In the age of “always-on” connectivity, being online and available 24/7, getting online has taken a major step forward with the advent of the eSIM. The eSIM not only frees travelers from the the hassle of physically swapping physical SIM cards, but also offers a level of convenience that we think is unmatched. With just a few taps on your device, you can now instantly connect to local networks around the globe, without ever needing to visit a store overseas or handle those tiny, easy to lose SIM cards.

Amongst the most well known of these apps capitalizing on this new technology is AloSIM, a service that can get you online in over 170 countries. According to AloSIM’s CEO Justin Shimoon, “AloSIM makes it easy to shop for a new data package. Check out different prepaid packages, all in one place, and choose the one that works best for you.” In this comprehensive AloSIM review, we’ll put that to the test and compare how AloSIM performs compared with its competition.

Who and what is AloSIM?

Made by Canadian company AffinityClick, AloSIM has emerged as a legitimate player in the ever-expanding landscape of eSIM providers, aimed at travelers seeking convenient and affordable data access across the globe. AloSIM has quickly positioned itself as a solid choice for users requiring internet connectivity overseas without the hassles of physical SIM cards, offering coverage in over 170 countries.

To break that down further, if your phone supports eSIM technology (check our eSIM phone compatibility page to verify), then you’ll be able to purchase and download an eSIM that allows you to connect to a phone plan from a local mobile network overseas. The good news is that means you can swerve your roaming fees with ease.

What is an eSIM? 

The growth of eSIM technology, or embedded SIM, has been a significant evolution and for us, significant improvement over the traditional physical SIM cards long used in mobile devices. Integrated directly into a device’s hardware, no longer do you need to physically purchase and insert a SIM card. This means that users can browse and switch carrier plans on travel eSIM apps with ease, effectively cutting out the in-store experience communicating in a foreign language and roaming fees. This technology is all about convenience, simplifying the process of changing plans, removing the inconvenience of handling small, easy-to-lose SIM cards.

How does AloSIM work?

AloSIM is a mobile app available to download. Once downloaded, you have access to a store full of eSIM plans to purchase for one country, one region or globally. Check our full and detailed breakdown of how to use a travel eSIM app like AloSIM page for more.

The AloSIM setup process

The process is essentially the following: 

1. Find and download AloSIM from either the Apple App Store on iOS or Play Store on Android.
2. Browse eSIM plans. AloSIM gives you the choice of a region/continent plan or a single country plan.
3. Confirm your plan details
4. Purchase your plan
5. Install the eSIM
6. Make sure your settings are correct

For more information, check out the AloSIM homepage.

Is my phone compatible with AloSIM?

There are a number of requirements for your phone to be able to use AloSIM. They are…

• The ability to download apps.
• Compatibility with eSIMs (Most newer phones are).
• Dual-Sim compatibility (Most phones with eSIM functionality will be).
• An unlocked phone so that you can use it with other mobile networks.

There is a good chance your phone will be both eSIM and Dual Sim compatible if it’s built within the last 5 years and a mid-tier or higher end phone. There are various ways to check this, the best way is probably to check our compatibility guide here.

Is AloSIM easy to use?

After a great deal of experience using AloSIM around the world, we think that AloSIM is one of the easiest to use eSIM travel apps available. The app is user-friendly, presents information super clearly and guides you step by step through the purchase and install process. For those less tech-savvy, feel free to check out our setup and activation guide here, this page runs through a very similar process with Airalo.

Registration to AloSIM is simple and quick. You have the option to sign up manually with your email address or to skip that and go with our favorite option, the quick login via Google, Facebook or Apple. We think that this is the most efficient and easiest way.

Once you’ve registered and open the app, you’re going to land on the store page.

Store: Here you’ll be able to switch between countries and regions and purchase the plan that you require.

My eSIMs: This tab displays your purchased eSIMs and the details of each one including country, current status, days of validity left, and the amount of data used. The tab also lists the amount of “AloCash” credit you currently have and you can also top-up directly from this page.

One odd thing we noticed is that one of our expired eSIMs (in Portugal) has disappeared from the list while others remain, hopefully this is just a one off.

Profile: Finally, you have your profile tab where your usual profile admin options live. The most interesting thing here is the “Calling & texting” option, where you’ll be able to activate the calling and SMS package that comes with your plan. Much more on that later.

The app is also going to tell you when your package is about to expire, this is good to know in advance so you’re not left stranded without a valid plan.

Is AloSIM easy to install?

eSIM Installation on AloSIM is a breeze. You have three options, they’re called:

1. Automatic.
2. QR Code.
3. Manual.

We would always recommend you to install via the “Automatic” option, directly via the app as this is the easiest and quickest way to do so. AloSIM also gives you a short tutorial on what to do.

We’ve gone through the whole purchase process and took screenshots of it all to walk you through how to find the eSIM you need, purchase and install on iOS.

Activation Instructions (iOS):

Next you’ll have a number of options to choose from, depending on your preferences.

• Default Line: Here you’ll likely want to select your home/primary plan. AloSIM plans come with internet calls, rather than a phone line so if you absolutely need to make any calls overseas, your home plan will cover it.

• iMessage & Facetime Configuration: Your AloSIM’s likely going to be temporary only, we think it’s best to stick with your regular number for iMessages and FaceTime calls.

• Mobile Data Selection: This is the option you’ll definitely want to switch over. You’ll need to select the new plan so that mobile data comes from your new overseas plan. In this instance, the option is called Personal, but yours may be named something else.

What countries can you use AloSIM?

At the time of writing this AloSIM review, it works in 170+ countries. That means you’re likely going to be covered in almost any country you visit. Don’t forget that if you’re traveling, you also have the option to purchase a regional plan too, just make sure that it’s valid for the duration of your trip!

Unlike other travel eSIM providers, AloSIM does not offer a global plan and there isn’t an African plan available either.

Two purchasing options explained:

• Countries: The countries tab is absolutely the best choice if you’re heading to one country only. The app makes it easy to find the country you require with a full list of countries in alphabetical order, a search bar and a side scrolling popular locations section.

• Regions: The regional eSIM packages might be better for you if you’re traveling throughout a continent or region. The main advantage is the convenience factor, you’ll only have to buy a package once and then top-up as usual. Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase a new eSIM for each country you visit.

AloSIM Price Comparison: Local eSIM vs Regional eSIM vs Global eSIM

Check out AloSIM’s store for the latest list of countries supported.

How much does AloSIM cost?

Buying an eSIM can get complicated, but we’re here to help you with costs and help you make the right decision for you.

As we’ve discussed, AloSIM offers:

1. Country plans.
2. Region plans.

Each plan has a different data amount and validity options, as well as coming with a phone number and a limited amount of calls and SMS included.

To work out what plan is right for you, you’ll want to take into account the main criteria…

1. Location.
2. Validity.
3. Data amount.

1a. Location

Your first consideration is what country you want your eSIM for. If you’re only going to one country, the single country option is the obvious choice. If you’re traveling to a number of different places, your best bet is to compare country vs regional plans.

1b. Regional plans vs Country plans

The cost of a regional plan is going to cost you more than a single country plan. If you are confident that you will use all of the data purchased during your time in a single country, we think the best bet is to buy a one country only plan. If you don’t and leave any data unused, your price per GB of data will increase, potentially up to the price of a regional eSIM.

2. Validity

This is how long your plan lasts for. Usually lower data amounts will last for 7 or 15 days and 3 GB or more plans will last for 30 days. Make sure that the plan you purchase lasts for the duration of your trip if possible.

3. Data Amount 

Data amount is going to be your main deciding factor in purchasing an eSIM. The cost per GB of data decreases significantly the more you purchase. For example, in Italy you’ll pay $4.50 for 1 GB only, but $1.65 per GB for a 20 GB package.

That $1.65 per GB is only going to remain that price if you use all 20 GB of the plan. If, for example, you were to only use half of the 20 GB, the total cost per GB will go up significantly.

How much data will I need?

You’ll really want to have a rough idea of how much data you’re going to use to get the most bang for your buck. This will vary from person to person and app to app. According to our research of various sources, approximate data usage is.

We are permanently online so when in doubt, we generally tend to shoot for more data to avoid being caught short.

The validity of Alosim plans is typically:

• 1GB – 7 days.
• 2 GB – 15 days.
• 3GB and more – 30 days.

This is standard for most eSIMs from AloSIM and other providers, aside from a select few.

Price Comparison

Let’s compare these prices against their competition in all of these countries in this real time interactive table. All you need to do is select a country and scroll through. Alosim’s options will be available throughout.

As you can see from the tables, each travel eSIM provider has quite different pricing and positioning depending on the country.

Check out our cheapest eSIMs page if you’re interested in finding the absolute cheapest travel eSIMs available.

The AloSIM differentiator: Calls and SMS included!

AloSIM has a clever little perk not everyone knows about. Since it’s part of the same company as Hushed (a calling and texting app), every data plan you buy also comes with a few extras:

• A temporary US, Canadian or UK phone number (valid for 7, 15, or 30 days, depending on your plan) – and you can even pick the area code.
• A small bundle of calls and texts via VOIP, so you can stay connected even without relying on messaging apps.

It’s a nice bonus, especially if you need a real number while you’re overseas.

So how does it work? For all new plans, every new plan purchased, you’ll get a “bonus” available from the “Calling & Texting” section of your Profile tab.

Once redeemed, you’ll receive an email from “Hushed” with links on where to download the Hushed app and a login and temporary password.

Once downloaded, you’ll need to select the AloSIM 15 day phone number option which offers $1 of credit all for free as an AloSIM user. AloSIM says that this is good for about 30 minutes of phone conversations or 50 SMS messages. We couldn’t find a clear breakdown on the app of actual costs, so we’ve taken their word for this.

How did it perform?

SMS: Quick, easy and fully functional.

Calls: Voice calls are made over an internet connection, so you’ll need to be online to make calls, either over Wi-Fi or data. The quality was average; the line wasn’t particularly clear, but the important thing is we were able to hear each other on the call. We find this quite useful when traveling overseas in case you need to ring your hotel/driver/restaurant etc. One positive to note is that we were able to call internationally to different countries. We called Colombia, USA, UK and Portugal without issue.

Overall this is a great value-add offered by AloSIM and certainly helps add value to the somewhat less competitive price points that AloSIM offers. The final thing to note is that the phone number and included calls/SMS are only for new plans, they are not offered for top-ups.

So if we were to summarize AloSIM’s pricing versus competition, we find it to usually be middle of the road. To make things just that bit cheaper, we would certainly recommend making use of our exclusive coupon code TRAVELESIMEXPERT to get an extra 15% off for new users.

AloSIM eSIM discount

15% off for all new customers of AloSIM available to all Travel ESIM Expert readers with code TRAVELESIMEXPERT. More information can be found on our exclusive 15% off AloSIM coupon code page.

Is AloSIM high speed and what is AloSIM’s signal reception like?

If we were to summarize AloSIM from our testing, we’ve generally found AloSIM to have generally strong signal and speeds when compared with the competition, with the exception being in Portugal.

We would always clarify that it’s difficult to report with 100% certainty as there are a number of variables that can influence both signal and speed.

1. 4G or 5G plan: 5G plans should be faster and can give better signal than 4G. AloSIM’s plans are a mixture of 4G and 5G.
2. Location: Location can have a major influence on signal and speed.
3. Other Variables: Such as network congestion, which can also vary depending on time of day.

We can report back on our usage as travelers in real world situations.

• Speed: Fast.
• Signal: Good. Signal is dependent on where you are and which network you choose, fortunately AloSIM allows you to choose from a number of different 4G options to keep you online including EE, one of the best.

• Speed: Fast.
• Signal: Very good. The UAE only has 2 main networks and AloSIM works on Du on 5G. We traveled various parts of multiple Emirates, including remote desert areas and generally had strong signal.

• Speed: Fast.
• Signal: Very good, AloSIM allows you to switch between the big 2 networks: SKT or KT and both on 5G. Both networks offer very strong signal around the country.

• Speed: Fast. 3rd fastest tested in HK.
• Signal: Good signal across 2 networks. No 4G available however.

• Speed: Relatively fast at 89.1 Mbps. 6th fastest testing in Indonesia, fastest tested was in 112 Mbps.
• Signal: Mostly strong throughout Bali. Signal can drop in more rural areas, but this isn’t exclusive to AloSIM.

The Average:

• Speed: Slow generally. Average when compared with other eSIMs tested in Colombia.
• Signal: Good, works on Movistar on 4G, one of the major networks in Colombia. Signal has generally been solid throughout the country, inside and outside of the major cities.

• Speed: Average in the context of Malaysia, generally on the slower side.
• Signal: Average. Like most eSIMs in Malaysia, AloSIM makes use of My Maxis on 4G. We found My Maxis to be pretty inconsistent, even in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. Celcom was also available but speeds were very slow.

The Underwhelming:

• Speed: Slow.
• Signal: Solid signal from NOS which delivers strong 5G signal in the cities and the very rural parts of the country that we traveled, including the Alentejo region.

We will be keeping this page updated with reviews from our travels all over the world.

What is Alocash and how does AloSIM’s loyalty scheme work?

AloSIM rewards its users through a loyalty scheme named “Alocash”, which, unlike a few other eSIM providers is very simple in its value offering. Users will automatically earn a 5% cashback on every AloSIM eSIM purchase they make. This allows users to gather Alocash with each transaction, which can then be applied as a discount towards future eSIM purchases.

On the plus side, this is a positive for the user, is outlined clearly and is pretty simple to understand. Unfortunately 5% doesn’t match up as well as Airalo’s “Airmoney” loyalty scheme that offers all the way up to 10% cashback, depending on your tier status.

What is AloSIM’s customer service like?

In the world of travel eSIMs, we think Customer service is pretty vital. Like it or not, lots of things can go wrong with this technology and there are times when you are really relying on your eSIM to get online and organize travel, plans, etc.

We think it’s worth acknowledging that problems can happen, it’s about how companies respond to and solve issues. The good news is that we are yet to encounter major issues with AloSIM in any country. However, we have had a number of smaller questions which we’ve asked AloSIM. Let’s break their customer service down into a few parts.

• Forms of communication: Support tickets and live chat. Live chat is always our favorite and AloSIM’s version gets you speaking to a bot to answer a few questions around the nature of your query before passing you to a human.
• Response time: Response times are very fast. Our support ticket was answered in a minute and live chat a couple of minutes.
• Answers and problem solving: Unfortunately responses are not always personalized, both the support ticket and live chat started with what seems to be a pre-written response that in our case, only partially answered our questions. Unfortunately both conversations took quite a bit of back and forth with a couple of misunderstandings before getting a complete answer.

Overall we love that support is quick and even live, but do think answers and problem solving could be improved upon.

What do other AloSIM users think? AloSIM reviews on Reddit and elsewhere

Online user reviews can always be varied but the good news is that AloSIM’s are generally above 4 out of 5. Here’s how they breakdown from some key platforms:

iOS App Store: 4.6/5

Google Play Store: 4.2/5

TrustPilot: 4.1/5

Review sites are useful but we tend to also look to Reddit for additional takes. Unfortunately there is not much conversation around AloSIM on Reddit just yet. We will keep our eyes peeled for further updates.

Frequently asked questions