aloSIM vs. Ubigi (2026 review)

A low entry price, undercut by everything the plan leaves out.

Ubigi’s 500MB starter runs about $2, and its network quality is real. But the plans are strictly data-only with no rewards and no bundled number, so the low headline price buys just data, which suits a light user but offers little to a repeat traveller.

200+ destinations, 10 regional plans, and your carrier named at checkout.

Regional plans span Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Caribbean and beyond, so one plan can cover multiple stops on the same trip. The bigger difference however, is disclosure. aloSIM names the carrier and the speeds before you pay, which no other major travel eSIM does.

Data straight from a real operator, with 5G across dozens of destinations.

As an NTT company running its own mobile infrastructure, Ubigi delivers fast, reliable data with 5G in 65+ destinations and unlimited plans in around 75. The network pedigree is genuine and consistently praised, easily its strongest card and the main reason to choose it.

4.6 on the App Store, 4.5 on Google Play. Strong scores, smaller base.

That is 1,200 App Store ratings and 3,120 on Google Play, against more than 500,000 downloads. Praise lands on 90-second installs, the Data Calculator and reliable connections. Criticism lands on rural coverage and setup on older devices. Trustpilot sits at 4.0, rated Great.

Solid on Trustpilot, dragged down by a weak Google Play score.

Ubigi holds 4.1 on Trustpilot across 45,144 reviews and 4.4 on the App Store, but Google Play sits at just 3.77 from 7,530 reviews, a real weak point that reflects app and account frustrations rather than the network, which reviewers generally rate well.

A full phone number and a Data Calculator, on every plan and at no extra cost.

The Hushed number is the same product people buy separately: a real US or Canadian number for calls, SMS and 2FA, with $3 credit and no ID check. The Data Calculator sizes your plan in advance. What’s absent is security: no VPN, no ad blocker.

Strong core connectivity, but almost nothing bundled around it.

Ubigi offers 5G and unlimited options, which matter, but the plans are data-only: no phone number, no data calculator, no security tools. The product is a conduit to a good network rather than a feature suite, so travellers wanting extras will look elsewhere.

Included on every plan, in every destination, with no add-on.

There is no device cap and no tier to upgrade to. Share the connection with a laptop, a tablet or a travelling companion’s phone without changing a setting, on the cheapest plan and the largest alike.

Unrestricted tethering, a genuinely consumer-friendly touch.

Ubigi places no restriction on hotspot use, which suits laptop-heavy travellers well and is one of the most open policies in this comparison. Paired with its 5G network, tethering performance is a real strength rather than a grudging allowance.

5% back on every purchase, automatically, with no subscription.

aloCASH credit lands in your account and applies to your next plan. No sign-up, no tier to climb. Refer & Earn gives your friend $3 off their first purchase and pays you $3, with no cap on how often you can do it.

Effectively none, beyond an occasional welcome code.

Ubigi runs no loyalty program and no standing referral; the most you’ll see is an occasional welcome promo. For a repeat traveller nothing accrues, which is a clear gap next to rivals that return credit or run referral schemes on every purchase.

24-hour live chat, reachable from the website as well as the app.

Web access matters more than it sounds. When the eSIM itself is what has failed, an in-app support channel is the one you cannot get to. Plans also carry a money-back guarantee if the eSIM never connects at all.

A slow, portal-based email channel with no live lifeline.

Ubigi’s support runs largely through an email portal, and slow responses are a recurring complaint. There’s no 24/7 live chat and no web-reachable channel for when the eSIM won’t connect, so help is the weakest part of an otherwise capable product.

90 seconds from QR code to connection, and nothing to reinstall later.

Scan, install, and you are online before the taxi queue clears. Plans can be bought before you fly and activate when you land. Running low mid-trip is a top-up inside the app rather than a fresh eSIM, and the same profile carries into your next trip.

Capable, but the app and account tools show their age.

Ubigi works, but the consumer experience trails the field: the app and account management feel dated, and setup is fiddlier than newer rivals. The network is modern; the software around it hasn’t kept pace, which is where most of the frustration in its reviews sits.