Yesim eSIM review: fixed and unlimited plans, and how they compare
On 10 November 2026 Yesim charged US$16.80 for 10GB over 30 days in the USA, well under the verified prices of the six brands we cover, but $19.20 for the same in Japan, where they were cheaper. Here is what Yesim sells and what its terms say.
What is Yesim eSIM?
Yesim sells travel eSIMs through its app and at yesim.app, and says it covers more than 170 countries. Alongside ordinary country and regional plans it sells Pay & Fly, a pay-as-you-go balance from $1.10 a gigabyte that you keep for later trips; an Unlim Day Pass for 83 countries from $2.98 a day; and a Global Plus package for 146 countries. It also sells virtual phone numbers as a separate product, and runs a referral scheme that gives you and a friend €5 each.
This is desk research from Yesim's own pages. We have not bought or tested a Yesim plan.
What do Yesim eSIM plans cost?
Each Yesim country page has two tabs, unlimited and fixed. These were the prices on 10 November 2026, in US dollars.
Fixed plans (all valid 30 days)
| Plan | Japan | USA | Thailand | Europe & UK (33 countries) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB | $4.44 | $3.72 | $3.12 | $3 |
| 5GB | $10.56 | $10.80 | $8.40 | $11.52 |
| 10GB | $19.20 | $16.80 | $13.20 | $19.20 |
| 20GB | $29.76 | $25.20 | $20.40 | $26.40 |
| 30GB | $39.60 | $31.92 | $27.60 | $33.60 |
Thailand also had 50GB at $40.80. The Europe & UK page had a 500MB, 1-day plan at $0.54, marked as a first-time deal.
Each plan shows a struck-through "was" price and a large discount, up to 74%. Those "was" prices are simply the 1GB price multiplied by the number of gigabytes. They show how much a bigger plan saves against Yesim's own 1GB rate, not a sale that will end.
Unlimited plans (priced by the day)
| Length | Japan | USA | Thailand | Europe & UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | $4.20 | $3.48 | $3.84 | $4.20 |
| 7 days | $29.40 | $24.36 | $26.88 | $29.40 |
| 30 days | $66 | $54 | $50.40 | $68.40 |
Yesim's plan details for unlimited say speed may be limited under the network operator's fair usage policy. The pages we read gave no figure for when that starts.
Does Yesim include calls, and can you use a hotspot?
The plans themselves are data only, and Yesim says standard eSIM plans don't include a phone number. Calls and texts go through apps such as WhatsApp. On the Japan, Thailand and Europe pages, Yesim offered an add-on of 20 minutes of calls for $4.79. Its virtual numbers are sold separately.
Hotspot is available on the plans we read. Yesim says Personal Hotspot is on by default at no extra charge, and tethered data counts against your allowance.
Can you top up a Yesim eSIM?
On fixed plans, yes: the Japan plan details listed balance top-up as available, and Yesim says you get a notification at 70% usage. On unlimited plans, the same details said top-up was not available, so you buy a new plan instead.
A plan must be activated within 90 days of purchase, and its validity starts when your phone first connects to a compatible network. Yesim's Japan page says to install the eSIM on arrival, while its US page says to install it before your trip; given the refund rules below, installing on arrival is the safer choice. Buying two or more eSIMs at once gets 10% off.
What is Yesim's refund policy?
Yesim's refund policy allows a request within 30 calendar days of purchase, but only if the plan has not been activated, used or expired. Activation includes installing the eSIM or connecting to a network, so a plan you installed before leaving may already count as activated. On the Unlim Day Pass, a day counts as used the moment your phone connects.
Refunds of €10 or less go back to your Yesim balance as Ycoins rather than to your card. For a technical fault, Yesim says you must tell it within one hour of the problem, with screenshots, by email to its support address or through the in-app form. Requests are processed within 15 business days.
Which phones work with Yesim?
You need an unlocked, eSIM-compatible device. Yesim's list covers iPhones from the XR and XS onwards on iOS 14.1 or newer, Google Pixel 3 and later, and a long list of Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola and other Android models. It notes that US Samsung phones need Android 12 and One UI 4 or later, and that phones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan usually lack eSIM. Our eSIM compatible phones page has more.
Yesim vs Airalo, Nomad and the other alternatives
Here are Yesim's 10GB, 30-day and 7-day unlimited prices beside the six brands we cover. Their figures come from our verified records, read on each seller's own site on the dates shown. Yesim's were read on 10 November 2026.
10GB over 30 days
| Brand | Japan | USA | Thailand | Europe | Prices read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesim | $19.20 | $16.80 | $13.20 | $19.20 (33 countries) | 10 Nov 2026 |
 Airalo | $18 | $22.50 | $11 | $14 (Spain only) | 13 Aug 2026 |
 Nomad | $16 | $25 | $10 | $14 (Spain only) | 17 Aug 2026 |
 Saily | $17.99 | $22.99 | $10.99 | $15.99 (Spain only) | 13 Aug 2026 |
 Holafly | unlimited only | no verified price | no verified price | unlimited only | 18 Aug 2026 |
 eSIMCard | no verified price | no verified price | no verified price | no verified price | none stored |
 eSIM Go | no verified price | no verified price | no verified price | no verified price | none stored |
7 days of unlimited data
| Brand | Japan | USA | Thailand | Europe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesim | $29.40 | $24.36 | $26.88 | $29.40 (33 countries) |
| Airalo | $27 | $25 | $21.50 | $23.50 (Spain) |
| Nomad | $25 | $32 | no 7-day plan | $25 (Spain) |
| Holafly | $27.50 | no verified price | no verified price | $23.90 (Spain) |
We hold no verified regional Europe prices for the six, so the Europe columns compare Yesim's 33-country plan with plans that only work in Spain. We have no stored prices for eSIMCard or eSIM Go, or for Saily's unlimited plans.
The fair reading is that Yesim is strong in the USA and weaker elsewhere. Its US 10GB at $16.80 is more than $5 under Airalo, Saily and Nomad, and its US week of unlimited is a little under Airalo's. In Japan and Thailand, every verified brand was cheaper for 10GB, by $1.20 to $3.20, and Airalo's Thailand week of unlimited was $5.38 less. In Europe, Yesim's regional plan cost more than single-country Spain plans, which is the price of covering 33 countries.
Who is Yesim eSIM best for?
Yesim suits someone spending a month in the United States, or a traveller who wants unlimited data by the exact number of days rather than in fixed blocks. Its Pay & Fly balance may suit people who travel often and dislike unused data expiring, though we did not price it against a specific trip.
For Japan or Thailand, the verified prices of Nomad, Saily and Airalo were lower on a 10GB month. And because installing counts as activation under Yesim's refund policy, decide before you install. Our cheapest eSIM table and eSIM providers comparison set out the alternatives.
Common questions
How much does a Yesim eSIM cost?
On 10 November 2026 Yesim's 10GB, 30-day plan was $19.20 in Japan, $16.80 in the USA, $13.20 in Thailand and $19.20 on its 33-country Europe & UK plan. Seven days of unlimited data ranged from $24.36 in the USA to $29.40 in Japan and Europe.
Is Yesim cheaper than Airalo?
In the USA, yes: Yesim's 10GB over 30 days was $16.80 against Airalo's verified $22.50. In Japan and Thailand Airalo was cheaper, at $18 and $11 against Yesim's $19.20 and $13.20. Airalo's prices were read on 13 August 2026.
Does Yesim allow hotspot?
Yes. Yesim says Personal Hotspot is enabled by default at no extra charge, and that tethered data counts against your plan.
Can I top up a Yesim unlimited plan?
No. Yesim's plan details listed top-up as not available on its unlimited Japan plan, and available on its fixed plans.
What is Yesim's refund policy?
You can request a refund within 30 calendar days of purchase, but only if the plan has not been activated, used or expired. Installing the eSIM counts as activation. Refunds of €10 or less are paid as Ycoins.
Sources and further reading
- Japan eSIMYesimRead 10 November 2026
- United States eSIMYesimRead 10 November 2026
- Thailand eSIMYesimRead 10 November 2026
- Europe & UK eSIMYesimRead 10 November 2026
- Refund policyYesimRead 10 November 2026
- Compatible devicesYesimRead 10 November 2026
- Yesim home pageYesimRead 10 November 2026
- Verified prices: Airalo, Nomad, Saily and Holaflycheapsimcard.comAiralo read 13 August 2026, Nomad 17 August, Saily 13 August, Holafly 18 August