Where are you going?
Prices differ enormously by destination, and the cheapest provider changes with the country. There is no single winner — anyone telling you otherwise hasn’t checked.
Indonesia (Bali)
Indonesia is the single biggest overseas destination for Australians, and Bali is most of that. It is also the destination where eSIM pricing diverges…
Compare eSIMs →Japan
Japan is the fastest-growing destination for Australian travellers — up roughly 85% since 2023 — and the most seasonal. If you're going for the snow b…
Compare eSIMs →China
In China the price is the second question. The first is whether Google, WhatsApp, Gmail and Instagram will work at all — and the answer depends …
Compare eSIMs →Vietnam
Vietnam is where Australian travel is growing fastest, and it is one of the cheaper places to buy mobile data — a 10GB month runs from $12.90. It is a…
Compare eSIMs →Thailand
Thailand is the cheapest destination in this comparison for mobile data, and the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive provider is absurd: $…
Compare eSIMs →Fiji
Fiji is the most expensive destination in this comparison for mobile data, and the one where the choice of local network matters most — four of the fi…
Compare eSIMs →Singapore
Singapore is the cheapest destination in this comparison for a 10GB month, at $13. It is also the one where the choice of local network matters most: …
Compare eSIMs →New Zealand
New Zealand is the second-biggest destination for Australians and the shortest trip on average, at around eight days. That short duration changes the …
Compare eSIMs →United States
The US is the one major destination where Australian travel is going backwards. It is also where the price spread between providers is widest for larg…
Compare eSIMs →Europe
Regional Europe plans are the best value in eSIM, because one plan covers a whole trip. Check the country count before you buy, though — the plans mar…
Compare eSIMs →What “unlimited” buys you before the brakes come on
Every provider here throttles. The difference is when, how hard, and whether you can share the connection with a laptop. None of this appears at checkout.
| 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+ |
| Holafly | ~2–3GB/day per third-party analysis; Holafly publishes no figure | 256–1024 kbps | 1GB/day | Never |
| Nomad | 2GB/day | 512 kbps | Supported | Thailand 50GB plan only, per review; otherwise unclear |
| Ubigi | No unlimited plan in several markets | n/a | Unlimited | Never — data only, no SMS |
Providers, honestly
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. No unlimited option in several major markets.
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.
Three things that decide this more than price
The daily cap is the real product spec. Saily gives you 5GB a day at full speed, Nomad gives you 2GB then drops to 512 kbps. If you stream or tether, you will hit these on day one.
Hotspot policy splits the field cleanly. Airalo, Saily and Ubigi allow unrestricted tethering. Holafly caps it at 1GB a day. Travelling with a laptop makes that disqualifying regardless of price.
Almost nobody gives you a phone number. Ubigi and Holafly never do. If you need SMS for two-factor codes, Saily’s add-on or Airalo’s voice packages are effectively the only answers.