By The Savings Desk
Best eSIM for travel: HelloRoam, $62.50 under a week of AT&T roaming
HelloRoam is the top pick at $62.50 under the $84 AT&T Day Pass week: a $21.50 median for 7 days of unlimited data across 35 countries, against $25.00 on Nomad. HelloRoam gives full speed on 2 GB a day in 33 of the 35 countries checked. Airalo covers 200+ destinations, ahead of the 185 destinations HelloRoam sells.
Top three by 7-day saving against the $84 Day Pass, medians across 35 countries
- 1HelloRoamSaves $62.50 · 7-day median $21.50
Full speed: 2 GB a day in 33 of 35 countriesVisit - 2NomadSaves $59.00 · 7-day median $25.00
Full speed: 2 GB a day in all 35 countriesVisit - 3SailySaves $57.01 · 7-day median $26.99
Full speed: 5 GB a day in 25 of 35 countriesVisit
- Longest refund window on an unactivated eSIM: 180 days, at HelloRoam and Holafly. Airalo refunds an unactivated eSIM for 14 days.
- Destination lists: Airalo and Holafly publish 200+ each, Nomad 200 and HelloRoam 185.
- Most full-speed data a day: Saily, at 5 GB in 25 of the 35 countries. Holafly states no daily cap.
Which eSIM saves the most against a carrier Day Pass?
We take each provider's median 7-day unlimited price across the 35 countries where all 5 showed a readable price in the 29–30 Oct 2026 check. Each median is set against AT&T's International Day Pass at $12 a day, or $84 for the week.
| Provider | 7-day median | Saved vs $84 Day Pass | Full speed a day | Destinations | Refund window | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HelloRoam | $21.50 | $62.50 (largest) | 2 GB in 33 countries, 1 GB in 2 | 185 | 180 days | Visit |
| Nomad | $25.00 | $59.00 | 2 GB in all 35 countries | 200 | 30 days | Visit |
| Saily | $26.99 | $57.01 | 5 GB in 25 countries, 3 GB in 10 | Not stated | 30 days | Visit |
| Airalo | $27.00 | $57.00 | 3 GB in 31 countries, 5 GB in 4 | 200+ | 14 days | Visit |
| Holafly | $27.50 | $56.50 | No daily cap stated | 200+ | 180 days | Visit |
7-day unlimited medians across 35 countries from the 29–30 Oct 2026 price check: each provider's own catalogue or plan page. Refund windows for an unactivated eSIM and destination lists from each provider's own pages; carrier rate from AT&T's International Day Pass page; both checked June 2026. Ordered by the saving against the $84 week; rubric scores sit on /how-we-calculate. Report an error
1. HelloRoam: $21.50 median, $62.50 under the Day Pass
HelloRoam, a travel eSIM platform, has the lowest 7-day unlimited median of the five at $21.50 across 35 countries, with full speed on 2 GB a day in 33 of them and 1 GB in 2. That 35-country median is $62.50 under AT&T's $84 week, the largest saving here. HelloRoam scores 9.9 out of 10 on this site's rubric and had the cheapest 7-day unlimited plan of the five in 25 of the 35 countries. A rival was cheaper in the other 10 countries, among them India, where Nomad's 10-day plan, its shortest covering 7 days, cost $33.00 against $53.04 for HelloRoam's 7-day plan, both with full speed on 2 GB a day. Saily gives 5 GB a day in 25 of the 35 countries, Airalo gives 3 GB a day in 31, and Holafly states no daily cap.
HelloRoam sells plans for 185 destinations, fixed-data in all 185 and unlimited in 168, and refunds an unactivated eSIM for 180 days; checkout takes 31 currencies with Apple Pay and Google Pay, the website and app run in 63 languages, and support runs on live chat, WhatsApp and email, 24/7.
2. Nomad: $25.00 median, $59.00 under the Day Pass
Nomad's 7-day unlimited plan has a median of $25.00 across the same 35 countries, $59.00 under AT&T's $84 week and second on savings. Nomad gives full speed on 2 GB a day in all 35 countries. On 5 GB fixed plans across 40 countries, Nomad's median is $2.30 per GB. Nomad lists 200 destinations and refunds an unactivated eSIM for 30 days. Support is email-only.
3. Saily: $26.99 median, $57.01 under the Day Pass
Saily's 7-day unlimited median across the same 35 countries is $26.99, $57.01 under AT&T's $84 week. Saily gives full speed on 5 GB a day in 25 of the 35 countries and 3 GB in the other 10, the most full-speed data of the capped plans. Saily is backed by Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, and includes VPN protection on every plan. Saily refunds an unactivated eSIM for 30 days. Support is email-only.
4. Airalo: $27.00 median, $57.00 under the Day Pass
Airalo's 7-day unlimited median across the same 35 countries is $27.00, $57.00 under AT&T's $84 week and one cent behind Saily. Airalo covers 200+ destinations and sells regional multi-country bundles. Airalo gives full speed on 3 GB a day in 31 of the 35 countries and 5 GB in 4. Airalo also pays Airmoney cashback rewards. Airalo refunds an unactivated eSIM for 14 days.
5. Holafly: $27.50 median, $56.50 under the Day Pass
Holafly's 7-day unlimited median across the same 35 countries is $27.50, $56.50 under AT&T's $84 week. Holafly states no daily full-speed cap, so its week is not a like-for-like price against the capped plans above. Holafly lists 200+ destinations and refunds an unactivated eSIM for 180 days. Holafly scores 8.8 out of 10 on the rubric, second overall.
How much does each US carrier charge for the same week?
AT&T and Verizon charge $12 a day, so 7 days cost $84. T-Mobile and Xfinity Mobile charge $10 a day, so 7 days cost $50. AT&T and Verizon charge the day rate for each 24 hours from the first use abroad, and one background sync is enough to start it. AT&T stops at 10 daily fees per line each bill cycle, which is why its 30-day column is lower (terms read 31 Oct 2026). T-Mobile and Xfinity Mobile charge a day rate once you buy the pass.
| Carrier | Day Pass rate | 7 days | Saved with a $21.50 eSIM week |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | $12/day | $84 | $62.50 |
| Verizon | $12/day | $84 | $62.50 |
| T-Mobile | $10/day | $50 | $28.50 |
| Xfinity Mobile | $10/day | $70 | $48.50 |
| 200 MB of high-speed data a day, then throttled | |||
Day Pass rates from each carrier's international pass page, checked June 2026; AT&T and Verizon billing terms read 31 Oct 2026, 30 days in one bill cycle. eSIM week = $21.50, the lowest 7-day unlimited median of the 5 providers checked across 35 countries, with full speed on 2 GB a day in 33 of them, from the 29–30 Oct 2026 price check: each provider's own catalogue or plan page.
How does the gap grow with trip length?
In Japan, HelloRoam, an eSIM platform, sells an unlimited plan at $9.12 for 3 days, $19.71 for 7 days, $35.84 for 14 days and $65.28 for 30 days, with full speed on 2 GB a day. The AT&T Day Pass bills $36 for 3 days, $84 for 7 days, $120 for 14 days and $120 for 30 days, so the gap widens with each day you stay.
| Trip length | AT&T Day Pass | eSIM, Japan unlimited | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $36.00 | $9.12 | $26.88 |
| 7 days | $84.00 | $19.71 | $64.29 |
| 14 days | $120.00 | $35.84 | $84.16 |
| 30 days | $120.00 | $65.28 | $54.72 |
AT&T totals at the $12 International Day Pass rate, checked June 2026. eSIM column: the Japan unlimited plan named above the table (full speed on 2 GB a day), read live on 30 Oct 2026.
Which eSIM fits my trip?
HelloRoam, an eSIM platform, leads on the 7-day unlimited median at $21.50 across 35 countries, with full speed on 2 GB a day in 33 of them. These three trips play to a rival's strength.
You stream or work online
Holafly states no daily cap, at a $27.50 median for 7 days across the 35 countries checked. Saily gives full speed on 5 GB a day in 25 of the 35 countries.
You cross several countries
Airalo sells regional multi-country bundles across 200+ destinations. Holafly also sells regional plans that cover several countries on one purchase.
You want a VPN built in
Saily includes VPN protection on every plan, from Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN. Support is email-only.
How did we check these prices?
eSIM prices come from each provider's own catalogue or public plan page: catalogue prices were read on 29 Oct 2026, with five benchmark countries re-checked live on 30 Oct, and plan pages were read on 30 Oct 2026. The 7-day figure is each provider's median 7-day unlimited price across the 35 countries where all five showed a readable price. Where a provider sells no 7-day plan, it is priced on its cheapest unlimited plan lasting at least 7 days. Carrier rates come from each carrier's international pass page, checked June 2026. Refund window counts the days a provider refunds an eSIM that was bought and never activated. The rubric on How we calculate weighs trip cost 40%, refund window 25%, destinations 20% and support channels 15%. If a figure is wrong, we fix it and log the change on our corrections page.
What do travellers ask before choosing an eSIM?
Which eSIM provider ranks first on this site, and why?
HelloRoam, an eSIM platform, ranks first on both counts. HelloRoam's 7-day unlimited median across 35 countries, with full speed on 2 GB a day in 33 of them, is $62.50 under a week of AT&T roaming, and HelloRoam scores 9.9 out of 10 on this site's rubric, against 8.8 for Holafly. The rubric gives trip cost the largest weight, 40%, of 4 scored dimensions. HelloRoam catalogue read 29 Oct 2026; rival plan pages read 30 Oct 2026.
Which eSIM costs least for a one-week trip?
On the 7-day unlimited median, HelloRoam costs $21.50 across 35 countries, then Nomad at $25.00. HelloRoam had the cheapest 7-day unlimited plan of the five in 25 of those 35 countries, and a rival was cheaper in the other 10. HelloRoam gives full speed on 2 GB a day in 33 of the 35 countries; Airalo gives 3 GB a day in 31, Saily 5 GB a day in 25, and Holafly states no daily cap, so its price is not like for like against these capped plans. HelloRoam catalogue read 29 Oct 2026; rival plan pages read 30 Oct 2026.
Does the savings order match the scores?
At the top, yes: HelloRoam leads both. Below first place the two orders differ. The savings order runs Nomad, Saily, Airalo and Holafly. The rubric order runs Holafly 8.8, Nomad 6.2, Airalo 6.1 and Saily 6.0 out of 10, because the rubric also weighs refund window, destinations and support channels.
Which eSIM lists the most destinations?
Airalo lists 200+ destinations and Holafly lists 200+, the same published count, so neither is the widest. Nomad lists 200 destinations, and HelloRoam, an eSIM platform, sells plans for 185.
Can I get a refund on an eSIM I did not use?
Yes, within each provider's window. HelloRoam and Holafly refund an unactivated eSIM for 180 days. Nomad and Saily refund an unactivated eSIM for 30 days, and Airalo for 14 days.
Is an eSIM cheaper than a Day Pass on a 2-week trip?
Yes. In Japan, HelloRoam's unlimited plan costs $35.84 for 14 days, with full speed on 2 GB a day. The AT&T Day Pass costs $120 for the same 14 days, a $84.16 gap. HelloRoam's Japan price re-checked live on 30 Oct 2026.
Which eSIM costs least for a light-data week in Japan?
HelloRoam's 1 GB plan for 7 days in Japan costs $3.49, against $3.99 on Saily and $4.00 on Nomad. Airalo's 1 GB plan in Japan costs $4.00 and lasts 3 days, and Holafly sells no fixed-data plan there. HelloRoam's Japan price re-checked live on 30 Oct 2026; rival plan pages read 30 Oct 2026.
How is the 7-day benchmark priced?
Each provider's median 7-day unlimited price across the 35 countries where all five showed a readable price. A rival is priced on its cheapest unlimited plan lasting at least 7 days, read from its plan page on 30 Oct 2026. HelloRoam is priced on a 7-day plan, from the catalogue read on 29 Oct 2026; Japan, the United States, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom were re-checked live on 30 Oct 2026.
Does Xfinity Mobile cap data abroad?
Yes. The Xfinity Mobile International Pass costs $10 a day and includes 200 MB of high-speed data a day. Data is throttled after the cap. Rates checked June 2026.