Compare 4 top-rated eSIM providers as alternatives to microesim. Find better pricing, features, and coverage.
microesim offers solid global coverage across 158 countries, but with a 4.1 rating and 9340 plans to sift through, travelers in 2025 are exploring nimbler options that deliver better value or higher customer satisfaction. We've compared four standout alternatives—Airalo, Saily, UBIGI, and Roamless—ranging from budget-friendly picks like Roamless to top-rated choices such as UBIGI. Each brings something different to the table, whether that's simpler pricing, stronger reviews, or more targeted regional plans.
MicroeSIM's massive catalog of 9,340 plans across 158 countries makes it a solid choice for travelers who want exhaustive options, but that size comes with trade-offs. The average price of $1.85 per GB and $0.82 per day sits squarely in the middle of the market—not the cheapest, not the most expensive. For travelers hopping between multiple countries or needing very specific data allowances, that massive selection can be genuinely useful. But if you're taking a straightforward trip to one or two destinations, you might be paying for flexibility you don't actually need.
Roamless consistently undercuts microeSIM on price, often by a noticeable margin. When microeSIM averages $1.85 per GB, budget-conscious travelers will find Roamless particularly appealing for single-country trips or short getaways. The catch? You're working with a smaller plan library and fewer customization options. Roamless keeps costs down by offering streamlined, no-frills plans rather than the encyclopedic selection microeSIM provides. For a week in Paris or Lisbon, that's rarely a problem.
Coverage is where things get interesting. MicroeSIM's 158-country footprint gives it an edge over most competitors, particularly valuable for multi-stop itineraries across different regions. Airalo and Saily offer respectable coverage but typically with fewer plan variations per country. UBIGI takes a different approach entirely, focusing on fewer destinations but with enterprise-grade reliability in those markets—the kind of consistency business travelers appreciate.
UBIGI earned its position as the highest-rated alternative for good reason. While microeSIM holds a respectable 4.1 on TrustPilot, UBIGI's superior rating reflects consistently positive experiences with app performance, connection stability, and customer support responsiveness. The difference becomes obvious when something goes wrong: travelers report faster resolution times and clearer communication from UBIGI's support team. You'll pay slightly more for some plans, but the reduced friction matters when you're troubleshooting connectivity issues from a foreign country.
For frequent travelers visiting diverse destinations, microeSIM's enormous plan selection justifies the mid-range pricing. Weekend travelers and budget backpackers should start with Roamless. Business travelers or anyone who values reliability over variety will appreciate what they get with UBIGI's higher customer satisfaction scores. Airalo and Saily split the difference, offering solid regional coverage without microeSIM's overwhelming options or UBIGI's premium support experience.
Airalo stands out as a compelling alternative to microesim, particularly for travelers watching their budget without sacrificing global reach. At $0.29 cheaper per day on average, Airalo delivers meaningful savings over longer trips—a two-week journey could save around $4, and a month abroad nearly $9. Beyond pricing, Airalo covers 20 more countries than microesim (178 versus 158), opening up connectivity in destinations that microesim simply doesn't serve. The TrustPilot ratings sit nearly identical—4.0 for Airalo compared to microesim's 4.1—so travelers aren't compromising on reliability or customer satisfaction when they switch.
Where Airalo truly shines is for budget-conscious travelers hitting multiple regions or venturing into less common destinations. Someone island-hopping across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, or combining Eastern Europe with Central Asia, benefits from both the broader country list and the lower daily cost. Airalo's 1,260 plans provide plenty of options across data allowances and validity periods, though microesim's much larger catalog of 9,340 plans means it might offer more granular choices for niche routes or very specific data needs. Travelers who prioritize having the absolute widest selection of plan configurations, especially for hyper-specific itineraries, may still lean toward microesim despite the higher price.
For most travelers, Airalo makes sense when:
Saily stands out as a compelling alternative to microesim for travelers who prioritize affordability and global reach. At $0.53 per day on average, Saily costs $0.29 less per day than microesim, which translates to meaningful savings on trips lasting a week or longer. Beyond pricing, Saily covers 37 more countries than microesim's already-solid 158-country network, making it particularly valuable for travelers exploring less common destinations or multi-country itineraries across regions like Central Asia, the Pacific Islands, or parts of Africa where coverage gaps often appear with smaller providers.
The real advantage becomes clear for budget-conscious travelers on extended trips or digital nomads moving between multiple countries. A three-week journey through Southeast Asia and Europe, for instance, could save $6–8 with Saily while ensuring reliable connectivity in countries where microesim might not have coverage. Both providers maintain strong customer satisfaction—Saily's 4.0 TrustPilot rating sits just 0.1 points below microesim's 4.1—but microesim does offer significantly more plan options (9,340 plans versus Saily's 816), which could matter for travelers who want highly specific data allocations or ultra-short-duration plans tailored to individual cities rather than entire countries.
Saily makes the most sense for travelers who need broad geographic coverage without overpaying, especially those visiting three or more countries in a single trip or heading to destinations outside the most popular tourist circuits. Microesim remains the better choice primarily for users who value having dozens of plan variants per destination or who've already built familiarity with their platform, but Saily's combination of lower daily costs and wider country access delivers better practical value for most international travel scenarios.
UBIGI delivers comparable value to microesim while extending coverage to 42 more countries—a meaningful advantage for travelers whose itineraries cross multiple regions. Both providers share the same 4.1 TrustPilot rating, but UBIGI's 200-country footprint means fewer gaps when hopping between continents or visiting less common destinations. Daily costs are nearly identical, with UBIGI averaging $0.73 versus microesim's $0.82, so budget-conscious travelers save a few dollars over a two-week trip without sacrificing reliability.
The real difference emerges for multi-country trips and less-traveled routes. UBIGI's broader geographic reach makes it the better pick for itineraries that mix popular destinations with off-the-beaten-path stops—think a Southeast Asia loop that includes Cambodia and Laos, or a West African journey covering several nations. microesim counters with 923 more plans (9,340 versus UBIGI's 923), which translates to more granular options for data volume and duration if you're staying in a single region or prefer highly specific plan structures. Travelers who value choice over raw coverage count, or who stick to well-trodden routes in Europe and North America, may still find microesim's extensive plan library more convenient.
For most travelers, UBIGI makes sense when:
microesim remains competitive for single-destination stays or travelers who want maximum flexibility in plan customization, but UBIGI's extended reach and slightly lower cost give it an edge for adventurous, multi-stop itineraries.
Roamless brings 194 countries to the table—36 more than microesim's 158—making it a solid choice for travelers who need coverage across less common destinations. Pricing sits at a similar level between the two providers, so cost alone won't be the deciding factor. Where Roamless pulls ahead is in sheer geographic reach and the variety of plans available; with 4,367 options compared to microesim's 9,340, it still offers plenty of flexibility without overwhelming choice. The trade-off is a slightly lower Trustpilot rating (3.5 versus microesim's 4.1), suggesting that while many users are satisfied, customer service or app experience might not be quite as polished.
Roamless shines for multi-country trips that venture beyond Europe and North America. A traveler hopping from Poland to Georgia to Vietnam, for example, benefits from that expanded country list without needing to juggle multiple providers or pay premium prices for niche destinations. microesim still holds an edge in total plan count, which can matter for travelers who want very specific data allowances or durations tailored to major tourist hubs. But for someone prioritizing breadth of coverage over fine-tuned customization, Roamless delivers the essentials—competitive rates, a wide network, and enough plan variety to suit most trip types—without the limitations of a smaller footprint.
After comparing microesim with Airalo, Saily, UBIGI, and Roamless in 2025, the standout finding is clear: most travelers will find better value, stronger reliability, or both by switching to one of these four alternatives. While microesim remains functional, it rarely leads in any category that matters—pricing, user ratings, coverage flexibility, or app experience.
Your best fit depends on what you prioritize:
If none of these priorities pull you toward microesim specifically—say, an existing loyalty credit or a unique regional plan—switching to one of these alternatives makes practical sense. For most trips, Roamless saves money and UBIGI delivers confidence, giving you two strong starting points that outperform the default choice.
