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Show HN: I built a Switchless eSIM that works in 200 locations and regions (truely.com)

17 points by jackfitz ↗ HN
Hello HN,

A year ago, I started the journey to create what we call a Switchless eSIM for travelers.

The problem we’re solving comes from first-hand experience with accessing data while traveling overseas. The old methods like swapping SIMs, paying high roaming fees, or relying on WiFi are inconvenient and costly. Our solution is a single eSIM that you install once, then buy data for any country you travel to, and get connected instantly.

Our app will be live in the next few days (hopefully), so for now, it’s just web.

I would love to know if you’ve used eSIMs when travelling overseas and your experience.

9 comments

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Amir6
Congrats on the launch. How does this compare to Airalo. Your contact us page also does not work.
jackfitz
Hey Amir,

When compared to Airalo, our pricing is similar. They can be cheaper for some locations, and we can be cheaper for others. The main difference with Airalo is that you need to install a new eSIM each time you make a purchase. With Truely, you only need to install your eSIM once.

bosch_mind
Can elaborate on why they might do this versus your approach?

Also, what does it take to become a company that can acquire esims?

jackfitz
I can't comment on why a competitor might do this, however, from our end, it was clear there was a big gap in the market for an improved user experience.
mike1505
Dent eSIM uses only one eSIM for the whole world (or at least used to).
colintie
Hi! I’ve used three different companies to buy eSIMs in the past, but each time I traveled to a new country in the region, like when I visited cities in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, I had to buy a new eSIM and switch them manually on my phone. It was quite a hassle. If I understand correctly, does your service offer a universal eSIM that allows me to simply purchase a plan for the country I’m visiting without needing to manually switch eSIMs, while keeping prices competitive with other providers?
jackfitz
Yep, this is exactly what we do.
greatgib
Nice to try to create something, but based on the price I would not recommend that to anyone:

For example, with a day pass in France, 1gb per day for 30 days so around 30gb for the month is like 50$.

To compare, here you could have 50gb for a month with a throwable sim for a 15e maximum. If you take subscription for a little longer, for around 20euros monthly you will have 300 or unlimited gb of data+ unlimited calls and SMS.

The rate difference looks like to be the same for other countries I know where I had to use a temporary sim.

wishing
Congratulations on your launch,

Would this work for a cruise, in international waters and visiting few different countries?