A complete guide to choosing an eSIM for travelling with internet abroad in 2025

Travelling has become an integral part of modern man's life: be it business trips, holidays or travelling in search of new experiences. But there is one problem that almost everyone faces - expensive mobile internet in roaming. Many tourists are forced to look for Wi-Fi in cafes, buy local SIM cards or overpay for connection from their operator.

Why do travellers need an eSIM?

Luckily for you and me, the eSIM for travelling takes away the headache of finding affordable internet. It's a digital SIM card built into the device that can be activated remotely, without the need to insert a physical media. With its help, you can connect to the Internet in dozens of countries without visiting a telecoms shop or changing your primary number.

Advantages and disadvantages of eSIM for travelling

In addition to convenience, an electronic SIM card has a number of other benefits, as well as nuances that are also worth knowing about.

Pros of eSIM for travelling:

• The convenience of instant connectivity - you can activate your eSIM before travelling, simply by downloading the app and following the connection instructions. Once you fly abroad, you can switch it on in the settings and start using mobile communication.
• Savings on mobile Internet - eSIM providers offer tariffs much cheaper than international roaming from the operator.
• Flexibility - you can use your main SIM card and eSIM at the same time, and you can choose your operator (if available).
• No risk of SIM card loss - physical SIM cards are easy to lose or break, especially if you have to change them frequently, while an eSIM always stays in your phone.

Cons of eSIM for traveling:

• Compatibility - not all phones support eSIM (but most modern iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel models work with them).
• Cannot be transferred to another person - a physical SIM card can be transferred to a friend, while an eSIM is tied to the owner's device.
• Limited voice calls - most travel eSIMs only offer internet, not full mobile connectivity.

To be honest, many of us nowadays rarely use calls, and if we need them so badly, we can always call each other on messenger, so an eSIM is the perfect solution when travelling abroad.

Yesim Tech

The service originates from Switzerland, with a convenient application for Android and iOS, a wide choice of payment systems for top-up, and also the owner of one of the most democratic prices.

The process of eSIM activation in the application is extremely simple, there are 3 ways of activation to choose from: quick installation, manual, QR code. The fastest option is the most convenient, just click install and go through the steps as instructed by your smartphone, select Yesim as your primary for mobile communication and the setup process is complete!

How to top up Yesim

The following payment methods are available for payment: Apple Pay, Google Pay, VISA / Mastercard / MIR, PayPal, BinancePay (cryptocurrency), AliPay, Sofort/Klarna.

Cost and data plans at Yesim

After installation we can connect packages or pay for the used traffic. In the first case you connect a package with unlimited internet from 1 to 30 days or a standard package for 30 days with limited traffic (3-30GB).

Unlimited internet prices in Yesim

Internet package prices in Yesim

Overall impression of Yesim

Yesim is one of the most convenient eSIM providers for travelling, making it easy to top up and manage your internet right in the app.

• User-friendly application with support for a large number of languages;
• Possibility to choose packages by region, very convenient if you have planned a trip across Europe or a tour in Asia;
• International eSIM tariff, which automatically detects where you are and charges you only for the data you spend;
• Yesim covers 180+ countries worldwide;
• Flexible tariff management;
• Yesim promo code bonus on first recharge;
• Quite low prices when buying large internet packages;
• Pleasantly surprised by the large number of payment methods, especially payment with cryptocurrency (Binance Pay).

Roamless

The next service Roamless is a convenient eSIM provider for travellers, allowing you to connect mobile internet in 190+ countries without a physical SIM card. Everything is managed through the app: you recharge and get connected in a couple of minutes. However, this service has one advantage - it's calls, which may be a key factor for some!

The process of setting up an electronic SIM card is identical to Yesim, you will see a big quick activation button in front of you, and then everything else is according to your smartphone's instructions.

How to top up Roamless

The following payment methods are available for payment: VISA / Mastercard / American Express bank card.

You should also pay attention to the $0.35 commission for top-ups less than $20.

Roamless costs and tariffs

This service as such does not have communication packages and withdraws money only for the spent traffic, so the price per gigabyte will always be the same.

Internet prices in Roamless

Overall impression of Roamless

Roamless is a service that promises to make mobile internet while travelling convenient and flexible. And in general, it manages to fulfil its main task: the application is simple, it takes a couple of minutes to connect an eSIM, and the idea of paying only for the traffic used is fair.

Among the strengths of Roamless are:

• A simple app with multi-language support;
• Roamless offers calls, which many competitors simply do not have. The prices are not the lowest, but the fact of having such an option is pleasing;
• Internet coverage in 190+ countries;
• Bonus 500Mb of traffic for some countries, as well as promo codes for new users.

Airalo

Perhaps one of the largest eSIM services for travellers, offering mobile internet in more than 200 countries. All management is also done through the app: choose a country, buy a plan and only then activate the eSIM in a couple of minutes.

At first glance, the application seems a bit more complicated, but in fact the principle is the same as in others. The only difference is that the eSIM is installed after purchasing a tariff package.

How to recharge Airalo

The following payment methods are available for payment: VISA / Mastercard / AMEX / UnionPay / JCB, PayPal, AliPay.

Airalo costs and data plans

In-app internet tariffs are bundled and usually provide traffic from 500Mb to unlimited for 3 to 30 days.

Data plans and prices at Airalo

Overall impression of Airalo

It would seem that one of the most popular services, just an ideal option for travellers, but upon closer acquaintance it turns out that not everything is so smooth. The first thing that catches your eye is the design and interface of the application. It's not as intuitive as others, and also looks a bit outdated. You can figure it out, but if you are used to minimalism and convenience, Airalo will seem a bit cumbersome.

But the main disadvantage is the prices. If you need a small internet package, get ready to pay more than most other services. Airalo is not about saving money, especially if you only need a few gigabytes.

Some of Airalo's strengths include:

• Support for a large number of languages;
• The largest number of supported countries, over 200;
• Free packages for 500Mb of tarfik for some countries, as well as promo codes in Airalo for the first top-up.

Don't forget that you can also get Aliralo cashback up to 6% of your top-up amount from Sanely.

Drimsim

This is an international eSIM service for travelling, offering internet connection in more than 190 countries. The service operates on a pay-per-used-megabyte, minutes and SMS model, with no subscription fees or hidden tariffs. Balance management and connection is done through the mobile application.

Among interesting things, the service offers delivery of a physical SIM card to any country in the world, which will cost you an additional €10. This service may be useful for owners of smartphones without eSIM support.

How to recharge Drimsim

Drimsim accepts only VISA / Mastercard / MIR bank cards for payment.

Drimsim costs and data plans

Here you are charged for each spent Kilobyte of traffic, but the service itself counts in Megabytes, for convenience we have calculated the cost for each spent Gigabyte. Unfortunately, there are no packages.

Internet prices in Drimsim

Overall impression of Drimsim

Drimsim positions itself as a universal solution for travellers: one SIM card or eSIM for more than 190 countries, with no operator lock-in or complicated tariff plans. But in practice, the service leaves questions - especially when it comes to cost.

The first impression of the app is that it is too simple, even to the point of being uncomfortable. Minimalism seems to be good, but here the interface seems underdeveloped. For example, tariffs are not on the main screen, but hidden in the side menu. Speaking of tariffs, this is the most expensive internet we've come across, even for low traffic the service remains very expensive.

Drimsim is hard to recommend, especially if you just need internet when travelling. Yes, the service is convenient in terms of coverage and flexibility, but you can find much better options for the money. If you're not attached to a brand, it's better to look at competitors.

Drimsim's strengths include:

• Coverage over 190 countries;
• Possibility to order a physical SIM card.

If you do get the urge to try this service, you can get €4 cashback at Drimsim.

What's the best eSIM service for travelling?

•  
• Want the best price/convenience ratio - Yesim;
• Need a trusted brand with global coverage - Airalo;
• Call availability is important - Roamless;
• Need a physical SIM card - Drimsim.

To consolidate, let's compare the services head-on again, to compare internet prices we took Turkey as a holiday country and assumed that 10GB would be enough for us:

We tested 4 different services, and in our opinion Yesim turned out to be the best option among them. It combines reasonable prices, a convenient app and support for MIR cards, which makes it a good choice for most travellers.

In second place is Airalo. Yes, the interface looks outdated and the tariffs for small packages are not the most favourable, but it is still more affordable than the others.

Roamless is more expensive, but it has a unique feature - international calls, which can be useful for those who need not only data, but also voice communication abroad.

The most expensive is Drimsim. Its key advantage is the ability to order a physical SIM card, but the prices for internet and calls are clearly overpriced, but the app leaves a lot to be desired.

eSIM technology gives travellers the flexibility and convenience of connecting to the internet abroad, avoiding high roaming costs and the hassle of buying local SIM cards. By carefully researching the available options and choosing the right service for you, you can enjoy your trip while staying connected anywhere in the world. And with cashback service Sanely, you can get some of the money you spend back and make your trip more profitable!