Get unlimited data for just $17.50
This Finder exclusive offer gets you 50% off for 3 months.
ChatSim global roaming
Looking for a cheap way to stay in touch while travelling? ChatSim offers unlimited messaging for an entire year.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
How ChatSim works
A basic ChatSim plan costs $40 per year (plus delivery fees for the SIM) and lets you send and receive unlimited text messages and emojis in over 165 countries around the world. If you're looking to share photos or videos from your trip with your friends and family back home, you can upgrade ChatSim's basic plan with a range of multimedia credit packs.
These packs provide an allowance of credits to spend on mobile data, with the ratio of credits to MB depending on the country you're in. The best part is that all packs include unlimited chat through apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WeChat, LINE and QQ.
Multimedia credit packs come in three sizes: 2000 credits will set you back $22, 5000 credits will cost you $55 and 10,000 credits go for $110. We've listed what those credits translate to in different countries in the table below.
Where does ChatSim operate?
Here's the full list of countries that offer the basic ChatSim service, including how many credits you'll need if you want to access data services other than messaging. (In a handful of countries, you'll need to use credits for messaging too.)
| Country | Zone/Charges |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Albania | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Andorra | Zone 5 (300 credits/MB) |
| Anguilla | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Argentina | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Armenia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Aruba | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Australia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Austria | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Azerbaijan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Bahamas | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Bahrain | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Bangladesh | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Barbados | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Belarus | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Belgium | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Belize | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Benin | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Bermuda | Zone 5 (300 credits/MB) |
| Bolivia | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Bonaire | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Brazil | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| British Virgin Islands | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Brunei | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Bulgaria | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Burkina Faso | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Burundi | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Cambodia | Zone 5 (300 credits/MB) |
| Cameroon | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Canada | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Cape Verde Island | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Cayman Islands | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Chad | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Chile | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| China | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Colombia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Congo | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Côte d'lvoire | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Costa Rica | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Croatia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Cuba | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Curacao | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Cyprus | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Czech Republic | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Denmark | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Dominica | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Dominican Republic | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Ecuador | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Egypt | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| El Salvador | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Equatorial Guinea | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Estonia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Faeroe Islands | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Fiji | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Finland | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| France | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| French Guiana | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Gabon | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Gambia | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Georgia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Germany | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Ghana | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Gibraltar | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Greece | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Greenland | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Grenada | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Guadeloupe | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Guatemala | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Guinea | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Guyana | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Haiti | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Honduras | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Hong Kong | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Hungary | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Iceland | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| India | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Indonesia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Iran | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Ireland | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Israel | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Italy | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Jamaica | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Japan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Jordan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Kazakhstan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Kenya | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Korea (South) | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Kosovo | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Kuwait | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Kyrgyzstan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| La Desirade | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Laos | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Latvia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Les Saintes | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Liechtenstein | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Lithuania | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Luxembourg | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Macao | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Macedonia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Malaysia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Malawi | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Mali | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Malta | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Marie-Galante | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Martinique | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Mauritius | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Mexico | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Moldova | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Monaco | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Mongolia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Montenegro | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Montserrat | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Morocco | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Mozambique | Zone 5 (300 credits/MB) |
| Myanmar | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Nauru | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Nepal | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Netherlands | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Netherlands Antilles | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| New Zealand | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Nicaragua | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Nigeria | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Norway | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Oman | Zone 5 (300 credits/MB) |
| Pakistan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Palestine | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Panama | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Papua New Guinea | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Paraguay | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Peru | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Philippines | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Poland | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Portugal | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Puerto Rico | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Qatar | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Romania | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Russia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Rwanda | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Samoa | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| San Marino | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Saudi Arabia | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Senegal | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Serbia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Seychelles | 3000 credits/MB, credits needed for messaging |
| Sierra Leone | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Singapore | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Slovakia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Slovenia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| South Africa | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| South Sudan | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Spain | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Sri Lanka | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| St Kitts | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| St Lucia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| St Vincent/Grenada | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Suriname | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Sweden | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Swaziland | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Switzerland | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Taiwan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Tajikistan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Tanzania | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Thailand | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Tonga | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Tunisia | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Turkey | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Uganda | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Ukraine | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| United Arab Emirates | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| United Kingdom | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Uruguay | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| USA | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Uzbekistan | Zone 2 (100 credits/MB) |
| Vatican City | Zone 1 (50 credits/MB) |
| Venezuela | Zone 4 (200 credits/MB) |
| Vietnam | Zone 6 (750 credits/MB) |
| Zambia | Zone 3 (150 credits/MB) |
| Zimbabwe | Zone 5 (300 credits/MB) |
Pros and cons of ChatSim global roaming
Pros
- Long expiry period. ChatSim SIM cards last for an entire year.
- No limits on messaging. All ChatSim plans come with unlimited texts, and adding in multimedia credit gets you unlimited data on a variety of popular chat apps.
- Multi-country support. The SIM works in multiple countries, so you don't need to keep changing SIMs as you move through different places.
Cons
- No calling or data options in the basic package. ChatSim's focus is on text messages, so it doesn't offer any calling or data in its basic packages – you'll have to pay extra for those.
- Network performance varies. You won't be able to choose which network you use when travelling, and you'll often be on slower 3G networks.
Who would this suit?
If your main use for your phone while travelling is for messaging and you're happy to rely on hotel or other Wi-Fi for apps when you need them, then ChatSim is a very affordable alternative that works in multiple countries and with most popular messaging apps.
Latest global roaming headlines
More guides on Finder
-
How to watch Chelsea vs Man United Premier League live and match preview
It has been a tumultuous week for Manchester United and now they face the Premier League leaders Chelsea.
-
Best weekend deals from eBay for Black Friday: Games, tech, more
Deal alert: Get up to 76% off at eBay Australia this Saturday with the latest and greatest Black Friday weekend deals.
-
Best weekend deals from Amazon for Black Friday: Games, tech, homewares
We've handpicked the 50 best Black Friday weekend deals available from Amazon, including games, home appliances, electronics and gadgets.
-
How to watch Teófimo López vs George Kambosos boxing world title fight live
The WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles go on the line this weekend. Can Australia's George Kambosos take them all?
-
How to watch Liverpool vs Southampton Premier League live and match preview
Southampton have produced a solid month, but they'll need to be at their best when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday.
-
[Saturday deals] Black Friday air fryer sales: Up to 85% off
Save up to 85% off select air fryers and multi-cookers on Black Friday from Amazon, eBay and Catch and more.
-
How to watch Arsenal vs Newcastle Premier League live and match preview
The Premier League's only winless team is Newcastle and they travel to Arsenal in desperate need of points.
-
How to watch Sydney FC vs Macarthur FC A-League live and match preview
One of the youngest of the Sydney derbies will write another chapter this week when Sydney FC host Macarthur FC.
-
Black Friday TV weekend deals: Up to $3,000 off smart TVs [Updated]
The best Black Friday 2021 discounts include over $1,000 off 75-inch and 85-inch smart TVs from Samsung and Hisense.
-
Where to watch Alanis Morissette documentary Jagged online in Australia
Watch Alanis Morissette re-examine her rise in the music business.
Latest mobile plan deals on Finder
This month’s best SIM-only mobile plans
Save money with these top no-contract deals.
Save with a prepaid phone plan
Avoid bill shock and control your spending with the best-value offers.
Find the latest iPhone plan deals
Easily compare every Australian iPhone plan.
Ask an Expert
