Do you want to use your smartphone on your trip to Australia and not be dependent on Wi-Fi in the hotel and cafés? Then a suitable eSIM plan is the perfect solution for being back online with your smartphone as soon as you land.
What is an eSIM and is my smartphone compatible?
An eSIM is a digital SIM card that can be loaded directly onto a compatible device without the need for a physical SIM card. This type of SIM card is particularly convenient for travellers because it is easy and quick to buy and activate online without having to worry about a physical SIM card.
You will find numerous providers of eSIM plans on the Internet. With most of them, you buy a one-off prepaid plan for a certain number of days and data volume. After expiry, there are no further costs and you do not need a subscription.
Unfortunately, not all smartphones support an eSIM. You have good odds with an iPhone 11 / 12 / 13, but also with an Android smartphone, e.g. Google Pixel 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 or Samsung Galaxy S20, S21, or Note 20. You can find a list of smartphones that support eSIM here: Which devices support an eSIM?
If your Android smartphone does not support eSIM profiles, eSIM.me is a physical SIM card that you can use with eSIM profiles.
Most eSIM providers only offer data volume and no free minutes. Since these are also prepaid plans, outgoing calls are generally not supported. With some smartphones, e.g. iPhones, you can still be reached via your normal SIM card and make calls.
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Plans Compared
Here you can easily find the right plan. Simply select your travel period and the required data volume, and you will be shown the appropriate eSIM plans:
Cheapest Providers
eSIM4Travel offers the cheapest plans for a maximum of 1 GB of data for a week. If you need more data, you will find it inexpensive at Manet.travel. If you’re planning on taking a road trip through the outback, it may be wise to spend a little bit more and get the Flexiroam eSIM, as it should provide better coverage.
Without Duration Limit
At BNESIM you can buy data without an expiry date. Large packages quickly become expensive and are really only worthwhile if you either stay in Australia for a long time or surf little. But if you are planning a very long trip or various short trips to Australia, the price of €3.69 per GB, without an expiration date, is not a bad option.
With Unlimited Data
At Airhub you will find a plan with unlimited data volume for 7, 15, or 30 days. With prices between US$32 (~€30) and US$50 (~€46), it’s not cheap though. You should think carefully about whether it’s worth it.
Pay What You Need
At MTX Connect you can buy an eSIM with a credit of €10 for €10 and then pay 1.2 euro cents per MB used = €12 for 1 GB. Significantly more expensive than packages with data volume, but very flexible.
Yesim is an even cheaper option, charging only €5 per GB. However, it runs on Vodafone, the worst of Australia’s 3 networks. If you’re only going to be in the cities, however, you should be fine. For short stays and limited data use, this may even be the cheapest of all options.
With New Zealand
If you’re visiting Australia and New Zealand, it may be worth choosing a plan that supports both countries. RedteaGO, BNESIM, JETPAC, maya mobile, and mobimatter are the cheapest providers to offer such plans, with prices starting at merely US$2.38 (~€2.21) for 1 GB for 30 days.
The Best Network in Australia
There are three mobile network operators in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra offers the best network, but Optus also offers excellent coverage in cities and more populated areas. You should only choose Vodafone if you are only staying on the southeast coast. For road trips through the outback, it is advisable to choose a provider on the Telstra network.