Best Unlimited eSIM in Australia: Stay connected at all times

Prices in USD, correct at time of writing. Check our current pricing. All plans are data only, though WhatsApp, FaceTime and similar apps work fine over the data connection.

If you already have a phone plan back home, the alternative to an eSIM is switching on international roaming once you land. 

• Telstra's International Day Pass, as one example, costs 10 AUD a day for just 2GB of data on its standard zone, which is billed per day whether you use it lightly or heavily. For a heavy data user on a two week trip, that works out to roughly 140 AUD for 28GB total.
• Sim Local's unlimited 15 day plan at $52.75 USD for up to 150GB. The gap widens the more data you actually use, which is exactly the situation an unlimited plan is built for.

A physical prepaid SIM from Telstra, Optus or Vodafone can also offer large data allowances, sometimes at a lower headline price than an eSIM. The trade off is logistics: finding a shop or kiosk after you land, possible identity checks, and losing your home SIM's number while the physical card is in your phone. An eSIM avoids all of that, since it installs before you fly and runs alongside your existing SIM rather than replacing it. Our prepaid SIM card Australia guide covers the physical SIM side of this comparison in full.

• Choose unlimited if your trip is a week or more, or you plan to stream, navigate constantly, or work remotely without relying on Wi-Fi.
• Choose a fixed plan if you mostly use maps, messaging and social media with hotel Wi-Fi in the evenings. It works out cheaper per GB for lighter use.
• Either way, check the daily high speed cap on any unlimited plan before you buy, not just the headline word.

• Check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked from your home carrier.
• Buy your plan on simlocal.com and you will get a QR code by email.
• Install it at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly.
• Set the new eSIM as your data line, and keep your home SIM active for calls and texts.

If you are installing on an iPhone specifically, our step by step guide to installing an eSIM using the Sim Local app walks through the exact screens.

Even with a genuine 10GB a day allowance, a few habits stretch it further and keep things running smoothly. Our guide on getting the most out of your phone abroad covers practical tips like downloading offline maps before you head into regional areas, and using Wi-Fi calling where it is available to leave more of your daily allowance for navigation and messaging on the road.

An eSIM is built into your phone and installed digitally by scanning a QR code, with no physical card to insert or lose. A physical SIM needs to be collected and swapped by hand. Both connect to the same mobile networks once active.

Yes. You can install a new eSIM from a different provider at any time, and most phones can store several eSIM profiles at once, switching between them in your settings.

You remove the need to track data usage on a longer trip. The main thing to check is the daily high speed limit, since that determines whether unlimited actually means fast the whole time or just after a slow reset each day.

Sim Local's pricing is shown upfront with no hidden activation fees. It is still worth checking any provider's fair use terms directly, since the daily throttle threshold is sometimes only listed in the fine print rather than the headline price.

Most iPhones from XS onward and recent Android flagships support eSIM. Check your phone's settings under cellular or network options, or use an eSIM compatibility checker before you buy.