After years of using travel eSIMs, I’ve learned that no single provider works perfectly every time regardless of who they are. We’ve seen our phones bug out, plans expire at the wrong moment and networks can simply behave differently depending on the country.

Though I regularly use Roamless as one of my main eSIMs due to the pure convenience and speeds (they are one of the absolute fastest eSIMs), I’ve begun to also keep a small backup balance on it for situations where I’m caught short – if another provider doesn’t connect or I run out of data. It isn’t about treating Roamless like a secondary option. It’s simply a practical way to use one of its best features in the background while still relying on it as a main eSIM when we need to.

Here’s why I think Roamless is a great option to not only use as your main eSIM, but to have in the back pocket for an emergency. For everything else, you can check out our Roamless guide, where we cover plans, speeds and how it works.

Why a backup eSIM matters

A lot of travel eSIM issues fall into the same 5 categories. None of them are dramatic, but all of them become a problem when you’re standing in an airport, on a street or in a taxi line with no WiFi to fix anything.

1. Plans don’t always activate instantly

Some eSIMs take a while to attach to a network after landing. It’s completely random. Sometimes they don’t attach at all until you reboot your phone, switch carriers manually, or wait a few minutes.

2. Country borders confuse eSIMs

Crossing from one country to another can cause network handover delays. Some providers switch smoothly, others need a manual reset.

3. eSIM installation isn’t perfect

Most of the time eSIM installation works. Sometimes there are just problems and it doesn’t due to provider error.

4. Running out of data

This has happened to me more times than I can remember. Most recently? A full iCloud backup on 4G.

5. A single technical glitch leaves you offline

Even a short outage can leave you without data. We’ve had this happen in Portugal and Vietnam in the past. Even a short outage can be super frustrating when you’re relying on an eSIM.

A backup eSIM solves all five.
You don’t need a “plan”.
You don’t need Wifi.
You don’t need to re-install.
You just turn it on.

Why I think Roamless is ideal as a backup

There are new eSIMs popping up every day, but we think Roamless is useful in this role for a few specific reasons.

1. Credit does not expire

This is probably the biggest reason. Most eSIMs operate on fixed plan windows: 7 days, 15 days, 30 days, etc. If your backup’s data expires after a certain amount of time and barely being used, it defeats the purpose.

With Roamless, I can load $10 and let it sit there for months, if I use a dollar or two, the rest stays. This makes it low maintenance, which I love. No need to remember to top it up or buy anything in advance.

2. One global eSIM that works globally

Many eSIMs require a new installation for:

• each country
• each plan
• each multi region plan

Roamless is different. You only have to install it once, this is great as there is a limit to the number of eSIM slots available on most phones.

The best part about it? The eSIM works in more than 200 countries.

This matters for a backup because:

• It’s always there, always available to just fire up and go
• You don’t need Wifi to install a new plan
• You avoid installation issues
• You avoid slot limit problems on older iPhones
• You avoid deleting/reinstalling multiple profiles

It just sits in your phone, ready to be used when you need it most.

3. It charges per GB rather than forcing full plans

A backup shouldn’t require a full $15-$30 plan just to get online. I only need a GB or two to get me through the day. This is where Roamless works well. You pay only for what you use and usage in small bursts is cheap.

It’s not the cheapest for long term use, but as a backup? It’s efficient at around $2.45 per GB of data, though this varies based on country.

4. It’s reliable

If your main eSIM goes down and your backup doesn’t work, this would all be pointless. Fortunately Roamless is “Ol’ reliable” and we’ve found it to work when others are struggling. This makes it a viable backup.

Real moments when a backup helped me

None of these are particularly dramatic, but they’re all real situations where having a backup saved time and frustration.

Crossing a land border

My main eSIM didn’t switch networks, Roamless switched over and connected almost instantly once I tried it.

Main plan failure

We’ve had multiple instances where our main plan didn’t activate or went down and spent time on customer support channels to fix it. Roamless to the rescue.

Running out of data

A first world problem for sure, but midway through our car journey out to the Dubai dessert. Some eSIMs don’t even inform you when you’re close to your data limit, which is poor service. Fortunately switching over to Roamless saved me from boredom.

These aren’t big events. They’re the everyday things that happen when you travel a lot.

My $10 backup strategy

Here’s exactly what I do:

1. Install Roamless
2. Activate the global eSIM once
3. Add $10 when I remember
4. Leave it there

Most trips I never use it, but when I need it, it’s the difference between being stuck and fixing the problem in a few minutes.

What about Roamless as a main eSIM?

While I’ve just spent the entire article highlighting the strengths of Roamless as a backup eSIM, I also use it regularly as our main eSIM in various countries when not testing. After testing a ridiculous number of different eSIMs, it’s great for us to lean on something quick and easy.

As mentioned in our recent Roamless review, there are a lot of pros to the service and a lot revolve around that unparalleled convenience…

• Super quick speeds, ranked second overall in our Fastest eSIM tests
• One global eSIM for every trip so you avoid reinstalling profiles
• Setup and activation are straightforward
• Choice of flexible or fixed plans depending on how you travel
• Pay as you go credit stays in your account with no expiry
• Fixed plans automatically fall back to your Flex balance if you run out
• You can make calls to any number directly through the app

We are fans. We ranked Roamless 4.5/5 in the review overall.

The main con is the pricing. You will find cheaper elsewhere.

Other options

There aren’t a huge amount of eSIMs doing much similar to Roamless right now outside of paying a fixed amount per month for a fixed amount of global data such as Saily’s Ultra plan.

The closest we can get? BNESIM‘s unlimited validity data plans. Here’s the facts:

• BNESIM offers unlimited versions of all plans, including regional and global
• These usually cost a little more than their standard validity plans, but can still be great value, especially with our TRAVELESIMEXPERT code
• In order to use the plans anywhere, you’d need a global plan. However, these are much more expensive than a standard plan on Roamless, starting at $21.71 for 1 GB.
• BNESIM also now offers 1 eSIM profile to work globally.

BNESIM is a super strong option and another of our 4.5 rated eSIMs but the the convenience factor is dialed down a little, it’s less plug and play. However, if you do regularly head to the same few countries, it could definitely be worth a try.

In summary

While many users will have a preference for their trip, whether that’s from positive reviews, cheap pricing, or something else, a backup doesn’t replace any of these. It helps fills gaps that can happen when trying to get online overseas. We think Roamless is the ideal eSIM to have for those “just in case” moments, it doesn’t replace your primary eSIM provider, but it fills reliability gaps in a way that keeps travel simple.

FAQs