What decides a pick
The five things I look at for every destination, with what each one looked like for Japan on Oct 15, 2026.
The network in that country
A travel eSIM borrows one of the country's own networks, and they don't all reach the same places. Two eSIMs at the same price can behave very differently once you leave the big cities, so I name the network behind every plan.
- Ubigi
- Docomo + KDDI
- Nomad
- KDDI + SoftBank
- Holafly
- KDDI + SoftBank
Ubigi's store page also lists SoftBank. Nomad plans over 10 GB use KDDI only.
The price for your trip
A 1 GB teaser plan tells you nothing about your trip. I price the plan size your trip needs, divide it by the days, and set it next to your carrier's day pass, which is what you'd pay by doing nothing.
- AT&T or Verizon day pass
- $120.00
- T-Mobile pass, 5 GB
- $35.00
- Ubigi, 10 GB
- $16.50
Ubigi works out to about $1.65 a day.
What "unlimited" really gives you
Most unlimited plans slow you down once you pass a set amount of data in a day. That amount is the number that matters, so you get it beside every unlimited plan, along with any limit on sharing your connection as a hotspot.
- Nomad
- 2 GB
- Airalo
- 3 GB, then 1 Mbps
- Saily
- 5 GB
- Holafly, as a hotspot
- 1 GB
Unlimited plans for Japan.
Where your connection appears to come from
Some eSIMs send your data through another country. Most apps won't notice, but a few, like a banking app or a streaming service, may not open or may act as if you were somewhere else. Providers rarely publish this, so I pass on what travelers report, and how many of them.
- Ubigi
- Japan two user reports
- Airalo
- Singapore several user reports
- Saily
- Hong Kong one user report
One Airalo user saw a US IP address instead. The Saily report dates from August 2025.
Refunds
Trips get cancelled. Some providers give your money back on an unused plan, others give credit you can only spend with them. You get the terms with every pick.
- Holafly
- 100%, within 6 months
- Saily
- Full, within 30 days
- Airalo
- Credit only (Airmoney)
Holafly pays back to your original payment method. Airmoney is Airalo's in-app credit.
The pick for 10 days in Japan
Ubigi $16.50
How often I check prices
I check every price at least once a month, and every pick shows the date of the last check, like this:
Prices checked Oct 15, 2026
The price on the provider's site when you buy is the one that counts.
When a pick changes
A pick changes when another plan becomes the better buy for the same trip, because of a price drop, a new network or a new cap on unlimited data.
Corrections
Spotted a price that moved or a plan that's gone? Here is how to tell me.
Which eSIM provider is best?
Which provider is best for eSIM?
It depends on where you're going, because each eSIM runs on a different local network. For most trips Airalo is the best overall, with plans for most countries in one app. For Japan, Ubigi is the better buy, and for Europe, Airalo Eurolink.
What is the most reliable eSIM provider?
The one that runs on a strong network in the country you visit. The same provider can use a different network in each country, so reliability is decided country by country. Each destination page names the network every plan uses.
What's the most trusted eSIM for international trips?
Look at two things you can check before you pay: the network the eSIM uses in the country you're visiting, and what happens to your money if the trip falls through. Every pick on this site shows both. For one eSIM across several countries, see the best eSIM for international travel.