How We Research and Rate eSIMs
Last updated: 20 October 2026
In short
We don’t test every eSIM in every country, and we don’t pretend to. We compare plans using data anyone can check: prices from each provider’s own website, features from their help pages, and customer ratings from the app stores and Trustpilot. Every fact has a date, and old data is hidden until it’s checked again.
Where our data comes from
| What we show | Where it comes from | How we keep it fresh |
|---|---|---|
| Prices, data, days | Each provider’s own plan pages | Every price shows the date it was checked. After 45 days it is flagged “price may have changed”; after 90 days it is hidden until re-checked. |
| Networks, hotspot, fair-use limits | The same plan pages and the provider’s help centre | Re-checked with the prices |
| Countries, top-ups, refund policy, support | The provider’s own website | Shown with a “facts checked” date and source links |
| Customer ratings | The Apple App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot | App Store ratings update automatically every week; Trustpilot is re-checked with the provider facts |
| Coupon codes | Checked at the provider’s checkout | Shown with a “Last verified” date and hidden after 90 days without a new check |
| How-to steps | Apple’s and Google’s own help pages, which we link to | Reviewed when phones get major updates |
How the eSIM Mentor score works
Every provider is scored with the same formula, out of 10. The score is calculated automatically from the data above, so it changes when prices or facts change.
| Part of the score | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 40% | How the provider’s cheapest suitable plan compares with the cheapest on our site, across our destinations and five common trips (3 GB for 7 days, 10 GB for 15 days, 20 GB for 30 days, and unlimited data for 7 and 15 days). Only trips where at least two providers compete are counted. |
| Features | 25% | Whether the provider offers hotspot sharing, top-ups, plans with a phone number, a published refund policy and 24/7 support |
| Coverage | 15% | How many countries and regions it covers; 190 or more gets full marks |
| Customer ratings | 20% | Its average rating on the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot, counting only sources with at least 100 ratings |
If a part has too little data, it is left out and the other parts are re-weighted. No score is shown until we have prices plus at least two other parts. What a provider pays us in commission is never part of the score.
What we don’t do
- We don’t claim hands-on tests we haven’t done. If we ever test a plan ourselves, the page will say where, when and how.
- We don’t invent prices, speeds or codes. If we don’t know something, the page says so or leaves it out.
- We don’t accept payment for reviews or for a better position.
How often we recheck
- Prices: every plan shows the date it was checked. After 45 days it is marked “price may have changed”, and after 90 days it is hidden until it is checked again.
- App Store ratings: updated automatically every week.
- Provider facts and Trustpilot ratings: rechecked on the provider’s site and Trustpilot, with the new date shown in each facts table.
- Coupon codes: tested at checkout, and hidden if they haven’t been re-tested within 90 days.
- Scores, best picks and quick answers: worked out again automatically whenever the data behind them changes.
Change log
- 20 October 2026: Trustpilot ratings added to the customer ratings part of the score. Provider facts (coverage, top-ups, refund policies, support) checked for all seven providers with plans on the site.
- 17–19 October 2026: Plan prices loaded for seven providers across every destination they sell.
- 17 October 2026: This page and the eSIM Mentor score published.
Who does this work
eSIM Mentor is edited by Joseph Larkin, the site’s founder. Plan data, prices and deals are kept up to date by the eSIM Mentor team. Pages show who wrote them and when they were last updated.
Mistakes and corrections
If you spot a wrong price, an expired code or anything else that looks off, email contact@esimmentor.com. Tell us the page and what looks wrong. We check every report against the provider’s own site, fix confirmed errors as soon as we can, and note bigger corrections in the change log above.
How we earn money is explained in our Affiliate Disclosure.