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eSIMrat

Sim Local Review

4.1 / 5eSIMrat score

Travel eSIM on the big local carriers' networks, advertised across 200+ destinations with speeds up to 5G. Calls and texts available in popular destinations, no-quibble refunds if you change your mind.

-10% on your orderESIMRAT
View deal
NETWORK
4G / 5G
CALLS / SMS
On some plans

Our marks, criterion by criterion

  • Price per GB

    3.8

    For France, 5 GB over 30 days costs $11.00 (about €1.89 per GB), but the Lycamobile 200 GB, 15-day plan drops to $23.50: the grid is expensive on small volumes, unbeatable on large ones.

  • Coverage

    4.3

    200+ destinations advertised on the big local carriers' networks (Orange, EE, Three, KDDI, True), named plan by plan. Without a product feed, no country-by-country check on our side.

  • App

    4.2

    Sim Local eSIM app (iOS, Android): direct install on iOS 17.4 and later, QR code or manual entry otherwise, usage tracking and top-up in the app.

  • Support

    3.9

    WhatsApp 24/7, chat, email and airport stores. On Trustpilot, several negative reviews target precisely how outages get resolved on the spot.

  • Transparency

    3.9

    Carrier and network shown on every plan, full refund within 14 days if the eSIM is not activated, policy published. Dollar pricing and no product feed.

  • Flexibility

    4.3

    From 1 to 200 GB, unlimited with a 5 or 10 GB daily quota, and carrier plans with calls and texts in the most popular destinations.

Technical note

An overview of Sim Local's performance across 6 criteria

Price per GB 3.8/5, Coverage 4.3/5, App 4.2/5, Support 3.9/5, Transparency 3.9/5, Flexibility 4.3/5Price per GB3.8Coverage4.3App4.2Support3.9Transparency3.9Flexibility4.3

How we score

This score is eSIMrat's own, not an average of customer reviews. It covers six criteria we assess ourselves from the catalogue's real coverage, the prices we record, and test purchases and installs. We earn a commission on sales made through our links: it changes neither the score nor the order of our rankings, which stay sorted by price per GB.

The eSIMrat verdict

Sim Local is an Irish retailer that sells the big local carriers' plans, in airport stores as well as eSIMs. That is its difference: for France, you pick an Orange or Lycamobile plan with calls and texts, alongside the house data plans. Large volumes are very cheap there (200 GB over 15 days for $23.50), small plans much less so.

Support answers 24/7 on WhatsApp and refunds are full within 14 days as long as the eSIM is not activated. Trustpilot reviews, 4.5 out of 5 over 3,000+ reviews, praise activation on arrival but also report outages poorly resolved on the spot. Sim Local publishes no product feed: the prices on this page were read by hand on simlocal.com, in dollars.

Good for

  • Travellers who want a local number with calls and texts
  • Heavy users (200 GB over 15 days in France for $23.50)
  • Anyone who wants a big local carrier's network, named before buying
  • Travellers who prefer a physical airport store

Less suited if

  • You take a small plan and watch the price per GB (→ Roamify, Esimzon)
  • You want to pay in euros, at the displayed price (→ Saily, Roamify)
  • You want one eSIM to chain several countries (→ Qrispy, Maya)
  • You want excellent value for money on a regular data plan, an eSIM that is simple to install with an easy-to-use app, and human support 24/7 (→ voilà eSIM)

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Big local carriers' plans, network named on every plan
  • Calls and texts available in the most popular destinations
  • Very large volumes cheap: 200 GB over 15 days in France for $23.50
  • Full refund within 14 days if the eSIM is not activated
  • WhatsApp support 24/7, plus airport stores
  • Direct install from the app on iOS 17.4 and later, no QR code

Cons

  • Expensive small plans: 5 GB over 30 days in France for $11.00, about €1.89 per GB
  • Dollar pricing, possible exchange fees depending on your bank
  • Mixed Trustpilot reviews on how outages get resolved mid-trip
  • No product feed: its plans are absent from our per-destination rankings

How to install your eSIM with Sim Local

  1. Buy your plan

    Buy on simlocal.com, in the Sim Local eSIM app (iOS or Android) or at a Sim Local airport store. The plan shows up under "My eSIM" in the app.

  2. Pick your destination

    Choose your destination and your data plan.

  3. Scan the QR code

    In the app, open "My eSIM", pick the plan then "Install Plan": direct install on iOS 17.4 and later, QR code or manual entry otherwise.

  4. Get connected

    Turn the connection on when you land. That's it.

If something goes wrong

Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked, and install over a stable Wi-Fi connection, ideally the day before you leave. After installing, switch mobile data to the eSIM and enable data roaming. If it fails, Sim Local support answers 24/7 on WhatsApp, by chat or at customerqueries@simlocal.com.

Turn Airplane mode on and off again. Check that the eSIM from Sim Local is selected for mobile data in your settings. Turn data roaming on. Restart the phone. If nothing changes, switch network selection to manual and pick another operator.

Look at per-app usage in your phone's settings to spot the hungry apps. Turn off automatic updates and high-resolution video playback. Your remaining data shows in your Sim Local account, or in its app when there is one.

With Sim Local, the plan installs from "My eSIM" in the app, with no QR code on iOS 17.4 and later. Check your spam folder for the order email, then open the app with the address used at purchase. Otherwise, contact support on WhatsApp or at customerqueries@simlocal.com.

What users say

Reviews synthesised from the App Store, Google Play and online feedback. We do not republish reviews word for word: we summarise the trend.

  • ★★★★★Trustpilot

    Quick activation in Tunisia, connection working from the arrival airport onwards, value for money described as good.

  • ★★★★★Trustpilot

    Plan unusable in Egypt because of a phone-related block, but a full refund was granted by customer service.

  • ★☆☆☆☆Trustpilot

    Outage in Cambodia, after-sales service described as failing: the customer had to buy another eSIM elsewhere, with no refund offered.

  • ★☆☆☆☆Trustpilot

    A 30-day plan stopped after 11 days, same problem on a second phone in the household, with no fix provided by support.

Alternatives to Sim Local

Sim Local is not the only option. Depending on your priorities, these providers are worth comparing.

  • voilà eSIM

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Frequently asked questions

For France, read by hand on simlocal.com on 11 September 2026, the house data plan cost $11.00 for 5 GB over 30 days and $15.00 for 10 GB over 30 days. If you use a lot, the Lycamobile 200 GB, 15-day plan at $23.50, with calls and texts, works out ten times cheaper per GB.

Sim Local does not state it on its France plan pages. Ask WhatsApp support before buying if you plan to connect other devices.

An eSIM works on most smartphones released after 2019: iPhone XS and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, Google Pixel 3 and later. Your phone must be carrier-unlocked. Our eSIM-compatible phones page lists the models.

Yes. Most recent smartphones handle a physical SIM (calls, texts, your number) and an eSIM from Sim Local (mobile data) side by side. You keep your usual number and use the eSIM for the Internet.

Yes, in full, within 14 days of purchase as long as the eSIM has not been activated. An activated eSIM is no longer refundable, unless activation failed because of a technical issue on Sim Local's or the network's side, refunded even outside the window. Ask by email at customerqueries@simlocal.com with your order number: reply within 1 to 2 business days, refund within 5 to 10 business days.

Sim Local publishes no app restriction: its plans run on the local carriers' networks, like a SIM bought on the spot.

Yes, the Sim Local eSIM app shows your usage and lets you top up on the go, with all your plans managed in one place.

Practical information

Coverage
200+ destinations advertised
Plan type
Data, unlimited with a daily quota, or local carrier with calls and texts
Durations
3 to 31 days for France
Calls / texts
Included on carrier plans in popular destinations
Support
WhatsApp 24/7, chat, email, airport stores
Refund
Full within 14 days if the eSIM is not activated
Currency
US dollar

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