Updated September 30, 2026 · TariffCue Editorial Team
Simbye vs USIMS
Where Simbye and USIMS differ
| Compare |  Simbye |  USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Seller type | Reseller | Mvno |
| Price from | €1.95 | $2 |
| 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) | 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 |
| Roaming countries | 190Higher | 120 |
| Host network | NTT Docomo, KDDI/au, SoftBank, Rakuten Mobile (Japan); Orange Holiday Europe (Europe); 700+ partner networks worldwide | Not confirmed |
| Unlimited plan price | €18.95 | Not confirmed |
| 5G | Yes | Not confirmed |
| EU roaming | Included | Not confirmed |
| Data rollover | No | Not confirmed |
| Hotspot sharing | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Mid-contract price rises | Not confirmed | Charges may be changed at any time without notice, with changes posted on the mobile app and website |
| Markets | CH, GB, PL, TR, US | Not confirmed |
Same on both: SIM-only (Yes), 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
- USIMS scores higher overall: 9.0 vs 8.8.
- Roaming countries is higher at Simbye: 190 vs 120.
- Support channels: only USIMS offers Help centre.
Our verdict on each
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.
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 | Simbye | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7The entry plan is €1.95 and the unlimited plan is €18.95, with EU roaming included across 190 countries. | 9.3HigherEntry is $2 with prepaid billing, and the plan list is built from short validity data packages. |
| Offer | 8.9HigherEntry plan starts at €1.95, close to KnowRoaming at $1.75, while unlimited sits higher at €18.95. | 8.8Sim only and eSIM are both offered, and support runs on email, chat and help centre for setup and help. |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Simbye | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Phone plans with eSIM | 3 of 389 | 9 of 389 |
Which one suits you
Pick Simbye if roaming countries matter most.
Pick USIMS if cost matter most.
What we checked
Simbye
- simbye.com: 18 facts, checked September 30, 2026
USIMS
- usims.com: 11 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Simbye | USIMS |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Prepaid | Prepaid |
| Contract length | 1, 12 | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | Simbye Ltd | WONE SAGL |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Switzerland |
| Support channels | Chat, Email | Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Simbye | USIMS | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited plan price | €18.95below the median | Not confirmed | €19.99 |
| Roaming countries | 190highest quarter | 120above the median | 100 |
Median across 176 listed providers.
Pros and cons
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.
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
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.
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
Questions about each
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.
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.