eSIMs are undoubtedly one of the most convenient ways of staying connected whilst travelling. They are installed digitally and work alongside your physical SIM card. Set it up before arriving somewhere, and you can get internet the moment you touch down in a new destination.
But not all eSIMs are created equal, and I have been let down by a few brands, leaving me in difficult situations with patchy or little to no internet. Not what you want when you arrive in a destination you’ve never visited before!
As I travel full-time, I always need access to decent internet. Which also means I am regularly testing out numerous eSIM brands. And one brand that continues to impress me is Saily.
It is one of the highest-rated eSIM brands on the market, and for a good reason. In this Saily eSIM review, I am going to take you through these reasons, drawing upon my own experience of using their eSIM in many destinations across the world (I’ve used Saily in destinations as varied as Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, and Colombia).
I will discuss everything from ease of use, internet speeds and coverage, the data plan options, additional security features, and the pricing. I will compare it alongside other major eSIM brands, so you can get a well-rounded view of their offering.
TL;DR
There is a lot to love about Saily’s eSIMs – fast, reliable data; great coverage; affordable prices; and a variety of country-specific, regional, and global plans. Saily also offers security features (VPN, ad blocker, and web protection), plus a brand new monthly rolling global plan with travel perks. That’s why I’ve been using Saily exclusively on my travels for the past 6 months, including trips through Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, and Colombia.
Pros
- Just one eSIM download for all your travels
- Some of the most affordable prices
- Built-in ad blocker can save you 28.6% of data
- Data in over 200 destinations
- Regional and global plans (plus new Ultra Plan)
- Additional security features
- Excellent TrustPilot rating (4.7/5)
Cons
- No coverage in tricky areas, e.g. Cuba
- No calls and texts (like most eSIM brands)
Get 10% off your Saily eSIM by clicking on the link above or by using code MVT10 at checkout.
What is Saily?
Saily is one of the leading eSIM brands, which offers a simple setup, affordable prices, great coverage, and additional security features like an ad blocker, VPN, and web protection.
They offer data plans in over 200 destinations, including individual countries, regions, and global plans. Moreover, they have recently brought out their monthly rolling Ultra Plan, which works globally and includes additional travel perks, like access to airport lounges, security fast track at airports, a subscription to NordVPN, and much more!
Perks aside, they offer some of the best eSIM data plans, with great coverage and affordable prices.
Still unsure as to what an eSIM is? Find out more in this guide.
My experience
I’m a full-time traveller and remote worker. It is vital that I have access to the internet whilst on the move, which is why I rely so heavily on eSIMs. I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve pretty much tried them all! And I must say, not all eSIM brands are made equal.
I’ve been using Saily exclusively for the past half year, in multiple countries across the world. Including Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, and the UK. It has been one of the most reliable brands for me, with so much more to offer than just data.
In this Saily review, I’ll be sharing my personal experience of the brand with you. I’ll be talking about the ease of use, the variety of data plans, the internet speed and coverage, their additional features, and the pricing.
Ease of use
I find Saily to be one of the easiest eSIMs to use. First and foremost, the Saily app is clean, simple, and intuitive. It is easy to browse plans, and after purchasing, they have simple-to-follow setup instructions.
When you are using your data, you can view your data usage in the Saily app. And easily top up if necessary. If you are headed somewhere new, you can simply add data for this destination to your existing eSIM because Saily only requires you to download one eSIM for all your travels! Which is a BIG selling point.
Many other eSIM brands, like Holafly and Airalo, require you to set up a new eSIM with every new destination purchase. This can become a faff, even when you travel just a few times each year.
With Saily, one eSIM will work for all your travels. When you want to add data to it for a new destination, you simply top it up in the app. This will automatically update your downloaded eSIM. Basically, this means that you can have data for multiple destinations living on the same eSIM.
I’ve done this multiple times whilst moving between countries. Like recently in Europe, travelling between Italy, Croatia, and Lithuania, and also in South America whilst travelling through Colombia and Argentina. It’s far smoother than reinstalling a new eSIM every time.
Data plans
Saily offers fixed data plans, but they have a good variety of choices with differing amounts of data and days. For most destinations, you can get between 1GB and 20GB of fixed data, ranging from 7 to 30 days.
You will also find unlimited data offerings for most countries and regions, with a choice of 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 days. This gives you 5GB of data a day without speed limits. This is unlike most other unlimited eSIMs, which often only give you about 1GB of high-speed data per day.
They also offer global fixed plans, with an option to get 20GB of data for 365 days – great if you travel a few times each year and need some data here and there for getting around.
Each plan comes with a 30-day activation period, which means you can buy your data ahead of schedule. If you don’t activate it within this period, it will automatically activate on the 30th day.
Their variety of fixed data plans has been perfect for the majority of my travels. For example, their month-long (30-day) data plans kept me connected throughout my stay in Colombia, and their 7-day plans were great when hopping between European countries this summer.
If you are a regular traveller like myself, then you may want to check out their Ultra Plan – a monthly rolling global eSIM with travel perks like airport lounge access and security fast track in airports. It is an unlimited data plan with 30GB of high-speed data each month, covering over 100 countries.
I will be trying out their Ultra Plan next, as it is the perfect solution for full-time travellers like myself. It can be used at home and abroad (as long as you are in one of their 113 destinations), and removes the faff out of paying for new plans each time I move! I’ll be sure to update this review once I’ve tested it out for some time.
Internet speed and coverage
Everywhere that I have used Saily so far, I have enjoyed fast internet speeds and great coverage. Most of the time, I’ve been able to access 5G, particularly in cities and towns. In more rural areas, I’ve often got 4G speeds. I have rarely not had coverage somewhere.
For example, I was staying in a basement flat in Florence for a while. We struggled to get any internet down there, including with a local physical SIM card, unless it was placed by the window. My Saily eSIM could also pick up a signal there. But no other eSIM brand I tried was able to!
Their coverage depends on which local networks they partner with. And I have found them to partner with some of the most reputable networks, which will explain why I always get good speeds and coverage!
There are some places they don’t cover, including Cuba, but it is tough to find an eSIM brand that does!
Extra features
Saily goes above and beyond, offering additional security features alongside their eSIMs. This is because Saily is owned by NordVPN, a reputable VPN and online security brand. I find all of these additional features really useful and effective.
First of all, their phone app comes with an ad blocker tool. This is great for blocking out adverts when browsing online. But it also has an additional benefit of saving you from unnecessary data usage – meaning you can get even more from your Saily eSIM data. Saily found that their ad blocker was saving their customers around 28.6% of data!
On top of this, they have a built-in virtual location tool. This allows you to virtually place your phone in a network in a different location, e.g. you can browse the internet as if you were in California, USA. This is useful for protecting your private data, but also allows you to access certain things on the internet that maybe you couldn’t in your physical location (think streaming networks like Netflix).
Last but not least, they offer web protection for your phone device. This protects you from any malicious links you may accidentally click on.
All of these features are normally something additional that you have to pay for. Sandwiched into the cost of Saily’s affordable data plans, I really feel I am getting a great deal!
Pricing
I find Saily’s pricing, across all destinations, to be really fair. It isn’t always the cheapest, but I tend to find the cheaper eSIM brands to be less reliable. Whereas I get great coverage and speeds with Saily – something worth paying for!
When comparing with other eSIMs that also offer reliable internet connections, Saily tends to be priced the same or a tad cheaper than the competitors.
When you add in the fact that they also offer additional benefits, like an adblocker, a virtual location tool (similar to a VPN), and web protection (all of which you normally need to pay extra for), you are getting a real bargain. For no extra money!
These additional benefits always come in handy for me on my travels. I spend a lot of time browsing websites looking for things to do in locations I visit, like museums in Medellín or restaurants in Mexico City, and it’s reassuring knowing I can browse unfamiliar sites safely.
Here is an overview of Saily’s eSIM pricing in a few popular destinations (including country-specific, regional, and global plans):
| Destination | Data | Plan Duration | Price for 10GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB & Unlimited | 7 to 30 days | $16.99 |
| United Kingdom | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB & Unlimited | 7 to 30 days | $19.99 |
| United States | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB & Unlimited | 7 to 30 days | $22.99 |
| Europe | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 25GB & Unlimited | 7 to 60 days | $35.99 |
| Global | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB | 7 to 365 days | $56.99 |
Saily review verdict
No matter where I am travelling, I have always enjoyed using Saily’s eSIM. From longer stays in Colombia to moving quickly between Croatia, Italy, and Lithuania, Saily has consistently been one of the most dependable eSIMs I’ve used.
I have yet to experience any issues with speed or coverage, unless I am somewhere where the local networks (which Saily partners with) don’t cover – normally, pretty rural places.
The only time I had to contact their customer service was because I accidentally bought data which I didn’t need, which they very quickly refunded to my account. They are friendly and helpful, so I suspect if you were to encounter issues, they’d be quick to resolve them (no surprise they have a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot).
On top of the great coverage and speeds, I find the pricing to be affordable and very similar to their main competitors. When you consider the additional security features you get access to, you are getting a real bargain! If you don’t need these additional features, then it’s not like you are forking out extra for the data (when comparing to competitor pricing).
It was truly such a breeze using Saily that I have continued using it over the last 6 months, and will continue to do so for my upcoming travels!
Get 10% off your Saily eSIM by clicking on the link above or by using code MVT10 at checkout.
Saily eSIM review FAQs
Is Saily eSIM trustworthy?
Yes, Saily is a trustworthy eSIM provider. It is owned by NordVPN, a well-established online security company, and has a strong Trustpilot rating (4.7/5). Based on my own experience using Saily across multiple countries, it has been reliable in terms of coverage, speeds, and customer support.
Are there any downsides to Saily?
The main downside of Saily is that it doesn’t cover every single country. For example, destinations like Cuba aren’t supported. But this is the case for the majority of eSIM companies. It also doesn’t include traditional phone calls or SMS, as it’s a data-only eSIM. Aside from that, I’ve found it to be very reliable compared to many competitors.
Which is better, Airalo or Saily?
Saily and Airalo are both reputable eSIM providers, but they suit slightly different travellers. Saily often offers better value for money, built-in security features (like an ad blocker and web protection), and the convenience of using one eSIM for all destinations. Airalo has wider brand recognition and more granular country plans, but requires a new eSIM install for each destination.
What are the downsides of using an eSIM?
The main downsides of eSIMs are that they are often data-only and require a compatible phone. You won’t get a local phone number, and older devices don’t support eSIM technology. However, for travellers who mainly rely on data for maps, messaging apps, and browsing, these limitations are rarely an issue.
Is Saily or Holafly better?
Saily is generally better if you want flexible data plans, better value, and additional security features. Holafly focuses on unlimited data plans but often applies speed restrictions and doesn’t always allow hotspot usage. In my experience, Saily offers more consistent speeds and greater control over data usage.
Can I use Saily instead of my regular SIM card?
Yes, you can use Saily instead of your regular SIM card for mobile data. It works alongside your physical SIM, allowing you to keep your regular number for calls and texts while using Saily for internet access. Many travellers use it this way to avoid roaming charges.
Does Saily support 5G?
Yes, Saily supports 5G in destinations where local networks offer it. In cities and towns, I’ve often connected to 5G, whilst in more rural areas, it typically falls back to 4G.
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