Review
eSIM Plus Review 2026: Is the Travel Data and Virtual Number Combo Worth It?
eSIM Plus review 2026: data prices in 159+ countries, virtual numbers for SMS verification, app ratings, refund complaints and how it compares with Airalo.
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eSIM Plus (esimplus.me) is a Lithuanian-run service that bundles two products most eSIM providers keep separate: prepaid travel data in what it currently advertises as 159+ countries, and virtual phone numbers you can use to receive calls and SMS verification codes. On paper that combination is genuinely useful. A travel eSIM from Airalo or Nomad gives you data but no phone number; eSIM Plus promises both from one app.
Our research found a service that is competitively priced at the entry level - a 1GB, 7-day UK plan cost $3.29 at the time of checking, marginally under Airalo's $4.00 and Nomad's $3.50 starting prices - but that carries more caveats than its polished website suggests. Customer reviews on the app stores and Trustpilot describe unannounced changes to previously purchased "lifetime" number plans, recurring charges that continued after cancellation, and virtual numbers that certain platforms refuse to accept. The company itself, Appvillis UAB, publishes little about who owns or runs it.
The short version: eSIM Plus is worth considering if you specifically need a low-cost virtual number for non-critical SMS verification alongside travel data, and you go in with your eyes open. For plain travel data, better-established providers offer similar prices with stronger track records. Here is the full picture.
At a glance
| Feature | eSIM Plus (checked 19 July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Advertised 159+ countries for data; 133+ for the calls/SMS product |
| Starting price | From $3.29 (1GB, 7 days, UK/Italy/Turkey); $3.34 for 500MB day passes |
| Plan type | Data-only eSIMs; calls and SMS require the separate virtual number product |
| Virtual numbers | Typically $14/month; local numbers advertised at $5-$15, toll-free $10-$30 |
| Unlimited plans | None advertised on the country pages we checked |
| Hotspot | Allowed, advertised as unrestricted |
| Network access | 4G and 5G via local partner networks (partners not named) |
| Apps | iOS 4.0/5 (~1,700 ratings); Android 3.8/5 (~4,300 reviews, 1M+ downloads) |
| Customer reviews | Independent aggregate around 2.6/5; recurring complaint themes below |
| Refunds | Narrow: provider-error cases within 30 days; numbers refundable only if non-functional |
| Support | 24/7 chat and email (support@esimplus.me) |
| Company | Appvillis UAB, Vilnius, Lithuania; also develops the Nicegram Telegram client |
How eSIM Plus compares with Airalo and Nomad
Using our standard criteria - price, coverage, network quality, plan flexibility, transparency, ease of use, hotspot support and customer service - here is where eSIM Plus sits against the two obvious alternatives.
| eSIM Plus | Airalo | Nomad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries | 159+ advertised | 200+ | 200+ |
| Cheapest plan | $3.29/1GB (7 days) | $4.00/1GB | ~$3.50/1GB |
| Unlimited option | No | Yes, select destinations (3GB/day fast, then 1 Mbps) | Yes, 2GB/day fast |
| Calls/SMS option | Yes, paid virtual numbers | eSIMs are data-only | eSIMs are data-only |
| Trustpilot standing | ~2.6/5 average per independent aggregation | ~3.9 | Broadly positive |
| Transparency | Weak: no named network partners, masked domain ownership | Good | Good |
The virtual number is the only column where eSIM Plus clearly wins. On everything else it is level at best, and on trust signals it is behind. If you only need data, our best budget eSIM guide covers cheaper and better-documented options.
What eSIM Plus actually sells
eSIM Plus is really two services sharing one app and one balance.
Travel data eSIMs. Country, regional and global data packages from 500MB day passes up to 100GB monthly plans. These are data-only: the provider states plainly that its data eSIMs include no calls or SMS. Activation is instant via QR code, the provider states hotspot use is unrestricted, and plans claim 4G and 5G speeds on "trusted local networks". Which networks those are is never specified - a transparency gap worth noting, because provider coverage claims and actual local network quality are different things, as our eSIM reliability guide explains.
Virtual phone numbers. VoIP-based numbers from a claimed 133+ countries, with a storefront highlighting the USA, Canada, and a cluster of European states including Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. Numbers handle two-way calls and SMS and are pitched for signing up to services without giving out your real number. Most popular countries were priced at $14 per month when we checked, with Chile at $21; the provider's own guidance puts local numbers at $5-$15 monthly and toll-free numbers at $10-$30. Payment runs through an in-app coin balance, topped up by card or cryptocurrency.
That two-product structure matters when you compare prices. A $14/month number plus data will quickly cost more than a single eSIM from a rival, so the bundle only makes sense if you genuinely need the number. If what you actually want is a long-term second line, our guide to using an eSIM as a permanent second line walks through alternatives.
Travel data prices for sample destinations
Prices below were displayed on esimplus.me country pages on 19 July 2026, in USD.
| Plan | United Kingdom | Italy | Turkey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500MB / 1 day | $3.34 | $3.34 | $3.34 |
| 1GB / 7 days | $3.29 | $3.29 | $3.29 |
| 5GB / 30 days | $12.00 | $12.00 | $9.90 |
| 10GB / 30 days | $13.80 | $10.80 | $7.80 |
| 20GB / 30 days | $27.00 | $17.70 | $16.20 |
| 100GB / 30 days | $69.90 | $52.80 | $46.80 |
Two observations. First, the mid-size plans are respectable value: $10.80 for 10GB in Italy works out at roughly $1.08 per GB, which undercuts many big-name country plans. Second, the pricing is oddly inconsistent - at the time of checking, Turkey's 10GB plan ($7.80) cost less than its 5GB plan ($9.90), and per-day rates jumped around between tiers. That suggests dynamic or promotional pricing, so treat any figure as a snapshot and check the total, not the headline, before paying. Our cheap eSIM hidden costs guide explains why erratic pricing structures deserve extra scrutiny.
There are no unlimited plans, which for heavy users hands the advantage to Holafly or Nomad's unlimited tiers. Day passes at $3.34 for 500MB are poor value against a $3.29 weekly gigabyte and are best ignored.
The virtual number product: useful, with hard limits

The virtual number is eSIM Plus's real differentiator, so it deserves the closest scrutiny. These are VoIP numbers, not mobile-network numbers, and that technical detail drives everything about what they can and cannot do.
What they handle well, according to both the provider and customer reports: receiving SMS codes for social platforms, messaging apps and general website sign-ups, plus two-way calling at VoIP rates. For keeping your personal number private while registering for low-stakes services, they do the job.
What they handle unreliably: anything that screens out VoIP ranges. Banks and payment services routinely block one-time passcodes to virtual numbers precisely because they are easy to obtain anonymously. eSIM Plus's own FAQ concedes that "third-party services might track and block any virtual numbers". Independent testing by MyBestSim found the numbers - mainly Estonian in its experience - sometimes non-functional for WhatsApp and banking verification, with WhatsApp compatibility described as "often works but not guaranteed". The Broke Backpacker's review likewise reported SMS verification delays in some regions and advised against relying on the numbers for anything mission-critical without testing first.
The rule of thumb: never make an eSIM Plus virtual number the registered number for your bank, government accounts or anything you cannot afford to lose access to. Treat it as a disposable convenience layer, nothing more.
Reviews, app ratings and complaint themes
The gap between eSIM Plus's marketing and its customer feedback is the most important finding in this review.
The homepage advertises a 4.3-star app rating. Our checks on 19 July 2026 found 4.0/5 on the App Store from roughly 1,700 ratings and 3.8/5 on Google Play from about 4,300 reviews, alongside 1M+ Android downloads. Those are middling figures; Airalo's apps sit comfortably higher. Trustpilot hosts a listing for esimplus.me running to several pages of reviews, and while the page blocked automated access during our research, the independent aggregator MyBestSim records an average of just 2.6/5 across 202 customer reviews and rates the service 2.5/5 overall. Some affiliate-driven reviews quote a 4.5 Trustpilot score; the spread between those figures is itself a reason for caution.
Recurring complaint themes across the app stores and review platforms:
- Unilateral plan changes. Multiple reviewers report that number plans sold as "lifetime" were converted to one-year terms without notice. A Google Play reviewer put it bluntly: the vendor "changed it to term based without warning".
- Billing after cancellation. An App Store reviewer documented repeated unauthorised charges that continued after cancelling, resolved only by involving their bank.
- Verification failures. Reports of SMS codes that were "never received" and numbers rejected by specific platforms.
- Refund refusals. MyBestSim summarises the pattern as "frequent refund refusals, strict policy".
- Defensive support replies. Official responses to negative reviews tend to dispute the complaint rather than resolve it.
Positive reviews do exist and cluster around the app itself: clean design, fast setup, and the convenience of data and a number in one place. The product concept earns praise; the commercial practices around it draw the fire.
Company background and transparency
eSIM Plus is operated by Appvillis UAB, registered at Labdarių g. 6A-18, Vilnius, Lithuania (company code 304930580). Appvillis is an app studio rather than a telecoms specialist: its portfolio includes the Nicegram Telegram client, a call recorder, translation tools and other consumer utilities. Its website names no founders, executives or investors, and the esimplus.me domain - registered in February 2020 - sits behind a Domains By Proxy privacy service that masks the owner of record.
None of that is disqualifying; plenty of legitimate European app companies are similarly private. But for a service holding your payment details on an auto-renewing balance, the combination of anonymous ownership, unnamed network partners, an in-app coin system and documented unannounced plan changes adds up to a weaker transparency position than any provider in our main rankings. For balance, we note that Scam Detector's algorithmic score for the domain is very low (15.5/100); we weight such automated scores lightly, but the direction of travel matches the customer-report evidence. Understanding what any eSIM company can see and do with your account is covered in what your eSIM provider sees.
Refunds and support
Support runs 24/7 via in-app chat and email, and response speed is not a major complaint theme - outcomes are. The refund framework is narrow. For virtual numbers, the FAQ states refunds apply only where a number does not function as described; an activated, working number you no longer need is non-refundable. For data plans, MyBestSim records a policy of refunds within 30 days where the fault is eSIM Plus's error, with pro-rata refunds possible on partially used plans and discounts excluded. Set against the frequency of refund complaints in reviews, we would not buy from eSIM Plus on the assumption that a refund will be easy. Our eSIM refund policies comparison shows how the major providers handle this considerably better.
Watch the auto-renewal above all. Virtual numbers are subscriptions, the coin balance encourages pre-loading money, and the most serious customer reports involve charges continuing after cancellation. If you subscribe, calendar the renewal date and cancel through both the app and your app-store subscription settings.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Travel data and a virtual phone number in one app - a combination few rivals offer
- Competitive entry pricing ($3.29/1GB weekly plans) and strong mid-tier per-GB rates in some countries
- Unrestricted hotspot use and instant QR activation
- 24/7 support and cryptocurrency payment options
- EU-registered company subject to EU consumer law
Disadvantages
- Consistently weak customer review scores; independent aggregate around 2.6/5
- Documented reports of "lifetime" plans converted to fixed terms without notice
- Reports of charges continuing after cancellation and frequent refund refusals
- VoIP numbers unreliable for banking OTPs and sometimes rejected by WhatsApp and other platforms
- No unlimited plans; erratic pricing between tiers; network partners never named
- Coverage claims vary between the company's own pages (159+ data, 133+ numbers)
Who should choose what
Consider eSIM Plus if you need a cheap, disposable virtual number for low-stakes SMS verification or a secondary line alongside travel data, you are comfortable managing an auto-renewing subscription carefully, and you accept that some platforms will reject the number.
Choose Airalo instead if you want the widest coverage and a long track record for straightforward travel data; start with our Airalo review.
Choose Nomad or another budget provider if price per GB is your only criterion - the best budget eSIM guide ranks the current leaders.
Avoid eSIM Plus entirely if you need a number for banking or government two-factor authentication, you want unlimited data, or you are not prepared to monitor billing closely.
The verdict
eSIM Plus earns its niche and not much more. The data-plus-number concept is genuinely distinctive, entry prices are competitive, and the apps are decently built. But the pattern in customer reports - retroactive plan changes, post-cancellation charges, hard-line refund handling - combined with anonymous ownership and unnamed network partners places it well below the established providers on the trust criteria that anchor our rankings. As a travel data provider we rate it below Airalo, Nomad and the other names in our main comparison. As a virtual number provider it is usable for disposable verification, and no more than that. Category verdict: a conditional 2.5/5 - a convenience product for careful users, not a primary travel eSIM.
Frequently asked questions
Is eSIM Plus legit?
It is a real service from Appvillis UAB, an EU-registered Lithuanian app company, and millions have downloaded its apps. Legitimate is not the same as recommendable: customer reviews document billing and refund practices we consider below the standard of mainstream eSIM providers.
Can an eSIM Plus virtual number receive bank verification codes?
Often not. The numbers are VoIP-based, and banks routinely block one-time passcodes to VoIP ranges. eSIM Plus's own FAQ admits third-party services may block virtual numbers. Do not use one as your registered banking number.
How much does eSIM Plus cost?
At the time of checking, data plans ran from $3.29 for 1GB (7 days) to around $46.80-$69.90 for 100GB monthly plans depending on country. Virtual numbers typically cost $14 per month, with the provider citing a $5-$15 range for local numbers.
Does eSIM Plus offer unlimited data?
No unlimited plans appeared on any country page we checked. The largest advertised packages were 100GB over 30 days. Travellers wanting unlimited data are better served by Holafly or Nomad's unlimited tiers.
Do eSIM Plus data plans include calls and SMS?
No. The data eSIMs are data-only. Calls and texts require buying a separate virtual number subscription, which works over the internet rather than the mobile network.
Sources and fact-checking notes
- Coverage (159+ countries), company details (Appvillis UAB, Vilnius, reg. 304930580), support channels - https://esimplus.me/ - accessed 19 July 2026
- UK data plan pricing - https://esimplus.me/esim-united-kingdom-of-great-britain - accessed 19 July 2026
- Italy data plan pricing - https://esimplus.me/esim-italy - accessed 19 July 2026
- Turkey data plan pricing, hotspot and 4G/5G statements - https://esimplus.me/esim-turkey - accessed 19 July 2026
- Virtual number pricing ($14/month standard, $21 Chile, $5-$15 local, $10-$30 toll-free), VoIP basis, country list - https://esimplus.me/virtual-number - accessed 19 July 2026
- Refund conditions for numbers, 133+ country claim, coin top-ups, admission that services may block virtual numbers - https://esimplus.me/faq - accessed 19 July 2026
- App Store rating 4.0/5 (~1.7K ratings), unauthorised-charge and service-outage complaints - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/esim-plus-second-phone-number/id1482736281 - accessed 19 July 2026
- Google Play rating 3.8/5 (~4.28K reviews, 1M+ downloads), lifetime-to-term complaint, SMS non-delivery reports - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appvillis.esim - accessed 19 July 2026
- Independent review: 2.5/5 overall, 2.6/5 across 202 customer reviews, refund policy detail, Estonian numbers, WhatsApp/banking failures, unilateral plan changes - https://mybestsim.com/en/provider/review-esimplus/ - accessed 19 July 2026
- Independent review: 150+ country claim, SMS verification delays, mission-critical warning - https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/esim-plus-review/ - accessed 19 July 2026
- Trustpilot listing (multi-page review history; page blocked automated verification of the aggregate score on the access date) - https://www.trustpilot.com/review/esimplus.me - accessed 19 July 2026
- Domain registration (February 2020, Domains By Proxy) and algorithmic trust score 15.5/100 - https://www.scam-detector.com/validator/esimplus-me-review/ - accessed 19 July 2026
- Appvillis product portfolio (Nicegram and other apps), absence of published ownership details - https://appvillis.com/ - accessed 19 July 2026
- Airalo and Nomad baseline figures - eSIMVerdict verified baseline, 18 July 2026
Photo credits: Japanexperterna.se (CC BY-SA 2.0), all via Wikimedia Commons.