Best UK eSIMs in 2025

Last Updated on April 18, 2025 by Alexx

Want to find the best eSIM for the UK? Whether you’re looking for a high data UK eSIM, an eSIM for an extended stay, or just something cheap to cover a few days, I’ve done loads of research to find the best UK eSIM options available for your trip.

With an overwhelming number of UK eSIMs on offer, including a few major players with huuuge marketing budgets to promote their terrible value packages, so many travellers end up overpaying for data. I’m on a mission to put a stop to this!

As a full-time traveller who’s spent countless hours researching and testing eSIMs all over the globe, and who spends a few months in the UK during my travels every year, I’ve put together a list of the best UK eSIMs available for travellers after comparing more than 50 UK eSIM options from 20+ different providers.

And because ‘best’ is subjective, I’ve calculated the price per GB (or price per day for unlimited eSIMs) as well as listed any other benefits that set them apart from the others, so you can find the perfect eSIM for your needs and know you’re not getting ripped off.

Whether you’re a tech-savvy digital nomad or someone who’s never used an eSIM before, and whether you’ve just got a whirlwind UK visit or you’re doing a few months in Europe too, you’ll get all you need to know in this honest and transparent guide. Here is a definitive list of which UK eSIMs are actually worth your money in 2025!

Note: Prices and packages are valid as of 15 April 2025, and can change without notice. Some providers sell their UK travel eSIMs in USD only so I’ve calculated the GBP price using the current exchange rate to make it easier to compare, but obviously exchange rates are temperamental. Always check current prices through the links I’ve provided before making your decision.

Quick summary: The best & worst UK eSIMs for travellers

The best value UK eSIMs

If you just want quick links without the explanation and calculations, these are the best UK eSIMs available right now.

• The best value UK eSIM (4G): 200GB for £20 with Three UK via SimLocal
• The best value UK eSIM (5G): 100GB for £20 with Lycamobile via SimLocal
• The best UK unlimited data eSIM (4G): 90 days for £90 with Three UK via SimLocal
• The best UK unlimited data eSIM (5G): 30 days for £36 with Ubigi
• The best cheap eSIM (4G): 20GB for £10 with Three UK via SimLocal
• The best cheap eSIM (5G): 15GB for £10.50 with MobiMatter
• The best one month eSIM for UK & Europe: 100GB for £42 with Orange
• The best two month eSIM for UK & Europe: 60GB for £40.50 with MobiMatter
• Save 5% on all SimLocal eSIMs with promocode ALEXX5
• Get extra cashback on all MobiMatter eSIMs with promocode FINDINGALEXX

Most expensive eSIMs for the UK

And just so you know what eSIMs to avoid, these are the most expensive United Kingdom eSIM options when we look at price per GB/price per day.

• Airalo: 1GB for £4, 2GB for £6, 3GB for £8, 5GB for £12, 10GB for £18, 20GB for £29
• Saily: 3GB for £6.83, 5GB for £9.89, 10GB for £15.20, 20GB for £24.30
• Alosim: 3GB for £7.60, 5GB for £11.40, 10GB for £17.09, 20GB for £27.35
• Yesim: 3GB for £9, 5GB for £12.60, 10GB for £19.80, 20GB for £27.90
• Holafly (unlimited but max 500MB per day hot spot): 1 day £6, 2 days £8, 3 days £11, 5 days £17, 10 days £30

Though the price per GB is higher than the previous options, this is my top pick for a longer UK/Europe trip, giving you 60GB for £40 but over 60 days instead of the usual 30.

I find that my data usage in Europe heavily depends on where I am and what I’m doing. One month I might park up in an apartment for a dedicated desk session and rarely leave WiFi, whereas the next month I might chew through 60GB with lots of research while exploring or if I forgot to download anything for an 18 hour night train (true story).

The beauty of the 60 day eSIM is that you’ve got more time to use what you’ve paid for. 30 day plans are essentially on a use-it-or-lose-it timeline, if you only use 30GB of a £20 100GB eSIM, the extra 70GB you paid for vanishes, and the price per GB gets pulled up to £0.67 which is on par with this one. A 60 day eSIM lets you stretch your usage across a longer period, and if you run out you can top up with a cheap short-term SIM to bridge the gap.

Pros of the 60GB Europe & USA eSIM

• 60 day validity!
• Wide coverage across the UK, USA and most of Europe
• Perfect for longer, multi-country trips
• Get extra cashback with code FINDINGALEXX

Cons of the 60GB Europe & USA eSIM

• Data-only with no local phone number
• Higher price per GB compared to some shorter options
• 60GB might not be enough for heavy data users across two months

Buy your 60GB Europe & USA eSIM on MobiMatter >>

UK eSIM providers & their options

Unlike most ‘best eSIM’ round ups that feature the same handful of well-known (and usually pretty expensive) eSIM companies, I spent hours researching dozens of UK eSIM providers to make sure I was sharing the absolute best value packages for different budgets, data usage and roaming requirements.

But I don’t want you to just take my word for it, I’m happy to share all my workings with you so you can see exactly how I came to these conclusions.

Here are all the eSIM providers I researched for this blog post + some of the options they offer, and at the bottom of this section I’ve included each provider’s best options in a table so you can compare them side-by-side.

P.S. If you’re previously spent your precious travel money on some of the popular eSIMs heavily promoted by travel creators, what you’re about to learn might make you wince a little. Sorry in advance!

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High data UK eSIMs

UK eSIMs £15 or less

Unlimited data UK eSIMs

UK & Europe eSIMs

Pros & cons of getting an eSIM for the UK

Pros of eSIMs

• You’ll still have access to your home number: You can keep your physical SIM card in your phone to still receive calls and texts, and use your UK eSIM for data.
• No wasting time: Hit the ground running at Heathrow or Gatwick without needing to wait in line for the SIM card stall, you can set up your eSIM before you even arrive and simply switch it on once you land.
• Manage multiple eSIMs for multi-country trips: You can have more than one eSIM installed on your phone, so if you’re doing a big trip you can download various eSIMs to cover your data usage in each place and switch them on and off as needed.
• Wayyyy cheaper than most roaming plans: International roaming plans are often wildly expensive and severely limit your data, eSIMs are super cost-effective in comparison.
• Easy to track and top up: Travel eSIMs are made for travellers and are generally easy to manage on the road in the eSIM provider’s app, giving you quick access to check your usage and top up if you need. Local SIMs on the other hand can be really difficult to troubleshoot, their website might not have an English version, customer service might not speak English, or you might not even be able to download their app at all without changing your App Store country (which requires a local credit card).
• No risk of dropping your physical SIM when you’re switching it or forgetting where you put it: Changing physical SIM cards can be a nightmare, especially if you’re in a busy airport or train station, and once you’ve removed your home SIM you need to keep it safe during your travels. eSIMs remove all the hassle and keep your home SIM secure.
• Often they’re cheaper than local SIMs: There’s an incorrect assumption out there that eSIMs are priced higher than the tourist SIMs that are available in the arrivals terminal, but this is often not the case. Many of the plans I listed above have data prices as low as £0.10-0.20 per GB, which are much cheaper than the options you’ll find at Heathrow and Gatwick.

Cons of eSIMs

• Not all devices are compatible: eSIM technology is still fairly new so not all phones support them, check this before you buy one.
• Bit of a learning curve: eSIMs are still a bit technical to set up, so first-time users might find the installation and activation process more confusing than having the airport phone people sort out a physical SIM for you. Every eSIM provider gives detailed instructions though and you’ll pick it up quicker than you think!
• Limited access to calls and texts: Many eSIM options are data-only, meaning any outgoing calls you make will use your home SIM and you’ll be charged international rates. To get around this you can just use data-based messaging and call apps like WhatsApp or Messenger.
• Data speed and network variations: eSIMs give you access to specific networks in the countries they cover, some are single-network and some can switch between multiple based on which one has the best coverage, and some can connect to 5G networks whereas some are limited to 4G or LTE. Not all eSIMs make this info clear up front so read the details of any package before you purchase.
• Local SIMs on arrival can sometimes be cheaper: In some countries you miiiight find local SIMs or tourist SIMs for cheaper than the eSIMs you see online, but generally if you’re looking in the right places (i.e. not Airalo, Holafly or Saily 🙃), you’ll be able to grab an eSIM that’s similarly-priced to local SIMs, but with the convenience of instant set up and keeping access to your normal number.

How to use your UK eSIM

Make sure your phone is compatible

Before spending your precious travel money on an eSIM for your trip, double check that your device is compatible.

Holafly keeps their list of eSIM-enabled devices up to date, you can see it here.

Purchase and install your eSIM

1. Choose your eSIM from all the options I’ve listed for you above
2. Complete the purchase on the provider’s website or app
3. Some providers give you an option to add the eSIM automatically from their app, but if not then you’ll get an email confirming your purchase with a QR code and activation details
4. Install the eSIM, this step depends on your device.
   • If you have a second device with you (laptop or tablet), pull up the email with the QR code. Go to your phone’s mobile data/SIM settings and find the option to add an eSIM, click ‘Scan QR code’, and scan the code on the screen of the second device.
   • If you don’t have a second device, some phones will recognise an eSIM QR code from a screenshot in the Photos app or from an email, then you can tap or long-press on the QR code and it’ll give you an ‘Add eSIM’ button or similar (this is the case with iOS 17.4 or later).
   • If your phone doesn’t give you this option, you can also install an eSIM using manual activation details sent in the same email as the QR code.
5. Important: Label your eSIM! Your phone will give it a default name like ‘Travel’ or ‘Business’, immediately rename it to something descriptive like ‘Three UK unlimited’ so you don’t get confused when you’ve got multiple eSIMs from different destinations.
6. It will ask you if you want to change the default voice line and mobile data settings to the new eSIM, if you’re not in the destination yet then keep these as your home SIM. If you’re in the destination already then move on to the activation steps below.
7. Download the provider’s app to track your data usage

Activate your eSIM

Once you’re in the destination, it’s time to activate the eSIM you installed.

Activation instructions depend on your device, Holafly’s instructions are the clearest ones I’ve found:

• eSIM set up for iPhone
• eSIM set up for Samsung
• eSIM set up for Google Pixel
• eSIM set up for other phones

The most important thing here is that you keep your home SIM as the default for calls and texts if you want to still be able to receive calls and texts, but select the eSIM for mobile data.

On iPhone you’ll get an option to choose a ‘Default Voice Line’, select your home SIM. Then it’ll ask you which SIM to use for mobile data, select the new eSIM.

Check that data roaming is turned off for your home SIM (to avoid any surprise charges), and turn it on for your eSIM.

On Androids the settings might be slightly different, so ensure you’re reading the relevant set up guide to see step-by-step instructions.

Troubleshooting eSIMs

I’ve used eSIMs for the past three years across more than 30 countries, so I’ve had my fair share of hiccups (as with any technology!). Here’s how to handle things if something’s not working with your UK eSIM.

If there’s no connection after activating the eSIM

• Turn your phone off and on again, it might take a minute or two to connect for the first time
• Check that you’ve set the eSIM as the ‘mobile data’ selection
• Check that data roaming is turned on for the eSIM
• If you’re trying to connect as soon as you’ve landed, when you’re still on the plane, airport tarmacs often have shitty cell service so just wait until you get inside
• If this still doesn’t work, go into the eSIM settings and find ‘network selection’ or similar, toggle ‘automatic’ off. It’ll take 30 seconds or so to bring up different network options, select these manually (giving them 30 seconds to connect before moving on to the next one)
• And if this still doesn’t work, find a WiFi connection and contact the eSIM customer service

If you’ve been using the eSIM without issues but suddenly there’s no connection

• Restart your phone
• Check your eSIM provider app to make sure the data hasn’t run out or you haven’t reached the end of the eSIM’s validity
• Make sure you haven’t exceeded any fair use policies
• Go through the manual network selection process as above

If you’re in central London and there’s no connection

Despite being one of the best cities in the world (my northern hemisphere home ❤️), London’s cell phone coverage is beyond terrible in busy areas and at peak times. More than once have I emerged from a Tube station desperately awaiting Maps to kick into gear, hampered by 3G speeds and a spinning circle of death.

Unfortunately this is just how the city is, and it’s an issue right across the UK due to shitty infrastructure.

Different networks do offer better coverage in different areas though, so if you’re not getting decent speeds then you could try the manual selection process above to jump onto another network and give that a go.

UK eSIM FAQs

Are eSIMs slower than physical SIMs?

The short answer is no, physical SIMs don’t offer any benefit in terms of speed vs. eSIMs, but the long answer needs more explanation.

Let’s say you’re using a travel eSIM in the UK and you’re having dinner with a friend who lives there, and they use a physical SIM on a monthly contract.

You both scan the QR code to see the restaurant menu, but theirs comes up in milliseconds whereas yours is taking aaages to load, despite both of you being connected to the EE network.

You might assume that this is an issue with eSIMs vs. physical SIMs, but it’s nothing to do with the type of SIM. It’s actually about having a prepaid travel SIM vs. the monthly plan your friend is on.

Major carriers that have their own networks and infrastructure, like Three, O2, EE and Vodafone in the UK, often use prioritisation to make sure their best customers get the highest speeds. People with long-term contracts and monthly plans are the highest value to the business, so at busy times, the carrier will make sure those people’s devices get the best connection possible.

Prepaid plans through the same carrier might get deprioritised and encounter slower speeds during this period, and travel eSIMs might get pushed even further down the line.

The reason for this is that most travel SIMs are not available for direct purchase from the carrier, instead they’re sold by intermediaries like Airalo or Jetpac who ‘rent’ access to the carrier’s network and then package it up to sell to travellers. Before the eSIM era, there were physical travel SIMs that worked in the same way and would have the same issue with deprioritisation.

Low speeds due to deprioritisation are generally a short-term issue, and you can try to fix it by turning off the automatic network selection in your eSIM mobile data settings and trying to connect to another network.

Final thoughts on the best UK eSIMs

So there you have it, a no-BS guide to finding the best UK eSIM for your trip!

Whether you’re after a cheap sub-£15 eSIM that’ll keep CityMapper running smoothly, a high data package for all-day Spotify while dodging the crowds at the tourist hot spots, or coverage across the UK and Europe too, now you know all the best (and worst) options.

The clear winners in terms of value are the Lycamobile and Three UK options through SimLocal, these are some of the cheapest eSIMs I’ve ever seen anywhere, with prices per GB as low as £0.10-0.20. Compare that to Airalo’s best value UK option at £1.45 per GB!

For 5G coverage across the UK and Europe with no roaming limit, Orange’s 100GB 30 day eSIM and MobiMatter’s 60GB 60 day eSIM are around the same price, go for the former if you’re a heavy data user or choose the latter if you’re travelling for longer and expect to use around 7GB of data per week, give or take.

And if this blog is way too long and boring for you to read (honestly, I don’t blame you), here’s a very quick TLDR:

• Check your phone is compatible before buying an eSIM
• Think about your data needs before going for unlimited options, they’re often not worth it
• Consider how long you’re travelling for and if you’ll need coverage for Europe too
• Look at the price per GB (or price per day for unlimited eSIMs) to compare true value

MORE MONEY-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS:

• How to find cheap flights
• How to use Skyscanner Everywhere to get the best flight deals
• How to find cheap accommodation
• The incognito mode myth (and what to do instead)
• What to know before buying travel insurance
• Must-haves for every solo female traveller

MY GO-TO TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES

Flights ✈️ I use Skyscanner to find the best flights for my trip and then I’ll always book direct with the airline to protect myself from having to deal with dodgy third parties if anything goes wrong.

Trains 🚂 If I’m travelling through Europe, I try to travel by train wherever possible! For an extended trip (2+ weeks) I’ll calculate if a Eurail Pass is worth it, or I’ll book point-to-point tickets through RailEurope or the local train operator.

Accommodation 🛎️ I book almost all of my accommodation through booking.com, they have a user-friendly website + app and many of their options are free cancellation, easily cancelled with a simple click of a button.

Activities 🗽I use GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator to look for activities in the places I visit, or I just Google ‘things to do in [city]’! P.S. If you book anything on Klook you can use the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK to get 10% off

Travel cards 💳 I’m a Wise gal through and through, they’ve been my chosen travel card for more than five years now. You can easily top up your card from your bank account or through Apple Pay, convert your money to local currency, and spend money with minimal fees and the best exchange rates around.

Travel insurance 🩺 I use Cover-More NZ travel insurance for my own trips, I have a comprehensive policy and I’ve only had good experiences with them. Cover-More also has an Australian company, but if you’re from elsewhere then two popular insurance options for global travellers are SafetyWing (cheaper policy, lower coverage) and World Nomads (more expensive but significantly better coverage).

Luggage 💼 I travel with Samsonite Cosmolite suitcases, one 75cm check in bag and a 55cm carry on bag, and I absolutely adore them and will never travel with anything else! They are SUPER lightweight (2.8kg and 1.9kg respectively) so I have much more space for my actual stuff.

Camera gear 📸 I use a iPhone 15 Pro Max for phone photos/videos, and my camera kit includes a Lumix S9 (incredible lightweight full-frame camera, a game changer for travel creators!) with a 20-60mm lens, a Lumix G9 with an 8-18mm and 12-60mm lens, a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone and a GoPro Hero 10. I do all my writing and editing on my ASUS Zenbook 14, it’s lightweight but powerful enough for photo editing and intense blogging sessions.