Travel eSIMs sell data in two ways: a package you size before the trip, or pay as you go, paying for the data you use. In Bcengi's 2026 sample, for 4 to 7 day trips, the allowance that would cover three trips in four is 3 GB, and 58.5% of those trips would use less than half of it.
Below: how the two ways compare on real trips, then each provider we have compared with Bcengi trip by trip.
Bundles or pay as you go: which fits your trip?
A bundle is bought before the trip, for a use nobody can predict well. These are the usage report's figures, worded as it measured them.
- Travel periods of 6 to 8 days used a median of 1.38 GB; 90% used less than 6.50 GB.
- Among 4 to 7 day trips, the traveler at the 90th percentile used 42 times as much as the one at the 10th (5.38 GB against 0.13 GB).
- Against a hypothetical 5 GB allowance, 54.2% of travel periods would have used less than half of it and 29.3% would have needed more. These are pay-as-you-go travelers measured against an allowance they did not buy. It is not a measurement of what bundle buyers waste.
Size a bundle for the median trip and about one trip in two needs more; size it for the 90th percentile and most trips leave most of it unused. For the full comparison, with trip costs in the 10 most searched destinations, see how bundles and pay as you go compare.
Providers we have compared, trip by trip
We name a provider only after reading its prices, and only in destinations where paying as you go with Bcengi cost less in all nine of the usage report's trip rows, against the package each trip needs, and by a clear margin on the median 7-day trip. Each comparison is on price only, with the provider's page and the date we read it.
Airalo
Airalo sells fixed data packages. In the United Kingdom, a median 7-day trip's 1.38 GB is $1.64 at $1.19/GB with Bcengi; Airalo's cheapest package for it is 3 GB for 7 days at $9.00 (Airalo's website, read October 2, 2026). That comparison names Airalo in each destination where this holds.
Holafly
Holafly sells day plans with unlimited data. In the United States, a median 7-day trip's 1.38 GB is $2.32 at $1.68/GB with Bcengi; Holafly's cheapest plan for it is unlimited data for 7 days at $27.50 (Holafly's website, read October 2, 2026). That comparison names Holafly in each destination where this holds.
Other providers are not on this page yet: we add one only after reading its prices and checking them trip by trip.
What pay as you go gives you that a bundle does not
- One reusable eSIM: install it once and use it on every trip.
- A balance that never expires: what one trip does not use is there for the next.
- No plan to pick: you never guess a size before you travel.
- Top up any time, by hand or with auto-refill.
Travel eSIM alternatives questions
Which eSIM is best for international travel?
It depends on how well you can predict your use. If you know you will use a lot in one country on a long stay, compare a large bundle's price per GB. If you cannot predict it, paying as you go means you never pay for data you did not use.
What are the disadvantages of a pay as you go eSIM?
You pay the rate of each country, so heavy use in an expensive country adds up. The usage report says where a fixed allowance may still make sense: long stays, heavy users and travelers whose use is stable (where a fixed allowance may still make sense).
Does a travel eSIM give you a phone number?
Bcengi is data only. Your phone number stays on your home SIM for calls and texts, and apps like WhatsApp work over the eSIM's data. See how to set up dual SIM.
Should I install a travel eSIM before I travel?
Yes. Install Bcengi at home on Wi-Fi so it is ready when you land. You are only charged when it uses data.
Is an eSIM any good for travel?
Yes, if your phone supports it: you install it before you leave, there is no shop to find on arrival, and your home SIM keeps your number. Check that your phone supports eSIM.
How these figures were measured
The usage figures come from Bcengi's 2026 International Mobile Data Usage Report: a stratified random sample of 10,000 travel periods, with usage from January 1 to September 30, 2026. The figures cover every destination in the sample, not one country.
Each trip cost on this page is a model, not a bill: the GB a trip used times the per-GB rate on our pricing page on October 2, 2026. Rates can change; the pricing page always has the current ones.
Updated October 2, 2026. Sources: Bcengi 2026 International Mobile Data Usage Report; Bcengi pricing page; Airalo's United Kingdom and Holafly's United States pages, read October 2, 2026.
