The travel eSIM market is evolving rapidly, with new players entering the playing field regularly to challenge the more established providers like Airalo, Holafly, etc. Among them, we have Saily, a fresh face backed by the well renowned NordVPN team promising a secure, reliable and most of all, cheap way of allowing travelers to get online while overseas. How well does this new contender compete when put to the test in real-world scenarios and does it live up to the hype?

In this comprehensive Saily review, we’ll dive deep into every aspect of a travel eSIM which can make or break your experience. For us, the most important aspects are: Speeds, signal and the price/value of the plans. Combine that with the app performance, loyalty program availability and any other value adds and you have the overall experience. Most importantly, we’ll do so impartially and thoroughly, comparing Saily’s offering to the big players to help you make an informed decision for your next trip.

What is Saily eSIM?

Saily is an app developed by the team behind NordVPN, Nord Security, one of the most well respected and well reviewed VPN apps in the market. The Saily app offers digital SIM cards called eSIMs (embedded SIMs) that offer a flexible and convenient way to stay connected without swapping SIM cards or getting stung by high data roaming charges.

Saily offers eSIMs in 200+ countries and very much stresses the importance of travel. This elaborate statement reveals all…

So what does that actually mean? Good question. Essentially Saily allows you to easily get online while overseas at reduced prices, without having to go to stores to purchase a physical SIM card. All you have to do is buy it straight from the app.

The key facts

What is an eSIM?

Before we really dig into what makes Saily unique, let’s make sure we know what we’re working with. There has been substantial growth in eSIMs recently, so much so that Apple actually made all new iPhones eSIM only in the USA. Saily is one of a number of apps that enables users to purchase an eSIM card for many countries in the world, allowing you to get online and stay connected without having to use a physical SIM card. We are eSIM users and have been for a long time, here’s why we think eSIMs offer so many advantages over physical SIMs:

Is my phone compatible with Saily?

Before you get too excited about using Saily on your travels, let’s make sure your phone can actually use it. There are a few key requirements your device needs to meet:

1. App store access: Your phone needs to be able to download apps from either the App Store (for iOS devices) or the Google Play Store (for Android devices).

2. eSIM compatibility: This is the big one. Your phone needs to support eSIM technology. Don’t worry, most newer mid-range to high-end phones do.

3. Dual SIM capability: While not strictly necessary, having a dual SIM phone (which most eSIM-compatible phones are) will give you the best experience. It’ll let you keep your home number active for calls and texts, while using Saily for data.

4. Unlocked status: Your phone needs to be unlocked to use with foreign networks. If you’re not sure, check with your current carrier.

The good news is that if your phone was made in the last 5 years or so by a major manufacturer like Apple, Samsung or Google, there’s a good chance it ticks all these boxes.

Not sure if your phone is eSIM compatible? Head over to our eSIM compatibility guide. It’ll save you the headache of digging through your phone’s specs or, worse, finding out the hard way when you’re already at your destination.

Is Saily easy to install? The setup process

Getting started with Saily is pretty straightforward, but there are a few quirks you’ll want to know about. Let’s walk through the process step by step:

1. First things first, head to your phone’s app store. That’s the App Store for you Apple fans or Google Play for Android. Search for “Saily” and hit that download button.

2. Once the app is installed, tap to open it. You’ll be greeted with a login screen.

3. Here’s where things get a bit different: Saily only lets you log in via Google or Apple. Strangely there’s no option to manually register with an email and password. We’re sure you have an account for one or the other though!

4. After you’re logged in, it’s time to explore. Browse through the available plans and pick the one that suits your travel needs best. Once you’ve made your choice and completed the purchase, Saily will prompt you to install an eSIM.

Remember, once you’ve installed your eSIM and purchased a plan, you’ll need to activate it in your phone’s settings. But don’t worry, Saily will guide you through this final step.

What is the Saily app like to use?

First things first – it’s yellow. Pretty yellow. If you’re not a fan of sunshine tones, you might need to grab your sunglasses.

Color aside, Saily keeps things super simple. The app is pretty minimal, without a lot of bells and whistles making it straightforward to use, which could be a plus when you’re trying to sort out connectivity in a foreign country.

On the app is where you’ll see the multiple eSIM feature in action. You’ve got the option to juggle multiple different eSIMs, each potentially loaded with different country plans. For the organized amongst us, that could be a very useful feature, it is for a few members of the team here. For me, it’s a mess. Make sure that you’re aware of which plan you purchase for which eSIM as it can get a little bit confusing. Also make sure to remember that you will have to each one installed.

We’d love to get visibility on the complete plan details such as plan network, 4G vs 5G etc. when purchasing, but unfortunately this is not available.

When it comes to payment, Saily’s got you covered with multiple options. Their options include Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and credit cards. Just a heads up – you’ll see the charge come through from NordVPN, Saily’s parent company.

One other thing that we noted, Saily loads up Safari from within the app for purchases. It’s not a deal-breaker and it doesn’t really change your experience at all, but it makes the app feel slightly redundant perhaps? Maybe that’s just us.

Installing your Saily eSIM is a breeze, you can take the easy option and install it directly from the app which makes things nice and simple. You also have the option to use a QR code which allows you to install the eSIM purchased on one device on another one if you’d like.

Saily’s app does have a coupon code entry box. Check out how to use our exclusive Saily coupon code TEE15 on this guide.

Saily has recently introduced a loyalty program, which you can find under the “Credits” tab in the app. Here, you’ll see your accumulated Saily credits to be used for future purchases. You’ll also find your personal referral code, which gives you $3 worth of Saily credits for every new user who signs up using it.

Overall, the Saily app is totally functional and user-friendly, there are no broken pages, issues with logging in, etc. On the other hand, as eSIM geeks we’d love to see more features and details within the app to help us with making a purchase decision.

What countries can you use Saily in?

Saily’s got you covered in 200+ countries in total, which is pretty solid, though not quite hitting the 200+ club of a few other players in the market. Taking a look at the total destination list, unless you’re headed to North Korea, you’ll probably be fine.

Another big update from Saily is the introduction of their Regional Plans. You can now choose plans that cover entire regions, such as Europe, Asia, North America, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean Islands. They’ve also rolled out a Global Plan, which includes coverage in 105 countries.

While this is a nice feature to have and makes Saily more competitive overall, we still believe that single-country plans usually make more sense, as these regional and global plans tend to be much more expensive.

What plans does Saily offer and how much does Saily cost?

There are a huge number of variables that will influence what you get and the amount you pay for it. Fortunately we’re around to help walk you through getting the right plan for you. Here are the main factors to consider when purchasing your eSIM:

1. Location
2. Validity
3. Data amount

1. Location

With Saily, this part is straightforward. Remember, they only offer single-country plans, so you’ll need to choose the specific country you’re visiting.

2. Validity

Saily keeps things simple in this department. You’ve got two options:

• 1GB plans: These are valid for 7 days
• 3GB or over: You get a full 30 days

Just make sure to choose a plan that covers your entire stay. If you’re on a very extended trip, you might need to purchase multiple plans.

3. Data amount 

This is where you’ll need to put on your thinking cap. As with most eSIM providers, the cost per GB typically decreases the more data you buy with Saily. Let’s break it down with an example from Singapore:

The cost per GB drops significantly as you increase the data amount. You’re looking at $3.99 per GB if you go for the 1GB plan, but that plummets to just $1.15 per GB if you opt for the 20GB package. That’s a pretty significant difference.

However, here’s the catch to consider, that $1.15 per GB is only a bargain if you actually use all or most of the 20GB. If you buy the big package and only use, say, 10GB, your effective cost per GB jumps up to $2.30. Still better than the smaller packages, but not quite the deal you were hoping for.

On the flip side, if you lowball your data needs and burn through a 3GB package in the first week of your trip, you’ll end up spending more overall when you have to buy another package.

We’ve been caught out both ways in the past, overbuying and underbuying data. Our advice? Try to estimate your usage as accurately as possible. When in doubt, it’s often better to go for a slightly larger package. It’s usually cheaper than having to buy multiple smaller packages. Plus, with Saily’s 30-day validity on packages over 1GB, you’ve got plenty of time to use it up!

So how much data will I need?

Ideally you should have a rough idea of how much data you’ll burn through. Now, this isn’t an exact science, your data needs are as unique as your travel itinerary, varying from person to person. We’ve done some digging and, based on our research from various sources, here’s what you’re roughly looking at:

Saily pricing

Pricing will of course vary depending on what country you’re heading to. Check our interactive, live price comparison table below to see how Saily matches up. Just be sure to filter by the destinations that are of interest to you.

How does Saily actually compare? it’s fair to say that Saily lands on the expensive side pretty much everywhere.

Their cheapest countries on a cost per GB basis at the time of writing?

Country	Data (GB)	Validity	Price	Price per GB
Thailand	20 GB	30 Days	$19.99	$1.00
Austria	20 GB	30 Days	$11.99	$0.60
Israel	20 GB	30 Days	$16.99	$0.85

However, using our Thailand price comparison page to compare with other plans in for example, Thailand, you’ll see that at 20 GB of data, there are many plans around the $0.60-0.80 per GB range.

So, what’s the verdict on Saily’s pricing? Ultimately, it’s an expensive service when compared with many other viable providers.

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

Saily discount

We’ve teamed up with Saily to bring you an extra 15% off on all their plans! Just use our special Saily coupon code TEE15 at checkout to grab your eSIM at an even better price. If you need help using our discount, check out the step-by-step instructions on our Saily coupon code article.

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

If we were to summarize Saily’s speeds in every country we’ve tested so far, we’d say it ranges from average among eSIMs tested to great. We are yet to experience slower than average speeds with Saily, aside from in Vietnam, a special case. However, it can always depend on the country you’re in plus all sorts of factors that can influence your speed. That includes:

1. 4G or 5G plan: 5G plans should in theory be faster than 4G plans and can also offer better signal. Saily offers a mixture of 4G and 5G plans.

2. Location: Location will always play a big part in whether you have strong signal, which influences speed.

3. Other variables: Such as network congestion, which can also vary depending on time of day.

We’ve traveled around the world using Saily. Here’s our thoughts…

Want to see how those speeds stack up? Use our speed comparison tool below to browse all the tests we’ve run ourselves. You can filter by a specific provider or just explore the full set of results.

The good:

• Speed: Fast.
• Signal: Very good throughout the country on Du’s 5G network. Dubai and Abu Dhabi in particular were of course very well covered by signal.

• Speed: Decent
• Signal: Strong signal throughout our time in central London and the suburbs.

• Speed: Fast for eSIMs in Colombia overall, average generally.
• Signal: Generally strong performance from Movistar in and out of the cities. Though all networks can suffer in very remote mountains, etc.

• Speed: Fast.
• Signal: Good. Solid signal throughout Portugal, both in the city of Lisbon and outside throughout the Alentejo region.

The average:

• Speed: Average. Right in line with multiple other eSIMs.
• Signal: Average. Unfortunately signal across multiple eSIMs wasn’t great and Saily on the My Maxis network was no exception.

• Speed: Average. 41 Mbps was around the middle speed we got in Indonesia.
• Signal: Average. Like all eSIMs in Bali, service was mostly strong but suffered in the countryside.

The underwhelming:

Vietnam

We had multiple issues with our Saily eSIM not working in Vietnam. We paid for our plan, installed and activated with no issue, but simply could not maintain a consistent signal and never managed to get above 3G. As things stand, we couldn’t recommend Saily in Vietnam.

Hong Kong

While signal was fine in HK, speeds were comparatively poor vs the rest of the eSIMs we tested at 46 Mbps only.

The Saily Differentiator: Enhanced security suite features

As we’ve mentioned, Saily comes to you from the makers of NordVPN and, in the past months, Saily has upped their game by offering a number of new security related features.

We use and review a ton of eSIMs and extra features really do help providers stand out from the crowd. So what does Saily bring to the table? Let’s run through it all…

• Virtual Location Changer: Now this is a cool feature that we would actually use (if we didn’t already have A VPN provider. Many travel eSIMs route internet traffic through various different countries. For us, the most annoying part of this is not being able to access local listings, search results and more. We’ve had times where we’ve had to VPN into the actual country we’re in, ridiculous. We were also mostly able to access our home TV apps, Netflix etc as well, which is much appreciated! One thing to note, this is just to change your location and is not a VPN to keep you secure.

• Malicious Website Protection: Saily actively blocks you from accessing websites known for phishing scams or hosting malware. It’s a safety net that works in the background. For us, a nice to have, but as long as you have your wits about you while surfing online, it’s not something we’ve ever really needed.

• Ad Blocker: Finally, another pretty cool feature, an ad-blocker. Unlike your typical ad blocker that you download from an app store, this one works at network level and blocks most ads across your device, from your apps to your browser. They say that this can save you data by not downloading ads too, we’re not sure on that claim though. Again, this is not something we need, but it’s a nice to have

So what do we make of these features? While we will always appreciate additional features, we think that their usefulness comes down to the individual user and also, what apps you already have. For us, the virtual location changer is definitely a cool feature and one that your every day traveler could definitely use, even if they don’t know it yet.

Does Saily have a loyalty scheme?

Yes, Saily does have a loyalty program.

What is Saily’s customer service like?

Let’s face it, things can and do go wrong eventually with tech. For us, it’s not about whether you’ll run into issues, it’s about how they’re handled when they pop up. In our book, a company’s true colors show when it’s time to fix a problem. So, how does Saily measure up? Let’s break it down:

• Forms of communication: Saily keeps it simple and effective with 24/7 live chat support. No waiting for tickets, email, etc is a win in our book.

• Response time: We’re happy to report that Saily’s response time is impressively fast. A great safety net if you need it while overseas with potentially limited internet to use.

• Answers and problem solving: Saily’s support team is thorough and effective in resolving issues. We’ve found their solutions to be on point, addressing problems quickly and efficiently. Here’s a real-world example: A few months back, we ran into an issue with our Vietnam eSIM that couldn’t be resolved. Instead of giving us the runaround, Saily simply refunded us. We definitely appreciate that sort of no-nonsense problem solving.

Overall, we’d say Saily’s customer support is among the best we’ve tested in the travel eSIM market. They’ve managed to nail all 3 factors: Accessibility, speed and effectiveness. While we hope you won’t need to use their support often, it’s reassuring to know it’s there and it works well when you do.

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

Saily is quite new and as such, it seems like the internet is still forming opinions. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key platforms where Saily has been reviewed.

• iOS App Store: 4.7/5
• Google Play Store: 4.9/5
• TrustPilot: 4.6/5

Reddit seems to also be quite split, though there isn’t a huge amount of feedback. We’re all about the transparency here so feel the need to mention that one recurring piece of feedback is that Saily is not a great option in Japan. Though we noted their staff have responded mentioning that they’re switching providers to improve service there.

Saily Frequently Asked Questions

What is Saily used for?

Saily is a travel eSIM app that allows users to buy data plans when overseas, usually at a great price, close to local networks.

Is Saily any good?

Yes, Saily is a solid, 4 star product right now. We will continue to test and use it on our travels and keep updating this page.

How safe is Saily?

We’ve found Saily to be very safe so far. Payment has been a breeze and you can use payment services such as Apple/Google Pay for extra security. Networks will always have your data when you register, but we are extra comforted that this is backed by NordVPN, who know a thing or two about security.

Can I use WhatsApp with Saily?

Yes. Saily will get you online overseas allowing you to use WhatsApp. You won’t need to change number.

Does Saily give you a phone number?

No, Saily’s plans are data-only. You won’t receive a phone number, be able to make calls or send SMS.

What countries does Saily eSIM cover?

Saily covers 200+ countries.

Is Saily eSIM legit?

Saily is relatively new but we’ve had mostly solid experiences with it that have made it worth the money. If you do run into any issues, we’ve found customer support fine with refunds.

How do I avoid roaming charges on Saily?

When you arrive at your destination, make sure to activate your Saily eSIM and turn off Data Roaming on your home carrier. You can see the iOS screenshot below:

What are the disadvantages of Saily?

Saily’s disadvantages are mostly secondary issues like a lack of loyalty program and no regional/global plans.

Does Saily use your phone number?

Saily does not use your phone number and doesn’t offer phone numbers either.

Does Saily include calls?

Saily’s plans are data-only, no calls are included but you may be able to use VOIP apps to make calls.

Is there better than Saily?

Currently we think there are a few better options, Ubigi is our top recommendation for now.

Can Saily hotspot?

Yes, your plan will likely include hotspot, we’ve been able to hotspot on Saily in every country that we’ve been to so far.

Can Saily receive SMS?

Saily is unable to receive SMS.

Who created Saily?

Saily was created by NordVPN, part of the Nord Security family.