📍Saily eSIM By Nord VPN Australian Review: 3GB Plan Tested in SE Queensland.

Saily kindly provided me with a free trial to test out their eSIM and give my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.

LOOKING FOR AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THE SAILY E-SIM APP SERVICE IN AUSTRALIA?

Ah, Australia. The Land Down Under. World famous for its incredible beaches, spectacular Great Barrier Reef ecosystem, vast arid Outback, and Uluru – one of the largest monoliths on the planet, smack-bang in the middle of this massive island continent. It’s for these reasons and so many more that the country is a bucket-list destination for many.

It’s a long way from everywhere, which is why staying connected is so important. Whether you’re backpacking solo, road-tripping the coast, or exploring the Outback, staying connected is essential. Need to contact your accommodation or tour provider? Get notified of flight cancellations, delays, and reschedules? Want to contact home or coordinate plans with travel buddies? Handle emergencies? Share those epic sunset shots?

Having reliable eSIM mobile data can make or break your Australian adventure. So I tested Saily’s 3GB 30-day plan, courtesy of the company and put it through its paces in cities, towns, and national parks around Brisbane to give you an unfiltered rundown of this NordVPN subsidiary eSIM service – and how it compares to other eSIM Australia options – to help you decide whether it’s worth your Australian travel dollars.

What Is Saily eSIM?

Saily is a global eSIM provider, under the trusted NordVPN parent company, specifically designed for travellers. It lets you access fast mobile data by partnering with local networks in over 200+ countries, such as those in Australia, to keep you connected to the internet throughout your travels.

• Type: Digital eSIM for travellers.
• Parent company: NordVPN (trusted global tech brand.)

What I’ll Be Covering In This Review?

Throughout this post, I’ll break down everything you need to know about using Saily eSIM in Australia based on my real-world testing of the 3 GB plan across the southeast corner of Queensland. I’ll cover its:

• Ease of use.
• Coverage and reliability in cities, towns and national parks.
• Flexibility.
• Value for money.

Do You Need An e-SIM?

If you’re heading Down Under and want to stay connected without the hassle of swapping physical SIM cards, an eSIM like Saily can be a game-changer, as you can be connected the moment you arrive. No hunting for SIM cards at the airport, dealing with dodgy SIM vendors selling fakes, or figuring out the best local mobile plan when you’re jet-lagged and just want to call home to let them know you’ve made it!

Sure, you may be able to get away with using a public Wi-FI or your hotel’s network if you don’t use much data when you’re travelling. However, this requires more planning when you do need it, which is something most travellers don’t want to be doing.

But where Saily’s eSIM becomes particularly useful is if you’re embarking on a country-hopping adventure. This is because you can easily transition from one country’s network to another, streamlining the whole process. That means more time exploring and dealing with changing connectivity.

Note: e-SIMs are only available with compatible iOS and Android devices. A simple way to check is by downloading the Saily app from the Apple or Google Play stores. It’ll tell you whether your device is suitable and if it isn’t, you can get a full refund.

Pricing: How Much Does Saily Cost?

Saily offers several structured prepaid eSIM plans for international visitors to Australia, with pricing varying based on a set number of days and data included, except for the Unlimited Plan, which gives users 5GB of fast speed before reducing to 1Mbps. These plans are competitive compared to other SIM providers operating in Australia and are cheaper than most old‑school roaming charges with home providers. Plus, you can top them up directly in the app as you go.

The small data packages are ideal for short stays with light use, while the medium plans are great for longer trips that require more access to maps, social media, and messaging. Meanwhile, the large and Unlimited Plans are suitable for content creators, long‑term travellers, and those who love streaming movies and watching YouTube when they have some downtime.

Is Saily’s eSIM Reliable?

I found Saily eSIM to be very reliable in most places. It has great speeds and network coverage equivalent to the local SIMs. That’s because they tap into Australia’s largest and most connected network, Telstra, providing you with the best connectivity the country has to offer. This allows you to keep in contact with all the companies you need to communicate with, such as airlines, hotels and tour operators, access all your online apps and make the internet searches you need, plus still being able to call home from many places across Australia.

Installing Saily eSIM only takes a few steps and should only take 2-3minutes.

Step‑By‑Step Installation:

1. Download the app from the Apple or Google Play store.
2. Sign up (various methods available)
3. Select a country, data allowance, and number of days.
4. Enter a coupon code if you bought the service from the online store. in the coupon code section at checkout.
5. Hit Install eSIM.
6. Check your mobile data in settings and that the eSIM is activated. Mine said 1GLOBAL
7. Connect to the internet.

You will need to be connected to the Internet to:

• Download the app and complete the initial sign‑up
• Make payments for your plans
• Activate the eSIM

The first two can be done in any country, but for the last, you’ll want to complete it after touching down on Australian soil. The best places to do this are in airports or at your hotel if it offers guest Wi‑Fi.

Note: All plans have a 30‑day activation period. If you get a plan today and don’t start it before that time, it will automatically activate.

✔️ Pros.

• It only took less than a few minutes to set up and get connected, so less stress and more time pursuing holiday adventures!

❌ Cons.

• If you bought your credit from the website, it might be easy to skip over the coupon section, where you put the redemption code in.
• Older people with only a basic understanding of how to use phones may struggle to get the eSIM set up. Both my dad, who uses a computer daily but is less attuned with using smartphones, and my mom, who only uses her smartphone minimally, couldn’t do the installation. However, as it is only a few-step process, they could ask someone, maybe at their hotel, to do it for them, so that they can use the apps they are familiar with while they are overseas.

Saily offers extra features to enhance their international eSIM experience and online safety. As NordVPN, a leader in VPN technology, is their parent company, it uses their advanced features to protect you from unwanted online threats. All these assets are easily accessible to switch on and off from the home page in the Saily app.

• Virtual Location. – Works like a VPN so you can search the web like you’re a local in another country. This is especially great for checking local prices when you’re not local i.e. a follow-up destination.
• Ad and tracker blocker. – Blocks intrusive ads and trackers, ensuring a faster and distraction-free experience and using up to 21% less data, giving you the best bang for your buck.
• Web protection. – Blocks access to potentially malicious websites.
• Easy top-up and change to new networks for arrival in new countries.
• Refer a friend, earn credit every time you shop & get comps sent straight to your email, etc.
• 24/7 chat support.

✔️ Pros.

• Very easy to check how much data you still have left.
• I loved how clean and easy the user interface was to use and navigate.
• The Virtual Location is a fantastic feature that I wasn’t expecting and is great for when you want to compare prices, i.e. local and overseas, to search for the best deals. I think this would be the most useful for you next destination after Australia, as you can tap into the country’s local pricing when you’re not there, potentially helping you save.
• Web protection gives you better peace of mind, knowing your information is safe.
• The ad blocker is also a nice addition, helping to make searching the internet more streamlined.

❌Cons.

• No cons.

I had a great experience using Saily eSIM in Australia. It is very affordable, convenient flexible and user friendly. It works exceptionally well all the areas you would expect and surprisingly better in places where you wouldn’t think would be as reliable, such as D’Aguilar National Park. The only thing that was odd was receiving chat videos where the person I was talking to was blurry, while both of us were clear on the other recipients end, but I am not sure if that’s a Saily, WhatsApp or phone issue or something else entirely.

I also loved the added features that provides enhanced web safety from their parent company, NordVPN, a leader in that department, ensuring better internet peace of mind and has ad and tracking blocking measures to reduce data consumption, so you can get the most out of your plan.

Is It Good Value For Money?

Yes. I think Saily is excellent value for money. The 3GB plan that I used, for e.g, is only about $12AUD (7.99USD) for 30 days of usage, which is a pretty sweet deal if you’re going to be using it for that amount of time. Comparatively, Holafly has only unlimited data plans, and for that duration, it’s $118AUD ($78USD), which is still dearer than Saily’s Unlimited Plan for 30 days, which is $108AUD ($71USD).

But unless you are absolutely gulping data while you travel, like for blogging, vlogging or other computer-heavy work, Saily’s smaller options and more flexible plans. means you can be connected throughout your trip, and easily top up or get bigger plan with them for less.

Psst: To help you figure out how much you might need, 60 minutes of playing YouTube, the second biggest data consumer, only used 0.14GB of my data credit.

Saily eSIM mobile data is best suited for travellers who:

• Are visiting Australia for a trip that has close to, or the exact number of days included
• Know they won’t exceed their selected data allowance
• Will happily top up as needed
• Don’t mind using it in conjunction with hotel or public Wi‑Fi

Using Saily eSIM in Australia may not be ideal for people who:

• Don’t want to monitor their usage
• Prefer not to top up their plan during their trip
• Who aren’t tech savvy

Can I Make Calls With Saily eSIM in Australia?

No. You cannot make traditional calls with Saily eSIM in Australia, as it is a data-only plan. However, you can make phone and video calls on apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Does Saily eSIM Come With A Phone Number?

No, as Saily is a data-only plan, you do not get a phone number. Your loved ones, and all the people you need to have communication with, such as airlines, hotels, tour companies, and car rental services, can contact you on your regular phone number through WhatsApp or email.

Saily eSIM by NordVPN is a great way to have mobile data on hand when travelling in Australia if you are visiting for the exact number of days they provide, know your general data usage, and don’t mind topping up if needed or using it in conjunction with free Wi‑Fi networks.

Overall, it’s a solid choice for international travellers who want convenience and flexibility without the hassle of physical SIM cards. However, if you require unlimited data or prefer not to monitor your usage, the Unlimited Plan, another eSIM company or a local SIM might be better options.

If you plan to visit Australia, consider looking at these other posts.

• 

  📍16 Best Gold Coast Lookouts In The City & Hinterland. (2025.)

• 

  📍Pindari Lake: Best Things To Do At The Stunning Boulder-Lined Dam In The Inverell Region Of NSW.

• 

  📍25 Fun & Exciting Ideas For Deciding Your Next Travel Destination & Activities. Where To Go In 2025!

• 

  📍6 Best Brisbane Riverwalk Sections For Epic Riverfire Firework Photography!

• 

  📍13 Best Last Minute Father’s Day Experiences In Brisbane For Adventurous Dads: Epic 2025 Gift Guide.

• 

  📍10 Best Coastal Weekend Getaways From Brisbane For Fun & Adventure From An Local Thrillseeking Outdoor Enthusiast. (2025.)