Our methodology for 2026.

We score every provider in five categories on a 1.0 to 5.0 scale: Coverage, Speed, App, Pricing, and Support. Each provider's overall rating is the unweighted average of those five scores, rounded to one decimal place.

No category is weighted higher than another. A provider with great pricing but poor support will not outscore a provider with good scores across the board.

Testing happens on three devices: an iPhone 15 Pro (US, eSIM-only), a Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (UK, dual-SIM), and a Google Pixel 8 (US, eSIM). We chose this mix deliberately — the iPhone 15 Pro represents the premium traveler, the Pixel 8 covers stock Android, and the Galaxy S23 FE is the budget-conscious traveler device that far outnumbers flagship Samsungs in the real world. Devices are factory-reset between providers so carrier profiles never carry over.

Each provider is tested across the same 12 countries. We run five Ookla Speedtest measurements per location at different times of day. The highest and lowest results are discarded. The median of the remaining three is the figure we report.

Activation tests begin the moment payment confirms. We measure the time to the first successful data packet on the target network. Each provider is activated on two separate devices. We report the slower result — that is the number a traveler is more likely to experience.

App quality is rated on four criteria: clarity of the activation flow, ease of plan management, quality of live data-usage tracking, and responsiveness of in-app support. Each criterion contributes equally to the App sub-score.

Coverage scores reflect real-world network quality in three distinct environments: urban centers, intercity transit, and rural areas. A provider that delivers strong speeds in city centers but drops signal on a train journey between cities does not earn a top coverage rating.

Urban testing takes place in the central business district and two residential neighborhoods per city. We record signal strength, download speed, and upload speed at each location. Tests run during morning peak hours (08:00-09:30), midday (12:00-13:00), and evening peak hours (18:00-19:30) to capture network congestion patterns.

Transit testing maps signal continuity on intercity rail routes. We log signal loss events per 100 kilometers of travel. A dropout is recorded when download speed falls below 1 Mbps for more than 20 seconds. Results are compared against the carrier's published coverage map to identify discrepancies.

Rural testing occurs at locations more than 40 kilometers from the nearest urban center. We record whether data is available at all, the dominant network technology (5G, 4G, 3G), and the median download speed. Rural scores are weighted at 30% of the overall Coverage sub-score because most travelers spend the majority of their time in urban and transit environments.

We review five eSIM providers: HelloRoam, Airalo, Holafly, Saily, and Nomad. These five were selected after screening more than twenty providers against four criteria. Each selected provider must operate in at least 80 countries, offer plans purchasable entirely within a smartphone app, maintain a publicly visible support channel, and have been in continuous operation for at least 18 months.

Providers that rely exclusively on reseller networks without disclosed carrier partnerships are excluded. Providers whose plan pricing changes more than twice per week — a pattern associated with unstable inventory — are placed on a watch list and re-evaluated before inclusion.

We review the provider shortlist every six months. A provider can be added if it meets all four criteria. A provider can be removed if it falls below a 3.0 overall score for two consecutive quarterly test cycles, if it changes its terms of service in ways that materially harm travelers, or if it becomes unavailable in more than 20 countries without explanation.

Providers do not apply for inclusion and cannot pay for it. Our editorial team identifies candidates based on traveler reports, industry tracking, and app-store monitoring.

We buy every plan at full retail. No press accounts, no complimentary eSIMs, no PR-controlled access. If a provider declines to support our methodology, the score does not change.

Pricing is re-verified every Monday at 14:00 UTC against the provider's official website. Discrepancies are flagged within 24 hours and resolved before publication. Historical pricing is archived for trend analysis.

All prices on country and comparison pages reflect the cheapest available plan at the specified data volume. We do not feature promotional prices or limited-time discount codes unless they are publicly available without a referral requirement.

Full provider re-testing happens quarterly. Pricing verification happens weekly every Monday at 14:00 UTC. Country-specific data, including carrier partnerships, network technology, and coverage maps, is updated monthly.

Support quality is re-assessed every quarter. We submit a standardized set of five support tickets to each provider covering activation failure, data top-up, plan extension, refund request, and general device compatibility. Response time and resolution quality are both scored. A provider's Support sub-score is the average of these five assessments.

The “Updated” date on each page reflects the most recent verification of that specific content, not the most recent site-wide update. A country page updated in April will show April even if other pages were refreshed in May.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. When you purchase a plan through one of these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This commission helps fund our testing program.

Affiliate relationships never influence our ratings, rankings, or recommendations. Providers cannot pay for higher placement or more favorable reviews. Our editorial team operates independently from any commercial agreements.

All affiliate links are marked with rel="sponsored" in accordance with search engine guidelines.

Travel eSIM Reviews is an independent review site. No provider has editorial oversight, approval rights, or advance access to reviews. We do not accept sponsored content, advertorials, or paid placements of any kind.

Our editorial team makes all rating and ranking decisions without input from providers. When a provider disputes a score, we respond by sharing the underlying test data. If the provider can show a factual error in our testing methodology, we correct it and note the correction on the relevant page. Score disputes based on subjective disagreement are declined.

If you believe any information on this site is inaccurate, please contact our editorial team. We correct errors within 24 hours of verification.