Whether you’re visiting Bali, Jakarta, or one of the other dreamy destinations in Indonesia, you surely don’t want to be without the internet on your smartphone. A digital eSIM is particularly practical, as you can buy it before your trip and start surfing right after landing.
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 suitable eSIM plans will be displayed to you:
Many plans cover not only Indonesia but also many countries in Asia, or at least Southeast Asia. If you’re planning a trip to the entire region, it’s best to select additional countries.
Cheapest Providers
The eSIM plans for Indonesia are really affordable. The cheapest provider consistently is YohoMobile, where you get e.g. 500 MB or 1 GB per day. 500 MB per day for 15 days is already available for less than €10!
Without Time Limit
With BNESIM, you can purchase data without a time limit. However, it is significantly more expensive than plans with a time limit.
With Unlimited Data
You can get truly unlimited data in Indonesia with Holafly. However, with e.g. US$27 (~€25) for 7 days, it is much more expensive than regular plans.
YohoMobile offers a flat rate with, e.g. 3 GB per day and then throttling to 128 kbps for €14 for 7 days
Pay as You Go
With MTX Connect, you can buy an eSIM for the price of €10 and receive €10 credit at the same time. You pay 1.2 euro cents per MB, which amounts to €12 for 1 GB. Still considerably more expensive than regular eSIM plans for Indonesia, but very flexible.
The Best Network in Indonesia
In Indonesia, there are four mobile network operators: Telkomsel, 3 (Tri), XL, and Smartfren. Telkomsel offers the best coverage across Indonesia as a whole. The other providers have limitations depending on the province. You can get a good overview of the network coverage of the different providers at nperf.
If you’re only travelling to Java or Bali, you’ll be fine with any provider. However, if you’re going to Sumatra and Borneo, it’s better to choose a plan with Telkomsel.