eSIM4Travel vs Saily: Which eSIM Is Better in 2026?

eSIM4Travel vs Saily: buying the eSIM

Purchase process

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 8/10

Four simple steps on a website in 41 languages. Points lost for typing card details by hand and no quick sign-in in our test.

Saily 7/10

Quick checkout with Google sign-in and Google Pay, but the eSIM comes only through the app and marketing emails are on by default.

Verdict: eSIM4Travel wins by a point. Saily's checkout was quicker, with Google sign-in and Google Pay. But eSIM4Travel gives you the eSIM on the website and by email, and takes PayPal, while Saily sends you to download its app.

Buying from eSIM4Travel

eSIM4Travel sells only on its website, which is translated into 41 languages, including Czech and Polish [4]. The four steps are simple: pick a plan, register, pay, get the eSIM. Our eSIM4Travel review covers each one.

• Registration: first name, last name, phone number and email [1]. We confirmed our email before we could pay, and found no quick sign-in in our test.
• Payments: the terms name card or PayPal, in US dollars [1]. The footer shows Apple Pay too [4], but we saw no wallet button and typed our card by hand.
• Delivery: the QR code is stored in your account and emailed to you [1].
• Taxes are not mentioned anywhere on the site, so it is unclear whether the price shown is final.

Buying from Saily

Sign-up with Google took seconds and Google Pay made checkout quick. The thank-you page then sends you to download the app, the only place the eSIM lives. Our Saily review walks through every step.

• Payments: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, UnionPay and JCB, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay [9]. PayPal is not at checkout.
• Currency and tax: US dollars, VAT included. You choose a tax country, which also decides which Saily company you contract with [10].
• Marketing by default: the sign-up fine print says Saily will send marketing messages. You can opt out in the app profile or through each email [11].
• Credits: every plan earns 3% back in Saily credits [14]. eSIM4Travel has no loyalty scheme, but ran a 12% discount banner when we checked [4].

eSIM4TraveleSIM4Travel checkout on the website

SailySaily checkout on the website

The eSIM4Travel website vs the Saily app

Mobile app

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel /10

eSIM4Travel has no app, so this category does not count toward its score. The website covers buying and top-ups.

Saily 9/10

Clean, quick and easy to use, with auto top-up, a VPN, an ad blocker and web protection built in.

Verdict: Saily wins by default, because eSIM4Travel has no app. Saily's is the most polished app we have tested. In one way the two end up alike: both lock you out of the store once your data runs out, so either way you need Wi-Fi to buy more.

eSIM4Travel without an app

eSIM4Travel has no iOS or Android app, even though its terms mention one [1]. The website does the job: buy and top up from any browser, see the QR code under My eSIM, and check your data use in the account [4]. Our data stopped exactly when the allowance ran out, and without Wi-Fi we could not reach the store.

The Saily app

Saily's app is clean, quick and shows a clear message after purchase: installing the eSIM will not start the plan. It also carries three extras, all included in the price [10]:

• Virtual location: a VPN that routes your traffic through another country, on only when you switch it on.
• Ad blocker and web protection: DNS filtering against ads, trackers and phishing, on by default. Saily claims the ad blocker saved 28.6% of data in a lab test; we did not measure that.
• Auto Top-Up: buys a new plan when the current one runs out, and switches off after a failed payment.

Saily warns that app access may be limited in China and Turkey, so set everything up before you fly [17] [16]. A website like eSIM4Travel's has no such catch, though it needs a browser and a connection all the same.

Installing an eSIM4Travel eSIM vs a Saily eSIM

eSIM installation

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 8/10

QR code from the website, data roaming on, and it worked right away without a restart. No app wizard to guide you.

Saily 9/10

The smoothest install we have seen, done inside the app. You still turn the eSIM on in your phone settings yourself.

Verdict: Saily wins by a point. Saily installs the eSIM inside its app with no QR code at all. eSIM4Travel's QR code worked right away, but you add the eSIM in your phone settings yourself, with no wizard.

eSIM4Travel installation and when the plan starts

1. Open My eSIM on the website and take a screenshot of the QR code, or use the emailed copy [1].
2. Add the eSIM in your phone settings by scanning the code.
3. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. Ours connected at once with no restart.
4. Activate within 90 days. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects at the destination [5].

Each eSIM4Travel eSIM works on one device only [5]. Many of its plans run on two local networks, so you can switch by hand when one is weak; our guide on eSIMs with several networks shows how.

Saily installation and when the plan starts

Saily installs the eSIM inside the app with no QR code [9], and ends with a reminder to turn on data roaming. The app did not switch the eSIM on, though: we enabled it in the phone settings and chose it as the data line.

• Starts at the destination: the plan activates on your first connection abroad, not at installation [12].
• 180-day limit: a plan you never activate starts on its own 180 days after purchase [10].
• Unlocked phone needed: the terms require a carrier-unlocked, eSIM-compatible device [10].

Not sure about your phone? Check our list of phones with eSIM support.

eSIM4Travel

Saily

eSIM4Travel vs Saily customer support

Customer support

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 10/10

Short chatbot step, one click to a human, and an agent who solved the issue and added a tip on switching networks.

Saily 10/10

Help center first, then a chatbot, then a fast human agent who asks for screenshots. Neutral, respectful and useful.

Verdict: a tie at the top. These are the only two providers that scored 10 for support in our tests. Both start with a bot and hand you to a helpful human fast. eSIM4Travel's route is a little shorter; Saily's agent asked for screenshots and worked through the issue.

eSIM4Travel support in our test

We answered the bot once, clicked to talk to an agent, and a real person joined right away. After fixing our issue, the agent reminded us that our Swiss plan ran on both Salt and Sunrise, so we could switch if one had a poor signal. Contact routes: 24/7 chat on the website [4], [email protected] [2] and a contact form. There is no phone line or WhatsApp.

Saily support in our test

Saily shows help articles first, then a chatbot that advises as far as it can. A human agent then took over, asked for screenshots and worked through the issue. Replies were fast and to the point, in a neutral and respectful tone.

Contact routes: 24/7 live chat in the app and [email protected], with no phone line [10]. Ultra subscribers get priority support [18]. Both share the top spot in our ranking of eSIM customer support.

eSIM4Travel

Saily

eSIM4Travel vs Saily speed test

Speed test

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 8/10

Full 4G speed with no throttling, and an upload speed higher than most eSIMs we have tested.

Saily 8/10

174 Mbps down and 70 Mbps up on 5G is decent, but far below what the same network can deliver.

Verdict: a tie. Both tests ran in Switzerland and neither plan was throttled. Saily was faster on download over 5G; eSIM4Travel was faster on upload over 4G. Saily's unlimited plans give more data at full speed.

eSIM4Travel speed in our test

eSIM4Travel ran at 116 Mbps down and 89.5 Mbps up on 4G, with both networks on the plan delivering full speed. Its unlimited plans give 3 GB a day at high speed, then up to 1 Mbps [5]. Day passes drop to 128 kbps once the day's data is used. The terms themselves contain no fair-use clause [1]; the limit is printed only on plan pages.

Saily speed in our test

Saily ran at 174 Mbps down and 70 Mbps up on 5G, enough for anything a traveler does. A Swisscom SIM reaches nearly 1 Gbps at the same spot, so Saily does not use the network's full potential. Unlimited plans run at full speed for 5 GB a day, or 3 GB in some destinations, then at 1 Mbps until local midnight [10]. In Japan it uses KDDI and SoftBank [14].

Our Switzerland eSIM guide compares every provider where both tests ran, and our 4G vs 5G explainer shows what each speed is enough for.

eSIM4Travel

Saily

eSIM4Travel vs Saily prices

Prices

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 10/10

The cheapest provider in our comparison tool for most plan sizes and regions. The edge fades at 50 GB and in the Americas.

Saily 8/10

At market for 3 GB and cheap in Oceania, but among the dearest in most popular European destinations.

Verdict: eSIM4Travel wins by a wide margin, wider than the two price scores suggest. Like for like (same country, data amount and trip length), eSIM4Travel ranks 1st of 12 fixed-data providers and Saily 8th. eSIM4Travel was cheaper than Saily in all 23 of our popular destinations where both sell plans.

Saily's one price win is unlimited data in the destinations where it gives 5 GB a day: per full-speed gigabyte it costs a little less there. It also has a few cheap small islands, like Tonga and Bermuda.

eSIM4Travel vs Saily fixed-data prices

Median price of each plan size across all countries where it is sold, as of 2 Oct 2026:

The gap is about half at every size up to 10 GB. In the 24 popular destinations it is larger still: eSIM4Travel is the cheapest provider in 18 of them, while Saily is among the two most expensive in 14, including France, Italy and the UK. Our guide to how much data you need for travel helps you pick the size.

eSIM4Travel vs Saily unlimited prices

eSIM4Travel is cheaper per day, Saily per fast gigabyte. Median prices for 15 days of unlimited data across all countries, as of 13 Oct 2026:

Saily's 15-day plans cost $45.99 in the US and $48.99 in the UK [13] [15]. Its terms allow 3 GB a day in some destinations without saying which [10], and there the per-gigabyte edge disappears. eSIM4Travel sells unlimited plans for 3 to 30 days, with a 30-day median of $63.00. For most trips, a fixed plan is cheaper still: a 30-day eSIM4Travel unlimited plan costs 8.3 times its own 10 GB plan.

Regional and global plans

• Europe: eSIM4Travel's Best Europe 41 covers 41 countries from $0.69 per GB, with 10 GB for $8.81 [7]. Saily's Europe plan is much dearer than the market in our comparison.
• Global: eSIM4Travel's Global 72 costs $1.80 for 1 GB [8]. Saily's Global plan costs $8.99 for 1 GB over 7 days and covers 121 destinations [12]; its 20 GB for 365 days at $66.99 suits frequent travelers.
• Phone number: only Saily sells one, a US number for $1.99 a month, with call and text packs from $0.99 [9].
• Subscription: Saily Ultra costs from $39.99 a month, with 10 GB at full speed, lounge passes and NordVPN included [18]. eSIM4Travel has none.

How eSIM4Travel and Saily compare on 10 GB, 30-day plans

All providers ranked by median price per GB for 10 GB, 30-day plans, the same basket as in every Vefru provider review. 10 GB is a size where the two sit far apart.

eSIM4Travel and Saily against the market

The box below sums up both providers' price position against the market: their rank among fixed-data providers, how often each had the cheapest or dearest plan, where each is a good deal, and the countries where eSIM4Travel is clearly cheaper.

eSIM4Travel vs Saily: prices

eSIM4Travel is cheaper almost everywhere and at almost every size, often by half. Saily is cheaper only on a few small islands and per full-speed gigabyte on its 5 GB-a-day unlimited plans.

Price rank among 12 providers

eSIM4Travel1/12 Saily8/12

1 = cheapest, across 3,013 like-for-like plan comparisons.

Cheapest plan in eSIM4Travel49% Saily4%

Most expensive plan in eSIM4Travel5% Saily11%

Share of comparisons (same country, data amount and trip length) where each provider had the cheapest, or the most expensive, plan.

Who is cheaper for what

eSIM4Travel Saily

By amount of data

1 GB much cheaper pricier

3 GB much cheaper average

5 GB much cheaper pricier

10 GB much cheaper pricier

20 GB much cheaper pricier

50 GB pricier none sold

Unlimited cheaper pricier

By region

Europe much cheaper pricier

Asia much cheaper pricier

Oceania much cheaper cheaper

Africa cheaper average

South America cheaper pricier

North America average pricier

By regional plan

Europe plan much cheaper much pricier

Asia plan much cheaper much pricier

Across all comparisons Saily's unlimited plans sit above market, but in destinations with 5 GB a day at full speed they cost less per fast gigabyte than eSIM4Travel's. Saily sells almost nothing above 20 GB.

Where eSIM4Travel is clearly cheaper

eSIM4Travel is cheaper in

• China
• Switzerland
• Greece
• Egypt
• France
• Italy
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Portugal
• Mexico

Among our 24 most popular destinations, as of 13 Oct 2026, eSIM4Travel was cheaper than Saily in all 23 where both sell plans. Saily's cheapest countries are small islands like Tonga, Nauru and Bermuda.

Based on all 1,988 eSIM4Travel plans and all 818 Saily plans, each compared with 13 other providers for the same country, data amount and trip length. How we compare prices (prices as of 2 Oct 2026).

Go to eSIM4Travel Go to Saily Compare both providers

Our cheapest eSIM comparison sets both against every other provider we track.

What customers say about eSIM4Travel and Saily

Customer feedback

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 8.8/10

A good Trustpilot rating from a small number of reviews. Praise for support and prices, complaints about dropouts.

Saily 9.4/10

4.7 on Trustpilot from more than 31,000 reviews. Praise for easy setup and human support; complaints about failed connections.

Verdict: Saily wins. It holds 4.7 on Trustpilot from 31,741 reviews, against 4.4 from 202 for eSIM4Travel. Saily's base is more than 150 times larger, so its rating is far more stable, and it also rates well on both app stores.

The praise is similar for both: fast human support, low prices against roaming and an easy install. So are the complaints: connections that drop or fail on arrival, and patchy coverage outside cities. Saily's reviewers add refunds refused after any data use, often paid as credits. Our analysis of customer reviews across 11 providers sets them against the rest.

What customers say about eSIM4Travel and Saily

Trustpilot reviews and app store ratings for both providers, read in October 2026.

eSIM4Travel Saily

Trustpilot 4.4/5202 reviews 4.7/531,741 reviews

App Store No app 4.7/512k ratings

Google Play No app 4.5/594k ratings

eSIM4Travel has 202 Trustpilot reviews against Saily's 31,741, so its rating moves faster with each review.

What customers like and dislike

eSIM4Travel

Support answers within minutes on chat and readily gives refunds or free replacement eSIMs

Prices are among the lowest, well below roaming and many other eSIM providers

The eSIM is easy to buy and install, and in most countries it connects right away

The connection can be slow or keep dropping, and some users had to toggle airplane mode

Coverage can be patchy outside big cities and in mountains

Saily

The app walks you through every install step, even if you are not tech-savvy

Prices are a fraction of what home carriers charge for roaming

The AI chat hands over to a patient human agent who fixes the problem

The eSIM sometimes fails to connect on arrival or stops working mid-trip

Refunds are refused once any data has been used and often come only as Saily credits

One typical review each

eSIM4TravelSupport

I had an issue connecting in France and was able to contact customer service promptly via chat. They sent me a new eSIM at no charge that worked perfectly. The customer service representative even checked back to see if everything was okay after they saw that the new eSIM was using some data. Fantastic product and helpful customer service.

SailyPrice

I purchased 2 eSims one for Japan and one for China, they were only about £5 each I downloaded them at home prior to travelling. I then used them for a week in each country on my recent holiday. They were easy to use and I had plenty of data. Highly recommend.

Where customers report good experiences

eSIM4Travel

• United States
• Albania
• Canada
• France

Saily

• Japan
• Thailand
• United States
• Vietnam

Go to eSIM4Travel Go to Saily Compare all eSIMs

eSIM4Travel vs Saily coverage: where each eSIM works

Coverage

Vefru rating

eSIM4Travel 9/10

Travelers report it working in 87% of cases, with fewer failures than the market in the same countries, but the sample is small.

Saily 8/10

Plans for about 200 destinations, but traveler reports below the market average, with weak spots in China, Mexico and Australia.

Verdict: eSIM4Travel wins on reliability, Saily on reach. Travelers report eSIM4Travel working in 104 of 119 country-level reports (87%), 4th of 14 providers after adjusting for destinations. Saily worked in 328 of 407 (80.6%), 11th of 14, against a market average of 85.3%.

"Worked in" is separate from our test score: travelers tell us whether an eSIM worked in a country, yes or no. Both samples are small next to the biggest providers, and eSIM4Travel's is the smallest of all 14, so treat the country figures as a hint.

Where eSIM4Travel works and where it does not

eSIM4Travel says it covers 160+ countries and regions [4]; we counted 158 single-country destinations, plus regional bundles. It worked in all 21 reports from Western Europe, and in Canada, Albania, Switzerland and France without a single failure. The US (12 of 15) and Bosnia (3 of 5) are its weakest reported spots. Its US plans run on AT&T or T-Mobile [6].

Some places have no eSIM4Travel plan at all, among them Lebanon, Myanmar, Bhutan, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kosovo and Papua New Guinea. It also has no reports yet from Japan, Australia, India or Egypt, so no data either way there.

Where Saily works and where it does not

Saily picks its operators itself and makes no promise on coverage or quality [10]. It is strong in Japan (36 of 37) and good in the US, the UK, Thailand, Vietnam and India. It is weak in China (9 of 14), Mexico, Australia and, on small samples, South Korea, Switzerland and Egypt. Its Global plan covers 121 countries, not the 200+ of its headline [12].

For the US, Saily has the stronger reports of the two; our USA eSIM guide names the best options. For Japan, see our Japan eSIM guide. The two boxes below show each provider's full country list, eSIM4Travel first.

eSIM4Travel vs Saily terms and conditions

Verdict: eSIM4Travel has the kinder refund policy, Saily the clearer terms. eSIM4Travel refunds plans with under 10% of the data used for 2 months. Saily's terms are dated, name the law that applies and announce renewals and price rises first, but refund an activated plan only if almost nothing was used.

eSIM4Travel's terms name "eSIM4Travel Inc", while the footer says it is a brand of FreshQ Inc. in California; none of its three documents shows a date [1] [4]. Saily's contract is with Saily UAB in Vilnius for EEA customers, CyberQuay in Sydney for Australia and Saily Inc. in Chicago for everyone else [10].

What's in the eSIM4Travel and Saily terms

eSIM4Travel's refund policy is clearly kinder, but its terms are thin and undated. Saily's terms favor Saily on refunds and data logging, yet they are clear, dated and protect EU consumers' local rights.

eSIM4Travel Saily

Refunds Full refund within 2 monthsIf you no longer need the eSIM, you get the full price back within 2 months, with under 10% of the data used. Refunds only if almost nothing was usedAn activated plan is refunded only with more than 99% of the data unused and a request within 30 days.

Unused plans Activate within 90 daysPlan pages give 90 days to activate; validity starts on the first connection at the destination. Plans start on their own after 180 daysA regular plan you do not activate within 180 days starts by itself, and its validity runs.

Disputes No governing law or court namedThe terms say nothing about which law applies or where disputes go. Delaware law, but EU consumers keep local courtsDisputes go to Delaware after a written notice; class actions are waived.

Policy updates Refund policy can be rewritten without noticeeSIM4Travel makes the final call on every refund, and none of its documents shows a date. Renewals and price rises announced firstYou get at least 3 days' notice before a renewal charge and advance notice of any price rise.

Unlimited data No fair-use clause in the termsThe 3 GB-a-day limit appears only on plan pages; the terms have no speed clause. 3 or 5 GB a day, then 1 MbpsThe daily allowance depends on the destination, and heavy tethering can get you slowed or cut off.

Your data No retention periods givenPayPal processes card payments, and privacy questions go to an address on a different domain. Where your traffic goes is loggedSaily records your traffic destinations and app categories plus your IMEI, and keeps billing data for 10 years.

Red flag Watch out Fair

Sources: eSIM4Travel: Terms and conditions, Refund policy, Privacy policy. Saily: Consumer Terms of Service (updated 27 Aug 2026), Privacy Policy (updated 10 Aug 2026). Read on 7 Oct 2026. Our reading, not legal advice.

eSIM4Travel vs Saily refunds in practice

• eSIM4Travel: contact the chat or [email protected] with your order number within 2 months. Incompatible or locked phones also get a full refund, and connection problems caused by eSIM4Travel or a network outage get a full or partial one. Money returns in 5 to 7 days [2].
• Saily: an eSIM never installed, or installed without the plan being activated, can be refunded in full [10]. Customers report that refunds after any use are refused and often paid as Saily credits.
• Your data: eSIM4Travel names PayPal as its card processor and sends privacy questions to an address on a different domain [3]. Saily keeps plan and support records for 3 years and billing data for 10 [11].

eSIM4Travel vs Saily: which eSIM to pick

Verdict: eSIM4Travel wins this eSIM4Travel vs Saily comparison, 8.8 against 8.6. It is the best provider we have tested, and Saily is the second best. eSIM4Travel costs about half as much for the same data, refunds more generously and fails less often in traveler reports.

Saily's case is a good app. It installs inside the app, adds a VPN and an ad blocker, tops up on its own and gives 5 GB a day on most unlimited plans. If both fit your trip, the price gap decides it. Both also beat the best-known brand: see our Airalo vs eSIM4Travel comparison and our Airalo vs Saily comparison.

eSIM4Travel or Saily: which one should you pick?

Based on our tests, eSIM4Travel is the better eSIM and the best provider we have tested: far cheaper, with support just as good. Saily is the better pick if you want an app, a VPN or more full-speed data on unlimited plans.

Our pick

8.8/10

Pick eSIM4Travel if you

• Want the lowest price for 1 to 20 GB, about half of Saily's.
• Want to buy on a website, pay with PayPal and get the QR code by email.
• Need 50 GB, which Saily barely sells.
• Are going to Western Europe, Canada or Switzerland, where travelers report no failures.
• Want a refund window of 2 months for a plan you barely used.

Most travelers needing 1 to 20 GB for one trip.

Go to eSIM4Travel Read the full eSIM4Travel review

Our pick

8.6/10

Pick Saily if you

• Want an app that installs the eSIM and tops up on its own.
• Want a VPN, an ad blocker and web protection included.
• Want unlimited data with 5 GB a day at full speed.
• Are going to Japan or the US, where Saily has strong traveler reports.

Travelers who want everything in one polished app.

Go to Saily Read the full Saily review

Look at another provider if you

• Need calls and texts in many countries: Airalo sells 164 packages with minutes.
• Need 50 GB or more at the lowest price: Global YO is cheaper at that size.
• Want unlimited data across many countries: Maya Mobile's global plan costs $49.99 for 30 days.

Compare every provider for your destination

eSIM4Travel and Saily plans and prices

Verdict: the tables above are a snapshot; the finder below is live. Pick your destination, or several, to see every eSIM4Travel and Saily plan side by side with current prices.

For a two-country trip, try eSIM4Travel and Saily for France and Switzerland, where eSIM4Travel had no failed reports. Our France eSIM guide covers the rest of the field.