As long as we continue to travel the world, we will continue to use eSIMs. Because no one wants high roaming costs and we all want to stay connected. There is nothing better than getting connected to a local network quickly and easily at local costs and aloSIM is one of those eSIM providers that make this happen.
aloSIM is a travel app made by people who love to travel. That sounds good because as travelers they probably know the struggles you can have connecting to a network and having data on your phone when you arrive in a new country. So at Traveltomtom we were extra curious if aloSIM is able to offer what we as travelers need.
Therefore the Traveltomtom Team dove right into it and tested and reviewed aloSIM. Here are our experiences.
Travel data for business: aloSIM+
What we found out they do different at aloSIM is that they not only focus on travelers and tourists, but also on business travelers.
They do that with their aloSIM+. It's the ultimate way for companies to save on their business travel costs. Without a local eSIM, business travelers will always use their SIM card from their home country. Which means that high roaming costs occur.
That is why aloSIM came up with a business solution called aloSIM+.
It offers quite a few advantages as a business eSIM:
- no more roaming charges
- no surprise fees
- reliable mobile data
- no WiFi security risks
- regular calling & texting
- free international calls/texts
It makes business life while traveling a lot easier and clearer for both employer and employee. You completely relieve your employees who travel a lot from the hassle of data roaming while traveling. No roaming charges for you as a company anymore because employees always connect to a local network via their business eSIMs and no connection issues anymore.
Here is how aloSIM differs from aloSIM+
So you get the same benefits as aloSIM, but authorized users (your employees) don't have to pay at checkout. You as a business owner and account owner can see the data usage for the entire group and are able to add or remove members.
Click here for more info about aloSIM+ business eSIMs.
Support
aloSIM has a very extensive support page with many FAQ. They have bundled the most frequently asked questions and common problems into a few categories where you will get valuable information if you click through.
They have a 24/7 live chat available on their website where you can ask any questions you may have. You will initially come into contact with a chatbot, where many of your questions will probably be answered quickly. However, you can also get in touch with an employee.
While using and testing aloSIM, we of course also tested the aloSIM support. Questions are answered quickly and properly via the chatbot. However, when we wanted to get in touch with an employee it remained quiet, even though in Canada, where aloSIM is located, it was during the day at that time.
Ultimately we did receive answers to our questions with a live employee, but it took almost two hours. If you really have problems, you want it to be solved immediately, not wait 2 hours.
aloSIM eSIM
Purchasing an aloSIM eSIM is very simple. You can do this via the website but also via their app. Meaning that it is not mandatory to download the aloSIM app when using an aloSIM eSIM. Some eSIM providers will force you to download the app before buying an eSIM.
Creating an account is a requirement though. If you know for which destination you need an eSIM, it is just a matter of a few steps. You choose your destination, select the eSIM that meets the requirements in terms of number of days and amount of data. Fill in your billing details and voila, complete your purchase and your eSIM has arrived.
You still have to activate the eSIM. An aloSIM is not activated automatically. You can purchase an eSIM in advance and activate it later, which can be useful in preparation for a trip. Once you have activated the eSIM, you are immediately online and can enjoy a strong local network.
At Traveltomtom we advice you to activate the eSIM before traveling so that when the plane lands you are immediately online.
Pricing
How does aloSIM compare to other providers in terms of price? To test aloSIM we bought an eSIM for The Netherlands with 1 GB for 7 days for $4.5 USD. That's pretty average when we compare them to other eSIM providers. We have purchased a similar eSIM cheaper before, but we have certainly also paid more for it. The more GB's you purchase, the cheaper it becomes.
What we liked at Traveltomtom is that when opening the 'Destinations' page on the aloSIM website you can immediately see the starting price for the eSIMs per country. In general the aloSIM eSIMs start between $4.5 USD and $8 USD but it really depends on the country you travel to.
At aloSIM they do not only have eSIMs per destination but also per region. Definitely interesting for the modern world traveler that is visiting multiple different countries in one trip.
What straight away grabbed our attention is that aloSIM has a lot of regional eSIMs available. For example a Mediterranean eSIM we have never seen before, so this is definitely a pro about aloSIM.
aloSIM App
As mentioned, they also have an aloSIM app. Some people don't like it, but we always think an app really adds value! We find an app very useful, especially for purchasing and installing an eSIM. You can do all actions from the app and the process is super easy. The aloSIM app is very user-friendly and clear. In My eSIMs overview you will find an overview of all your active and archived eSIMs. A handy overview where you can easily click through to the eSIMs you have.
If you click through, you will see specific data about the eSIM. You will also see the remaining data of the active eSIMs, which is very useful.
Then you have the Store and it goes without saying that you can buy eSIM packages here for your next destination.
In your Profile you will find all your personal settings, you can change your password and you also have access to the FAQ and live chat.
aloCASH
While purchasing the eSIM we found out that we earned aloCASH. aloCASH is aloSIM credit. It's money you can use to purchase eSIM data packages.
aloSIM is offering 5% cashback in aloCASH with every purchase. If you travel frequently you will soon earn enough to buy data packages with the cashback in aloCASH.
Another way of getting a discount when buying your first aloSIM eSIM is by using the code: TRAVELTOMTOM at check out. With this coupon code Traveltomtom readers get an extra 15% discount.
Hushed | Free phone number with your eSIM
What you often see with eSIMs is that it is mainly about data. This is by far the most requested nowadays. But it can still be useful if you can actually also call or text with your eSIM.
aloSIM has a particularly handy solution for this. They offer a free eSIM phone number. For this they partner with the app Hushed to provide a free eSIM phone number with many of aloSIM's prepaid data packages. After purchasing your eSIM you can now claim a free international phone number that runs over the internet, allowing you to call and text.
The free phone plan will include $1 USD of pay-as-you-go credits for calling and texting, which is enough credit for about 30 minutes of calling or 50 sms. The Hushed number includes a plan that's the same length of time as your aloSIM data package. So if you have purchased a seven-day data package, you'll get a seven-day Hushed phone number.
But, you can keep the Hushed phone number longer than that if you like this service. If you decide you really like having a Hushed phone number, you can keep it as long as you want. Because having a second phone number is super handy for selling something, shopping, protecting your privacy, and staying off lists that bug you with spammy calls and messages.
The Hushed phone number runs over the internet, so it works over WiFi or data. Hushed doesn't know or care if you're at home, or halfway around the world. As long as you're connected to the internet, your Hushed app will work beautifully for calling, texting, and voicemail.
I think this is a very nice extra service that aloSIM offers here and I think that this can be a reason for many people to specifically choose an aloSIM eSIM.
Traveltomtom's aloSIM experiences and opinion
To test aloSIM we bought an eSIM for the Netherlands. You can easily order one vie the website or through the app if you want, which also has a nice user experience.
We are also very pleased with the extras that aloSIM offers, aloCASH for example. With every purchase you get 5% cashback in aloCASH. For frequent travelers like us, this can add up quickly and you can save for 'free' eSIM packages this way. This is of course a smart way to retain customers.
Another very nice extra is the free international telephone number that you get with many of their packages via Hushed. In a world that is changing rapidly and where the emphasis is increasingly on cyber security, having a second number when traveling abroad may come in very handy and can even be quite useful. So take advantage of it and use it to protect your privacy and staying off lists that bug you with spammy calls and messages.
We are very satisfied with the services of aloSIM. We particularly appreciate the simplicity that they manage to keep. Easy purchase, installation and use through the app and website.
We really see the extras they offer with their cashback and free telephone number as added value and can certainly be customer loyalty. And if you are a business then definitely look into aloSIM+ for your employees.
Click here for more information or to order an aloSIM eSIM for your next trip abroad.