Best eSIMs for International Travel

What separates the best eSIMs for travel on this page?

Six eSIMs, six different trade-offs. Saily scores 8.8 and costs $22.99, and it roams across several US carriers, so it switched networks when one weakened. It also blocks ads and trackers inside the eSIM profile, and an unlimited 30-day option runs $54.99. The catch: it is newer than Airalo and gives you no US phone number.

Ubigi and Airalo both score 8.5. Ubigi costs $22 and was the fastest connection we measured in all three locations, because Transatel is an NTT-owned operator rather than a reseller. It is AT&T only, so there is no fallback. Airalo costs $26, installs in under three minutes, and held a signal everywhere we tested by attaching to T-Mobile in the city and AT&T on the rural road. At $2.60 per GB it is not the cheapest here.

Nomad scores 8.4 at $18 and lists $1.80 per GB, the lowest mainstream price here; 20 GB for $32 brings it under $1.60 per GB. It roams onto both T-Mobile and AT&T, but covers fewer countries than Airalo or Saily and posted mid-pack speeds. Holafly scores 7.7 at $99 for genuinely unlimited data — we used 61 GB in a month with no cut-off — plus 24/7 human support. GigSky scores 7.6 at $30 and reaches maritime and small island networks, with a $3.00 per GB metered rate.

What should you check before buying a travel eSIM?

The scoring puts coverage and network quality at 30, price per gigabyte at 25, then setup, flexibility and support at 15 each. Work through those in order.

• Network fallback: Saily, Airalo and Nomad roam across more than one US carrier. Ubigi is AT&T only.
• Your real data use: Holafly only pays off above roughly 40 GB a month. Below that, Nomad's $1.80 per GB or Saily's $54.99 unlimited month costs less.
• Hotspot: Holafly caps hotspot on some plans, so read the specific plan if you tether a laptop.
• Phone number: Saily and Airalo are data only, with no US phone number.
• Where you are going: GigSky covers maritime and small island networks the others skip; Nomad covers fewer countries than Airalo or Saily.

Multi-country and city-plus-rural trips

Airalo's regional and global bundles and its T-Mobile/AT&T switching suit trips that cross borders. Saily fits the same shape if you want ad blocking and a $54.99 unlimited month.

Heavy data users

Holafly for tethering all day, with 24/7 human support. Nomad if you would rather buy 20 GB for $32 and watch the meter.

Speed and simple setup

Ubigi if you stay on AT&T and want the fastest downloads we measured. GigSky if your device already has it preinstalled or you need Apple Watch cellular.

For most trips, Airalo's coverage and three-minute setup make it the easy pick, while Saily adds ad blocking and a $54.99 unlimited month. Nomad wins on price at $1.80 per GB, and Holafly is the one to take if you will burn through 40 GB or more. Ubigi suits AT&T-only speed chasers, and GigSky covers the maritime and island networks the others skip.