Comparing eSIM and roaming: Which solution is optimal for travelers?

eSIM is often a better choice than roaming for most travelers because it saves 50–80% of costs, is more flexible when traveling between multiple countries, and is easier to manage data. Roaming is only suitable if you need to keep your original phone number to receive calls or OTP.

When traveling or working abroad, ensuring stable Internet is indispensable. Many people wonder whether to use international roaming or travel eSIM – the two most popular options for accessing the network. So comparing travel eSIM and roaming, which is better for travelers? This article will analyze 7 key criteria between eSIM and roaming to help you make the right decision.

Comparing travel eSIM and roaming
I. What are eSIM and travel eSIM?
eSIM is an electronic SIM card built into the phone, allowing you to use mobile services without having to replace the physical SIM.

Travel eSIM allows you to connect to the Internet abroad without removing or replacing your main SIM. You can easily buy an international travel eSIM package online, receive a QR code via email, then scan and activate it right before your flight or upon landing.

Outstanding advantages:

No need to remove the SIM, no need to worry about losing the original SIM.

Buy and receive eSIM online, no need to wait or queue.
Receive eSIM after a few minutes of payment
Quick installation – just a few minutes
Easily change the package, no need to remove the SIM.
Many package options by country or region.
II. What is international roaming?
Roaming (international roaming) is a service provided by the original network operator in Vietnam (or the country you are in), allowing your physical SIM to automatically connect to a partner network when traveling abroad.

Advantages:

No complicated operations – just register for the service and turn on “Data roaming”.
Keep the original phone number (receive calls, SMS, OTP …).
Disadvantages:

High cost, usually calculated by MB or by day
Easy to incur charges, difficult to control capacity.
Network quality depends on roaming partners.
IV. Should I choose eSIM or Roaming?
Choose eSIM when:
Trips of 2 days or more – significant savings from the 2nd day
Travel to many countries – multi-country packages are much more convenient and cheaper
Need a lot of data (>1GB/day) – eSIM provides 2-5 times more capacity
Prioritize savings – 50-80% cheaper than roaming
Supported devices – iPhone from XS, Samsung from S20, Google Pixel…
Need high speed – 3-5 times faster than roaming
Want flexibility – buy anytime, change packages easily
Choose Roaming when:
Extremely short trip (<24 hours) – not much cost difference
Phone does not support eSIM – old or cheap phone
Don’t want to learn about technology – automatic operation, simple
Company pays – no need to worry about costs
Quick decision table:
Situation Option
1-2 day trip eSIM or roaming
3+ day trip eSIM
Go to 1 country, use less data eSIM or roaming
Go to 1 country, use more data eSIM
Go to many countries eSIM
iPhone XS and above eSIM
Older phones Roaming
Prioritize savings eSIM
Prioritize absolute simplicity eSIM
Need high speed eSIM
Don’t care about price Roaming or eSIM
► Short conclusion: For about 90% of travelers, eSIM is the better choice – cheaper, faster, more flexible. Only choose roaming if you are going for a short time, don’t have a device that supports eSIM, or need to keep your original number to receive calls.
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