Short answer: most “unlimited” travel eSIMs do slow down — they run at full speed up to an allowance, then drop to a lower speed. The problem is that you often cannot see the allowance before you buy. On 15 September 2026 we checked 24,322 unlimited eSIM plans from 20 providers: 8,117 (33.4%) state how much data you get at full speed, and 16,205 (66.6%) do not.
Key findings
- Two in three unlimited eSIM plans don’t state a limit. Of 24,322 unlimited plans, 16,205 (66.6%) give no full-speed allowance in their plan details (15 September 2026).
- Half of providers publish one. 10 of 20 providers state an allowance on at least one unlimited plan, and 8 of them on every plan.
- The biggest catalogues publish none. Holafly (11,157 unlimited plans) and Yesim (2,576) state no allowance with the plan — together 85% of all plans without a stated limit.
- Published limits are mostly per day: 1 GB a day (eSimGlobe, Breeze, eSIMatic), 3 GB (aloSIM), 3–5 GB (Saily, Airalo), 4–6 GB (Quibity) and 5 GB (Voye Global). Ubigi’s allowance covers the whole plan instead: 15–59 GB.
- After the limit, speed usually drops to 1 Mbps. Some plans slow to 512 kbps, 384 kbps or 2G.
Data as of 15 September 2026 · 24,322 unlimited plans from 20 providers
Do unlimited eSIMs have a speed limit?
Usually, yes. An “unlimited” travel eSIM normally never runs out of data, but after a set amount at full speed — often 1 to 5 GB a day — the speed is reduced until the allowance resets. Providers call this a fair-use policy. A daily allowance is a reasonable way to sell data, and plans that state one are often good value. What matters is whether you can see the number before you pay.
Which unlimited eSIMs state their speed limit?
These providers state a full-speed allowance in their unlimited plan details. “Then” is the speed they say you drop to after the allowance.
| Provider | Unlimited plans | State the allowance | Full speed up to | Then |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eSimGlobe | 1,476 | All | 1 GB a day | 1 Mbps, 512 kbps or 2G |
| Breeze | 1,279 | All | 1 GB a day (some plans 30–90 GB per plan) | Not stated |
| eSIMatic | 1,155 | All | 1 GB a day | 1.25 Mbps |
| aloSIM | 707 | All | 3 GB a day | 1 Mbps |
| SimAbove | 677 | All | 0.5–10 GB a day | 384 kbps to 1.3 Mbps |
| Saily | 478 | All | 3–5 GB a day | 1 Mbps |
| Voye Global | 399 | All | 5 GB a day | Not stated |
| Ubigi | 18 | All | 15–59 GB for the whole plan | 1 Mbps |
| Quibity | 1,860 | 1,680 | 4–6 GB a day | 1 Mbps |
| Airalo | 254 | 248 | 3–5 GB a day | 1 Mbps |
These providers sell unlimited plans but state no full-speed allowance in the plan data we collect: Holafly (11,157 plans), Yesim (2,576), GIGAGO (564), Eskimo (540), Global YO (496), eTravelSim (385), Sim Local (164), Airhub (132), BNESIM (3) and GigSky (2). The live version of this table is updated every day.
Per day or per plan: the difference that changes the answer
Most allowances refill every 24 hours, but not all. Read quickly, “15 GB” sounds more generous than “3 GB a day”. Over a seven-day trip, a 15 GB whole-plan allowance is all you get, while 3 GB a day adds up to 21 GB.
That is why CheckeSIMRates records whether each allowance is per day or per plan, and prints it on every plan: 3 GB a day or 15 GB for the plan.
What providers say, in their own words
- Airalo — “Lower speed rate of 1 Mbps after 3 GB usage per day.”
- aloSIM — “You get 3 GB of high-speed data every day.”
- eSIMatic — “Daily 1 GB High Speed. Unlimited speed thereafter: 1.25 Mb/s.”
- Saily — “Unlimited plan includes: 3GB/Day without a speed limit.”
- Ubigi — “Speeds are reduced to 1 Mbps after 15,360 MB of usage over 7 days.”
Is 1 Mbps fast enough after the limit?
A stated 1 Mbps limit is a ceiling, not a guaranteed connection speed. Whether it meets your needs depends on the app, signal, congestion and latency. Video calls, streaming and hotspot use deserve particular attention. Use your own usage history to estimate travel data needs, and check the provider’s exact speed and hotspot terms. If the connection is slow before you reach any limit, work through why a travel eSIM can be slow even with full signal.
How to compare unlimited eSIM plans
- Look for the allowance, not the word “unlimited”. If a plan states one, compare it with how much data you use in a day.
- Check whether the allowance is per day or for the whole plan. Seven days at 3 GB a day is 21 GB; 15 GB for the week is 15 GB.
- Check the speed after the limit. Compare the stated limit with the apps you need; a published speed cap is not a guaranteed speed.
- Compare unlimited plans by price per day, never per GB. An unlimited plan has no fixed amount of data. Compare unlimited plans for your destination.
- Ask whether you need unlimited at all. Compare a fixed allowance based on your own usage with the unlimited plan’s total price — see what 1 GB of eSIM data costs.
An important note on these numbers
A provider that states no allowance is not necessarily hiding one. It means we found no figure in the plan data we collect. A provider may explain its fair-use policy in its terms and conditions, in a help article, or on request. “No number published with the plan” is not the same as “no policy”.
We have been caught by this before. An earlier version of this count showed Saily stating an allowance on only 50 plans; Saily in fact shows it on every destination page, but on some pages only inside the page’s code. Once we read both, Saily went to every plan.
How we collected the data
CheckeSIMRates collects the public plan listings of 28 travel eSIM providers from their own websites every day. This article uses the collection of 15 September 2026 (06:00–06:52 UTC): 24,322 plans sold as unlimited, from the 20 providers that sell them. A plan counts as stating an allowance when its own listing gives an amount of full-speed data; the allowance is recorded as per day or per plan. Quotes are copied from providers’ plan descriptions.
Frequently asked questions
Do unlimited eSIMs really have unlimited data?
Usually the data never runs out, but the speed does not stay high. Most unlimited travel eSIMs give a set amount of full-speed data — commonly 1 to 5 GB a day — and then slow down, typically to about 1 Mbps, until the allowance resets.
What does “fair use” mean on an unlimited eSIM?
It is the rule that limits how much full-speed data you can use. On 15 September 2026, 33.4% of unlimited eSIM plans stated that limit in their plan details; the other 66.6% did not.
Does Holafly’s unlimited eSIM have a speed limit?
Holafly states no full-speed allowance in the plan data we collect (0 of 11,157 unlimited plans on 15 September 2026). It may describe a fair-use policy in its terms and conditions, which this count does not read, so check those before buying.
Which unlimited eSIMs have the highest daily allowance?
Among plans that state one, SimAbove offers up to 10 GB a day, Quibity 4–6 GB, Voye Global 5 GB, and Saily and Airalo 3–5 GB (15 September 2026). Ubigi’s 15–59 GB applies to the whole plan rather than to each day.
Is an unlimited eSIM worth it?
It depends on your usage, the total price and the plan’s full-speed allowance. Check whether hotspot use is permitted and compare a suitable fixed-data plan before choosing. Compare both for your destination on the homepage.
See the daily-updated table of unlimited eSIM speed limits →