10 Best eSIM Apps of 2026

Airalo is the default choice for a reason: it covers 200+ locations with local, regional and global packages, so one app handles a single-country holiday and a multi-country trip. On its Japan page, which we loaded in USD, you can filter by data-only, unlimited and fixed data packages, and each package names the network it uses, which was Softbank for Japan. Unlimited Japan packages ran from $11.50 for 3 days to $69.00 for 30 days, and the page pointed to Asia regional packages from $4.00 and Global packages from $8.50 that also include Japan. Top-ups and plan management happen inside the app. The downsides are mostly about choice and price. There are a lot of packages to sort through, and for a short trip with heavy data use, flat unlimited plans from Maya or Ubigi can cost less. Like most travel eSIMs, Airalo is data only, so keep your home line on for calls and texts or use a calling app.

Saily is a strong pick if you want to pay little for a week of maps, messages and light browsing. Its Japan page, loaded in USD, started at $3.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, then $7.99 for 3 GB and $10.99 for 5 GB over 30 days. Saily says Japan plans use local operators including KDDI and SoftBank, with 4G/LTE and 5G where available. A plan activates on its own when you land, or 180 days after purchase, so you can buy early. You can add new destinations to the eSIM you already installed by topping up, which saves reinstalling for each trip. Saily also sells a US phone number that you pair with a call and text plan inside the app, which helps if you need a number for verification codes or calls. The weak spot is unlimited data: the Japan unlimited plan was $48.99, so heavy users will do better with Maya, Ubigi or Holafly.

Nomad covers 200+ destinations with both fixed data and unlimited plans, and its Japan page names the networks it uses, KDDI au and SoftBank. A useful detail is the add-on: buy one before your first plan runs out and it starts automatically when that plan expires, so a longer trip does not need a new eSIM. Nomad also sells a membership that it describes as one eSIM for 60+ destinations, 1 GB of always-on data per month and 15% off data plans, which can pay off for people who travel often. You can buy early, but the plan must start within 60 days of purchase or it starts on its own. We could not confirm US prices, because the pages showed EUR from our location, so check the Nomad app for your price before buying.

Ubigi is less known than Airalo, but its Japan price table in USD was the most competitive we checked. One-off plans started at $3.50 for 1 GB over 3 days, unlimited data was $25 for 8 days and $39 for 15 days, and monthly plans ran from $8 a month for 5 GB to $45 a month for unlimited. That mix of one-off, monthly and annual plans suits people who stay abroad for weeks or travel every month. You install the eSIM once and reuse it across 200+ destinations, and Smartstart begins a plan when you arrive. Ubigi also lists support for Windows 10/11 laptops with eSIM, and it allows data sharing. The tradeoffs are presentation and admin. The plan table is long and plain, and its site switched language for us based on location.

Holafly keeps the buying decision short: choose a destination among 200+, choose the number of days, and you get unlimited data with no top-ups. Its Japan price table listed $11.90 for 3 days, $27.50 for 7 days and $73.90 for 30 days, with 4G and 5G speeds. The main fine print is the hotspot. Holafly lets you share 1 GB of data per day with other devices, so a 7-day plan includes 7 GB of sharable data, which is fine for a phone but tight for a laptop. Its refund policy offers a full or partial refund when the eSIM fails because of Holafly or the local network. The cost is the drawback. For the same trip length, Ubigi and Maya listed lower unlimited prices, and Holafly's pages showed some prices in PLN next to USD from our location. It is data only, so you keep your home number active for calls and texts.

Maya Mobile sells one product: unlimited data on a single global eSIM that works in 165+ countries, at the same price everywhere. On its Japan page in USD, plans were $9.99 for 3 days, $19.99 for 7 days, $27.99 for 14 days and $49.99 for 30 days, which Maya puts at $1.67 a day. Because the plan is global, you can fly from one country to the next without buying anything new, and the eSIM stays on your phone for later trips, with an Auto Top-Up option. Maya also covers 20+ major cruise lines. The flat model has limits. There is no 1 GB style plan for people who only need maps, so light users pay more than with Saily or Ubigi, and the country count is lower than the 200+ that Airalo, Holafly and Nomad list. For a multi-country trip with heavy data use, it is one of the simplest buys.

aloSIM solves a common gap with data-only eSIMs. Its travel plans include a free international phone number from its sister app Hushed, so you can call and text abroad without paying a separate number fee. The data side is a straightforward prepaid store: pick a destination, choose a package, and the eSIM activates when you arrive. Its Japan page listed plans from $3.50, and aloSIM says 1 GB plans start at $4.50, with unlimited plans also available. The eSIM stays on your phone, so you can reuse it on later trips to the same place. aloSIM promises a full refund if you cannot connect or your phone does not support eSIM, and it shows a 4.6 average rating across 28,531+ reviews. The tradeoffs are that calling happens in a second app and the plan range is narrower than Airalo's.

Yesim stands out for its pay-as-you-go model. Instead of buying a fixed package, you can load a balance and pay only for the data you use, and unused money stays on the account for the next trip. Its International eSIM works this way in 140+ countries. Yesim also sells country plans and unlimited plans, supports hotspot sharing, and on its Japan page offered an add-on of 20 minutes of calls. Yesim says it has over 4 million users and offers a refund guarantee under its refund policy. Two cautions apply. Its pages showed prices in EUR from our location, so we could not confirm a USD price, and the plan page notes that data speed may be limited under the network operator's fair usage policy. With country plans, unlimited plans and a balance option, it also takes a little longer to choose than Holafly or Maya.

GigSky has the lowest entry price on this list. Its US site listed Japan from $2.99, and the same starting price for popular destinations such as Italy, Spain and France. Plans cover 200+ countries, regions or cruises, and GigSky advertises unlimited hotspot sharing, which helps if you tether a laptop. You can top up when you run out and buy plans that cover several countries. Its unlimited plans run up to 7 days, so longer unlimited stays mean buying again or choosing another provider. GigSky shows a rating of 4.3 out of 5 based on 7.7K reviews. It has fewer extras than rivals, with no phone number add-on like Saily's or aloSIM's. For a cheap small plan, or for a cruise, it is worth a look.

Truely is built around flexibility. You can pick unlimited data or build a pay-per-GB bundle, and you can pause a plan and save unused days for later, which helps if a trip is cut short or a day is spent offline. It lists coverage in 190+ countries with 4G/5G speeds and supports hotspot and tethering. In Japan it names SoftBank and KDDI as its networks. Truely also promotes a simple refund process when a trip is rescheduled or something does not work. Read the unlimited terms: high speed lasts up to 5 GB per day, then speed drops to 512kbps for the rest of the day, with no cut-off. The Japan page we checked did not show a price, so we could not confirm what a Japan plan costs in USD. Multi-SIM support and shared data days are listed as upgrades still to come.