Maya Mobile Review: Thoughts After eSIM Tests Abroad (2025)

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eSIMs make it super easy to stay online across the globe. 

After exploring over ten eSIM services across five continents for two years, I’ve learned there’s a big difference in what’s out there. 

Some eSIM providers stand out, offering more reliable and user-friendly options that can make or break your travel experience.

This Maya Mobile review will show how it measures up against the competition.

Note that Maya Mobile did not pay me to write this or provide me with free service. I paid out of my own pocket for the sake of science.

Testing out Maya Mobile, I found it works okay for staying connected. But because of the headaches it caused me (more on that below), I’d probably go for a different eSIM. 

Before I dive into my review, let’s go over some basics you need to know.

Key Takeaways

👉 Setting up a Maya Mobile account was an absolute pain. I kept getting the loading bar of death whenever I tried to create an account, but your mileage may vary. 

👉 Maya has an amazing variety of data plans to choose from compared to other eSIM companies.

👉 Maya has an auto-recharge option so you can automatically top-up when you’re running out of data.

What is Maya Mobile?

Maya Mobile is a travel eSIM company that offers plans in 194 countries.

They have the highest plan variety among all the eSIMs I’ve tested so far.

The package options seemed different than other eSIM companies with 5-, 10-, 15-, and 30-day plans. You can also choose from 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 20GB, and unlimited data.

If you’re new to using international eSIMs, they help you avoid all the hassles of:

🚩 Sketchy SIM card shops.

🚩 Big roaming charges from your home line.

🚩 Figuring out where and how to buy a SIM card in another language..

Best eSIM for international travelers?

I’ve tested over 10 different eSIM companies for 21 months (and counting) across 5 continents.

I share the results of this experiment in my mega comparison of the best eSIMs for international travelers.

But to sum it up:

👉 Holafly is by far the best option for heavy data users who don’t need to tether (use link for discount).

👉 Airalo is a better option for light data users who don’t want unlimited data (use discount code MITCH9827).

👉 Nomad is an alternative to Airalo for light data users, with more plan options in certain regions of the world (use discount code UNTETHER).

Maya Mobile didn’t make my top 3 list, but there are some scenarios when it would be a useful option, which I’ll cover below.

How to set up Maya Mobile eSIMs the easy way

Step 1. Go to the Maya Mobile website and click login to create an account.

Step 2. You’ll be prompted to the login screen, but just click the ‘Register a New Account’ at the bottom left to create your account.

Step 3. Create an account.

Step 4. Click ‘Order a new eSIM.’

Step 5. Choose the location where you’ll be using the eSIM. 

Step 6. Choose the plan length and data amount, then click ‘Activate Now.’

Step 7. Choose when you’ll activate your plan and if you want it to ‘Auto Recharge’. Then once you’re good, click ‘Review and pay.’

These steps seem simple. 

But as I explain in the Cons section, I had a heck of a time trying to get it to actually work.

Maya Mobile review: How it actually worked

After the trouble I had in creating an account, it worked as expected. 

I ran my tests while in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and I had LTE coverage with 66.7mbps download and 39.6mbps upload.

These are actually pretty good numbers compared to the other eSIMs I’ve tried.

But I did lose a couple of neurons with this one, so it’s not part of my top choices.

Here are the pros and cons I found during my tests. Let’s start with the cons.

Difficult to create an account

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I couldn’t create an account no matter what browser setting I tried – incognito, safari, chrome, VPN, etc.

I even tested it on different days to see if things would be better, but the result was the same. I don’t know if this is a common experience or if they just hate me personally.

But every time I clicked submit, I’d just get a spinning loading wheel of death. 

The only way I was actually able to set up an account was by setting up an affiliate account. 

So be warned, because you may experience the same thing too.

Requires a lot of info

Compared to the other eSIMS I’ve tried, I feel like this one just requires so much personal info.

Why is all this necessary to activate a data plan?

No app

Many other eSIM companies have handy apps that make it easier to buy, setup, and manage your eSIM. 

Maya does not currently have an app, so you have to log into their website online to manage your account. 

This isn’t a huge deal. But apps are a bit more convenient. 

Choose when to activate your eSIM

During the checkout process, you can choose when you want your eSIM to activate.

This allows you to buy it ahead of your trip without activating it too early and wasting days on your data plan.

I haven’t seen this option with other eSIM companies.

That said, most other eSIMs I’ve tried automatically activate when you arrive to your destination and connect to the network for the first time, so you can still buy and install the eSIM before you leave home.

Auto recharge

At checkout, you can choose to auto recharge your plan so it tops up automatically and you never run out of data.

This is useful if you’re unsure if the plan you chose would be enough for your trip.

It also means you don’t have to worry about running out of data in the middle of the day.

Some eSIMS (like BNESIM) sneakily activate auto-renew automatically. I don’t like this, because it means you have to remember to turn OFF auto-renew in your settings to avoid getting repeat charges — and it’s easy to forget to cancel it. 

With Maya Mobile, the checkbox is very clear during the checkout process and it explains how much you’ll be charged for the extra.

You can then update your preferences if your travel needs change.

28+ plan options

Maya Mobile has more plan options than any of the other eSIMs I’ve tried besides Flexiroam.

It’s also pretty organized and straightforward.

You choose where you’ll use it, how many days, and how much data you’ll need. 

They also mention what local networks will be used with the eSIM.

Maya Mobile is also transparent that their unlimited plans only include a set amount of “high speed” data (depending on the plan). 

I appreciate this because other eSIM companies like Holafly aren’t quite as transparent about what the throttle limits are. That said, I’ve never used Holafly data fast enough to trigger this throttling, so in my experience, it hasn’t been an issue.

“24/7” support and unclear guarantees

I’m not sure if these should be considered pros or cons. 

They say that they have 24/7 worldwide support. But when I messaged the chatbot, I received an autoresponse saying it would take 2-3 hours max for their response.

It’s hard for me to understand why it would take that long if their support is supposedly 24/7.

It also means that if you have an urgent concern, you should be prepared to wait. This would be quite annoying if you’re traveling and need to get something sorted out immediately. 

Luckily, I ended up getting a response within 11 minutes, which is way faster than the 2-3 hour expectation they set. But your mileage may vary.

They also mention a 100% money back guarantee and trip cancellation guarantee, which both sound interesting. 

The weird thing is, I couldn’t find anything on their entire website explaining what these meant or what the terms are. So I’m not sure how much confidence I’d place in them. 

Maya Mobile eSIM review: Is it worth it?

While I love all the features Maya Mobile offers, I don’t know if the pain of setting it up is worth it. 

Then again, maybe it was just a weird bug that made it not work on my computer. You might not have the same issues as me. 

I suppose you can always try signing up here.

If it doesn’t let you create an account on the first try, just give up and switch to one of my recommendations below. 

As for me, I won’t be using Maya again after my frustrating setup experience. 

In my opinion, there are other more convenient eSIM options out there.

Maya Mobile alternatives

Out of the 10+ eSIM companies I’ve tested so far, I’d say Maya Mobile is above average.

I’d rank it even higher if I didn’t have so much difficulty setting up my account.

Prices and data speeds were comparable the other top eSIMs I tested.

But overall, Maya Mobile didn’t make it into my top 3.

Each of my three favorites have specific use cases and make sense for a specific type of traveler.  

I recommend simply popping a tab open for each of these 3 companies and running a quick search for your destination. Then make your decision based on whichever has a plan that fits your needs the best.

Holafly (extra discount built into this affiliate link) – Best for heavy data users because they are the only company that offers unlimited data plans in 122+ countries. Pretty easy setup, good customer support in multiple languages.
Airalo (Use code MITCH9827 for extra free credit) – Best for light data users who want a cheap small data plan for the basics.
Nomad (Use code UNTETHER for extra free credit) – In some countries, offers better deals than Airalo. Also has a smooth setup process.

It shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes to compare these three companies, and you’ll know exactly which one makes the most sense for your trip.

For a deeper look at each one of these companies, check out the full guides below:

👉 Holafly review

👉 Airalo review

👉 Nomad eSIM review

I am testing new eSIMs all the time, so for my latest reviews and comparisons, make sure to subscribe to the Project Untethered Youtube channel!