We’ve tested and compared eSIMs from as many providers as possible to find the best deal for you, whether you’re a data-hungry video caller, or you’re just in the UK for a day or two.
The convenience and ease of eSIMs makes them an excellent choice for anyone with a smartphone. For pay-as-you go users and for tourists or visitors, there’s no need to navigate a foreign country’s SIM cards every time you travel, nor wait for a physical SIM card to arrive in the mail. There are a number of UK eSIMs providers — including most major networks, so it’s worth shopping around to find one that gives you exactly the features you need.
UK eSIM Providers compared
| Provider | Avg Speed ▼ / ▲ Mbps | Packages | Highlight | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | (We’re testing) | 7 days – 12 months 1GB – Unlimited | Unlimited data (7 days) £20.00, 10% off with coupon code LONDONCHEAPO | Visit website |
| Saily | 43.6 ▼ 15.0 ▲ | 7–30 days 1–20GB | 10GB / 30 days US$19.99 | Visit website |
| eSIM Europe | 4.9 ▼ 5.0 ▲ | 5–60 days 5GB – Unlimited | 5 days unlimited data US$7.99 | Visit website |
| Airalo | 56.4 ▼ 9.6 ▲ | 3–30 days 500MB – 20GB | 3 days / 500MB for free | Visit website |
| Sim Local | 20.6 ▼ 4.0 ▲ | 1–30 days 500MB – Unlimited | Unlimited data & local calls (30 days) US$50.50 | Visit website |
| Vodafone | 7.5 ▼ 5.5 ▲ | 30 days – 24 months Unlimited data | Unlimited data + EU roaming £21.50 /month | Visit website |
| EE | 24.0 ▼ 11.2 ▲ | 1–24 months 5GB – Unlimited | Unlimited data/calls/texts (24 mo.) £22.00 /month | Visit website |
| Three | 18.2 ▼ 16.3 ▲ | 6–24 months 1GB – Unlimited | 100GB Pay As You Go £13.50 | Visit website |
| O2 | 16.8 ▼ 5.0 ▲ | Pay As You Go 21GB – 250GB | 250GB + unlimited calls/texts £30.00 | Visit website |
Advantages of eSIMs
If you have an eSIM compatible smartphone, you essentially just download your SIM from your provider. So no more fiddling around with constantly shrinking SIM cards and no need to swap physical SIM cards to change providers. Some providers will allow you to purchase and download eSIMs online, cutting out the need for a trip to a stores and reducing wait times to zero.
Finally, eSIMs allow for “dual SIM” modes on phones – two simultaneous tariffs at once (the eSIM and the physical SIM.) This can be useful when travelling, allowing you to have a tariff with advantageous roaming rules, while still keeping your regular phone number.
eSIM compatible smartphones
To use an eSIM, you will need a smart phone with eSIM capability, fortunately many of the main smartphone makers now use eSIMs. Most iPhones (since the XS and XR), Google Pixels (since Pixel 2), as well as the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S20 are all eSIM capable. There are also various other eSIM compatible smartphones including handsets from Motorola, Nokia and Sony.
UK mobile providers offering eSIMs
Ubigi
Ubigi’s 7-day unlimited data option is perfect for people on a short visit to London. They also offer plans for up to 12 months, and you can get an extra 10% off by using the code LONDONCHEAPO when you buy your eSIM. See how Ubigi compares to other providers on our comparison table.
Saily
Not worried about making voice calls or sending texts? Saily is a straightforward option for travellers looking for a straightforward data-only service.
Our testing showed Saily to have some of the best avergae download and upload speeds of any eSIM provider that we’ve tested. See how Saily compares to other providers on our comparison table.
eSIM Europe
eSIM Europe offers access to an eSIM for up to 60 days. This makes them ideal for travellers visiting the UK for short to medium length stays. You can pick up packages for varying amounts of data – 500MB, 3GB, 10GB, and even unlimited for the data-hungry. There are options for data-only plan for those who plan on only using apps to keep in touch. See how Ubigi compares to other providers on our comparison table.
Airalo
Airalo offers short-term eSIM deals for nearly every destination. They provide eSIMs for between 7 days and a month, ideal for short stays. Packages start at 1GB and go up to 20GB, so if you’re efficient with your data, this is the plan for you. This is a data-only plan, so you won’t get a UK phone number.
Airalo had the fastest average download speed of any eSIM prodier we tested. See how Airalo compares to other providers on our comparison table.
Sim Local
A convenient choice for travellers arriving by air, Sim Local sells a choice of SIM cards through stores at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, as well as selling eSIMs through their mobile app and eShop. See how Sim Local compares to other providers on our comparison table.
Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the most convenient options for users looking for an eSIM at short notice, such as recent UK arrivals. With a large selection of plans and add-ons, it’s easy enough to customise your sim to exactly what you need in terms of minutes, messages, and data.
Any changes you want to make to your plan, or deleting your eSIM, can also be done online. Vodafone also offers advantageous roaming allowances, if you’re looking to use a Vodafone eSIM while exploring Europe.
See how Vodafone compares to other providers on our comparison table.
EE
EE is a step behind in terms of convenience. You can’t order an eSIM directly through the website, but can change to an eSIM through their MyEE service. This makes EE a less convenient option for people just visiting the UK. However, you can pick up an EE SIM at the airport and convert it to an eSIM later on.
If you’re thinking of leaving the UK for a while, an EE eSIM may also be useful to have. Although they do have roaming charges abroad, for £15 a month you can purchase a “Roam Abroad” pass which allows data usage in 47 European countries. If you’re a digital nomad away for a few weeks, or plan to hop between countries, this is one of the most cost-effective roaming options available.
See how EE compares to other providers on our comparison table.
Three
To get an eSIM on Three, you need to either have or take out a Three Your Way plan, which you can check on the MyThree page. If you do, contact their customer support centre, or head into branch to convert your physical SIM to an eSIM. Like O2, this limits you to business hours, although since the swap can be done quite quickly, you only have to wait as long as it takes you to get to a store or make a call.
If you know you’re going to be making regular trips out of the country and need roaming, consider Three as a strong option. Their add-on packs make their SIMs endlessly customisable to your needs. One perk you can pick up is a roaming pass for 7, 14 or 28 days, as well as international minutes. If you have specific needs you want a custom solution for, Three is for you.
See how Three compares to other providers on our comparison table.
O2
O2’s eSIM offerings are slightly less convenient for visitors to the UK. In order to obtain an eSIM, you have to first order a conventional SIM card. Once that’s arrived, you can change it to an eSIM by calling or going into store, so you’re limited to business hours. They will then send you a physical eSIM pack, so that’s a few more days of waiting. Overall, if you’re arriving in the UK, you’ll need to plan out receiving your eSIM to avoid at least a 3 day wait.
However, if you’re leaving the UK, O2 might be one of your best options. Many of the tariffs it offers come with free EU roaming as a perk. This makes it an ideal choice to dual SIM with your regular number when travelling in the EU. A data-only eSIM in combination with your regular SIM might be the perfect choice for the budget conscious traveler.
See how 02 compares to other providers on our comparison table.
How we test eSIMs
We regularly test the providers listed above and report the average speeds over time based on all the tests. To perform the tests, we purchase an eSIM from each provider — the same as any customer would, and use the Ookla speed testing app. This app does a standard test to measure upload, download, and latency.
Speed results can vary based on several factors, so to get fair and realistic test results, we do the following:
- For each round of testing, we do tests from 3-5 different locations around London
- At each location, we perform the test twice for each provider and use the same model of smartphone
- We do a round of tests every 2-3 months, taking an average of the results from each provider over time
- We also do some random spot testing for general usage, e.g., doom scrolling social media, making short video calls to look for lag, etc.
- If there are some anomalous results, we may retest the eSIMs on the following day, at a different location in London
- Some eSIMs had to be run on the same device, meaning that not all tests were simultaneous. Our testing method isn’t perfect, but it does give us a good idea of the different eSIMs’ performance
A word on speed tests: We strongly recommend not running speed tests with your eSIM, as they BURN through data. A single test could use 300MB or more!
This article was originally written in January 2023, it was last updated in January 2025. While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change.
Related resources
If you want to see our recommendations for good old physical SIMs, see our article on best UK SIM-only deals.
If you’re a frequent traveller make sure you’re up to speed with the post-Brexit EU roaming regulations, and how much providers charge for your data-jaunt across the channel.
