Simbye review

Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026

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Our verdict

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.

Key facts

Best for
Short prepaid eSIM trips in Japan or Europe, with unlimited data when a stretch of heavy use is planned.
Seller type
Reseller (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Host network
NTT Docomo, KDDI/au, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile (Japan); Orange Holiday Europe (Europe); 700+ partner networks worldwide (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
SIM-only
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Price from
€1.95 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Reference plan prices
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) (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Unlimited plan price
€18.95 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
5G
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
eSIM
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
EU roaming
Included (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Roaming countries
190 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Data rollover
No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Hotspot sharing
Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Markets
CH, GB, PL, TR, US (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Legal entity
Simbye Ltd (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Support channels
Chat, Email (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Billing
Prepaid
Contract length
1, 12
Official website
simbye.com

Apps and profiles

Get the app
Google Play
Elsewhere
Xfacebook.com

Pros and cons

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.
  • Contract lengths of 1 and 12 months and prepaid billing keep the commitment small.

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.
  • The unlimited plan costs €18.95, and the median unlimited price across the brands tracked here is €12.27, so uncapped data is where the budget grows.
Simbye

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Scored 8.8 / 10 by TariffCue.

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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.

Core features

Simbye sells sim only plans and every one of them is an eSIM, so there is no plastic card to post out and no slot to fill. The Japan eSIMs work on 5G networks, and hotspot sharing is available when a laptop or tablet needs the same connection. Travel plans reach 190 countries, which covers a multi-stop trip without stopping at a local retail counter. The catch sits with unused data: data rollover is not offered, so whatever is left in the allowance when a plan ends expires with it, and topping up is the only way to carry on. Taken together, 5G, eSIM delivery and hotspot sharing make the everyday use case short and simple.

How it compares on our data

On entry price, Simbye ranks 7 of 15 brands in the set compared here, which is a solid spot inside the field. The unlimited price ranks higher, at 6 of 7, partly because fewer brands publish an unlimited option at all. Put the two together and the shape is clear: the entry plans compete well across the field, while the unlimited plan is a mid-pack buy rather than the aggressive end of the market. A reader shopping only on entry price has plenty of room to compare. A reader who wants heavy, uncapped data has a narrower set of options to weigh, and this one sits above the middle of them.

Plans and prices

Prices are prepaid, and each one covers a stretch of travel rather than a month that renews. The entry Japan plan starts at €1.95 with no contract attached, and the Japan Unlimited plan costs €18.95 for uncapped data over a short validity window. There is no introductory figure that quietly turns into a higher renewal quote, because there is no renewal: what is bought is what is paid for, and the next purchase is a fresh decision. A Build Your Own eSIM can also be set in the app, with allowance and validity chosen on screen and the price shown before payment. That suits a trip of uncertain length and a reader who would rather hold a small pot of data than commit to a monthly bill.

The company behind it

Simbye Ltd is the legal entity behind the brand and sits in the United Kingdom, so the terms and conditions are governed there. Support runs on chat and email: a chat window and an email inbox. That shape suits a traveller troubleshooting an install from a phone, and it means the first reply comes from a chat agent rather than a call centre. Anyone who prefers voice should keep a backup number from another provider for the moments when a screen cannot be fixed over chat.

How Simbye compares

Frequently asked questions

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.

Does EU roaming come as part of the price?+

EU roaming is included, so a eurozone trip does not need a separate regional data pack bought on top of the plan. The wider travel range reaches 190 countries. The travel eSIMs are built around a country list rather than an open worldwide allowance, so trips outside that range need a separate look.

What happens to data I never use?+

Data rollover is not offered. Whatever is left in the allowance when a plan expires is gone, so topping up early is the only way to protect data you have not used. That makes rollover one of the points to check before a longer trip, and it separates Simbye from providers that carry a balance forward.

Do I get a physical SIM or an eSIM?+

Every plan is sim only and delivered as an eSIM, with no plastic card involved. The Japan eSIMs run on 5G networks and support hotspot sharing, so a phone, tablet or laptop can share the connection. Installation happens on the handset you already carry, which suits a traveller with no time for a shop counter.

Which network does my eSIM actually use?+

In Japan the eSIMs ride NTT Docomo, KDDI/au, SoftBank and Rakuten Mobile, and the Europe plans use Orange Holiday. Elsewhere Simbye works over a wide set of partner networks rather than a single host, with roaming reaching 190 countries. Signal strength therefore depends on which partner serves the country you land in.

Which countries can I buy from?+

Simbye sells into CH, GB and PL, and the company behind it, Simbye Ltd, is based in the United Kingdom, which is where its terms are set. The travel side runs separately from that home market list: the Japan and Europe eSIMs are built for visitors rather than for residents of those countries.

How do I get help if an eSIM will not install?+

Support runs on chat and email, with no phone line among the listed channels, so an install problem or a top-up question goes to chat or email. Simbye sells as a reseller, which means the network side sits with a partner, so a connectivity fault can mean a second conversation.

Sources

  • simbye.com checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Data rollover, Support channels

    “On the data plans, the connection simply stops when your allowance is used up, no surprise charges and nothing renews by itself”

  • simbye.com/pages/about-simbye-esim checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: SIM-only

    “we deliver instant data plans for 190+ countries directly to your phone, no physical SIM card needed”

  • simbye.com/pages/terms-conditions checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Billing, Headquarters, Legal entity, Markets, Contract length, Roaming countries, Seller type

    “provides prepaid eSIM services, virtual phone numbers, and related digital products”

  • simbye.com/products/esim-europe checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: EU roaming

    “a real European number (+33) and unlimited calls & SMS across Europe plus 20-100 GB of data in 45+ countries”

  • simbye.com/products/esim-japan checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: ESIM, 5G, Host network, Hotspot sharing, Price from, Reference plan prices, Unlimited plan price

    “Japan eSIM from 1,95 EUR with 1 to 50 GB or unlimited data”

Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.

Simbye

Simbye

Short prepaid eSIM trips in Japan or Europe, with unlimited data when a stretch of heavy use is planned.

8.8/10Visit

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