The brand in a travel eSIM’s name tells you when the plan starts, whether you can top it up and where your data exits. On 13 October 2026 our catalogue had 1,112 plans from 15 brands. Every Sparks plan (167) and every NextLink plan (63) can be topped up; no TSimTech (62) or RoamVault (15) plan can. Three (31) mostly starts counting when the eSIM is installed; the other seven large brands start on first data use. Sparks exits in the UK on every plan, while NextLink’s USA plans exit in the USA.
Most comparisons of travel eSIMs compare stores. This one compares the plan brands inside one store, because two plans for the same country at nearly the same price can behave differently once installed. All figures are from our own catalogue; we have not run speed tests, and other sellers of the same brands may list different plans.
Eight travel eSIM brands side by side
These are the eight brands with at least 15 plans in our catalogue on 13 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars.
| Brand in the plan name | Plans | Starts counting | Top-up | Data exits in | Validity | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codeesim (our own label) | 547 | First data use | 512 of 547 | Poland (298), Indonesia (91), Hong Kong (87), Japan (27) | 1 to 30 days | $1.99 to $82.79 |
| Sparks | 167 | First data use | All | UK (all) | 7 to 365 days | $3.00 to $65.90 |
| Airalo | 101 | First data use | 93 of 101 | Not published | 3 to 30 days | $3.75 to $36.80 |
| eSIMGo | 99 | First data use | 90 of 99 | UK or Ireland (92), Belgium (7) | 5 to 30 days | $4.04 to $143.09 |
| NextLink | 63 | First data use | All | Western Europe (37), USA (16), Singapore (6) | 7 to 60 days | $3.50 to $83.03 |
| TSimTech | 62 | First data use | None | Singapore (38), Macau (11), Hong Kong (10) | 5 to 90 days | $4.20 to $57.96 |
| Three | 31 | When installed (28 of 31) | All | Hong Kong (all) | 30 to 365 days | $8.50 to $107.64 |
| RoamVault | 15 | First data use | None | Singapore (12), Brazil (3) | 7 to 30 days | $3.75 to $27.60 |
Seven more brands have fewer than ten plans each: Ubigi (8), Vinaphone (4), OlamGo (4), U Mobile (3), Annatel (3), IIJ (3) and Yettel (2). Several are a single operator’s plan for its own country, such as Vinaphone in Vietnam, U Mobile in Malaysia, Annatel in Israel and IIJ in Japan.
Sparks vs NextLink
The two brands share their rules: both start on first data use, both can be topped up on every plan, both list hotspot as supported and neither sells an unlimited plan or a phone number. They differ in coverage, exit location and price.
| Destination | Sparks | NextLink |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 20 GB for 30 days at $18.70. Networks in 33 countries, with Switzerland. Exits in the UK | 20 GB for 30 days at $15.40. Networks in 36 countries, without Switzerland. Exits in Western Europe |
| USA | 7 GB for 30 days at $7.80. Verizon and AT&T. Exits in the UK | 15 GB for 30 days at $11.50. T-Mobile; not Alaska. Exits in the USA |
| Australia and New Zealand | 10 GB for 30 days at $12.00. Optus and One NZ. Exits in the UK | 12 GB for 30 days at $12.40. Optus and Spark. Exits in Singapore |
| Egypt | 10 GB for 30 days at $11.85. Etisalat and Orange. Exits in the UK | 12 GB for 30 days at $12.25. Orange. Exits in Western Europe |
| India | 10 GB for 30 days at $15.65. Vodafone India and Airtel. Exits in the UK | 10 GB for 30 days at $15.25. Jio. Exit not published |
For the USA, NextLink gives more data per dollar and a US address. For Europe, NextLink is cheaper unless you need Switzerland. Sparks has the wider range, with 39 destinations and regions against 16, a Balkans plan, and plans valid for a year. The details are in Sparks eSIM plans and prices and NextLink eSIM plans and prices.
TSimTech and RoamVault: low prices, no top-up
TSimTech’s 62 plans are mostly for Asia: 20 plan families including Asia 12 Countries, Asia Premium, China Korea Japan and Vietnam Plus. Asia 12 Countries with 10 GB for 30 days costs $9.80 and China Korea Japan with 12 GB costs $10.60. Data exits in Singapore on 38 plans, Macau on 11 and Hong Kong on 10.
RoamVault has 15 plans for six destinations: Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Indonesia, Laos and the Seychelles. Its Australia plan with 10 GB for 30 days costs $7.25. Twelve plans exit in Singapore, and the three Brazil plans exit in Brazil.
Neither brand supports top-up on any plan. If you run out of data you buy and install another eSIM, so buy the size you will need. Both start on first data use and list hotspot as supported. Our top-up audit covers what that means in practice.
Three: starts when installed, lasts up to a year
Three’s 31 plans exit in Hong Kong and can all be topped up. Their start rule is the one to watch: 28 of the 31 start counting when the eSIM is installed, not when you first use data, so install them on the day you travel. The three exceptions are a South Korea plan and the two South Korea and Japan plans, which start on first data use.
Three is also where the long validity is. Half Global with 12 GB for 30 days costs $11.40 and lists networks in 51 countries, and Global with 13 GB for 365 days costs $40.83 and lists 96. Ten of Three’s plans are valid for 365 days. Our Half Global guide covers that plan, and when an eSIM starts counting explains the two start rules.
eSIMGo, Airalo and our own label
- eSIMGo (99 plans). Data exits in the UK or Ireland on 92 plans and in Belgium on 7. It includes our lowest-priced Europe-wide plan, at $7.54 for 10 GB and 30 days, the seven UK plans with a phone number, and 11 unlimited plans. Ninety of the 99 can be topped up.
- Airalo (101 plans). We resell Airalo-branded plans, including Asialink, EUconnect, a Global plan for 157 countries and the four USA plans with a phone number. Their pages do not publish an exit location, and 45 of them tell Android users to set the APN manually. Ninety-three can be topped up.
- Codeesim, our own label (547 plans). These include all 91 day passes, from $1.99, and more than half of our single-country plans. All start on first data use; 512 can be topped up. Data exits in Poland on 298 plans, Indonesia on 91, Hong Kong on 87 and Japan on 27, so check the plan page if the exit matters to you.
Which brand for which need
| What you need | Where to look | Why |
|---|---|---|
| To add data without a new eSIM | Sparks, NextLink or Three | Every plan from these three supports top-up |
| A low price in Asia or Australia | TSimTech or RoamVault | Our lowest 10 GB price for India, the Philippines and Australia, but no top-up |
| A US IP address | NextLink USA, or the own-label USA plans that list a US exit | Their plan pages give the USA as the IP routing location |
| A year of validity | Sparks or Three | Both have 365-day plans |
| To install weeks before the trip | Any brand that starts on first data use | Avoid Three’s install-start plans |
| A phone number | eSIMGo’s UK plans or Airalo’s USA plans | The other brands are data-only, except two own-label Europe plans with a French number |
| One or two days of data | Our own-label day passes | From $1.99 a day |
Related guides: UK eSIMs with a phone number, USA eSIMs with a phone number, where a travel eSIM’s traffic exits and how prepaid travel eSIMs work.
Why the web address may show a different brand
The brand that counts is the one in the plan title on the page. Some of our plan pages keep an older brand name in the web address after we moved the plan to our own label, for example several Turkey, Singapore, UK and Ireland, and Spain and Portugal plans. The title, the plan details and the price on the page are current; the web address is only an address.
More brand guides: every plan we sell under Airalo (with prices next to Airalo’s own site), TSimTech, and Airalo’s Asia plan, Asialink, country by country.
Frequently asked questions
What does the brand in a travel eSIM’s name mean?
It is the company whose plan you are buying, which is often not the store selling it. The brand sets the plan’s rules: when validity starts, whether top-up is possible and where data exits. In our catalogue on 13 October 2026, 1,112 plans came from 15 brands.
Sparks or NextLink: which is better?
For the USA, NextLink: $11.50 for 15 GB on T-Mobile with a US exit. For Europe, NextLink costs $15.40 for 20 GB without Switzerland and Sparks $18.70 with it. Sparks covers 39 destinations and regions against NextLink’s 16, and has plans valid for a year.
Which travel eSIM brands can be topped up?
In our catalogue on 13 October 2026, every Sparks, NextLink and Three plan supported top-up. No TSimTech or RoamVault plan did. For eSIMGo it was 90 of 99 plans, for Airalo-branded plans 93 of 101, and for our own-label plans 512 of 547.
Which eSIM brands start counting when installed?
Mostly Three: 28 of its 31 plans start when the eSIM is installed. So do the OlamGo, Annatel and IIJ plans we sell, ten plans in total. Of our 1,112 plans, 38 start on install, 9 on first network connection and 1,065 on first data use.
What is TSimTech eSIM?
TSimTech is a travel eSIM brand focused on Asia. We listed 62 TSimTech plans on 13 October 2026, from $5.00 upwards for its Asia 12 Countries plan. All start on first data use and list hotspot; none can be topped up. Data exits in Singapore, Macau or Hong Kong.
What is RoamVault eSIM?
RoamVault is a travel eSIM brand with 15 plans in our catalogue, for Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Indonesia, Laos and the Seychelles. All start on first data use and list hotspot; none can be topped up. Its Australia plan cost $7.25 for 10 GB and 30 days on 13 October 2026.
Does the brand decide where my data exits?
Largely, yes. Every Sparks plan we sell exits in the UK and every Three plan in Hong Kong. NextLink exits in the USA, Western Europe or Singapore depending on the plan. The plan page states the IP routing location, so check it if you need a particular country.
Before you compare prices, read three lines on the plan page: the activation policy, top-up support and the IP routing location. Two plans for the same country can differ on all three, and the brand in the title is the quickest guide to which way they go.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026; the USA row and the low-price row were updated on 17 October 2026. Plan counts, prices, start rules, top-up, hotspot, networks and exit locations come from our own catalogue and plan pages on that date; product pages are authoritative. We describe only the plans we sell; other sellers of the same brands may list different plans, and we have not tested speeds or coverage. Sparks, NextLink, TSimTech, RoamVault, eSIMGo, Airalo, Three, Ubigi, Vinaphone, OlamGo, U Mobile, Annatel, IIJ, Yettel and the network names are trademarks of their owners; this article is independent of them.