Comparison

Universal Hikes vs ESIMStore

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Universal Hikes

Read full description

All of your self-guided walking holiday itinerary information including gps trails, accommodations, meals, transfers and more.

About

ESIMStore

Features
Read full description

Stop paying $15/day for international roaming. ESIMStore gets you a travel data plan for any destination — bought online, installed in minutes, no physical SIM required. WHY ESIMSTORE • 200+ countries and regions covered, with both single-country and multi-region (Europe, Asia, Global) plans. • Install your plan instantly — tap once on your iPhone and the eSIM attaches itself; no QR camera dance, no settings nightmare. • Bought one for a friend? Forward the activation link or QR via iMessage, WhatsApp, email — they install it on their phone, no account needed on their side. • Top up an existing eSIM without changing your number, your plan, or reinstalling anything — top-ups attach instantly. • Track usage, days remaining, and expiry inside the app. Never get caught with a dead SIM mid-trip again. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick a destination — type a country, browse by region, or grab a global multi-region plan. 2. Pick a data bucket — 1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB or unlimited day passes. 3. Pay with card or Apple Pay through Airwallex's secure checkout. 4. Tap "Install on this iPhone" — done in under a minute. GREAT FOR • Holiday travel, business trips, working remotely abroad • Frequent multi-country travellers who don't want a stack of physical SIMs • Anyone who hates being charged $15/MB by their home carrier when they cross a border NEED HELP? Drop us a line at hello@esimstore.com.au and we'll sort you out before your flight. ESIMStore is operated by Chargewave Data Services Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia.

Screenshots

Universal Hikes4 screens
ESIMStore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ESIMStore at 13.4 against Universal Hikes's 16.1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal Hikes ships an update every 5 weeks, ESIMStore every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Universal Hikes versus ESIMStore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal HikesESIMStore
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.113.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size171 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEASY-MOUNTAINChargewave Data Services Pty Ltd

In-app purchases

None

Universal Hikes

No in-app purchases

None

ESIMStore

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Universal Hikes free?
Universal Hikes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ESIMStore free?
ESIMStore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Universal Hikes or ESIMStore have ads?
Neither Universal Hikes nor ESIMStore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Universal Hikes or ESIMStore?
Universal Hikes ships an update every 5 weeks, and ESIMStore every 4 weeks. Most recently, Universal Hikes was updated on October 15, 2026 and ESIMStore on October 13, 2026.

Other comparisons