Yesim eSIM Review (2026): Honest Test in the UK

Yesim is a travel eSIM provider with data-only plans for 200+ destinations. We tested the UK 10GB plan on an iPhone 15 Pro in October and November of 2026. Setup took a couple of minutes, and speeds reached up to 73 Mbps.

In this review we cover our speed tests, what Yesim costs, how to install it, and how the prices compare with Airalo and Holafly.

Is Yesim legit?

Yes, Yesim is a real, working eSIM service. We got a plan, installed it and used it in the UK. The connection worked well. In addition to our own test, we checked what others say on Trustpilot and Reddit. The reviews are mostly positive, and the complaints are the usual ones for any eSIM: speeds that vary by country and unlimited plans that slow down after extended use. We didn’t come across reports of scams in the reviews we read.

What we found

• Mostly positive reviews from real customers. On Trustpilot, Yesim has a 4.3 score from 2,998 reviews (8 November 2026). 76% of the reviews are 5 stars and 11% are 1 star. Google Play: 4.7 from 29.7k ratings.
• It worked well for us. Our confirmation email arrived instantly. Installation took a couple of minutes, and WhatsApp, browsing and a video call all worked well.
• Yesim answers critics. It replied to 96% of its negative Trustpilot reviews, usually within a week. Its answers often point to its fair-use policy or ask the customer to contact support to solve the issue together.
• A registered Swiss company. According to its privacy policy, Yesim is operated by Genesis Group AG, based in Baar, Switzerland. It also names representatives in Germany and the UK, as EU and UK data law requires.

Our conclusion: Yesim is a fair, reliable eSIM that we’re happy to recommend, especially for light to moderate data use and fixed-data plans. Heavy users should read our section on unlimited plans first.

How much does Yesim cost in the UK?

Yesim’s UK plans start at €2.50 for 1 GB and go up to €57 for 30 days of unlimited data. We tested the 10 GB plan valid for 30 days, which currently costs €16.00. Prices below are from Yesim’s UK page on 8 November 2026 and can change.

Yesim also sells a 30 GB plan (€28.00) and unlimited plans for 1, 10 and 14 days.

Good to know before you buy

• Buy up to 180 days before your trip. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a local network, not when you buy or install it. So you can set it up at home before your trip.
• The plans are data only. There is no phone number, but you can add 20 minutes of calls for €3.99 (UK example).
• Buying for two or more people? Yesim gives 10% off when you buy 2 or more eSIMs in one order.
• Travelling beyond the UK? Regional bundles cover 33 countries (Europe & UK) from €0.92/GB, and the Global package covers 83 countries from €1.36/GB.
• Trip calculator. We liked this feature. It estimates how much data you need, so you don’t have to guess between 5 GB and 20 GB.

How do you buy and install Yesim?

You can buy and install Yesim in a few minutes, without the app. We got a plan on a laptop and installed it on an iPhone 15 Pro by scanning a QR code.

1. Pick your plan. On Yesim’s website, type the country you’re travelling to and choose a plan. The optional trip calculator suggests one based on your trip length, the apps you use and your hours online. We chose 10 GB for 30 days.
2. Check out. Add our promo code, enter your country of residence and pay. Auto-renewal is off unless you switch it on. Our confirmation email arrived instantly.
3. Choose how to install. After paying, tap “Install eSIM” (or download the app). We used a laptop, so we scanned the QR code with the phone. There’s also a manual route and a device picker for iOS and Android. Use Wi-Fi, and don’t delete the eSIM after installing it.
4. Activate. Scanning the QR code starts the setup. After about a minute or two, a “mobile plan setup complete” screen appears.
5. Set up the line. Label the new line (we called ours “eSIM UK”), keep your own number as Primary for calls and messages, and set Mobile Data to the new eSIM.
6. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line, then test it. WhatsApp and browsing worked straight away for us.

How fast is Yesim in the UK?

In our UK tests, Yesim gave download speeds of 42 to 73 Mbps, which is enough for streaming, video calls and maps. The fastest result was 73.3 Mbps down and 38.7 Mbps up in Devon. We also tested in London and at Stansted Airport. Our London upload result was surprisingly low.

• Downloads were solid everywhere. Even the lowest result, 41.9 Mbps in London, is above the minimum needed for HD video and video calls.
• Devon was our best result, with a steady 3 ms jitter.
• The London upload was a one-off low. We measured 0.75 Mbps upload, which is too slow for uploading photos or video calls. We think this was a weak-signal spot rather than a Yesim problem, but we only ran the test once, so we can’t say for sure.
• Wi-Fi comparison. On the day of our install, a Wi-Fi speed test on a laptop gave roughly the same result as the eSIM, so it wasn’t noticeably slower.

What’s the Yesim app like?

The Yesim app is optional, but it’s useful for checking your data and plan end date. We installed it after setting up the eSIM.

• Data and plan details. The dashboard showed our plan as “in use”, with 9,240 MB left of 10 GB after our speed tests. It also showed “Plan is active until 29 November” with a timeline of days remaining, and you can rename the eSIM.
• Buy a new eSIM. A list of countries opens, with plan types including annual plans, pay-as-you-go and “days you go online”.
• Notifications. On first open, we got three marketing notifications, which you can switch off in your phone settings.

Our impression: the app is clean and easy to use. You can buy data through the app, but you don’t need it to use the eSIM. Yesim’s plan page lists balance top-up as available, but we haven’t tested it.

Is Yesim really unlimited, and can you use it as a hotspot?

Not in the sense of unlimited full-speed data, but that’s true for most unlimited eSIM plans. Yesim doesn’t publish a daily limit, but its support told us that local operators may restrict speeds. Hotspot is a different story: it worked well for us, and Yesim says it doesn’t restrict it. We tested a fixed 10 GB plan, so we haven’t tested an unlimited plan ourselves.

What Yesim says

• Plan page (speed): the UK plan shows “Always full speed”, while the trip calculator on the same site says speed may be limited based on the operator’s policy.
• Plan page (hotspot): the benefits list says you can share your eSIM data with other devices, while the technical specs for the UK plan list hotspot as “Depends on operator”.
• Yesim’s help page on unlimited plans (last updated 4 August 2026): Yesim doesn’t enforce a fair-use policy itself, but the partner network may. Speeds might drop once the network’s high-speed allowance is used up. It gives no GB figure and doesn’t say when the allowance resets. There are no overage fees, and heavy users are pointed to fixed plans.
• Yesim support on fair use (chat, 8 November 2026): when we asked for the daily limit, support said Yesim doesn’t impose restrictions itself, but local operators and roaming partners may. It didn’t give a figure.
• Yesim support on hotspot (chat, 8 November 2026): “We do not impose restrictions on hotspot usage. Our roaming partners also do not limit tethering.”

Recent low-rated reviews on Trustpilot mention slowdowns on unlimited plans. Yesim’s public replies say throttling comes from local operators’ fair-use policies and is shown in the plan details before purchase. We can’t confirm either ourselves.

Our hotspot test: we shared the connection from the iPhone to a Lenovo laptop and had a one-hour video call over it. Screensharing and conversations worked well without noticeable interruptions. We didn’t run a separate speed test on the hotspot, so we sadly don’t have a number.

Our tip: if you’d stream or hotspot heavily all day, a larger fixed plan is the safer choice. If your use is lighter, unlimited is simpler. Because the plan page says hotspot depends on the operator, check the plan details before you buy if you plan to share your connection, and ask Yesim’s support if you’re unsure. We only tested hotspot in the UK.

How good is Yesim’s support, and can you get a refund?

Yesim’s support was quick when we used WhatsApp, and its refund policy covers plans you haven’t installed or used.

Support

• WhatsApp: replies came within 1 to 3 minutes for each of our questions.
• Website chat: a person replied about a minute after our first question, but the answer only appeared after we closed and reopened the chat window. A bot answered first with a generic request for account details.
• Our tip: use WhatsApp if you want a quick answer.

Refunds

Yesim advertises a “100% refund guarantee”. In its refund policy, this means:

• Unused plans can be refunded if you ask within 30 days of purchase. Requests are processed within 15 business days.
• Installing the eSIM counts as activating it, and data you’ve already used isn’t refunded.
• Technical problems must be reported within 1 hour of occurring, with screenshots. This will probably rule out a lot of refunds, so make sure to record everything if you experience issues.
• Refunds of €10 or less go to your Yesim balance, not back to your card.

Tip: if you bought the wrong plan, ask for a refund straight away before you install it.

How does Yesim compare with Airalo and Holafly?

In our price check, Yesim was the cheapest of the three on both unlimited and fixed plans. We compared UK plans on 8 November 2026, in euros.

Unlimited plans

Fixed plans (30 days). Holafly only sells unlimited plans, so this compares Yesim and Airalo.

• Hotspot: Holafly lists 1 GB of shareable hotspot data per day. Yesim’s support says it doesn’t restrict hotspot, and Airalo’s UK page states no hotspot policy.
• Fair use: all three sell unlimited plans with fair-use rules, so read the details of each before you buy. While other providers usually state when speed will be limited, Yesim does not provide this information.
• Prices change. Yesim showed some of its plans with crossed-out higher prices when we checked, so check the current price before you buy.

Want to read more? See our Airalo review and Holafly review.

Is there a Yesim discount code?

Yes. Use NOMADYESIM for 15% off your first purchase. Add your plan, enter the code in the promo code field at checkout, and check that the total drops before you pay. The code is valid for your first eSIM purchase.

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Should you buy Yesim? Our conclusion

Yes, we’d buy Yesim again for a UK trip. It installed in minutes, the speeds were good, hotspot worked, support answered quickly on WhatsApp, and it was cheaper than other providers in our price check. It’s best for travellers who want a fairly priced fixed data plan. If you plan to use an unlimited plan for heavy streaming all day, expect it to slow down at some point, and ask support before you buy.