About a year ago I wrote about Jetpac by Circles.Life, a roaming plan which offered an excellent rate of S$20 for 20GB of data, usable across 50 countries over 30 days.
However, Jetpac doesn’t cut it for me anymore. The current iteration of the global plan is far less impressive- customers now need to pay S$35 for 10GB (temporarily upsized to 18GB). Moreover, with the arrival of the MileCub, my travel patterns have changed. Instead of travelling to multiple destinations in quick succession, my trips are now much more spaced out. This means more data wastage, since Jetpacs expire after 30 days.
As such, I’m no longer looking at eSIMs as throwaway solutions. What I need now is a long-term data plan that I can keep topping up as needed, with an allowance based on usage alone rather than duration and usage.
That brings me to Eskimo, which I’ve been trying out for the past few months. While it doesn’t offer the cheapest roaming data out there, I think it’s fairly well-suited to my current travel patterns.
Eskimo pricing
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| Sign up here |
| Use code XUE74927 to get 500MB of free data immediately upon sign-up |
At the time of writing, Eskimo offers the following data plans.
| Plan | Price | Price per GB |
| 30GB | US$90 | US$3 |
| 10GB | US$39 | US$3.90 |
| 5GB | US$25 | US$5 |
| 3GB | US$18 | US$6 |
| 1GB | US$7 | US$7 |
You can get 500MB for free just by signing up with my referral link, no purchase required (I get 500MB only too, but only if you buy a paid plan).
Eskimo data can be purchased via the Eskimo app, or on Klook. The advantage of the latter is that it lets you save a little more with promo codes, as and when they come by.
The cheapest plan starts from US$3 (~S$4.09) per GB, which needless to say is pricey. If all you’re doing is occasional short trips within ASEAN, Eskimo is the wrong plan for you.
But there’s two big advantages for me.
Eskimo data validity
Even though Eskimo data is relatively expensive on a per GB basis, it has the longest validity of any eSim retailer I’m aware of: two years from date of purchase.
This is great, because it means little to no data wastage. When I was using Jetpac, I’d invariably have leftover GB at the end of each month (Jetpac no longer rolls it over). That meant my actual cost per GB, adjusted for wastage, was much higher than it first appeared.
| 👍 No daily limits or throttling |
| Eskimo does not practice daily data limits or throttling, and there is no restriction on mobile hotspot use. That’s important to me because I frequently hotspot to my laptop to get work done in places with spotty Wi-Fi, and throttled internet is nigh on unusable. |
Eskimo global coverage
The second big advantage of Eskimo is its wide global coverage, with more than 80 supported countries worldwide.
| 📱 Eskimo Supported Countries | |
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The key absentees (and keep in mind, “key” is subjective) are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Qatar, Maldives (not that you’ll really need it over there, since you’ll have Wi-Fi at the airport and resort), Morocco, Oman, Portugal (surprising, since I thought it’d be covered with the rest of Europe) and South Africa.
Singapore also isn’t on the list, so you won’t be able to use your data domestically- though given the much cheaper alternatives, why would you?
Eskimo networks
Eskimo’s list of partner networks can be found by tapping on “Coverage in all 80+ countries” tab on the app.
Some examples of networks they use are:
- Australia: Optus
- France: Orange 4G
- Hong Kong: CSL
- Japan: SoftBank/KDDI
- Malaysia: Digi
- New Zealand: Spark NZ
- South Korea: KT Corp
- Thailand: AIS
- United Kingdom: EE/3UK
- United States: AT&T
Eskimo data sharing
One nifty feature about Eskimo is that it allows users to transfer data to any other Eskimo customer. I could imagine a couple who occasionally travel separately sharing a single data plan this way. Or if you’re travelling together and one of you is more aggressive with the Instagramming, the other one can transfer excess data over. Either way, this helps minimise wastage.
Data can be transferred in 500MB increments. All transfers are immediate, but you can only transfer paid data (and not data earned from referrals).
What about alternatives?
If you’re looking at a global roaming plan, here’s a few other eSIM options I considered.
SIMBA (formerly TPG Telecom) offers a SuperRoam plan with 100GB of local data and 10GB of roaming data at S$25 for 30 days. But this isn’t a stand-alone plan; you must sign up for a TPG Telecom line to use it, and I don’t want another recurring phone bill, nor do I want to switch to SIMBA as my main line because their coverage isn’t great where I live. Moreover, VoLTE doesn’t play nice with Google Pixel phones, so you’re forced to use SIMBA’s terrible voice app.
Airalo has a global data plan with pricing starting from US$3.45 per GB. You could bring down the pricing slightly by clicking through ShopBack (10% cashback) or using the code MASTERCARD 15 (15% off) and paying with a Mastercard, but the validity is one year, half that of Eskimo’s.
Flexiroam offers a complimentary 15-day 3GB global data plan for Amaze cardholders, but outside of that it’s quite pricey. A 5GB plan that’s valid for 180 days will cost a whopping US$140. The silver lining being that it works in more than 150 countries, so if your travels veer more exotic then this might be worth looking at.
Again, I want to emphasise that I’m looking for a global data roaming plan. If you’re just travelling within a region, there are certainly cheaper plans than Eskimo. For instance, Jetpac has a Southeast Asia plan (S$20 for 20GB) that can come in useful for those visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
If you want a more comprehensive comparison of eSIM solutions and pricing, try esims.io or esimdb.com. Both these sites will show you a complete list of options for whichever country or region you’re looking at, together with pricing. Seedly also has a periodically-updated article about eSIMs that’s worth checking out.
Conclusion
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| Sign up here |
| Use code XUE74927 to get 500MB of free data immediately upon sign-up |
For someone who’s usually on the road every month, Eskimo’s wide global coverage and two-year validity help offset its higher-than-average pricing. What’s more, the ability to share data means that any wastage is going to be because of negligence more than anything else.
Of course, if you’re a very heavy data user who only travels a few times a year, then I reckon Jetpac would do a better job within its 30-day validity. Alternatively, buying a country-specific plan through Airalo might work just as well.
What other global eSIM plans would you recommend?
Jetpac was good while it lasted, but it seems with their new pricing, they want to close down their global roaming business – because no one would pay the crazy prices they are asking. Or maybe they were hoping for customers to be “sticky”. I sure wasn’t. Cancelled immediately.
Both codes “GOODTOFLY” and “ESKIMO4U” no longer working. I believe fully redeemed. Cheers
Can consider pokefi for non-esim option. Although there’s an upfront cause for the device.
I use AirSIM. They have physical SIM and eSIM options
I think maybe you’re selling SIMBA a bit short? Instead of going all out on the $25 plan, look at the $10 plan with 1GB roaming, and topping up at $4/GB (charged per 10mb so you pay for what you actually use as opposed to committing to a pack) – this is probably better for the more occasional or spaced out traveller. Proper volte roaming as well, so you can make and receive calls as if you were in SG, and inexpensive IDD packs ($5) means even when you’re overseas you can make a local call at your destination without too much hassle eg restaurant bookings. (In SIMBA land, when making calls you assume you’re in SG – so if you are in TH and you call a local TH number, you assume you’re in SG and therefore calling TH is an IDD call from SG).
This is ideal if you need a 2nd line anyway (eg for the iPad) where network reception isn’t so paramount
Some pitfalls in my experience:
– some roaming partners not that great (Indo) or a bit fussy (Japan needs volte; found it would work on some phones but not others)
– need to check their group A ($4/GB) countries – outside of that I just pick up adhoc esims from shopee
– I agree their voice app sucks. But on Samsung and iPhone didn’t have an issue with their volte. (The voice app is only really required if you want phone calls and your phone doesn’t support their volte)
– while they do offer esim, if you need to switch the esim between different phones it’s a hassle (like every other telco in SG, need to pay for a new QR code and I think getting one requires visiting their office)
i agree that milelion hasn’t given simba a fair shot. using pixel 6a on simba and volte works great. islandwide coverage is on par with the other major telcos too.
i tried Simba (back when it was called TPG) a while back, and found that it could not make calls on my older pixel 3 phone, and had no coverage in my condo’s carpark basement (which made it impossible to use while waiting for grab). maybe things have improved since then, but in any case, i’m more interested in plans that don’t require me to get a new line altogether
Because Simba only has 4G and 5G coverage, all voice call must be made through VoLTE. And frankly all local Telcos don’t seem to support old devices well. I had a Pixel 4a on MyRepublic 4G and it can’t do VoLTE either (but it works when I was in Taiwan and Hong Kong), always falling to 3G once I place a call. At least Simba acknowledged their short fall and has a voice app to allow calls on unsupported devices.
But now with the closure of 3G towers soon, support for VoLTE is a must for telco going forward. I would suggest give Simba another chance. Their deal is hard to beat when it works, especially when their 5G is finally rolled out last week.
Agree with your thoughts on Simba. It’s good where it works. I was in the mountains of Indonesia, but still had 2 bars so I made a phone call to Singaore AMEX customer support, and it took 20 minutes, and I had NO WORRIES about bill shock, as it’s considered I’m in Singapore…. wonderful benefit that many Simba users don’t even know about (Simba should do better to educate this perk, it’s helpful in so many scenarios).
As for outside of Group A, I think Aaron has a good point, and the options considered are helpful! Good article, as I did not know about the Esim comparison sites, or the Amaze Instarem promo for 3GB (for 15 days!) Perfect for an upcoming trip of mine to Israel (not in Group A of Simba). ◡̈
CMlink is often the best value for esims.
Yes, in Asia at least. Particularly if you’re a light user and get their 500MB/day combos.
Pokefi could be a good alternative at US$15 for 5GB with 2 years validity and wider global coverage.
Thanks Aaron! …for the PSA and 500MB! 😘
30GB isn’t that much data, especially if you’re going to tether multiple devices to use the internet. The 2 year validity is moot if you’re going to finish 30GB in 2 or 3 trips over a few months. You would be much better off getting a local sim.
Have a looked at Yoowifi.
S$89 for 50GB global data valid for one year includes a pocket WiFi dongle.
Why not the NPN eSIMs on Shopee? Works great, you can choose the start date, really cheap as well. I guess the only hassle is having to buy for every trip but flexibility rules.
Honestly, I think it is still cheaper to get a travel eSIM such as this. It’s just $15 for 5GB (or $25 for 10GB or $45 for 20GB) and it covers 53 countries in APAC, EU and the US.
I’m planning a trip to the US, Canada and Mexico. Jetpac is pretty useless for me, as it has USA, but does NOT have Canada or Mexico in their GLOBETROTTER plan. They have US and Canada in the VOYAGER plan, but not Mexico. So I’d have to buy two different plans at least. Whereas Eskimo and Airalo have plans that include ALL 3 countries. Furthermore, I need the call function in all 3 countries, and only Airalo has that.
Any idea what’s the MCC code for Eskimo?