eSIM vs pocket WiFi: do you still need to rent a router?
Pocket WiFi was the answer when phones could not take a second SIM. Most phones now can. Here is where the rental still earns its place and where the eSIM has replaced it.
A pocket WiFi rental costs $5 to $10 a day plus pickup, return and a deposit, and it is one more device to charge. A travel eSIM costs $10 to $40 for the whole trip, lives inside your phone and can share a hotspot to a laptop or a companion on fixed data plans. Rent a router only if several people need heavy data from one connection, or your phone cannot take an eSIM.
Side by side
| Travel eSIM | Pocket WiFi rental | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, 7 days in Japan | $19.99 for 20 GB, or $19.99 unlimited | $45 to $70 plus deposit |
| Price, 7 days in Europe | $17 unlimited | $50 to $80 |
| Pickup and return | None. QR code by email in about a minute | Airport counter or hotel delivery, return by post or counter |
| Devices connected | Your phone, plus hotspot to other devices on GB plans and on selected unlimited plans | 5 to 10 devices |
| Battery | Uses your phone's battery as normal | 6 to 10 hours, then it needs charging too |
| Coverage | Wherever your phone has signal | Wherever the router has signal and you are within 10 metres of it |
| If it is lost | Nothing physical to lose | Replacement fee, typically $100 to $300 |
| Your own number | Keeps working on the home SIM | Keeps working, but roaming data must be off |
| Daily data cap | GB plans: none until the data is used. Unlimited: depends on the destination, often 4 GB a day at full speed then 1 Mbps; Japan unlimited has no daily cap | Often 1 to 3 GB a day at full speed, then throttled |
| Works with old or locked phones | No | Yes, over Wi-Fi |
ETravelSim prices in US dollars from the product pages; the product pages show your currency. Rental prices are typical ranges for Japan and Europe routers booked online.
Why pocket WiFi was popular, and what changed
Ten years ago a traveller in Tokyo had two choices: pay the home carrier's roaming rate, or rent a small router at the airport that turned a local SIM into a Wi-Fi network. Japan and Korea built an industry around it. The router worked with any phone, connected a group, and the data was local and cheap.
What changed is the phone. Since the iPhone XS and the Pixel 3 in 2018, phones can hold a second line as a download. The local data the router carried now goes straight into the phone, with no counter, no battery pack and no return envelope. The router has not got worse. It has lost its reason to exist for most travellers.
Where each one wins
eSIM wins when
- You travel alone or as a couple. Two eSIMs at $10 each cost less than one router, and nobody has to stay within ten metres of the bag.
- You want to land connected. The eSIM is installed at home; the router is collected after immigration, if the counter is open.
- You hate charging things. The router dies mid afternoon on a heavy day. Your phone you were charging anyway.
- You are moving between countries. One Europe eSIM covers 34 countries. Routers are usually rented per country or at a higher multi country rate.
- You need a laptop online for a few hours. Fixed data plans allow hotspot, so the phone does the router's job.
Pocket WiFi wins when
- Four or more people need heavy data from one connection all day, for example a family with children streaming in the car. One router is simpler than four plans and does not drain anyone's phone.
- Someone in the group has a phone without eSIM, or a carrier locked phone, and still needs to be online.
- You carry devices that take Wi-Fi only: a tablet without cellular, a camera that uploads, a laptop you use for eight hours a day.
The hotspot question
People choose pocket WiFi because they assume an eSIM cannot share. It can, with one rule to know. ETravelSim fixed data plans (1 GB to 100 GB) allow personal hotspot, so your phone becomes the router for a laptop, tablet or a travel companion's phone. On unlimited plans it depends on the destination: Thailand, Indonesia and Ireland unlimited plans and all Truly Unlimited plans allow hotspot, most other unlimited plans (including Japan and the USA) do not. So if sharing is the point, buy a large fixed plan: the Japan 50 GB is $35.99 and the USA 50 GB is $49.99, both for 30 days, and either one covers a couple for a fortnight. The hotspot guide shows how to turn it on and how much battery it costs.
Two real trips
Couple, 10 days in Japan and Korea
Router: one Japan unit at about $8 a day, then a second rental in Korea, $150 plus two deposits and two returns.
eSIM: Japan 20 GB at $19.99 and Korea 10 GB at $14.99 on each phone, $70 for two people, installed before leaving, nothing to return.
Family of five, 7 days in Italy, two teenagers streaming
Router: $55 to $70 for the week, five devices sharing, throttled after the daily cap by late afternoon.
eSIM: Italy unlimited at $17 for each of the three adult phones, teenagers on a parent's hotspot from a 50 GB plan at $34. More money, but nobody is tethered to a bag and nothing dies at 3 pm. The router is the better buy if the budget is tight and the group stays together.
Questions people ask
Is pocket WiFi faster than an eSIM?
No. Both use the same local networks. The router adds a Wi-Fi hop between the network and your phone, so if anything it is marginally slower and drops when you walk away from it.
Can an eSIM connect my laptop?
Yes, on GB plans, and on unlimited plans in destinations that allow it, such as Thailand and Indonesia. Turn on Personal Hotspot (iPhone) or Mobile Hotspot (Android) and connect the laptop.
What about Japan specifically, where everyone rents?
Japan has excellent eSIM coverage on the major networks and ETravelSim's Japan eSIM starts at $4.50. The rental counters survive on habit and on groups. For one or two phones the eSIM is cheaper and simpler.
I have an old phone. Is a router my only option?
If the phone has no eSIM support and no free SIM slot, yes, a router or a physical SIM. Check with the compatibility checker; many 2019 and later phones support eSIM without their owners knowing.
Do I need to return anything with an eSIM?
No. When the plan ends the line simply stops. Keep the eSIM installed and recharge it for the next trip, or delete it.
Short version
For one to three people with phones made since 2018, the eSIM costs less, needs no pickup or return and does not die at 3 pm. Rent a router for a larger group sharing heavy data, or for phones that cannot take an eSIM.