Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
eSimi vs Simbye
eSimi vs Simbye: the differences
| Compare | eSimi ReviewVisitVisit |  Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Seller type | Mvno | Reseller |
| Price from | $3.69 | €1.95 |
| Reference plan prices | Global 1GB - 5 Days: USD 4.69, 1GB, 5-day prepaid cycle; Global 3GB - 5 Days: USD 10.69, 3GB, 5-day prepaid cycle; Global 10GB - 30 Days: USD 35.69, 10GB, 30-day prepaid cycle | 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) |
| Markets | AL, DZ, AI, AG, AM, AU, AT, AZ, BS, BH, BD, BB, BE, BA, VG, BN, BG, KH, CA, KY, CN, CR, HR, CW, CY, CZ, DK, DM, DO, EG, EE, FO, FI, FR, GE, DE, GI, GR, GD, GT, GG, HN, HK, HU, IS, IN, ID, IE, IL, IT, JM, JP, JO, KW, KG, LV, LI, LT, LU, MK, MY, MT, MA, NL, AN, NZ, NI, NO, OM, PK, PA, PY, PH, PL, PT, PR, QA, RO, RU, KN, LC, VC, MF, SA, RS, SG, SX, SK, SI, KR, ES, LK, SE, CH, TW, TH, TN, TR, TC, VI, UA, AE, GB, US, UZ, VNCovers more | CH, GB, PL, TR, US |
| Host network | Not confirmed | NTT Docomo, KDDI/au, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile (Japan); Orange Holiday Europe (Europe); 700+ partner networks worldwide |
| SIM-only | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Unlimited plan price | Not confirmed | €18.95 |
| 5G | Not confirmed | Yes |
| EU roaming | Not confirmed | Included |
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 190 |
| Data rollover | Not confirmed | No |
| Hotspot sharing | Not confirmed | Yes |
Same on both: eSIM (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
- eSimi scores higher overall: 9.0 vs 8.8.
- Support channels: only eSimi offers Help centre.
- Markets: only eSimi offers AL, DZ, AI.
Our verdict on each
eSimi
eSimi is a prepaid travel eSIM provider that suits anyone crossing borders, holding an overall rating of 9 with entry plans starting at $3.69. The pull is flexibility, since eSim is a yes and billing is prepaid, though entry sits above the $0.99 and €0.99 points of cheaper rivals here.
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 | eSimi | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9HigherEntry at $3.69 sits above $0.99 and €0.99, and prepaid rules out a contract discount to chase. | 8.7The entry plan is €1.95 and the unlimited plan is €18.95, with EU roaming included across 190 countries. |
| Offer | 9.1HigherReference plans run on prepaid billing with an eSim, and the offer part of the rating stands at 9.1. | 8.9Entry plan starts at €1.95, close to KnowRoaming at $1.75, while unlimited sits higher at €18.95. |
How they place
| Ranking | eSimi | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Phone plans with eSIM | 11 of 389 | 3 of 389 |
What we checked
eSimi
- esimi.io: 9 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Simbye
- simbye.com: 18 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | eSimi | Simbye |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Prepaid | Prepaid |
| Contract length | Not confirmed | 1, 12 |
| Legal entity | Travel Emerging | Simbye Ltd |
| Headquarters | United States | United Kingdom |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more | Chat, Email |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | eSimi | Simbye | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited plan price | Not confirmed | €18.95below the median | €19.99 |
| Roaming countries | Not confirmed | 190highest quarter | 100 |
Median across 176 listed providers.
Pros and cons
eSimi
Pros
- Billing is prepaid, so a trip can end without a contract to close and without a term to serve.
- The catalogue reaches AL, DZ and AI markets, which removes the need to buy a plan at each border.
- An eSim is a yes, so a profile can be installed and switched on arrival rather than waiting for a card.
Cons
- Entry at $3.69 sits above co:sim at $0.99, so the lowest entry in this group belongs to another brand.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, so a problem that needs a voice call has no listed route.
- Billing is prepaid across the catalogue, so heavier monthly data has to be bought in cycles rather than on a contract term.
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
eSimi
Who it suits
- Travellers landing in a country with no time to sort out a local plan, since an eSim is a yes and the catalogue spans AL, DZ and AI markets.
- People crossing several borders who want the same supplier across the trip rather than a fresh purchase at each stop.
- Readers who put flexibility first, given prepaid billing and email, chat and help centre support with no store visit involved.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers chasing the lowest entry price, since co:sim at $0.99 sits below $3.69.
- Anyone who needs help by phone, since eSimi runs on email, chat and help centre.
- Buyers who want a contract allowance, because eSimi bills on prepaid only.
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.
Questions about each
eSimi
What does an eSimi plan cost to start with?+
Entry plans start at $3.69, and the Global reference plans are priced per prepaid data cycle rather than per month. Billing is prepaid, so no fixed term runs underneath. The Global plans listed cover a small allowance, a mid allowance and a larger allowance, each on its own cycle, so spend follows the length of the trip.
Is there a contract or a minimum term on eSimi?+
Billing is prepaid, so nothing binds a reader to a contract period. Data is bought in cycles that start when you want them, and a trip that ends simply ends with the plan. That suits people who cannot predict a month, and suits less well anyone who would rather spread heavy usage across a fixed billing date.
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.