Preview
Preview
VisiblePage scope, the defined structure, and what will be measured.
HiddenRank positions, named winners, and any plan data not yet sourced.
Independent · Sourced · Last reviewed 01 Jun 2026
Methodology
Direct answerHow does Simscanner work?
Simscanner publishes neutral, sourced travel eSIM comparison data. Every price, data cap, validity, network claim, and KYC note is read from a primary source and recorded with a retrieval date. Rankings are per-category and tied to defined criteria. No paid placements. Phase 1 ships under methodology version v1.
The surfaces
What Simscanner publishes
Simscanner publishes a small set of page types. Every ranked term on any of them resolves to a defined term on this page or on how we score.
Country pages
Per-country eSIM rankings with coverage, local networks, speed, and reliability.
/countries/{country} Browse countries →Region pages
Regional plans compared across the countries each region covers.
/regions/{region} Browse regions →Brand profiles
Descriptive, sourced brand profiles. No winners, no ratings, no paid placements.
/brands/{brand} See an example →Comparisons
Head-to-head pages between two brands for a country or a region.
/compare/{a}-vs-{b} See rankings →AEO guides
Plain-language answer pages that cite this methodology and how we score.
/guides/{topic} Read how we score →FAQ pages
Crawlable question and answer pages, with each answer tied to a source.
/faq/{topic} Jump to FAQs →
Citation rules
What counts as a source
Every fact on Simscanner is read from a primary source and dated. Accepted primary sources are the brand's own product page, the country's telecom regulator, the mobile network operator's page, and any regulator-issued ruling. Marketing copy, affiliate review sites, and user-submitted reviews are not accepted as sources.
| Claim type | Accepted source | Not accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Plan terms (validity, data cap, top-up) | Brand's own product or plan page | Affiliate review sites, advertising copy |
| Coverage and network partner | MNO page, brand's published network list | Brand marketing claims without a source |
| KYC and IMEI rules | Telecom regulator, regulator-issued ruling | User-submitted reports, forum posts |
| Hotspot and unlimited / FUP policy | Brand's plan page or terms of service | Paraphrased blog summaries |
| Regulatory restrictions (restricted markets) | Telecom regulator, official ruling | Unofficial or crowd-sourced lists |
Every accepted source is recorded with a retrieval date. Simscanner does not run its own speed tests or coverage drives. It reads, cites, and dates published facts.
Confidence levels
Page status: preview, partial, verified
Every data-bearing page carries a status badge. The badge tells travellers how much of the page has reached verified confidence, and what is deliberately held back until it has. These are the same badges used across country, region, and brand pages.
Partial
Partial
VisibleFields that have reached verified confidence, each with its source and date.
HiddenFields still awaiting a primary source, shown as pending rather than estimated.
Verified
Verified
VisibleAll required fields sourced and dated, with at least one brand independently confirmed.
HiddenNothing required is withheld. ItemList structured data may be emitted at this level.
The vocabulary
Defined terms
Every term Simscanner ranks or reports against is defined here, in plain language, with the page types it appears on. This is the v1 term set.
eSIM
A digital SIM built into a device that is activated by software, with no physical card to insert.
Used on /countries/{country}, /brands/{brand}
travel eSIM
A short-term data eSIM bought for use abroad, sold by a travel-focused brand rather than a home network.
Used on every country and brand page
regional plan
A single eSIM plan that covers a defined group of countries, such as a Europe or Asia plan, rather than one country.
Used on /regions/{region}, /brands/{brand}
KYC
Know Your Customer. An identity verification step that some brands or regulators require before a plan can be activated.
Used on /countries/{country}, /brands/{brand}
hotspot
Sharing an eSIM's mobile data with another device by tethering. Some plans allow it, some restrict or forbid it.
Used on /brands/{brand}, /how-we-score#hotspot-policy
top-up
Adding more data or validity to an existing eSIM plan without buying a new one.
Used on /brands/{brand}, /countries/{country}
validity
The period during which a plan's data allowance can be used before it expires.
Used on /countries/{country}, /brands/{brand}
FUP
Fair Use Policy. The point at which an unlimited plan reduces speed or applies limits, as stated by the brand.
Used on /brands/{brand}, /how-we-score#unlimited-fup
network partner
The local mobile network an eSIM connects to in a given country. A brand may use different partners in different countries.
Used on /countries/{country}, /regions/{region}
How current the data is
Freshness policy
Different facts age at different rates, so they are re-verified on different windows. Plan rows are re-verified every 90 days. Rankings are re-verified every 30 days, because rankings are time-sensitive. Regulatory claims are re-verified every 180 days.
| Claim type | Re-verification window |
|---|---|
| Plan rows (price, validity, FUP, hotspot, top-up) | Every 90 days |
| Rankings (/rankings, /best/*) | Every 30 days |
| Regulatory claims (KYC, IMEI rules) | Every 180 days |
Stale pages display a Last reviewed date and are flagged for re-verification or de-ranking.
Independence
Neutrality safeguards
Three rules keep Simscanner independent of the brands it compares. They are enforced by the policy pages and the QA gates linked below.
Zero paid placements
No brand pays for ranking position, inclusion, language, or visibility. Editorial decisions are independent of any commercial relationship.
Read the policy →No draft review
Brands do not see, review, or approve a page before publication. They cannot privately propose changes to a ranking or a measurement.
Editorial policy →No affiliate-ranked content
Rankings are never ordered by commercial links. The internal-link audit rejects affiliate URLs anywhere a ranked term appears.
Data sources →
Per-category, never global
How rankings work
Rankings on Simscanner are always per-category, never global. There is deliberately no single overall best eSIM, because one composite score would hide the trade-offs travellers actually face.
Each category answers a single question with one sourced measurement, and each category has a published tie rule. A brand may top one category and sit mid-table in another. ItemList structured data is emitted only when a ranking reaches verified confidence.
- Each category maps to one defined term and one measurement.
- Rankings are re-verified every 30 days, because they are time-sensitive.
- Below verified confidence, rank positions and named winners are withheld.
When we get it wrong
Corrections
If a sourced fact is wrong, Simscanner corrects it on a published timeline and records the change. The corrections service-level agreement is acknowledge within 2 days, investigate within 5 days, and resolve within 7 days.
| Step | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge the report | Within 2 days |
| Investigate against the source | Within 5 days |
| Resolve and publish a dated note | Within 7 days |
Report a sourcing error through contact. Corrected rankings carry a dated revision note.
Change log
Methodology version
The methodology version is bumped only when a category, a measurement, or a tie rule changes. Every change appears here with a date.
| Version | Date | Change summary |
|---|---|---|
| v1 | 28 May 2026 | Initial publication. Five categories. |
Common questions
Methodology FAQs
How does Simscanner rank travel eSIMs?
Per-category measurements defined on this page and on /how-we-score. Each category answers a single question with one sourced measurement: coverage, entry price, validity, hotspot policy, "unlimited" honesty. There is deliberately no single "overall best" score: a brand may top one category and sit mid-table in another.
Does Simscanner test the eSIMs itself?
No. Simscanner does not run speed tests, coverage drives, or user-trip experiments. Every claim on the site is read from a primary source, the brand's plan page, the country's telecom regulator, or the MNO's page, and dated. This means Simscanner can publish faster and more accurately, with full transparency on where each fact comes from.
How often is Simscanner data refreshed?
Plan rows (price, validity, FUP, hotspot, top-up) are re-verified every 90 days. Rankings on /rankings and /best/* are re-verified every 30 days, because rankings are time-sensitive. Regulatory claims (KYC, IMEI rules) are re-verified every 180 days. Stale pages display a "Last reviewed" date and are flagged for re-verification or de-ranking.
Why does Simscanner not publish an "overall best" eSIM?
Because a single composite score would hide the trade-offs travellers actually face. A brand strong on country coverage may be weak on hotspot policy, or vice versa. Simscanner publishes per-category rankings, each tied to a defined measurement, so travellers can decide which trade-off matches their trip.
Does Simscanner accept paid placements?
No. No brand pays for ranking position, inclusion, language, or visibility. Editorial decisions are independent of any commercial relationship. The full policy lives at /policies/zero-paid-placements, and the enforcement mechanisms (brand-neutrality QA, schema audit, internal-link audit) are listed there.