Comparison · verified 5 Sep 2026
eSIMify vs Saily
Choose on where you want the extras to live. Saily, built by the team behind NordVPN, wraps its travel eSIM in an app that also carries security features such as web protection and virtual location, so it appeals to travellers who want connectivity and privacy tooling from one vendor. eSIMify sells the connectivity plainly: a data allowance you pick, paid in rupees by UPI, card or net banking, with a GST invoice on the order and 24x7 human support on WhatsApp and email in English and Hindi. Pick Saily if you already trust that ecosystem and want the bundled protections. Pick eSIMify if you want Indian payment and billing, hotspot on most plans, and no app to install before you can get online.
Price check: eSIMify vs Saily
Our cheapest plan of 7 days or more per destination, against the latest Saily price for a comparable plan (USD, checked automatically). Prices change — the date shown is when we last checked.
| Destination | eSIMify plan | eSIMify price | Saily | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai / UAE eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| Thailand eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| Saudi Arabia eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| Singapore eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| Malaysia eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹299.00 ($3.17) | no recent data | — |
| Indonesia eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| United States eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹299.00 ($3.17) | no recent data | — |
| United Kingdom eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| Vietnam eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
| Turkey eSIM | 1 GB · 7 days | ₹349.00 ($3.70) | no recent data | — |
Saily arrived from a security company rather than a travel one, and it shows in the product. The eSIM is bought and managed in an app, and that app also carries the extras the NordVPN team is known for — web protection that blocks risky sites and trackers, and a virtual location feature that presents your traffic as though it came from elsewhere. If you were going to pay for a travel VPN anyway, having it sit next to the data plan in one place is a reasonable simplification.
eSIMify does not bundle any of that, and it is worth being clear about why. The purchase is a web checkout, the delivery is an email with a QR code and, on iPhones from iOS 17.4 onwards, a direct install link, and the profile lives in your phone's own settings rather than inside a company's app. Nothing has to be installed, signed into or kept updated for the data to keep working. If you already run a VPN you trust, or your employer supplies one, the bundle is not a benefit to you and the plain product is less to manage.
Day to day, the two behave much the same once the profile is attached: prepaid, data-only, no local number, your home SIM left in the phone for calls and one-time passwords. The differences that show up on a trip are the ones around the edges — whether the person answering your question at two in the morning is reachable on WhatsApp, whether the invoice will satisfy your finance team, and whether you can tether a laptop from the connection without checking a policy first.
| Feature | eSIMify | Saily |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing currency | Rupees on the Indian store; USD, GBP or AED on the other stores | Priced in major international currencies; check their current terms for rupee pricing |
| Payment methods | UPI, cards and net banking in India; cards elsewhere | Cards and common international payment options |
| Data model | Prepaid, data-only; you choose an allowance and a validity of one to thirty days | Prepaid, data-only plans bought per country or region in the app |
| Bundled extras | None — connectivity only, nothing to subscribe to | Security features in the app, including web protection and a virtual location option |
| Hotspot / tethering | Works on most plans; the plan card states it when it does not | Check their current terms for the destination you are buying |
| Top-ups | Buy another plan any time; it queues behind the active one, no account needed | Buy again or extend through the app |
| Coverage breadth | Single-country and regional plans across Asia, Europe, the Gulf, Africa and the Americas | Broad country and regional coverage |
| Support | 24x7 on WhatsApp and email, in English and Hindi | In-app and online support; check their current terms for hours and languages |
| KYC / registration | None for any foreign destination | No passport registration required |
| Keeping your home number | Yes — data-only, so the home SIM stays live for calls and OTPs | Yes — the same data-only arrangement |
| Invoice / GST | GST invoice issued with every Indian order | Check their current terms for Indian GST invoicing |
Who should pick Saily
Pick Saily if the security bundle is something you would otherwise buy separately. Travellers who work from cafes and hotel networks, who use public Wi-Fi in airports, or who simply prefer one vendor for both the connection and the protections around it get real value out of having them in a single app and a single subscription relationship. It is also the sensible pick if you are already inside the Nord ecosystem, know the interface, and would rather add a travel eSIM to an account you already trust than open a new one. If you dislike managing several apps and several logins, consolidating with a vendor you already use is a legitimate reason to choose it.
Who should pick eSIMify
Pick eSIMify if you are buying from India and want the transaction to be an ordinary Indian one. You pay in rupees by UPI, card or net banking, and the GST invoice arrives with the order, which is what an accounts department needs when the trip is being reimbursed. Support is 24x7 on WhatsApp and email in English and Hindi, on the channel you already have open, rather than a chat inside an app you installed for one trip. The eSIM installs directly on iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, and by QR code or SM-DP+ entry on Android. Hotspot works on most plans, so one purchase can cover a couple or a family. Your Indian number stays live for banking OTPs because the plan carries data only, and no foreign destination requires KYC.
Whichever you lean towards, decide against the actual destination rather than the brand. The live plans on the pages for France, Italy, Vietnam and the United States show what is on sale for each country, and the full destination list has everywhere else.
FAQ
Do I need a VPN with a travel eSIM?
Not for the eSIM itself — mobile data is carried over the operator's network rather than a shared public Wi-Fi hotspot, which is the risk a travel VPN mainly addresses. A VPN is still useful if you connect to hotel or cafe Wi-Fi, or need to reach services that behave differently outside your home country.
Does eSIMify have an app?
No app is required. You buy on the web, and the order email carries a QR code plus, for iPhones on iOS 17.4 or later, a direct install link that adds the profile without scanning. Android installs by scanning the QR code or entering the SM-DP+ details in the SIM manager.
Can I use a hotspot on either service?
On eSIMify, hotspot and tethering work on most plans and the plan card says when they do not, so one purchase can cover a travelling companion or a laptop. For Saily, check their current terms for the destination you are buying, as tethering rules can differ by plan and by country.
Will my Indian number still receive OTPs?
Yes with both, because these are data-only eSIMs with no local number. Keep your Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM in the phone with data roaming switched off, and set the travel eSIM as the data line. Calls and SMS, including banking one-time passwords, continue to arrive on your Indian number.
Which is better for a business trip?
If the trip is being reimbursed, the GST invoice issued with every eSIMify order is usually the deciding factor, along with rupee billing through UPI or net banking. If your company's concern is device security on public networks and it has no VPN of its own, a bundled security app may carry more weight.
Can I install the eSIM before I travel?
Yes, and you should. Install it at home on Wi-Fi a few days before departure and label the line so you can find it. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination, not at purchase or install, so an early install costs nothing and avoids fiddling with settings after landing.
What if the eSIM does not connect when I land?
Check that the travel eSIM is selected as the data line, that data roaming is on for that line, and that your home line has data switched off. If it still will not attach, message eSIMify support on WhatsApp or email at any hour and a person will work through it with you.
Which phones can use these eSIMs?
Any eSIM-capable handset: iPhone XR, XS and newer with regional exceptions, Google Pixel 3 and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, and many other recent models. Phones bought in some markets ship without eSIM support, so check your exact model on the compatibility checker before buying anything.