By CheckeSIMRates · Published 12 October 2026 · Prices checked 12 October 2026, 00:54 UTC
Most travel eSIMs give you data and nothing else. In our price check on 12 October 2026, only 624 of 63,991 plans (about 1 in 103) included calls or SMS, from five providers: Airhub, Airalo, Sim Local, eTravelSim, and SimAbove. A plan with calls costs more than the same data without them: Airalo charges a median $3.00 (13%) extra, eTravelSim and SimAbove about a third more. If you only need WhatsApp, FaceTime or other apps, a data-only eSIM is cheaper; if you need a number people can call or text, these are the plans to look at.
- 624 of 63,991 travel eSIM plans tracked included calls or SMS (12 October 2026).
- 152 of 222 destinations had at least one single-country plan with calls or SMS.
- Airhub sells the most: 380 plans “with calls” across 136 destinations, from $4.99.
- In the United States the cheapest plan with calls was $4.99 (Airhub, Unlimited – 1 days with calls), against $2.48 for comparable data only.
- Airalo’s local plans with calls work for calls and texts inside the destination country only, not internationally.
Do travel eSIMs come with a phone number?
Usually not. A data-only eSIM connects your phone to the internet; it has no number of its own, so nobody can call or text it the ordinary way. You can still call and message over the internet with WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal or Wi-Fi calling.
Plans that include calls or SMS normally come with a number. Airalo says its “Data, Voice & Text” eSIMs include calls and texts while data-only ones do not; Airhub’s voice plans add calls, SMS and a local number where available; Sim Local offers a local or international number on its plans with calls and texts; and eTravelSim says its US Data + Calls plans include a US +1 number. The details differ by plan: some numbers receive calls and texts, others only make local calls, so read the plan before you buy. Our guide Does a travel eSIM include calls and SMS? covers the settings and the questions to ask.
Which providers sell an eSIM with calls or SMS?
| Provider | Plans with calls or SMS | Destinations | From | What the plan includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhub | 380 | 136 | $4.99 | Plans named “with calls”: calls, SMS and a local number where available |
| Airalo | 93 | 16 | $4.50 | “Data, Voice & Text” plans with minutes and SMS; local plans call within the country only |
| Sim Local | 70 | 57 | $13.25 | Plans with calls and texts, with a local or international number |
| eTravelSim | 62 | 6 | $4.50 | Plans named “with calls”; no SMS recorded |
| SimAbove | 19 | 2 | $5.04 | Plans marked with calls and SMS |
Destinations count single-country plans. Airhub and SimAbove also sell some regional plans with calls.
How much more does a phone number cost?
We matched each plan with calls or SMS to the same provider’s data-only plan with the same data, validity and country, and compared the prices.
| Provider | Matched plan pairs | Median extra for calls/SMS | Median difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo | 63 | $3.00 | +13% |
| eTravelSim | 62 | $5.00 | +33% |
| SimAbove | 10 | $4.48 | +33% |
For example, Airalo’s 5 GB, 30-day plan for Austria cost $8.00 as data only and $11.00 with 50 minutes and 50 SMS. Airhub is the exception: its plans “with calls” are a separate range priced on their own. In the United States its unlimited day pass cost $3.49 without calls and $4.99 with them, and 300 GB for 30 days $37.99 against $64.90; in the United Kingdom, 100 GB for 30 days was $40.00 as data only and $35.00 with calls.
Cheapest eSIM with calls in popular destinations
| Destination | Plans with calls/SMS | Cheapest with calls or SMS | Cheapest data only, same data and days or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 28 | Airhub · Unlimited – 1 days with calls · $4.99 | eSIMCard · Unlimited eSIM Data for 1 Day for United States · $2.48 |
| United Kingdom | 33 | SimAbove · 1 GB – 7 days · $5.04 | Yatelo · 1 GB – 7 days · $1.41 |
| France | 14 | Sim Local · 70 GB – 15 days · $17.00 | eSIMCard · Unlimited eSIM Data for 15 Days for France · $10.38 |
| Germany | 16 | eTravelSim · 1 GB – 30 days with calls · $9.00 | Yesim · 1 GB – 30 days · $2.50 |
| Italy | 18 | eTravelSim · 1 GB – 30 days with calls · $6.50 | Yesim · 1 GB – 30 days · $2.50 |
| Spain | 5 | Airhub · 15 GB – 30 days with calls · $24.50 | Yatelo · 20 GB – 30 days · $8.06 |
| Japan | 1 | Airhub · 20 GB – 30 days with calls · $32.00 | BNESIM · 20 GB – 30 days · $11.19 |
| Thailand | 1 | Airhub · 20 GB – 30 days with calls · $32.00 | Yatelo · 20 GB – 30 days · $11.62 |
| Turkey | 10 | eTravelSim · 1 GB – 30 days with calls · $6.50 | BNESIM · 1 GB – 30 days · $0.89 |
| Australia | 4 | Airhub · 10 GB – 30 days with calls · $26.00 | Yatelo · 10 GB – 30 days · $7.52 |
| Canada | 7 | Airhub · Unlimited – 10 days with calls · $31.00 | eSimGlobe · Unlimited – 10 days · $27.00 |
| Mexico | 11 | Airalo · 1 GB – 10 SMS – 10 Mins – 7 days · $5.50 | Airhub · 1 GB – 7 days · $2.50 |
| Greece | 18 | eTravelSim · 1 GB – 30 days with calls · $4.50 | Yesim · 1 GB – 30 days · $2.50 |
| Portugal | 6 | Sim Local · 30 GB – 15 days · $22.50 | eSIMCard · Unlimited eSIM Data for 15 Days for Portugal · $13.17 |
| Netherlands | 12 | Airalo · 1 GB – 10 SMS – 10 Mins – 7 days · $6.50 | Yatelo · 1 GB – 7 days · $1.46 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | Airhub · 20 GB – 30 days with calls · $31.00 | Global YO · United Arab Emirates eSIM 20 GB – 30 days · $24.79 |
| South Korea | 4 | Airhub · 12 GB – 5 days with calls · $13.00 | eSimGlobe · Unlimited – 5 days · $7.30 |
| Singapore | 1 | Airhub · 20 GB – 30 days with calls · $32.00 | Yatelo · 20 GB – 30 days · $9.61 |
| China | 1 | Airhub · 20 GB – 30 days with calls · $29.00 | BNESIM · 20 GB – 30 days · $11.19 |
| India | 1 | Airhub · 20 GB – 30 days with calls · $27.00 | GoMoWorld · 30 GB – 30 days · $22.39 |
Japan, Thailand, Singapore, China, India and the United Arab Emirates each had a single plan with calls in our data, all from Airhub. For most of Europe the choice is wider, and in the United Kingdom 33 plans from four providers include calls or SMS.
Do you need a phone number abroad?
A local number helps when you need to call or be called the ordinary way: restaurants, taxis and tour guides that phone or text, local services that send an SMS, or giving someone a number to reach you. You do not need one for messaging apps, video calls or Wi-Fi calling, which all run over data.
A travel number does not receive codes sent to your usual number. Banks and most apps text the number they have on file, which is normally your home number, so keep that line active if you expect verification codes.
Keep your own number instead
Most eSIM phones hold two lines at once. Put the travel eSIM on mobile data and keep your home SIM on for calls and texts: you stay reachable on your usual number and your data comes from the cheaper travel plan. Calls and texts on your home line are charged at your carrier’s roaming rates, so check them before you go. The setup is explained in our calls and SMS guide.
How we collected the data
- Prices come from the daily check of 31 providers’ own websites on 12 October 2026, converted to US dollars.
- A plan counts as including calls or SMS where the provider’s catalogue marks it. Some calling plans are missing from our data: eTravelSim, for example, says its US Data + Calls plans include a US +1 number, but we record only its data-only US plans.
- Comparisons use single-country plans. “Cheapest data only” is the cheapest plan without calls or SMS with at least the same data and validity.
- What a number can do (incoming calls, outgoing calls, SMS, international calls) differs by plan and is not compared here. Prices change daily: check the destination page and the provider’s plan before buying.
Questions about eSIMs with a phone number
Do travel eSIMs come with a phone number?
Most do not: on 12 October 2026, about 1 in 103 travel eSIM plans we track included calls or SMS. Plans that do, from Airhub, Airalo, Sim Local, eTravelSim, and SimAbove, normally come with a number; the rest are data-only.
Which eSIM gives you a US phone number?
Airhub’s voice plans for the United States add calls, SMS and a US number where available, from $4.99 for a day of unlimited data with calls. eTravelSim says its US Data + Calls plans include a US +1 number with free incoming calls. In total 28 US plans in our data include calls or SMS.
How much does an eSIM with calls cost?
More than data only. For the same data and validity, Airalo charged a median $3.00 more for minutes and SMS, and eTravelSim and SimAbove about a third more. Airhub prices its plans with calls separately, sometimes for less.
Can I receive bank codes on a travel eSIM?
Only if the bank texts that number. Codes go to the number registered with your bank, usually your home number, so keep your home line active on a dual-SIM phone while using the travel eSIM for data.
Can I keep my WhatsApp number with a travel eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp stays linked to your existing number; the travel eSIM only provides the data connection, so your contacts reach you as usual.
The practical takeaway
Buy a data-only eSIM if apps and Wi-Fi calling cover your calls; it is cheaper in every destination we compared. If you need a number people can ring or text, Airhub has the widest choice and Airalo, Sim Local, eTravelSim and SimAbove cover fewer places. Check what the number can do before paying, and keep your home line on for bank codes. Compare every plan on the destination page, for example the United States or the United Kingdom.