Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
Astound vs USIMS
Where Astound and USIMS differ
| Compare |  Astound |  USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Seller type | Reseller | Mvno |
| Price from | $19.95 | $2Lower |
| 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 | No 12-month, unlimited or monthly plans; cheapest 10-day packages listed: France 10 GB: 9 USD, 10 GB, 10-day validity; United Kingdom 10 GB: 9 USD, 10 GB, 10-day validity; United States 10 GB: 15 USD, 10 GB, 10-day validity |
| Mid-contract price rises | Price for Life rate locked while service kept; other promos valid 12 mos then regular rates | Charges may be changed at any time without notice, with changes posted on the mobile app and website |
| Unlimited plan price | $30 | Not confirmed |
| 5G | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Wi-Fi calling | Yes | Not confirmed |
| EU roaming | Paid | Not confirmed |
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 120 |
| Data rollover | No | Not confirmed |
| Hotspot sharing | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Credit check required | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Multi-line discount | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Markets | US | Not confirmed |
Same on both: SIM-only (Yes), eSIM (Yes).
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Key differences
- Astound scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.0.
- Price from is lower at USIMS: $2 vs $19.95.
- Support channels: only Astound offers Phone.
- Support channels: only USIMS offers Email.
- Billing: only Astound offers Rolling.
- Billing: only USIMS offers Prepaid.
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.
USIMS
USIMS suits travellers who want prepaid data while away, with entry at $2 and roaming across 120 countries. The catch is what that entry buys: the published list holds no monthly, contract or unlimited tier, so a trip means buying a fresh package rather than renewing a set plan.
Score breakdown
| Area | Astound | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.6HigherEntry price of $19.95 a month and a setup fee of $0 put cost near the top of the range. | 9.3Entry is $2 with prepaid billing, and the plan list is built from short validity data packages. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherNo cancellation penalty; change or cancel anytime, and Whole Home WiFi arrives included with Gig plans. | 8.8Sim only and eSIM are both offered, and support runs on email, chat and help centre for setup and help. |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Astound | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States | Switzerland |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Astound | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Phone plans with eSIM | 15 of 389 | 9 of 389 |
If neither fits
ESIMZON has price from at $1, against $19.95 for Astound and $2 for USIMS.
ESIMZON reviewWhere these facts come from
Astound
- astound.com: 20 facts, checked September 30, 2026
USIMS
- usims.com: 11 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Astound | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Rolling | Prepaid |
| Contract length | 1 | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Radiate HoldCo, LLC d/b/a Astound Broadband | WONE SAGL |
| Headquarters | United States | Switzerland |
| Support channels | Phone, Chat, Help centre | Email, Chat, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Astound | USIMS | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19.95above the median | $2below the median | $5 |
| Unlimited plan price | $30above the median | Not confirmed | $25 |
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 120above the median | 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.
USIMS
Pros
- Roaming covers 120 countries, so a package list can carry a trip across several borders without swapping providers.
- Sim only is available and eSIM is supported, so a new phone can be online without waiting for a card in the post.
- Billing is prepaid, so there is no contract term to serve and nothing to close when a trip ends.
Cons
- A monthly or unlimited plan is not among its reference plan prices, which are prepaid data packages by country, and prepaid billing means each top-up is a fresh purchase rather than a renewal.
- USIMS can revise charges and publish them in its app and on its site, so the entry price of $2 is not a figure you can plan a later top-up around.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line listed for problems that cannot wait.
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.
USIMS
Who it suits
- People crossing several borders and paying for data a package at a time rather than through a monthly bill.
- Owners of a new phone who want data running straight away through an eSIM.
- Buyers who treat the number as a travel tool and top up again when a package runs out instead of tracking a renewal date.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shop-first buyers: ESIMZON and KnowRoaming are resellers, where USIMS is an mvno.
- Anyone after unlimited data: the site median of €12.27 for unlimited plans comes from sellers that list them, and USIMS does not.
- Travellers who need a rate held for the whole stay, since USIMS can revise charges and puts the new figures in its app and on its site.
Current offers
USIMS
Current offer
Free trial
Free 1 GB trial data for USA and Europe: 1 GB free
Included with USIMS eSIM plans for the USA and Europe
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Bonus
Free eSIM for first-time users: Free eSIM, $1 to replace a deleted eSIM
Free for first time users and buyers of any data plan; a new eSIM costs $1 if the previous one was deleted
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Astound | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
USIMS
How much does USIMS cost to start?+
Entry is $2 and billing is prepaid, so you pay for a package rather than a monthly bill. The published data plans are short validity bundles bought per country, and there is no monthly, contract or unlimited tier on the list, which makes the top-up the whole commitment.
Is there a contract or a renewal price to check?+
There is no contract term, and the plan list has no monthly, contract or unlimited tier, so nothing renews on a schedule. Billing is prepaid: when a package runs out you buy another one at the current charge, and the terms let USIMS revise charges and publish them in its app and on its site.
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