Saily Ultra review: The best eSIM subscription?

I travel a lot for my work, which means I am forever relying on eSIMs. My standalone Saily review covers their pay-as-you-go data plans, which I have used and loved across dozens of countries. But their recently launched Ultra plan is a different offering that really interested me!

The Saily Ultra plan is a monthly rolling subscription. Instead of buying a fixed chunk of data for each destination, you get rolling global data that follows you from country to country (covering 121+ countries), plus a bunch of useful travel perks like airport lounge access and security fast track.

I first tested Ultra on a long trip across South America, moving between Chile, Argentina and Brazil over a couple of months. I was looking for an eSIM that could keep me connected across borders, without me having to think about it. But was also drawn in by the additional travel perks.

In this Saily Ultra review, I will walk you through how it actually performed. The setup, the speeds and coverage in each country, the perks I really used, the three plan tiers, and whether it is worth the money.

Sign up for Saily Ultra here

What is the Saily Ultra plan?

The Saily Ultra plan is Saily’s subscription-based eSIM. Where their standard plans give you a fixed amount of data for a single destination or region, Ultra is a monthly rolling plan that works globally, across 121+ destinations, and renews automatically each month (but can be cancelled anytime).

Saily is owned by Nord Security, the same company behind NordVPN, which is why the security tools come added in. And they are some of the best on the market!

Every Ultra plan includes a generous chunk of high-speed data (between 5-30GB), and the premium plan also offers unlimited data at up to 1 Mbps once you have used your allowance.

On top of the data, you get the perks that make Ultra stand out:

• Airport lounge access at selected airports
• One fast track pass each month to skip security and check-in queues
• A delayed flight benefit (if your flight is delayed 2+ hours, you can use a lounge without spending a pass)
• Premium security tools: NordVPN, NordPass, NordLocker and Incogni
• Priority 24/7 support
• 8% back in Saily credits on your purchases

It comes in three tiers, which I will break down in the pricing section. The main difference between them is how much high-speed data you get each month.

My experience

I tested the Saily Ultra plan over a couple of months while travelling across South America, moving between Chile, Argentina and Brazil. As someone who works remotely and needs a solid connection, this kind of longer, multi-country trip is exactly where a rolling global plan should shine. Here is how it held up.

Setting up and crossing borders

Setup was the same simple process as any Saily eSIM. You install the eSIM (which only needs doing once; then you can add new plans to it), download the plan in the Saily app, and you are good to go.

Because Ultra is a single global plan, there was no need to buy or add data for each new country. I just crossed the border and kept going.

This was the part I loved most. Hopping between Chile, Argentina and Brazil, I never once had to worry about my connection. As soon as I landed somewhere new, I had data. No swapping eSIMs, no topping up, no hunting for WiFi just to get set up.

The travel perks

The perks are what set Ultra apart from a normal eSIM, and I am pleased to say that I found them super useful! Not just a pointless extra.

On day one of my trip, I used a lounge pass at Heathrow before flying out. After a long check-in, having somewhere calm to sit, with food and decent WiFi, made the start of the journey so much nicer.

Each plan includes one fast track pass a month to skip the security and check-in queues, plus that delayed flight benefit. If your flight is held up by two hours or more, you can relax in a lounge without using up your monthly pass. I did not have a long enough delay to test that one, thankfully, but it is a reassuring thing to have.

Then there is the security side. Ultra bundles in NordVPN, NordPass, NordLocker and Incogni. I use a VPN constantly when I travel, so having NordVPN included rather than as a separate subscription is really useful, especially on dodgy public WiFi.

Internet speed and coverage

This is what matters most – across all three countries I had fast, reliable speeds in towns and cities, usually 5G, dropping to 4G/LTE in more rural spots, and 3G when on a mountain in the middle of the Andes. Here is how it broke down country by country.

Chile

Santiago was seamless, with steady 5G and LTE throughout. Over on the coast in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, I was usually on LTE. It was occasionally a little patchy, but still great for everything I needed.

A great example: in Valparaíso I shared my live location with a tour guide while I wandered off to find vegan food, and still had reliable enough speeds to navigate and text without any trouble.

Argentina

In Buenos Aires I had great 5G and 4G LTE, even from a basement Airbnb where I half expected to lose signal. Mendoza was much the same, with solid 5G, LTE and 4G. Upload speeds were a touch slower there, but still perfectly usable.

I even managed to get online up in the Andes. I scraped a 3G connection in the middle of the mountains, which was not amazing (but surprising considering how remote it was), but it was plenty to send a message and check my map. When everyone else’s signal eventually cut out, mine did too. But honestly, getting any connection that high up impressed me.

Brazil

Brazil was the final leg, and São Paulo greeted me with 5G the moment I landed, eSIM already downloaded and ready, as I mentioned. The only time it wavered was during a storm, when it went a little patchy. Given the weather, I can hardly hold that against it.

Plans and pricing

Ultra comes in three tiers. They all include the same perks, security tools and 121+ destination coverage, so the only real difference is how much high-speed data you get each month.

Those prices are for monthly billing. Pay for a quarter, and you save around 10%, or pay yearly, and you save up to 16% (sometimes more on certain tiers), so the annual option works out noticeably cheaper if you will use it long term.

A one-off Saily data plan for a single country will always cost less. But you are not really comparing like for like. With Ultra you are paying for rolling data across 121+ destinations, plus lounge access, fast track, the delayed flight benefit, and a bundle of security tools that would cost a fair bit on their own.

If you travel regularly, especially across multiple countries, it starts to make a lot of sense.

Saily Ultra review verdict

I went into this expecting the Saily Ultra plan to be somewhat unnecessary, in comparison to buying individual country eSIM plans. But after a couple of months living with it across South America, I now wouldn’t go on long trips without it!

The connection was excellent. Crossing between Chile, Argentina and Brazil without ever thinking about my data was wonderful, and the speeds were consistently good.

The perks were so much more useful than I imagined. Using a lounge at Heathrow, having a fast track pass each month, and getting NordVPN bundled in all meant I enjoyed smoother journeys throughout.

If you only travel once or twice a year, a standard Saily data plan will serve you better and cost less. But if you are a frequent traveller, or a remote worker hopping between countries like me, Ultra bundles your connection, your airport experience and your online security into one tidy subscription.

For that, I think it is well worth it. I will definitely be using it again for my upcoming trips.

Sign up for Saily Ultra here

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