The Complete Guide to Choosing the Best eSIM and SIM Cards for Overseas Travel | In-Depth Review of 10 Services

When traveling abroad or on business trips, the communication environment at the destination is a crucial factor that greatly influences travel stress. Overseas eSIMs and SIM cards are popular among many travelers because they tend to be more affordable than traditional roaming services and offer stable connection speeds. However, choosing the right service, ensuring compatibility with your smartphone, and assessing actual communication quality can be confusing.

In this article, we compare 10 popular overseas eSIM and SIM card services in the market, analyzing their performance based on communication speed, pricing, and ease of speed restrictions. We reveal each service’s strengths and suggest how to select the best option according to your travel style.

3 Key Points to Check When Choosing Overseas eSIM or SIM Card

To avoid mistakes in service selection, focus on these three points:

Verification Point ①: Price competitiveness
Even with the same data capacity, prices vary between services. It’s important to check which provider offers the lowest prices for your travel days and regions.

Verification Point ②: Actual data speed
Beyond catalog specs, understanding real-world speeds during video streaming and social media use greatly impacts your experience.

Verification Point ③: Ease of speed restrictions
Even with large data plans, speed restrictions render them useless if they occur midway. How well a service resists restrictions in actual usage scenarios is a key factor.

10 Services for Comfortable Communication During Overseas Travel

【Top Choice for Speed-Focused Users】World eSIM (Vision)

Overall Rating: 4.68 (as of December 22, 2025)

Vision’s “World eSIM” is a data-only eSIM service supporting over 200 countries and regions. It offers a 10% discount via app and allows real-time data usage management through a dashboard.

Pros:

• Excellent speeds in Korea and Hawaii, maintaining smooth video viewing
• No speed restrictions after using 15GB in Korea during actual tests
• Among the cheapest options in Thailand; competitive prices in Korea and Hawaii

Cons:

• Slightly higher prices in Taiwan compared to other services

【Balanced Price and Speed】Glocal eSIM (GlocalNet)

Overall Rating: 4.36 (as of December 22, 2025)

GlocalNet’s “Glocal eSIM” is simple to use—just scan a QR code to activate. It offers flexible usage periods from 3 to 30 days, supports 5G, and provides Japanese support.

Pros:

• Good communication quality in Korea, practical for video streaming
• Robustness confirmed with no speed drops after 15GB in Korea
• Industry’s lowest prices in Thailand; competitive in Hawaii, Korea, and Taiwan

Cons:

• Variable speeds depending on time of day in Hawaii
• Higher prices in Italy

【Best for Hawaii Travelers】Ubigi (Transatel)

Overall Rating: 4.21 (as of December 22, 2025)

Ubigi by Transatel covers over 200 countries. It offers short-term plans and long-term options like monthly and yearly subscriptions, suitable for various travel patterns.

Pros:

• Sufficient speeds for all scenarios, including video in Hawaii
• Low risk of speed restrictions after one day of video use in Korea
• Cost-effective plans in Hawaii and Italy, easy to use

Cons:

• Speeds in Korea may be insufficient even for social media browsing
• No 3-day plans, limiting options for short trips to Korea, Taiwan, or Thailand
• Activation can involve longer waiting times before service is available

【Great for Korea and Hawaii Expeditions】eSIM square (Telecom Square)

Overall Rating: 4.17 (as of December 22, 2025)

eSIM square from Telecom Square offers services in over 200 regions worldwide, with recharge options for data shortages. 24/7 Japanese chat support is highly appreciated.

Pros:

• High-speed data including video streaming in Korea and Hawaii
• No restrictions after using 15GB in Korea during tests
• Particularly affordable in Korea

Cons:

• Higher prices in Hawaii and Italy
• No 3-day plans for Taiwan or Thailand

【Discount Code for Savings】airalo (AIRALO)

Overall Rating: 4.08 (as of December 22, 2025)

Originating from Singapore, AIRALO’s “airalo” is available in over 200 countries and regions. It supports 53 languages, multiple currencies, and 24/7 multilingual support, making it user-friendly regardless of nationality.

Pros:

• 15% discount possible with promo codes
• Industry’s lowest prices in Korea, Hawaii, Italy, and Taiwan
• Low risk of restrictions after about one day of browsing in Korea

Cons:

• No 3-day plans for Thailand
• Speeds may be insufficient for video streaming in Korea and Hawaii

【Limited Countries, High Cost-Performance】DHA SIM (DHA SIM)

Overall Rating: 4.02 (as of December 22, 2025)

DHA SIM by DHA Corporation offers both physical and eSIM options. When using eSIM, activation via QR code is quick, but note that QR codes are mailed.

Pros:

• Speeds in Korea and Hawaii support video viewing
• Cheapest overall in Taiwan; affordable in Korea and Hawaii

Cons:

• Limited supported countries compared to others
• No 3-day or 7-day plans for Thailand and Italy respectively
• Long SNS and browsing sessions in Korea may trigger restrictions

【Ideal for Multi-Country Tours】TRAVeSIM (a2network)

Overall Rating: 3.99 (as of December 22, 2025)

a2network’s “TRAVeSIM” is a prepaid eSIM/SIM card supporting over 140 countries. Multi-country travel plans, 5G support, and 24/7 Japanese support are key features.

Pros:

• Low risk of restrictions after one day of video in Korea
• Reasonable prices for Korea, Taiwan, Hawaii, Italy

Cons:

• Speeds in Korea and Hawaii are insufficient for video streaming
• No 3-day plans for Thailand

【Unlimited Plans for Budget Users】Holafly (Holafly)

Overall Rating: 3.82 (as of December 22, 2025)

Holafly from Spain offers unlimited data plans in over 120 countries. Long-term options like monthly and yearly plans are available, and a referral system provides discounts.

Pros:

• Competitive prices in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Hawaii, Italy
• Speed remains stable after one day of video in Korea

Cons:

• Browsing speeds in Korea and Hawaii may be lacking
• Social media speeds may not be sufficient

【The Dilemma of Comfort vs. Cost】Trifa (Trifa)

Overall Rating: 3.72 (as of December 22, 2025)

Trifa’s “Trifa” supports over 200 countries and regions. Easy app-based purchase and activation, 24/7 Japanese chat support, and flexible short- and long-term plans are its strengths.

Pros:

• Sufficient speeds for video and general use in Hawaii
• No restrictions after using 15GB in Korea

Cons:

• Slower speeds for SNS and browsing in Korea, less user-friendly
• Overall higher prices, not ideal for budget-conscious users

【Hawaii and Beyond—Careful Consideration Needed】SkyeSiM (FREEDiVE)

Overall Rating: 3.71 (as of December 22, 2025)

FREEDiVE’s “SkyeSiM” is a renewed version of SkySiM, offering daily data and region options. Supports over 120 countries, easy purchase via website without apps, and multiple payment options.

Pros:

• Relatively low prices in Hawaii

Cons:

• Higher prices in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Italy
• No 7-day unlimited plan in Italy
• Unstable SNS browsing in Korea and Hawaii, especially at certain times
• Speed restrictions likely during SNS use in Korea

Travel Pattern-Based Service Recommendations

For heavy video streaming and app use:
Choose from World eSIM, Glocal eSIM, or eSIM square for optimal connectivity.

For budget-conscious travelers relying mainly on social media and email:
Use discount codes for airalo or opt for Holafly’s unlimited plans.

For multi-country trips:
TRAVeSIM’s multi-region plans or the widely supported World eSIM are suitable.

Data verification is based on December 2025; future price changes and speed improvements may alter these assessments. When selecting an eSIM for overseas travel, consider your destination, stay duration, and usage patterns to choose the service that best matches your needs for a more satisfying experience.