Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
Astound vs Simbye
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Astound |  Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19.95 | €1.95 |
| Reference plan prices | 150 Mbps: $19.95/mo, 150 Mbps, no contract; 1 Gig WiFi: $40/mo, 1000 Mbps, no contract; 1.5 Gig WiFi: $60/mo, 1500 Mbps, no contract | Japan 1 GB: EUR 1.95, 1 GB, 7 days, prepaid no contract (cheapest plan overall) | Japan Unlimited: EUR 18.95, unlimited, 7 days, prepaid no contract (cheapest unlimited) | Build Your Own eSIM, app only: 5-50 GB, 30-365 days validity, up to 10 countries (12-month, 30 GB+ line, price set in app) |
| Unlimited plan price | $30 | €18.95 |
| EU roaming | Paid | Included |
| Markets | US | CH, GB, PL, TR, USCovers more |
| Host network | Not confirmed | NTT Docomo, KDDI/au, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile (Japan); Orange Holiday Europe (Europe); 700+ partner networks worldwide |
| Wi-Fi calling | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 190 |
| Mid-contract price rises | Price for Life rate locked while service kept; other promos valid 12 mos then regular rates | Not confirmed |
| Credit check required | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Multi-line discount | Yes | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Seller type (Reseller), SIM-only (Yes), 5G (Yes), eSIM (Yes), Data rollover (No), Hotspot sharing (Yes).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Astound scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 8.8.
- Support channels: only Astound offers Phone, Help centre.
- Support channels: only Simbye offers Email.
- Billing: only Astound offers Rolling.
- Billing: only Simbye offers Prepaid.
- Contract length: only Simbye offers 12.
- Markets: only Simbye offers CH, GB, PL.
Our verdict on each
Astound
Astound suits US households that want matching download and upload speeds, a low entry price and no contract to be tied into, and the same account can carry mobile lines. Entry pricing starts at $19.95 a month, Gig tiers arrive with Whole Home WiFi included, and the setup fee is $0.
Simbye
Simbye is a prepaid eSIM reseller that suits travellers who want a short single-market data plan instead of a long mobile contract. Its entry plan starts at €1.95, Japan eSIMs run on the major Japanese carriers, and help arrives by chat and email.
Score breakdown
| Area | Astound | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.6HigherEntry price of $19.95 a month and a setup fee of $0 put cost near the top of the range. | 8.7The entry plan is €1.95 and the unlimited plan is €18.95, with EU roaming included across 190 countries. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherNo cancellation penalty; change or cancel anytime, and Whole Home WiFi arrives included with Gig plans. | 8.9Entry plan starts at €1.95, close to KnowRoaming at $1.75, while unlimited sits higher at €18.95. |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Astound | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Phone plans with eSIM | 15 of 389 | 3 of 389 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Astound | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States | United Kingdom |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Astound | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Rolling | Prepaid |
| Contract length | 1 | 1, 12Covers more |
| Legal entity | Radiate HoldCo, LLC d/b/a Astound Broadband | Simbye Ltd |
| Headquarters | United States | United Kingdom |
| Support channels | Phone, Chat, Help centre | Chat, Email |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Astound | Simbye | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 190highest quarter | 100 |
Median across 176 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Astound
Pros
- Download of 5,000 Mbps matches upload of 5,000 Mbps, so sending a large file is as quick as downloading one.
- The setup fee is $0, and it ranks 1 of 86 on that measure, ahead of every other brand compared.
- Service runs on cable and fttp, so one provider can cover a cable street or a fibre to the home street.
Cons
- EU roaming is paid, so European travel is billed separately.
- Data rollover is no, so unused mobile allowance does not carry into the next cycle.
- A credit check is required on the mobile side, which adds a step before a line is active.
Simbye
Pros
- The entry Japan plan starts at €1.95, close to KnowRoaming at $1.75.
- Roaming reaches 190 countries and EU roaming is included, so a multi-country trip needs no extra regional pack.
- Japan eSIMs ride NTT Docomo, KDDI/au, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, with hotspot sharing available on the same plans.
Cons
- Data rollover is not offered, so an unused allowance expires with the plan it was bought for.
- Support runs on chat and email, with no phone line among the listed channels, so a failed install has no voice route.
- Simbye is a reseller, and the carrier you connect to in Japan belongs to a partner rather than to Simbye itself.
Who each suits
Astound
Who it suits
- Households in US whose street already has cable or fibre to the home and who want equal download and upload speeds.
- Families adding mobile lines to the same account, where a multi line discount and rolling billing apply.
- Renters and short-stay households, since No cancellation penalty; change or cancel anytime.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a fibre to the home provider and nothing else, because cable and fttp includes cable while Abissnet and Kinetic list fibre to the home alone.
- Homes a wired network does not reach, where EarthLink adds fttp, 5G and satellite options.
- Travellers who expect European roaming to come included, since EU roaming is paid.
Simbye
Who it suits
- Travellers landing in Japan who want data on a major Japanese carrier without taking a handset contract.
- People who want to buy and install an eSIM in the app before departure.
- Readers who want a small prepaid top-up for a single market rather than a monthly allowance.
Who should look elsewhere
- co:sim suits anyone who would rather buy from an MVNO, as co:sim is mvno, than from a reseller working on partner networks.
- KnowRoaming fits a reader whose budget is set in dollars, with an entry price of $1.75.
- ESIMZON suits anyone who wants its named partner set, from AT&T and T-Mobile to Verizon, rather than a Japanese carrier mix.
Country by country
| Country | Astound | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Astound
How much does Astound broadband cost a month?+
Plans start at $19.95 a month on the entry tier. The listed lineup then steps up through Gig and multi-Gig WiFi plans, and every plan shown is on no-contract terms, so the monthly figure is the whole commitment. Whole Home WiFi is included with Gig plans rather than sold as an extra.
Is there a setup or installation fee with Astound broadband?+
Setup costs $0 to add, and in this comparison the brand ranks 1 of 86 for setup fee, ahead of every other brand measured on that point. Equipment also counts: Whole Home WiFi is supplied with Gig plans, with the top tier hardware paired to the quickest speeds.
Simbye
What does the cheapest Simbye plan cost?+
The entry Japan plan starts at €1.95 as a prepaid plan with no contract, so you buy a set amount of data for a fixed trip rather than a monthly allowance. Unlimited data on the same Japanese coverage comes from the Japan Unlimited plan at €18.95. A Build Your Own eSIM can also be set in the app across several markets.
Is there an unlimited data option and what does it cost?+
The Japan Unlimited plan costs €18.95 and carries uncapped data for a short validity window, on 5G networks with hotspot sharing available. Compared with the entry plan at €1.95, the jump is large, so unlimited makes sense for a stretch of heavy use in Japan and less sense for a brief visit.
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