Keeping one person online abroad is easy. Keeping a family of four or a group of friends online is where the math and the logistics get interesting. Three options dominate, and each has a clear best use case.
Option 1: A pocket WiFi router
A rented device that broadcasts Wi-Fi to the whole group. Its strength is simplicity: everyone connects once and forgets about it. Its weaknesses add up on real trips: daily rental fees (often $6-10 per day plus deposit), one more battery to charge every night, pickup and return logistics, and the big one, the group must stay together. When the teens head to the beach and the parents to the museum, one party goes offline.
Option 2: Airport or city SIM cards for everyone
Local SIMs can be cheap per gigabyte, but multiply the friction by every group member: queueing at a kiosk after a long flight, passport registration in some countries, swapping out home SIMs (and keeping the tiny cards safe for weeks), and every phone losing its home number for the duration. With children's phones or company phones, SIM swapping is often not even possible.
Option 3: eSIMs, installed before you fly
Each phone gets its own data plan by email, installed from the sofa at home. No devices to rent or return, no kiosks, everyone keeps their home number reachable, and the group can split up freely because every phone is independent. Costs scale sensibly: light users take small plans, heavy users take big ones, and phones that stay with the group can simply join a hotspot instead (see our hotspot guide).
The comparison at a glance
- Total cost, 4 people, 10 days: pocket WiFi $60-100 rental; four local SIMs varies widely plus time cost; eSIMs, mix of plan sizes to fit each person, typically the middle ground with zero time cost.
- Can the group split up? Pocket WiFi: no. SIMs and eSIMs: yes.
- Extra hardware to charge and not lose: only pocket WiFi.
- Keep your home number reachable: only eSIM (home SIM stays in the phone).
- Setup effort at destination: eSIM none, pocket WiFi pickup, SIMs queue per person.
When each one genuinely wins
- Pocket WiFi: a group with several non-eSIM devices (older phones, laptops-only) that will genuinely stay together the whole time.
- Local SIMs: a single traveler staying a month or more in one country.
- eSIMs: nearly every family or friend-group trip up to a few weeks, and any group that values landing connected.
Get the whole group connected
A right-sized plan for every phone, all delivered by email before you fly.
Browse eSIM plans →Frequently asked questions
Do my kids' phones need their own eSIMs?
Only if they'll be away from you. Phones that stay with the group can join your hotspot for free; phones that roam independently deserve their own small plan.
Can I buy several eSIMs in one go?
Yes, place an order per phone (each eSIM installs on one device). Each install email goes to you, and you set up every phone at home before the trip.
What if one family member's phone doesn't support eSIM?
Check it first with our compatibility list and checker. A non-compatible phone can still join another phone's hotspot whenever the group is together.
Is pocket WiFi faster than an eSIM?
No, both use the same local mobile networks. Speed depends on the network and signal, not on which pocket device or SIM technology delivers it.
Can two people share one eSIM by swapping the phone?
An eSIM lives on one phone, it can't be passed around like a card. Sharing happens via hotspot instead, which is easier anyway.