Looking for a cheap way to stay in touch while travelling? ChatSim offers unlimited messaging for an entire year.
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.
