Hotlink Travel SIM review
Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Hotlink Travel SIM is a prepaid travel eSIM that fits short trips, with monthly plans from MYR 12 and a term of 1 month. It suits travellers who want data ready before departure, a plan that ends with the trip, and help from chat, phone and help centre when something goes wrong abroad.
Key facts
- Best for
- Travellers who want a prepaid eSIM from MYR 12, terms of 1 month and unlimited data.
- Seller type
- Network (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- SIM-only
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- MYR 12 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Reference plan prices
- Travellers RM12: RM12 per month, 20GB unlimited, 7 days no contract; Travellers RM18: RM18 per month, 40GB unlimited, 7 days no contract; Travellers RM30: RM30 per month, 100GB unlimited, 15 days no contract (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Unlimited plan price
- MYR 12 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- 5G
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- eSIM
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Roaming countries
- 4 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Hotspot sharing
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- MY (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Malaysia (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Billing
- Prepaid
- Contract length
- 1
- Official website
- hotlink.com.my
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- Prepaid billing with a term of 1-month keeps the commitment short, which suits a trip with a fixed end date.
- The plan is sim only and arrives as an eSIM, so a compatible phone can be set up before departure and no handset is bundled in.
- Every Travellers tier carries unlimited data, and hotspot sharing is supported, so a phone can serve a laptop on the move.
- Roaming covers 4 countries, and the seller type is listed as network, so the line comes from the operator rather than a reseller.
- Support runs on chat, phone and help centre, which covers questions before departure and problems during a trip.
Cons
- Roaming is capped at 4 countries, so a journey that moves beyond that list needs another plan.
- Billing is prepaid on its own, while GETESA lists prepaid and contract and yesss! lists contract, rolling and prepaid, so a contract or rolling monthly route is not offered here.
- The plan sells in a single market, MY, so it cannot cover a trip that spans several markets.
- On the headline entry price it ranks 50 of 258, so buyers chasing the smallest monthly figure will find cheaper options elsewhere.
Who it suits
- Travellers landing in MY who want data working before they leave the airport and a line that ends with the trip.
- People away for a short period who would rather buy 1 month of cover than serve out a long contract, and who are comfortable reaching support through chat, phone and help centre.
- Shoppers weighing prepaid against the contract billing GETESA lists as prepaid and contract, who want the prepaid route without the contract.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone whose destinations fall outside 4 countries roaming countries, since a trip beyond that list would need a different plan.
- Buyers who want contract or rolling billing, which GETESA lists as prepaid and contract and yesss! as contract, rolling and prepaid.
- Travellers shopping only on the lowest entry figure, because the plan ranks 50 of 258 on that measure rather than sitting at the front of it.
What it does well
Hotlink Travel SIM is a sim only product, so what you pay for is the line and its data rather than a phone, which suits anyone already holding a handset they are happy to use. It comes as an eSIM, meaning a compatible phone can install the profile before departure rather than waiting for a card to arrive, and 5G is supported on the network for a quicker connection where it is available. Roaming covers 4 countries, so a short multi-country trip fits comfortably inside the list. Hotspot sharing is supported, which is the practical answer to working or streaming from a laptop while the phone carries the connection. Put together, it is a compact travel set: one profile, roaming across a short list of countries, and the option to share the signal with another device.
Where it sits among rivals
Two price measures tell different stories. On the entry price, Hotlink Travel SIM ranks 50 of 258 brands tracked on price from, which places it in the middle of the field rather than at the sharp end. On the unlimited price, the same plan ranks 6 of 173, so the tier that carries unlimited data sits much closer to the cheap end of that list. The practical read is that the headline entry figure is not the reason to pick this plan, while the unlimited tier is. Buyers who want unlimited data are looking at one of the cheaper options in that measure, and buyers chasing the smallest monthly number should widen the search before settling.
Pricing
Hotlink Travel SIM sits at the low end of the market. The smallest Travellers plan starts at MYR 12, and the Travellers tier with unlimited data is priced at MYR 12, so the two headline figures stand at the same level. Both numbers are the price for the period you buy, which means an entry price and a renewal price come out the same here and there is no introductory rate to weigh against a later one. That makes the two figures easy to compare at a glance, and it makes the unlimited tier the reason to look here. The larger Travellers tiers cost more and carry bigger data allowances and longer trips.
Who runs it
Hotlink Travel SIM is operated by Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, a company based in Malaysia. Because the operator is the same company selling the travel range, the terms, help and payment arrangements all come from one place rather than from a reseller passing on someone else's service. Support runs on chat, phone and help centre, which matters for a traveller who needs an answer before departure as much as for one who needs help mid-trip. A traveller can pick up the phone, start a chat or read the help centre rather than depending on a single channel, and the same company handles the line once it is active.
How Hotlink Travel SIM compares
- 9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5- 9.3 vs 8.7
- 9.3 vs 8.6
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 8.8- 9.3 vs 9.4
9.3 vs 9.4
9.3 vs 9.3
9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 9.2Budget Thuis Mobile
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 8.8- 9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.7
9.3 vs 8.7
9.3 vs 8.7
9.3 vs 8.6- 9.3 vs 8.6
9.3 vs 8.6
9.3 vs 8.6
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5- 9.3 vs 8.5
- 9.3 vs 8.5
- 9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.0- 9.3 vs 8.0
- 9.3 vs 8.0
9.3 vs 8.0
Where Hotlink Travel SIM is available
- Available
- Malaysia
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Hotlink Travel SIM plan?+
The smallest Travellers tier is listed at MYR 12, and the tier that carries unlimited data is priced at MYR 12. Both are bought as periods, and the terms run 1 month, so the published figure covers a single period rather than a long commitment. Larger Travellers tiers cost more and bundle bigger data allowances.
Do I need a new phone or a physical SIM card?+
Hotlink Travel SIM is sold as a sim only plan, so no handset is bundled in the price, and an eSIM can be installed on a compatible phone before departure. Data cover is bought for the length of a trip rather than as a long phone contract, which suits a traveller who already carries a handset and wants it ready on arrival.
Which countries does the roaming cover?+
Roaming reaches 4 countries, so the plan is aimed at trips that stay inside a fairly short list rather than a long multi-country itinerary. The plan is sold in Malaysia, which is also where the operator is based. Anyone heading outside that list would need a different arrangement.
Am I buying from the network or from a reseller?+
The seller type is listed as network, so the plan comes straight from the operator that runs the network, with no reseller sitting in between. The operator is Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, and the terms you accept come from that company rather than from a separate seller, which keeps pricing and support under one roof.
How long is the term, and what happens at renewal?+
Billing is prepaid and the term is 1 month, so you buy a period rather than signing a long agreement and there is no first-period rate that later changes. Entry at MYR 12 is the same figure you meet when the plan is bought again, and the unlimited tier stays at MYR 12, so entry and renewal can be compared directly.
What do the plans actually include?+
The Travellers range is sold in tiers, and every tier carries unlimited data, with the allowance and the length of the trip both stepping up as the price rises. Hotspot sharing is supported, so a phone can share its connection with a laptop or tablet on the move. Entry into the range is at MYR 12.
How do I get help if something goes wrong abroad?+
Support runs on chat, phone and help centre, so a traveller can pick up the phone, start a chat or read the help centre, which matters when you are outside the country and opening hours are tight. The operator is based in Malaysia, so the support team sits in that home market while the line is being used somewhere else entirely.
Sources
- hotlink.com.my/en/contact-us checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Support channels
“Within Malaysia 123 from your Maxis mobile line”
- hotlink.com.my/en/products/postpaid.html checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Seller type
“Both run on the same high-quality network”
- hotlink.com.my/en/products/travel-sim.html checked September 30, 2026
Backs: ESIM, 5G, Hotspot sharing, Legal entity, Markets, Roaming countries, SIM-only
“Available in eSIM via the Hotlink App”
- hotlink.com.my/en/terms-conditions/products/travel-sim.html checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Billing, Contract length, Price from, Reference plan prices, Unlimited plan price
“five (5) Hotlink prepaid accounts per individual”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Hotlink Travel SIM
Travellers who want a prepaid eSIM from MYR 12, terms of 1 month and unlimited data.