Although the world of eSIMs is no longer unknown to us, it still surprises us every now and then. We recently discovered the eSIM provider GigSky. Their website immediately promises a lot of good things. GigSky offers a couple eSIM services we didn't see yet with other eSIM providers.
Therefore the Traveltomtom Team had to put the GigSky services to test to see whether the promises are kept. Here is our honest review with all pros and cons about GigSky.
Table of Contents
About GigSky
GigSky was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Silicon Valley. They have been active in the global mobility market for well over a decade. At GigSky they believe that when the world is better connected, it becomes a better world. At Traveltomtom we think that is a pleasant idea and would like to agree with it.
Why Gigsky
Over the past few weeks we have tested GigSky extensively and we have come to the conclusion that there are quite a few reasons why you would want to choose GigSky. We are happy to list them for you.
Gigsky is available in over 200 countries and they promise you'll have instant connection through cellular data from the moment you arrive. From experience we can say that indeed we were instantly connected through their eSIM.
They offer 24/7/365 live customer support. They are online for their customers and there for you. Whatever the problem is, they ensure any problems are resolved fast.
Check compatibility
You might wonder if you're phone is compatible for GigSky eSIMs. It's pretty easy to find out.
On Their website you can easily check your compatibility. Simply click one of the buttons matching your device and a pop-up will show outlining the specific models that are compatible.
Try GigSky for free
Something we have never seen before and we use eSIM providers a lot. You can actually try GigSky for free. Yes, you read that right, completely free. Try before you buy.
You get a free 100 MB plan to almost every destination, no credit card required, no commitment required. You might only be able to send a few texts with it or share a photo with the family at home and not much more. But they do give you the opportunity to try out their services without having to commit or pay for them.
Also want a FREE GigSky eSIM with 100 MB then click on the link to order one.
GigSky Visa program
GigSky and Visa have teamed up for some amazing complimentary and / or discounted eSIM packages. Cardholders will be eligible to receive free eSIM plans courtesy of Visa and/or get perpetual discounts of up to 30%. What exactly you get depends on the type of Visa card you have and which bank you are affiliated with.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this review blog the GigSky Visa program is only available in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Sadly we were not able to test and experience this ourselves. I can only encourage GigSky to work with Visa to roll this out across the world as quickly as possible. With this you can really make a difference.
For more info here is a link to the GigSky Visa Program.
Cruise plans
Here too, we have not seen this before with any other eSIM provider. GigSky is the only eSIM provider to offer special Cruise plans. They offer eSIM packages for over 200 ships and for every major cruise line. No other eSIM provider offers this.
You can choose between 4 regional cruise plans:
- World
- Asia/Pacific
- Europe
- Americas/Caribbean
Click here to check out more details about the Cruise data plans from GigSky.
In addition, they also offer special land coverage packages for cruise passengers. Together with the cruise plans this creates an eSIM plan that goes beyond what the cruise ships themselves offer or what the people's home carriers can offer. Truly a game changer in the cruise world!
Inflight plans
Another thing that we have not yet encountered with other eSIM providers and that is offered by GigSky are the inflight packages.
Before you leave, download the GigSky app and purchase the Inflight plan. Once you are on your way and at 20,000 feet, enable the GigSky Inflight plan in your settings. You can text, email and stream to your heart's content during your flight.
They show a list of compatible airlines where you can use their inflight eSIM.
Although that sounds very fun and interesting, the reality is slightly different. They only offer one package.
You get 100 MB for which you pay $13.99 USD. We find the price-quality ratio to be poor in this case. With 100 MB of data you certainly cannot stream during a flight. So although we recommend that they offer these types of packages, the implementation still needs some refinement.
Click here for more details about the GigSky inflight data plans.
Offshore plans
Something that we as travelers may think less about, but for which there is also a large target group, are the offshore packages. This is also something that we have not encountered before with any other provider, so it is commendable that GigSky offers these types of packages.
Click for more info about the Offshore data plans from GigSky.
Gigsky Rewards
GigSky also has its own reward program that is definitely worth it. You can earn GigSky credits with every purchase you make. The GigSky rewards program gives you 5% credit on every purchase to save in the future. You can use this credit to save on any future purchase. Your credit is automatically added.
Destinations
We have already mentioned their special cruise plans in this blog, but GigSky offers more special eSIM plans and destinations. As usual with eSIM providers, they offer packages for specific countries or regions. For example, you can purchase an eSIM package for the Netherlands only. But if you plan to visit several European countries, you can also purchase a Europe eSIM, which allows you to be connected in multiple countries, which is very useful.
Check out all the GigSky eSIM destinations.
How GigSky works
GigSky prides itself on simplifying the installation process as much as possible. You can go through the entire process in just a few steps and be immediately online.
We opted for an eSIM specifically for the Netherlands. They have various options here, from the 100 MB free to an unlimited package. You can make the purchase easily and quickly online as well as via the app.
What we liked is that when looking for a destination in Europe they also show the eSIM data plans for Europe at the same time so you can make a decision if you want an eSIM for Europe or specifically for The Netherlands.
If you want to purchase a GigSky eSIM on the WEB, you will first have to create an account after which you can easily purchase the eSIM. We opted for purchase and installation via the GigSky app.
Before you can purchase the eSIM, you must create an account. Once you have done this, you will receive a confirmation email to definitively confirm your account.
Once the purchase has been successful, you will return to your account in the app. You will immediately see the purchased eSIM here. This is not yet active at that time. You can activate this whenever you want, up to 364 days after the purchase date. What is very nice is that you can purchase an eSIM for your planned trip and activate it as soon as you arrive in your destination country. Activating the eSIM is a piece of cake. At the touch of a button in the app, the eSIM is activated and you are online in no time.
Our experiences and honest opinion
We have used and experienced quite a few eSIM providers in recent years. Some to more satisfaction than others. Something we have never experienced before is that a provider gives you free MB's as a gift, without any form of commitment. GigSky does this. You can get 100MB for free from them. Of course we also understand that 100 MB doesn't get you far these days, but it remains a nice gesture from GigSky. They certainly have quite a few unique offerings that you don't actually see anywhere else at the moment.
Some are more attractive than others, but we're confident GigSky will continue to fine-tune this. The fact that they are ahead of their competitors in many areas is very much to their advantage.
The ease with which you purchase and install the eSIM from GigSky is really great. They can hardly make it any easier.
The GigSky app is also of absolute added value. You can purchase all the eSIM packages they offer here. In addition, you have a clear overview of your purchased eSIM and how many days it can still be used.
All in all the Traveltomtom Team had a positive experience and impression of GigSky eSIMs.