Best eSIM Australia: beat roaming fees with these prepaid plans

The best prepaid eSIM for travel is very clearly DTAC Go Inter – 10 days. It is the perfect balance between price/GB and range of countries covered. It comes with a price of 15€ ($16.35 USD), 6GB of mobile data to be used over 10 days, and coverage in Australia, Asia, Qatar, Israel and the USA.

This eSIM is the best for people who are not exclusively travelling through Australia, or those who have long layovers in places such as Hong Kong or Singapore and need a fast internet connection without paying for expensive roaming charges or going through the hassle of getting a physical SIM card.

With world-famous urban sites such as the Sydney Opera house, and incredible nature, including one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, The Great Barrier Reef, Australia is truly one of the best travel destinations for everyone.

What is an eSIM, and why should I get one?

The “e” in eSIM stands for embedded, given that eSIM consists of a tiny chip that is embedded in your mobile phone’s hardware that functions like a physical SIM card, without the need to buy a new one every time you want to change plans. Because that actual SIM technology is already inside your mobile phone, all you need to do is buy and download the plans to get your device connected to your mobile network.

This eSIM technology comes with many benefits. For example, because you don’t need a physical SIM card any time you want a new mobile data plan, you don’t need to go through the hassle of finding a SIM card store in a foreign country. Also, you don’t run the risk of losing your current SIM card, making it more secure. Finally, because you aren’t ordering and shipping a plastic SIM card, you are wasting less plastic and carbon emissions, making eSIM a more sustainable way to get your phone connected to your preferred mobile network.

Top 5 Best eSIMs for Australia

Below is a comparative table showing the 5 best eSIMs to travel to Australia with based on data collected:

DTAC Go Inter – 10 Days

Balanced Price/GB and Coverage

DTAC’s Go Inter plan has a perfect balance between price, data and coverage. This plan provides you with 6GB of data to be used over 10 days in Australia, Asia, Israel, Qatar and even the USA. All of that for just $15. This means that your phone can stay connected during your layover if you are on a connecting flight to travel to Australia all the while avoiding those expensive roaming charges.

eSIM provided by an established mobile operator

DTAC is one of the main mobile carriers in Thailand. This means that you can get support from an established mobile carrier instead of an intermediary. Most eSIM providers are middlemen between the carrier and the consumer, but DTAC skips that middleman, hence the great value for money.

eSIM Australia

Similar product sold under a different name

If you take a look at the features of eSIM Australia’s data plan, you will see that they are extremely similar to DTAC’s. DTAC does allow several distributors to sell their eSIMs, however, eSIM Australia does not seem to make clear where their plan comes from. Aside from the $0.99 markup, this lack of transparency makes it harder to recommend this plan, and as a result sits at 2nd place instead of a joint 1st.

Nomad

Good Price/GB on Larger plans, but difficult to choose

Some of Nomad’s larger plans have really good prices/GB, getting down to $0.50 USD/GB. However, it seems that their website offers different plans that offer the same amount of data and the same features, only with a different carrier for a significant price mark-up (depending on whether it’s Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone). It is unclear what warrants the difference in price. What is clear is that it makes the selection process much trickier than it needs to be.

Australia Only, Tethering Unclear

Apart from the differences in price for what seems to be the same plan under a different carrier, there are 2 main drawbacks to Nomad’s plans. Firstly, these data plans offer coverage only in Australia, meaning that if you need internet connection on your device during a layover, you will have to depend on the stability of the Wi-Fi network wherever you are. The other drawback is that Nomad does not make clear if they support Tethering, meaning that if you are travelling with someone who does not have a local SIM card or an eSIM, they may not be able to use your personal hotspot to connect their phone to the internet.

Holafly

Heavy-Duty, Expensive Plans

Holafly’s plans may come with unlimited data, but they are very expensive. As a result, they are really only worth it for those who are heavily using their mobile data on a daily basis, which is unlikely for a traveller unless they are using their device a lot in a hotel with no Wi-Fi network and not leaving much.

Australia only, No Tethering

Like Nomad, these Holafly plans only provide coverage in Australia, meaning that you would have to use roaming if you are on a layover. Unlike nomad, though, they have made it clear whether they allow tethering or not. Unfortunately, they do not include tethering in the plan, meaning that all of this unlimited data has to be used on one device.

Airalo Yes! Go!

Closest plan to DTAC cheaper, but with caveats

Airalo’s closest data plan to DTAC’s comes with 5GB of data for $12.50 USD, making it slightly cheaper than DTAC’s. However, not only is it 1GB less in terms of data, but it allows coverage only in Australia and it is unclear whether they allow tethering. This makes the extra $2.50 USD so much more worth it for DTAC’s plan.

eSIM Compatible Devices

Unfortunately, as of the time of writing, not all devices are compatible with eSIM. However, companies like Apple, Samsung and Google are setting the trend of including eSIMs in their iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel models, paving the way for smaller companies to adopt eSIM down the line. In fact Apple has not only incorporated eSIM into their iPhone line, but they have also incorporated it into other Apple products such as the iPad and Apple Watch lines.

Also, not every eSIM provider supports every phone, even if the phone is compatible with eSIM. To check if your phone is compatible with eSIM, always check the provider’s website to make sure you have the correct device.

Currently compatible devices include all iPhone models and other Apple devices newer than the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, all flagship Samsung Models (Samsung Galaxy S and Samsung Galaxy Z series) newer than the Samsung Galaxy S20, and Google Pixel devices newer than the Pixel 3.

Generally, eSIM providers will support these Apple, Samsung and Google devices, but it is best to check your provider if your device is supported.

Mobile coverage in Australia

There are three main mobile network operators in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. The coverage with each carrier may vary depending on your device and on where in Australia you are going to travel to.

If you are staying in the big coastal cities like Sydney or Melbourne, you should not have too much of a problem. If you are taking a trip through the desert, though, getting coverage on your device will be much more challenging.

Below is a map of Telstra’s coverage. To be absolutely certain about coverage from Optus and Vodafone, click here.

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