With the introduction of eSIMs a few years ago, getting data while traveling internationally has never been easier. However, choosing the right one for you, from a dizzying array of eSIM providers, can definitely be confusing.
As a full-time digital nomad, I’ve tried dozens of different eSIMs and am always looking for new providers or packages that might make sense for the way I travel. I recently found out about a company, called Yesim, which has some really unique eSIM offerings, like a pay and fly package, where you only pay for the data that you actually use, allowing you to say goodbye to expired or unused data.
So, after trying out their product, here’s our Yesim review, one of the most unique eSIM providers on the market.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission, for which we are extremely grateful, at no extra cost to you.
Thanks to Yesim for sponsoring this article. All opinions are our own.
What is an eSIM?
Before we dive into our Yesim review specifically, it’s probably worth backing up and covering what exactly an eSIM is, in the first place.
Up until about 2020 or so, there were a handful of mildly inconvenient ways that you could get data while you were traveling abroad.
For example, you could purchase an international data plan from your home cell phone carrier. However, these were often quite pricey, offered limited data, and could incur significant roaming fees while you’re abroad.
Alternatively, you could purchase a physical SIM card and pop it into your cell phone or a wireless router. I have countless memories of landing in a new country at some absurd hour of the night, waiting in line at a SIM card kiosk in the airport, and praying that it worked when I popped it into my phone, so that I could figure out how to get to my Airbnb.
I’ve even seen many stories circulating online about scams, where someone purchased a physical SIM card that appeared to work for a short period of time, but failed shortly after the person left wherever they purchased it, leaving the person without data and with little recourse to recoup money for the defunct SIM card.
Thankfully, in the last several years, eSIMs, which are basically just digital versions of SIM cards, have made it WAY easier and, usually cheaper, to get data while you’re traveling.
You can purchase an eSIM from a provider while you’re still in your home country, based on where you’re traveling and how much data you think you’ll need. Then, you can install it on your phone and have usable data as soon as you land in another country, without having to wander around looking for public WiFi networks or waiting in line at SIM card kiosks at the airport.
As a bonus, eSIMs typically rely on the same local networks as residents of that part of the world use, so the data is typically much faster, as compared to roaming data that you’d get through your home phone carrier.
What is Yesim?
Yesim is an eSIM provider that’s been creating eSIM solutions since 2019.
Since its initial introduction, it has been adding additional features to its eSIM offerings, ranging from a built-in VPN and enabling virtual phone numbers to allowing users to manage multiple eSIMs within a single account. Today, Yesim has over four million users worldwide and has been ranked as one of the top five eSIM providers by Forbes.
Pssst... use the promo code "UPROOTEDYESIM" to get 15% off your first time purchase through November 11, 2027!
What are the benefits of Yesim?
Honestly, there are SO many eSIM providers nowadays that it can be hard to weed through each of their pricing, benefits, and drawbacks.
Yesim has great features that we expect from any eSIM provider that we use, like 24/7 customer support, a straightforward refund policy, hundreds of local network partners across the world, and the ability to use their eSIMs for mobile hotspots.
However, they also have some really cool and unique aspects that definitely set them apart from the myriad of other eSIM providers.
You can only pay for the data you use
With most SIM cards, you purchase an amount of data for a specific country or region you’re traveling to, which is usually usable for a certain period of time (e.g., 15 or 30 days). Once that time period has elapsed, you lose whatever unused data was left on your eSIM.
As a full-time traveler that hops countries pretty regularly, I can’t even begin to comprehend how much data I’ve “lost” by partially used eSIMs that have expired.
But with Yesim’s aptly named Pay & Fly option, you only pay for what you actually use.
When you purchase a Pay & Fly eSIM (which can be purchased for as little as $10), it essentially acts like a digital wallet.
You can seamlessly use this one eSIM in over 170 countries and you’re only charged for the data that you actually use while you’re traveling. The funds don’t expire, so if you have some money left over on your Pay & Fly eSIM at the end of your trip, you can simply just wait until your next international adventure and use it then. Or, if you use enough data to run out of money on your plan, you can simply top it off to get more data.
The price of data varies by country, starting as low as $1.10/GB in certain areas.
This is SUCH an awesome plan if you travel frequently and don’t want to worry about buying a new eSIM for every region you go to.
It’s also a great option if you’re not really sure how much data you’ll use in a country. I really HATE wasting money and, when I purchase a typical eSIM package that has a set expiration, it always really stinks seeing several GBs of data just go unused. And, with the Pay & Fly option, I never have to worry about that!
This is definitely my favorite Yesim feature and SO handy for someone, like me, who regularly travels and am not sure of the amount of data I’ll use in any one particular spot.
They have unlimited global plans
If you like the idea of not having to buy a new eSIM every time you switch countries or regions, another handy service that Yesim offers is the Global Plus Plan, which provides high speed data in 146 countries.
They actually offer Global Plus Plans with unlimited data for up to two weeks, costing as little as $7.92 a day. This is an awesome option if you’re traveling to several countries in a short period of time and plan on using a lot of data, like if you’re a content creator or love streaming (I’m guilty of both!).
Yesim also has unlimited data plans for specific countries or regions, like Southeast Asia or Europe, which have longer available durations of up to 30 days and tend to be significantly cheaper than the global plans.
Finally, they also offer Global Plus plans with a fixed amount of data, ranging from 5 GB for 30 days to 40 GB for an entire year, for as little as $3.28 per GB. These plans may make sense if you’re a frequent traveler that only wants to set up an eSIM one time and if you only use a light amount of data while you’re traveling, like for maps, ride-sharing, or messaging.
To be honest, I generally think that the Pay & Fly option will make more sense for most people who travel frequently, as compared to buying a Global Plus plan, given that there’s no set duration of time that you can use the data or fixed cap on how much data you can use.
However, the cost of data under the Pay & Fly plan can vary quite significantly by country (i.e., a GB costs $1.10 in Ukraine, but $207.60 in the Seychelles!!). Accordingly, you may want to take a peek at the cost of data in where you’re traveling to under the Pay & Fly plan and see if it would actually be cheaper to purchase a Global Plus plan instead.
For example, in Mozambique, you’ll pay $15.60/GB under the Pay & Fly plan (i.e., $78 for 5 GB) or there’s a fixed data plan for $67.20 for 5 GB for 30 days. Alternatively, a Global Plus plan, which covers Mozambique, costs just $28.80 for 5 GB for 30 days, meaning you can save over 50% on your eSIM.
Don't forget... you can get a 15% off your first time purchase of a Yesim plan when you use the promo code "UPROOTEDYESIM" to get 15% off your first time purchase through November 11, 2027!
They have unlimited day plans
ChAnother interesting option that Yesim offers is packages of day passes (i.e., 24 continuous hours of connectivity) with unlimited data, ranging from 7 days to 60 days, that start at $2.99/day.
The figurative clock on most fixed duration eSIM plans start running the second you start using it. There’s no pausing your usage, even if you stop using the eSIM for some period of time.
However, with this particular plan, you can use each of these day passes at any time in a one year span.
Accordingly, this is a great option if you’re someone with a 9-5 that tries to squeeze in lots of international trips throughout the year. You can pick and choose when you use your day passes for when you’re traveling and, obviously, rely on your normal cell phone carrier when you’re back at home.
I also honestly really love this plan with my lifestyle as a digital nomad.
There are days (sometimes weeks!) on end, where I’ll do nothing, other than sitting and working on my Airbnb’s wifi. On these days, even though I may not use any data on my phone, the clock still runs against any fixed duration eSIM plan I might have. And, when I am out exploring and using my eSIM plan, I’m always hyper conscious of how much data I’m using.
Conversely, under an unlimited day pass plan, I could just not use my eSIM during days that I’m working or relying on Wifi networks and save my day passes for those periods of time where I’m out having adventures and need that sweet unlimited data at my fingertips.
The unlimited day plans cover 83 countries (no Mozambique coverage on this one!), so I’d definitely recommend confirming whether all of the countries you plan on traveling to are included within this package.
There you have it—our Yesim review and some of the unique benefits of this particular provider, as compared to all of the other options on the market. Do you have any questions about using Yesim? Let us know in the comments below.
Thank you for reading our post! Check out our latest stories here and follow us on Instagram (@JustinAndJess_), YouTube, TikTok, or on Facebook to see what we’re up to next!
