GigSky eSIM: how it works, the card-benefit version, and when it is not enough
Key facts
- GigSky sells travel data in GB packages by country, region or globally, and also appears as a bundled card or device benefit.
- A free bundled eSIM is worth using if it covers your trip; check the data amount, validity window and country list before relying on it.
- VoaSim sells truly unlimited data with no cap or throttling, at one price per duration across 170 destinations.
- VoaSim pricing runs from USD 18.90 for 5 days to USD 106.90 for 60 days, which is USD 1.78 per day.
- Install any eSIM before you fly, keep the line off until you land, and keep your physical SIM in for your number and WhatsApp.
See the exact price for your dates
GigSky is one of the older names in travel eSIM. Most people meet it in two ways: downloading the app and buying a data package, or finding it pre-loaded as a benefit through a card, a device or a partner program. Both work, and both have the same trait: you are buying an amount of data, not freedom from counting it.
This page explains the model in plain terms, gives you a checklist to decide, and shows where VoaSim fits. It is a comparison of models, not a lab test, and we do not quote anyone else's prices, since those change by country and by promo.
How the GigSky eSIM model works
GigSky sells travel data as eSIM packages. The structure is familiar across the category: you pick a destination or a region, pick a data size, pick a validity window, and install a QR code or profile on your phone. Everything is managed from the app.
Three practical consequences follow from that model:
- You budget in GB. Before the trip you have to guess how much data maps, stories, video calls and hotel check-ins will eat.
- Validity and data both expire. Unused GB usually die with the window. Check the exact terms in the app before you pay.
- Top-ups happen mid-trip. That is fine on hotel Wi-Fi, less fine on a mountain road at 40% battery.
For current package sizes, covered countries and tethering rules, check GigSky's official site or app. Those details change and we will not guess them for you.
The card-benefit version: what to check before you rely on it
Plenty of travelers get GigSky as an included perk rather than a purchase. That can be genuinely good value, because the marginal cost to you is zero. But a bundled eSIM is still a data package with rules, and the rules are where trips go wrong.
- How much data is included? A benefit measured in a few hundred MB is an email-and-maps tool, not a vacation connection.
- How long is it valid? Some benefits expire days after activation, some after a fixed calendar period.
- Which countries? Regional benefits often stop at a border you planned to cross.
- Can you renew it? Once per year, once per card, once per trip?
Our honest advice: if the perk covers your whole trip comfortably, use it. If it covers day one and a half, use it as a backup and carry a real plan alongside it. Two eSIM profiles can live on the same phone.
When GigSky is the better pick
We would rather you buy the right thing than the thing we sell. GigSky-style GB packages usually win in these cases:
- You already have it for free through a card, employer or device program and your usage is light.
- Very short hops where a small package and airport Wi-Fi are enough.
- Airplane-mode travelers who check messages twice a day and read everything offline.
- Business trips with corporate billing where the package is already approved in a procurement system.
- Destinations we do not cover. VoaSim has no coverage in the island Caribbean today — Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Aruba, Curaçao. Puerto Rico works, since it runs on US networks.
If you recognize yourself in that list, buy from GigSky's official app and enjoy the trip. If you recognize yourself in "I hate watching a data bar", keep reading.
VoaSim's model: unlimited data, one price per duration
VoaSim removes the GB math. The data is truly unlimited: no cap, no throttling, no hidden fair-use clause. And the price does not change by destination — Japan, Portugal, Morocco and Brazil cost the same. You only choose how many days.
| Duration | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | USD 18.90 | USD 3.78 |
| 7 days | USD 23.90 | USD 3.41 |
| 10 days | USD 30.90 | USD 3.09 |
| 15 days | USD 42.90 | USD 2.86 |
| 30 days | USD 61.90 | USD 2.06 |
| 60 days | USD 106.90 | USD 1.78 |
Prices include today's 15% promo. Trips of 1 to 4 days pay the 5-day package, the maximum is 90 days per eSIM, and a second eSIM in the same order gets 10% extra off. Coverage is 170 destinations, and the Europe plan covers 50 countries with one eSIM, including the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, Norway and Iceland. Run your dates in the simulator.
Side-by-side checklist
Same questions, two answers. Use this before checkout, whichever brand you choose.
| Question | GB-package model (GigSky and similar) | VoaSim |
|---|---|---|
| How is data sold? | By GB, per country or region | Truly unlimited, no cap or throttling |
| Does price change by destination? | Usually yes | No — one price per duration |
| Running out mid-trip | Possible; top up in the app | Not a thing |
| Payment | Check the app | Card in USD via Stripe, no hidden fees, emailed invoice |
| Support | App and web channels | Human support, chat and hola@voasim.com |
| If it will not connect | Check the terms | Free eSIM Rescue, then 100% refund if unfixable |
More context on how we handle problems is on our trust page, and the broader field is covered in our comparison hub.
Installing and activating without losing days
The mechanics are the same for any brand, and getting them wrong is the most common way people waste money.
- Check compatibility first. Dial *#06#; if an EID appears, your phone supports eSIM. iPhone XR or newer, Galaxy S20 or newer, Pixel 3 or newer and most phones from 2020 on qualify. Carrier-locked phones must be unlocked.
- Install at home, on Wi-Fi. Your VoaSim QR code arrives by email within minutes of payment, with step-by-step guides for iPhone and Android.
- Keep the eSIM line off until you land. VoaSim days start counting at the first connection to a network at the destination. On Android, do not switch on the eSIM's data before you fly.
- Keep your physical SIM in. Your number and WhatsApp stay yours. Just turn off your home carrier's data roaming so nothing bills you by accident.
Landing tips by terminal are in our airport guides.
Why trust VoaSim?
Registered company with an invoice on every purchase, USD payment via Stripe with no hidden fees, human support and a guarantee: if the eSIM will not connect and support cannot fix it, you get 100% back.