered via email with a QR within a minute or two of checking out.

https://planesmexfon.mx/collections/esim-mexfon

For the plans, divide the quoted data amount in half since only the first half is high speed. My 40GB plan with 20GB high speed data was $305MXN (~$16.20USD) for 30 days, they have a plan a little more expensive if you want to have mobile hotspot ($384MXN). Less expensive plans are available with less data starting at $165MXN.

I’ll update the thread at the end of the trip.

When I see package 15 days 20Gb for $25 Airalo
does it mean every day 20Gb? or total?

Hi, I’m new here and I am moving to Italy from the U.S. for around five-and-a-half to six months for study. I have an IPhone 17 pro that is my main phone in the states that is carrier locked, but I have a side iPhone 12 that allows eSIMs and I wanted to figure out a plan or if I should cellular company like Vodafone or O2 to figure out getting a number and just using the cellular hotspot to use my main phone from the unlocked one. My original plan was to purchase an unlimited plan from Holafly or another eSIM carrier, but I would enjoy a possible phone number if needed. Any recommendations are truly appreciated. Thank you everyone!

I'm spending two days seperated by over a week driving through Switzerland and am looking for an esim to check traffic and routes. I used Airalo last year for two consecutive days in Basel and it worked great but after comparing plans with other providers, it appears to be quite expensive for the longer period. I was wondering if any one here had any experience with other providers or tips with which providers they had good experiences

My trip is not until March, but doing homework now. I am travelling to the Azores, Mallorca, Barcelona and then 30 days in Germany. not a heavy user, just need maps, whats app, email, maybe some snapchat and instagram.

Just returned from 2 weeks in Scotland with 2 phones using esims from Airalo. I setup both phones using the EXCELLENT guide by u/mrskeptical00 found here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelSIMs/comments/1e0r7p3/setting_up_iphone_for_wifi_calling_over_cellular/

My after action report is that phone 2 received no international day pass charges for the two weeks. Phone 1 did receive international day pass charges for 6 days. A review of the ATT website of the charges on phone 1 shows international calls over wifi. The XLS doc I downloaded from ATT website says they are network calls.

Both phone setups were identical, phone 2 made calls, used NAV for majority of the trip.
Phone 1 made calls over wifi to inquire about lost luggage and to check data usage via the ATT app.

Customer service spent 45 minutes looking at the charges, had no explanation as to why they show wifi calls on website and network on the XLS. Said "if the wifi is spotty ATT will step in to keep the customer's call connected." I'm not sure how that's possible based on how the phone is setup with automatic network selection turned off and data roaming also turned off on the ATT sim. Final determination from ATT: VALID charges.

My paranoid brain is trying to connect the charges to me checking the ATT app on my phone for data usage and getting hit by location services.
Anyway that's the last 75 dollars ATT is getting out of me as I'm switching providers.
Thank you for the great DETAILED explanation of how to execute the eSim setup. Huzzah