Traviva’s pick changes with the destination, because the cheapest provider does. In October 2026 Ubigi had the cheapest verified 10GB, 30-day plan in nine of our 13 destinations and tied with Nomad in China, while Nomad was cheapest in Japan, Thailand and Fiji. For heavy users, Saily publishes the most generous unlimited allowance (5GB a day at full speed); if you tether a laptop, avoid Holafly, which caps hotspot sharing at 1GB a day; and if you need a phone number, only Saily and Airalo offer one.
Updated · Prices in US dollars unless marked A$; figures marked “checked October 2026” were read off each provider’s own site on 7–8 October 2026.
Traviva’s pick for every destination
The 10GB, 30-day plan we recommend in each destination, against the cheapest verified plan. Prices in US dollars, checked 7–8 October 2026 on each provider’s own site.
| Destination | Traviva’s pick | Pick price (10GB, 30 days) | Cheapest verified | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bali (Indonesia) | Nomad | US$19 | Ubigi, US$16 | Nomad picked for its Telkomsel network. Price checked October 2026. |
| Japan | Nomad | US$16 (sale; normally US$18) | Nomad, US$16 | Ubigi US$16.50. Price checked October 2026. |
| USA | Ubigi | US$14 | Ubigi, US$14 | Covers Hawaii, not Alaska. Price checked October 2026. |
| Europe | Ubigi | US$15 | Ubigi, US$15 | 38 countries, including the UK and Switzerland. Price checked October 2026. |
| China | Nomad | US$17 (sale; normally US$22) | Nomad and Ubigi, US$17 | Nomad says Google and WhatsApp work without a VPN; Ubigi makes no claim. Price checked October 2026. |
| Thailand | Saily | US$10.99 | Nomad, US$10 | Saily picked for its 5GB-a-day unlimited fallback. Price checked October 2026. |
| Singapore | Ubigi | US$13 | Ubigi, US$13 | Ubigi uses Simba and StarHub; Nomad (US$14) uses Singtel and StarHub. Price checked October 2026. |
| Vietnam | Ubigi | US$12.90 | Ubigi, US$12.90 | On VNPT’s 4G and 5G network. Price checked October 2026. |
| New Zealand | Ubigi | US$16 | Ubigi, US$16 | Nomad US$18. Price checked October 2026. |
| Fiji | Nomad | US$25 | Nomad, US$25 | The most expensive destination we compare; Airalo is US$49. Price checked October 2026. |
| South Korea | Ubigi | US$14 | Ubigi, US$14 | Nomad US$18 (sale). Price checked October 2026. |
| Hong Kong | Ubigi | US$14 | Ubigi, US$14 | Nomad US$16. Price checked October 2026. |
| United Kingdom | Ubigi | US$11 | Ubigi, US$11 | Saily US$18.99; Nomad and Airalo US$19. Price checked October 2026. |
Affiliate note: Traviva earns a commission if you buy Airalo through the Airalo buttons on this page (via Travelpayouts), at no extra cost to you. The other provider links on this page earn us nothing, and commission plays no part in which plan we pick. How we make money →
The specs that matter
Read this table before you read any price.
| Provider | Full speed until | Then throttled to | Hotspot | Phone number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saily | 5GB/day | 1 Mbps | Unlimited | Optional paid add-on |
| Airalo | 3GB/day | 1 Mbps | Unlimited | On some Data, Voice & Text packages and Discover+ |
| Nomad | 2GB/day | 512 kbps | Supported | Thailand 50GB plan only, per review; otherwise unclear |
| Ubigi | No daily cap — 60GB per 30-day plan (5GB in China) | 2 Mbps | Unlimited | Never — data only, no SMS |
| Holafly | ~2–3GB/day per third-party analysis; Holafly publishes no figure | 256–1024 kbps | 1GB/day | Never |
| Maya Mobile | 3GB/day | 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps | Allowed, with guidance | No — data only, on every plan |
| Simify | No firm figure published — a help article says around 1–1.5GB | around 3 Mbps | Allowed | No — data only |
Provider by provider
Saily
Best daily allowance of any provider, and the only one selling a phone number as a clean add-on. Newest brand here, so the least field-tested.
Airalo
The default choice, and the one people search for by name. Middling cap, unrestricted tethering, and a support operation that draws consistent complaints.
Nomad
Cheapest in Thailand by a distance, and the best-documented affiliate program. Harshest throttling, and prices move constantly because half the catalogue is permanently on sale.
Ubigi
Runs on its own network infrastructure rather than reselling, and it shows in reliability. Cheapest for large data in the US and Europe. Its unlimited plans swap a daily cap for a fixed full-speed allowance.
Holafly
One flat price everywhere, which makes it the worst value in cheap destinations and defensible only where data is expensive or your usage is unpredictable. The hotspot cap rules it out for anyone travelling with a laptop.
Maya Mobile
One global plan at one price, wherever you go, and the clearest fair-use wording in the category. Sells no fixed-data plans at all, so it only competes if you want unlimited.
Simify
The only provider here that charges Australians in Australian dollars, which quietly saves the foreign transaction fee every other price on this page attracts. Its fair-use policy is the vaguest of the lot.
A note on the prices
Six of the seven providers here sell in US dollars, and those prices are quoted that way throughout the site. If you pay with an Australian card, most banks add a foreign transaction fee of around 3% on top — so a US$20 plan costs closer to US$20.60, then converts to Australian dollars at your bank’s rate rather than the market rate.
Not one of them mentions this at checkout. It doesn’t change which of the six is cheapest — they are all in the same currency — but it does mean the number on your statement will be higher than the number you agreed to.
Simify is the exception. It is an Australian company and it bills in Australian dollars, so there is no conversion and no foreign transaction fee. That is worth roughly 3% against an equivalent US-dollar price — which is why we show its prices in A$ rather than converting them. A converted figure would not be a price anyone was quoted, and the rate moves daily.
By destination
The cheapest provider changes with the country — sometimes by a factor of five.
Indonesia (Bali)
For a typical two-week Bali trip, Nomad's 10GB/30 days at $19 or Saily's at $21.99 covers most people. Holafly's $50.50 for 15 day…
See prices →Japan
Nomad's 10GB for 30 days at $16 was the cheapest verified option, with Airalo at $18 close behind. For a ski trip where you're pos…
See prices →China
Nomad is the pick: $17 for a 10GB month on sale, and one of only two providers that states plainly it routes you around the firewa…
See prices →Vietnam
Ubigi at $12.90 for 10GB over 30 days is the cheapest verified plan here, with Nomad at $17 on sale. Holafly charges $76.50 for a …
See prices →Thailand
Saily at $10.99 for 10GB over 30 days is the value pick, and Nomad's unlimited at $33 for a month is the cheapest unlimited anywhe…
See prices →Fiji
Nomad on almost every count: $25 for 10GB over 30 days where Ubigi charges $18 for a single gigabyte, and it is the only provider …
See prices →Singapore
Ubigi is cheapest at $13 for a 10GB month, but it is the only provider routing you onto Simba rather than Singtel or StarHub — wor…
See prices →New Zealand
Ubigi's 10GB for 30 days at $16 is the cheapest verified plan, and Nomad's $18 is close. For a typical eight-day trip, a 5GB plan …
See prices →United States
Ubigi wins the US outright on price — $14 for 10GB over 30 days, against $22.50 from Airalo and $22.99 from Saily. The catch is th…
See prices →Europe
Ubigi's 10GB for 30 days at $15 undercuts Nomad ($23), Airalo ($31) and Saily ($35.99) by a wide margin, and its 38-country footpr…
See prices →South Korea
Ubigi’s 10GB for 30 days at US$14 is the cheapest verified plan by US$4. Nomad is the only seller that names all three Korean networks, and it uses different ones for fixed-data and unlimited plans.
See prices →Hong Kong
Ubigi’s 10GB for 30 days at US$14 is the cheapest verified plan. If you are crossing into mainland China, check the provider’s China plan first — most sell the two separately.
See prices →United Kingdom
Ubigi’s 10GB for 30 days at US$11 undercuts everyone by almost US$8, and its Europe plan covers the UK for US$15 if you are going on to the continent.
See prices →Malaysia
Airalo’s Malaysia eSIM from US$4, on Maxis. Prices checked 24 October 2026; a full multi-provider comparison is still to come.
See prices →India
Airalo’s India eSIM from US$4, on Vi. Prices checked 24 October 2026; a full multi-provider comparison is still to come.
See prices →Philippines
Airalo’s Philippines eSIM from US$4, on Smart. Prices checked 24 October 2026; a full multi-provider comparison is still to come.
See prices →Canada
Airalo’s Canada eSIM from US$7, on Bell. Prices checked 24 October 2026; a full multi-provider comparison is still to come.
See prices →Sri Lanka
Airalo’s Sri Lanka eSIM from US$4.50, on Mobitel. Prices checked 24 October 2026; a full multi-provider comparison is still to come.
See prices →Italy
Airalo’s Italy eSIM from US$4, on Wind Tre. Prices checked 24 October 2026; a full multi-provider comparison is still to come.
See prices →Getting started
Travel eSIM questions Australians ask
What is the best travel eSIM for Australians?
It depends on where you are going, because the cheapest provider changes with the country. In October 2026 Ubigi had the cheapest verified 10GB, 30-day plan in nine of Traviva’s 13 destinations and tied with Nomad in China; Nomad was cheapest in Japan, Thailand and Fiji.
Which travel eSIM has the best unlimited plan?
On the published numbers, Saily: 5GB a day at full speed before it slows to 1 Mbps. Airalo and Maya Mobile allow 3GB a day and Nomad 2GB a day. Ubigi’s 30-day unlimited plans run at full speed for 60GB in total (5GB in China), then 2 Mbps, and Holafly publishes no figure.
Which travel eSIMs let you use a hotspot?
Saily, Airalo and Ubigi allow unrestricted tethering, Nomad supports it, and Maya Mobile and Simify allow it. Holafly caps hotspot sharing at 1GB a day on its destination pages.
Which travel eSIMs come with a phone number?
Only two of the seven. Saily sells a phone number as an optional paid add-on, and Airalo includes one on some Data, Voice & Text packages and on Discover+. Ubigi, Holafly, Maya Mobile and Simify are data-only.
Can I pay for a travel eSIM in Australian dollars?
Only with Simify, an Australian company that bills in A$. The other six charge in US dollars, and most Australian cards add a foreign transaction fee of around 3% on top.
How does Traviva check eSIM prices?
By hand, on each provider’s own website, and every price table on the site carries the date it was checked. Destination prices were last checked on 7 and 8 October 2026. Traviva earns a commission on Airalo eSIMs and QEEQ car hire through Travelpayouts, which plays no part in its picks.