Compare 4 top-rated eSIM providers as alternatives to Esimatic. Find better pricing, features, and coverage.
Esimatic covers 188 countries and earns solid reviews, but savvier travelers in 2025 are finding better deals and higher-rated service elsewhere. We've compared four strong alternatives—Airalo, Saily, UBIGI, and Roamless—that often beat Esimatic on price, reliability, or both. UBIGI leads the pack with top ratings, while Roamless consistently offers the most budget-friendly plans without sacrificing coverage.
Esimatic's massive library of 5,080 plans across 188 countries makes it a solid choice when you need options—lots of them. But that catalogue can feel overwhelming, and at $2.84 per GB, it sits firmly in the middle of the pack. The real question isn't whether Esimatic works (it does), but whether another provider fits your travel style better. Frequent travelers who value having dozens of carriers to choose from in each destination will appreciate what Esimatic offers, while occasional users might find simpler alternatives more appealing.
Roamless takes the crown for affordability, undercutting Esimatic's $2.63 daily average with noticeably lower rates across most regions. The trade-off? You're working with a smaller provider that hasn't built up the same breadth of coverage or plan variety that Esimatic's 5,080 options provide. Roamless keeps costs down by focusing on popular routes and partnering with fewer carriers, which works perfectly fine for trips to major destinations but might leave you scrambling in less-traveled countries.
The coverage conversation gets interesting when you dig into plan availability. Esimatic's 188-country footprint sounds impressive until you realize that raw country count matters less than how many good plans exist for your specific destination. A provider might technically cover a country but offer only one overpriced option. This is where Esimatic's huge plan selection actually delivers—you can usually find both budget and premium choices for the same location, giving you flexibility based on whether you're backpacking or on a business trip.
UBIGI earns its position as the highest-rated alternative with strong marks for reliability and customer support that Esimatic's 4.5 TrustPilot score doesn't quite match. Those extra rating points typically reflect fewer connection headaches and faster resolution when things go wrong—the kind of polish that matters when you're navigating an unfamiliar city and your data suddenly drops. UBIGI's reputation suggests their carrier partnerships are rock-solid and their app experience smoother, though you'll pay a premium for that peace of mind compared to both Esimatic and budget options.
Here's the practical breakdown: pick Esimatic when you're visiting multiple countries and want maximum choice at each stop, or when you're headed somewhere obscure where that 188-country reach actually matters. Choose Roamless for straightforward trips to popular destinations where saving money trumps having options. Saily and Airalo work well as middle-ground alternatives with decent coverage and competitive pricing. Reserve UBIGI for trips where connectivity can't fail—important work travel or situations where you'd rather pay extra than troubleshoot data issues in a foreign language.
Airalo stands out as a budget-friendly alternative to Esimatic, offering travelers $2.10 cheaper per day on average—a meaningful difference for anyone planning extended trips or frequent international travel. While Esimatic covers 10 more countries globally, Airalo's 178-country reach still blankets most popular destinations, and its 4.0 TrustPilot rating reflects consistently reliable service. The real advantage shows up in Airalo's competitive pricing structure across its 1,260 plans, giving budget-conscious travelers plenty of options without sacrificing network quality in major markets across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
For travelers prioritizing cost over exhaustive country selection, Airalo delivers genuine value. A two-week European trip or month-long Southeast Asian journey becomes noticeably cheaper with Airalo's lower daily rates, especially when comparing similar data allowances. The provider's wide variety of regional and global bundles makes it particularly useful for multi-country itineraries where buying separate plans would inflate costs. Esimatic may edge ahead for travelers needing coverage in less common destinations—those extra 10 countries could matter for remote business travel or unusual routing—but most leisure and business travelers will find Airalo's network more than adequate.
Budget-focused travelers and digital nomads should lean toward Airalo, particularly when:
Esimatic remains viable for travelers who need that extra country coverage or prefer working with a provider offering more total plan configurations, but Airalo's combination of broad reach and lower pricing makes it the smarter choice for most international journeys.
Saily delivers two immediate advantages that matter to budget-conscious travelers: it costs $2.10 cheaper per day than Esimatic and covers 7 more countries (195 vs. 188). That price difference adds up quickly on longer trips—a two-week journey saves nearly $30 in data costs alone. The broader country coverage means fewer surprises when crossing borders in regions like the Caribbean or Central Asia, where Esimatic's network occasionally has gaps. While Saily's 4.0 TrustPilot rating trails Esimatic's 4.5, the difference reflects fewer total reviews rather than consistent service problems.
Saily shines brightest for multi-country backpacking trips and extended stays where daily costs compound. A traveler spending three weeks island-hopping in Southeast Asia or working remotely across Europe will notice real savings without sacrificing reliable connectivity. The trade-off comes in plan selection: Esimatic's 5,080 plans dwarf Saily's 816 options, which means Esimatic often has more granular data packages for specific countries or niche destinations. Travelers who need precise data amounts for a single-country business trip might find Esimatic's depth more convenient.
The choice breaks down simply:
UBIGI presents a compelling case for travelers prioritizing value and global reach. At $1.90 cheaper per day than Esimatic, the savings add up quickly on longer trips—a two-week journey could mean nearly $27 back in your pocket. Beyond price, UBIGI covers 12 more countries than Esimatic's already solid 188-nation footprint, extending connectivity to 200 destinations worldwide. The 4.1 TrustPilot rating trails Esimatic's 4.5, but still reflects reliable service, and the 923 available plans provide plenty of flexibility across regions and data allowances. For budget-conscious travelers hopping between multiple countries, UBIGI's combination of lower daily costs and broader geographic reach makes it a practical first choice.
Where UBIGI really shines is on extended multi-country trips where data needs vary by destination. A backpacker spending three weeks across Southeast Asia and Europe can choose region-specific plans without paying Esimatic's premium, while still enjoying solid network partnerships in most major cities. The trade-off? Esimatic's 5,080 plans dwarf UBIGI's offering, meaning you'll find more granular options for niche destinations or very specific data increments with the former. Travelers heading to a single country for business, or those who value having dozens of plan variations to pick from, might still prefer Esimatic's depth. But for anyone crossing borders frequently or watching their budget closely, UBIGI delivers excellent coverage without the higher price tag.
Roamless brings 194 destinations to the table—6 more countries than Esimatic's 188—while maintaining similar pricing across its plans. For travelers who frequently hop between regions or need coverage in less common destinations, that extra reach can make a real difference. The provider's 3.5 TrustPilot rating sits below Esimatic's 4.5, suggesting some users have had mixed experiences, but the tradeoff comes with access to 4,367 plan options that span everything from short city breaks to extended multi-country trips. Roamless has built its reputation on offering competitive rates without sacrificing geographic breadth, which matters when you're planning routes through Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, or parts of Africa where coverage can get patchy.
The extra country coverage makes Roamless particularly useful for travelers piecing together overland journeys or digital nomads who move frequently between secondary markets. Someone spending three months across the Balkans and Central Asia, for instance, will appreciate having one fewer provider switch to worry about. Esimatic does counter with more than 700 additional plans and a notably higher user rating, which points to more consistent customer experiences and possibly better-optimized options for popular routes like Western Europe or North America. Travelers sticking to well-trodden paths may find Esimatic's larger plan library and proven track record more reassuring than Roamless's wider net.
Roamless makes the most sense for:
Esimatic remains the safer bet for travelers prioritizing customer service consistency and those who value a higher satisfaction rating over marginal gains in country count.
After comparing Esimatic with Airalo, Saily, UBIGI, and Roamless in 2025, the standout finding is simple: most travelers will find better value and reliability by switching. UBIGI leads on user ratings and proven performance across networks, making it the safest bet for travelers who want consistent connectivity without surprises. Roamless undercuts the competition on price while still delivering solid coverage, perfect for anyone watching their budget closely.
Your priorities should drive your choice:
Esimatic still works if you already have credit loaded or need a very specific niche plan, but most users gain real advantages—lower costs, better reviews, or broader coverage—by moving to one of these four alternatives. Pick based on whether you prioritize saving money (Roamless) or maximizing reliability (UBIGI), and you'll have a better travel connectivity experience than staying put.
