Best eSIM for the UK: five brands compared
For most trips to the United Kingdom the best eSIM is a fixed data plan, and when we checked on 7 October 2026 RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac. Our Endless plan also cost less for a week than any unlimited week we found at 1GB, 2GB or 3GB a day. If you need minutes and texts on the eSIM, or you use more than 3GB a day, another brand is the better buy, and this page says which.
RoamMore wrote this page and sells eSIMs for the United Kingdom, so read it with that in mind. Every rival price below was read on the brand's own UK page on 7 October 2026, in US dollars, and links back to that page. Our prices come from our live catalogue and change when it does. If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] and we will fix it.
How do the UK eSIMs compare on price?
Fixed data plans
| Brand | 5GB, 30 days | 10GB, 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| RoamMore | US$7.10 | US$11.20 |
| Airalo | US$13 | US$19 |
| Nomad | US$12 | US$17.50 |
| Jetpac | US$12 | US$17, a sale price |
All of these are data only. Holafly does not sell fixed data plans here.
Unlimited plans
| Brand | Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited, about two weeks | Full speed a day on unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoamMore | Endless: US$11.70 at 1GB a day, US$20.10 at 2GB, US$20.80 at 3GB | 15 days: US$22.70 at 1GB a day, US$40.70 at 2GB, US$42.20 at 3GB | You choose. At 1GB to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps |
| Airalo | US$27 | 15 days: US$48 | 3GB, then 1 Mbps |
| Holafly | US$27.50 | 15 days: US$50.50 | No daily amount stated |
| Nomad | US$25 | Not sold. 10 days: US$33 | 2GB, then 1 Mbps |
| Jetpac | US$25.99, a sale price | 15 days: US$41.99, a sale price | 3GB, then up to 1 Mbps |
The fixed plans are like for like: the same amount of data for the same 30 days. The unlimited plans are not. Each brand gives a different amount of full speed data a day, so compare the price at the daily amount you will really use, not the word unlimited. Jetpac showed some prices as discounts from a higher struck price, and a sale can end at any time.
Which networks will you use in the UK, and is there 5G?
Our UK plans list three networks: O2 and EE with 5G, and Three on 4G, so your phone has three to choose from. Airalo's UK page lists EE. Nomad's data plans list Three and EE, and its plans with calls Vodafone. Holafly's UK page lists five network names, among them Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media O2. Jetpac's UK page did not name its networks.
5G needs a phone that supports it. Where there is no 5G, the eSIM uses 4G. The United Kingdom page lists every plan with its networks and speed.
Our UK plans cover the United Kingdom only: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are not part of them, and Airalo's UK page says the same of its plan. If the UK is one stop on a longer trip, every one of our Europe plans covers the United Kingdom too, and our guide to the best eSIM for Europe compares those.
How much data do you need for a week in the UK?
These are the daily amounts our plan finder uses. Not sure? Most people are Standard.
| Your use | A day | One week | Two weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | 300MB | 2.1GB | 4.2GB |
| Standard | 1GB | 7GB | 14GB |
| Heavy | 2GB | 14GB | 28GB |
So a 10GB plan covers a week of Standard use in the UK with room to spare, and a fortnight at that rate needs a bigger plan or a top up. Train times, maps and tap and go travel apps run all day, so if you are unsure, plan for Standard. Our cost and data guide breaks the figures down by app.
Should you get unlimited data or a fixed plan in the UK?
A fixed plan is usually the cheaper buy if you know roughly how much you use, because one allowance stretches across light days and busy ones. Unlimited is the simpler buy if you stream, make long video calls or would rather not watch a meter.
If you do want unlimited, compare plans at the same daily amount. For the UK:
- At 1GB a day, Endless is US$11.70 for a week, less than any unlimited week in the table, though each of those gives you more full speed data a day.
- At 2GB a day, Endless is US$20.10 for a week, less than Nomad's US$25 at the same daily amount, and US$27.90 for 10 days, less than Nomad's US$33.
- At 3GB a day, Endless is US$20.80 for a week, less than Airalo's US$27 and Jetpac's US$25.99 at a sale price. For 15 days at 3GB a day, Jetpac's sale price, US$41.99, is within a dollar of Endless at US$42.20.
- At 5GB a day, Endless is US$32.70 for a week and slows to 512 kbps after the daily amount. Holafly's week is US$27.50 with no daily amount stated, only that a network may slow heavy use for no more than a day, so Holafly is the better buy if you use that much.
Endless charges one price for the exact number of days you pick, so a 12 day trip is priced for 12 days, not the nearest pack. Our guide to what unlimited really means explains the daily amounts and the slower speeds after them.
Do you need calls and texts in the UK?
Most travellers do not. Our UK plans are data only: you call and message through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime, and your home number stays on your home SIM for bank codes. If you need minutes and texts on the eSIM itself, Nomad sells 10GB with 200 minutes and 200 texts to local numbers for 30 days at US$19, and Airalo sells 10GB with 100 minutes and 100 texts for 30 days at US$23.50; Airalo's page says only local calls are allowed on it. Holafly's UK page says its eSIM has no local number. Our guide to keeping your home number covers the rest.
When do the days start?
Our UK plans start when the eSIM first connects to a network in the United Kingdom, so you can install it at home and it waits. The one exception is a 100MB trial, which starts when you install it, and the United Kingdom page marks it. Endless also starts on first connection there, and its full speed amount refills every 24 hours from that moment.
Airalo's UK plans start on first use. Nomad's start when the eSIM connects to a network, or after 60 days if it has not. Holafly's UK page says its plan starts when the eSIM connects to a supported network. Jetpac keeps a pack you have not activated in your account for 3 months from purchase.
Can you use a UK eSIM as a hotspot?
On our daily plans and on Endless, yes: sharing your connection works, and what you share counts toward the day's full speed amount. Holafly's UK page allows 1GB of sharing a day. Jetpac's says hotspot sharing has no data limits, and Nomad's says its eSIMs support hotspot. If you plan to work from a laptop, ask the seller before you buy.
What should you do before you fly from New Zealand or Australia?
Install the eSIM at home on wifi a few days before you leave, and leave it switched off. When you land at Heathrow or wherever you arrive, switch it on, set it as your data line and turn on data roaming for it. Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts, with its own data roaming off, so your carrier does not charge you for data. Our landing day checklist walks through each step.
Our prices are in US dollars, so your bank converts the payment.
When is another brand the better choice?
- You need minutes and texts on the eSIM. Nomad and Airalo sell UK plans that include them; ours are data only.
- You use more than 3GB a day. Holafly's week, with no daily amount stated, costs less than Endless at 5GB a day.
- You want about two weeks at 3GB a day. Jetpac's 15 day plan, at a sale price, is within a dollar of Endless.
Choose RoamMore if you want a fixed plan at the lowest price we found, the lowest unlimited week we found at 1GB to 3GB a day, three networks to choose from, no app to install, and a real person who answers by email or WhatsApp.
How did we check these prices?
We read every rival price on 7 October 2026 on the brand's own UK page, in US dollars (Airalo with its own currency setting), with no codes, credits or memberships. We did not go through any checkout. Prices change, so each one links to the page it came from, and we check them again each month. To compare RoamMore with Airalo and Holafly on support, refunds and apps, see our honest comparison.
Prices for popular trips
Cheapest plan with 1GB or more, in US dollars from our catalogue, updated 27 Sep 2026.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best eSIM for the UK?
For most trips, a fixed data plan. On 7 October 2026, RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac, and Holafly's UK page sold unlimited plans only. Our Endless plan also cost less for a week than any unlimited week we found at 1GB to 3GB a day. If you need minutes and texts, Nomad and Airalo sell UK plans that include them; ours are data only. RoamMore wrote this answer, and every rival price on the page links to the store it came from.
Which networks does a UK eSIM use?
It depends on the brand. Our UK plans list O2 and EE with 5G, and Three on 4G. Airalo lists EE. Nomad's data plans list Three and EE and its plans with calls Vodafone. Holafly lists five network names, among them Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media O2. Jetpac's UK page did not name its networks.
Is 10GB enough for a week in the UK?
For most people, yes. At Standard use, about 1GB a day, a week comes to about 7GB, so a 10GB plan leaves room to spare. Two weeks at that rate needs more than 10GB, so pick a bigger plan or top up.
Does a UK eSIM cover Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man?
Ours do not, and nor does Airalo's, which says so on its UK page. Our UK plans cover the United Kingdom only, so the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man need an eSIM of their own. If your trip goes on to Europe, every one of our Europe plans covers the United Kingdom as well.
Does a UK eSIM come with a phone number?
Ours do not. They are data only, so you call and message through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime, and your home number stays on your home SIM. Nomad and Airalo sell UK plans with minutes and texts; Airalo's page says only local calls are allowed on its plan, and Holafly's UK page says its eSIM has no local number.