Travel eSIM vs Roaming vs Local SIM Card

We all love souvenirs from our globetrotting adventures. One which we may unintentionally end up collecting is local SIMs, little travel cards for our overseas comms.

Of course, there's also roaming. And now, the newest kid on the block, eSIMs.

All these mean more choices for a traveller. But which one should you go for?

Same same but different

A travel eSIM, roaming service and local SIM all help you stay connected while away from home, through voice, text and data.

But that’s where the similarity ends. Before we square them off against each other, let’s introduce each contestant first.

Who’s the winner?

Needless to say, an overseas connection should give you the most bang for your buck, with minimum fuss. Here's how the three options measure up.

Cost

In the past, getting a local SIM card was the only way to use your phone abroad at rates that were less eye-watering. 

Today that’s no longer the case. Travel eSIMs serve as digital local SIMs with comparable rates, and roaming has become much more affordable thanks to bespoke packages. 

And we’re so proud that Circles.Life is leading this charge to help travellers save the big dollars and small cents. If you’re drooling over our international roaming plans, wait till you see our equally travelicious travel eSIM. 

Go ahead and splurge, worry-free, on that once-in-a-lifetime tour. Because your savings from our travel eSIM will more than make up for it. We have journeyed far and wide to find the most attractive calling, texting and data rates for you. 

The cherry on top of the cake? You guessed it - unlimited data! 

Didn’t we tell you it’s delicious? 

Coverage

Travel is about adventure and discovery. But as much as we like to channel our inner Indiana Jones and conquer some exotic land, it’s not fun to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with no connection whatsoever. 

This could happen with a local SIM card. Especially in a vast country with a distributed telecoms network, dead zones with a local SIM can be rather common. That’s because such cards are usually tagged to only one service provider, with no interchangeability between carriers. Step outside the coverage area of your provider, and you could find your signal bars rapidly shrinking to zilch. 

There’s a higher chance your device could stay alive with travel eSIMs and roaming plans, which often team up with more providers at any one time for wider coverage. 

The strongest network dropping off as you venture out? Not to worry, an equally mighty one is just around the corner that you can connect to instantly. Now that’s truly a lifesaver!

Convenience

Do we need to say more for this? How many times have we found ourselves navigating an unfamiliar, confusing airport for a local SIM dealer? Not to mention the queues, occasional language barrier, fumbling with an additional SIM card on top of your luggage, maps………you get the idea. 

Compare this with the blissful zen of hooking up a travel eSIM or to a roaming plan. Everything is done on your mobile with a few swipes and taps. For Circles.Life’s travel eSIM, activation is simply a QR code away. You can do it anytime, whether in the comfort of the airport lounge or during transit to the city. 

Final judgement

eSIMs and roaming plans mean travel made easier. Circles.Life’s travel eSIM certainly lands a giant KO to bill shocks, maddening queues and those dreaded zero bars.