Is Simify Good for Bali? An Honest Review vs Telkomsel (2026)
Share
Short version: Simify works in Bali. It is also about three times the price of a local Telkomsel plan, it will not give you an Indonesian phone number, and it does not tell you which Indonesian network you are actually on.
If you want data and nothing else, Simify is fine. If you want Gojek, Grab and QRIS to work, it cannot do that.
The short answer
Simify is an Australian travel eSIM company. You buy online, an email arrives, you install it and you have data in Bali. Nothing about that is broken. Plenty of people use it and are happy.
Here is the honest problem. You are paying roaming prices for a local service.
| What you want | Balitel (Telkomsel) | Simify |
|---|---|---|
| About 10GB for a month | USD $13 | USD $36 |
| About 20GB for a month | USD $17 (21GB) | USD $56 (20GB) |
| 45GB | USD $26 (30 days) | USD $100 (45 days) |
| Indonesian +62 number | Yes | No |
| Gojek, Grab, QRIS codes arrive | Yes | No |
| You know which network you are on | Yes — Telkomsel | Not disclosed |
At 21GB you are paying $39 more with Simify for less capability. That is the whole review in one line.
What is the cap on Simify Unlimited?
Simify does not publish one.
We looked on 28 August 2026. We read the Indonesia product page and the full Terms of Service. Neither document contains the words "fair use", "fair usage", "throttle", or any daily gigabyte limit. There is no stated speed reduction and no stated cutoff.
What Simify does say, in its own comparison table, is that on an unlimited plan your data "keeps working" if you run out, while a standard plan "stops". On speed it says only: "4G and 5G in most cities and towns; speeds may be slower in remote areas."
How to read this. No published cap is not the same as no cap. Nearly every "unlimited" travel eSIM has some limit written into its wholesale agreement, even when the retail page stays quiet. Holafly publishes a cap. Ubigi publishes thresholds. Simify publishes nothing, so you cannot check before you buy and you cannot hold them to a number afterwards.
If a stated limit matters to you, that silence is the thing to weigh — not a reason to assume the worst.
What travellers say — unverified, treat with caution.
In Bali eSIM travel groups on Facebook, some Simify users report their speed dropping after roughly 1.5GB to 2GB in a single day. Others in the same groups report no daily limit at all.
We cannot verify any of this and we are not stating it as fact. Those groups are members-only, so there is no link we can give you that you would be able to open. Slow data in Bali also has plenty of innocent explanations — evening congestion in Canggu, a weak signal in Amed, a handset that has quietly dropped to 3G — and none of those are throttling.
We mention it only because Simify publishes no figure of its own, so there is nothing official to weigh it against. If a daily limit would affect your trip, ask Simify directly before you buy and get the answer in writing. That is the only version of this you should rely on — including over us.
Simify's unlimited plans in Indonesia cost $4 a day for one to nine days, $52 for 14 days, $71 for 21 days and $83 for 30 days.
For comparison: our 83GB plan is $37 for 30 days. To beat that on value you would need to use more than 83GB in a month, which is roughly 28 hours of Netflix — on holiday, on your phone.
Which network does Simify use?
Simify does not say.
We searched their Indonesia product page in full on 28 August 2026. The words Telkomsel, Indosat, XL and Smartfren do not appear anywhere on it. Their own FAQ, under "What network will I connect to?", answers:
"Your eSIM automatically connects to the strongest available network in your area, so you get the best possible coverage and speeds wherever you are. If signal conditions change, it can seamlessly switch networks in the background."
That is a real feature and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Switching between networks is genuinely useful, and in south Bali — Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Sanur — several Indonesian networks perform well, so you will likely be fine.
The catch is that you cannot check in advance. If you are going to Nusa Penida, the Ubud valleys, Amed, or across on a fast boat, the network you are on is the single thing that decides whether you have signal. With Simify you find out when you get there.
We tell you ours: Telkomsel, on every plan, every time.
Simify's prices in full
Checked 28 August 2026 on simify.com. Prices in USD.
| Data | Days | Price | Per day | Per GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5GB | 7 | $22 | $3.14 | $4.40 |
| 10GB | 30 | $36 | $1.20 | $3.60 |
| 20GB | 30 | $56 | $1.87 | $2.80 |
| 30GB | 30 | $73 | $2.43 | $2.43 |
| 45GB | 45 | $100 | $2.22 | $2.22 |
| 60GB | 60 | $117 | $1.95 | $1.95 |
| 100GB | 90 | $161 | $1.79 | $1.61 |
Unlimited: $4 per day for 1–9 days · $52 for 14 days · $71 for 21 days · $83 for 30 days.
Simify vs Telkomsel, like for like
Both columns are 30-day plans unless noted. Our prices are what you actually pay at balitel.com today.
| Size | Balitel | Simify | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10GB | $13 | $36 | $23 — Simify is 2.8× the price |
| ~20GB | $17 (21GB) | $56 (20GB) | $39 — Simify is 3.3× the price |
| 45GB | $26 | $100 (45 days) | $74 — Simify is 3.8× the price |
| 83GB | $37 | no equivalent | Nearest is 100GB/90 days at $161 |
| Unlimited, 30 days | $37 for 83GB | $83 | $46 |
Per gigabyte, our 45GB plan works out at 58 cents. Simify's 45GB plan is $2.22.
The reason is not that Simify is greedy. It is that a roaming eSIM buys wholesale data from an intermediary who buys it from an Indonesian carrier. We are an authorized Telkomsel outlet, so we buy at Indonesian retail. Two different supply chains, two different prices. We explain the whole chain here.
The +62 number problem
Simify's Indonesia plan is data only. Their own page says voice and SMS go through your home carrier at standard roaming rates. There is no Indonesian number attached.
That matters more in Bali than almost anywhere else, because these all send a verification code to an Indonesian number:
- Gojek — food, scooters, couriers
- Grab — the other half of getting around
- QRIS — the QR payment system warungs and markets use
- Villa check-ins, local restaurant bookings, delivery drivers phoning you at the gate
With a foreign number the code either never arrives or arrives as an international SMS your home carrier may charge for. People discover this at 9pm on their first night, trying to order dinner.
Every plan we sell includes a real Indonesian +62 number with 30 minutes of local calls and 30 SMS. Full explanation of the Gojek and QRIS problem here.
Hotspot
Good news on both sides. Simify's FAQ confirms hotspot and tethering work on their unlimited plans. Our plans include hotspot with no separate cap — share with a laptop, a partner, a whole villa if you like.
Worth knowing because it is not universal: Holafly is the one major brand that restricts hotspot use. Simify does not, and neither do we.
Local IP address
Being honest about a real difference here, and it does not always favour us.
A local Telkomsel line gives you an Indonesian IP address. Indonesian banking apps, government sites and local services expect that, and it makes them work smoothly. It also means some services back home may treat you as being in Indonesia — your home bank might flag a login, and streaming libraries switch to the Indonesian catalogue.
Roaming eSIMs vary in how they route traffic. If keeping a home-country IP matters to you — for a bank that panics at foreign logins, or a streaming library you want unchanged — that is a genuine point in favour of a roaming product, and it is worth checking with Simify directly rather than taking our word for it.
Indonesia's networks explained
Most travellers assume Indonesian networks are interchangeable. In south Bali they nearly are. Outside it they are not.
| Operator | Subscribers | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Telkomsel | 157.6 million | The only network built out across rural Indonesia, the small islands and the crossings |
| Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison | 93.7 million | Strong in cities and south Bali, thinner once you leave |
| XLSmart | 73 million | Good on Java and in Bali's towns |
Telkomsel has 68% more subscribers than Indosat and the widest rural footprint in the country. In 2026 it led Opensignal's Indonesia report on 11 measures and has taken multiple Ookla Speedtest awards.
None of that helps you if you do not know which network you are on. We checked every major brand against its own documentation here.
When Simify is the better buy
Genuinely, there are cases. We would rather you buy the right thing than buy from us.
- You are visiting several countries. Simify's unlimited plan covers up to 127 countries. Ours covers Indonesia. If Bali is one stop on a longer trip, one eSIM across the lot is worth paying for.
- You want zero paperwork. Indonesian law requires a passport and device registration for a local line, so we need a form from you and about 10 minutes. Simify sends an email and you are done. If that friction is worth $39 to you, take it.
- You are staying more than 30 days. Our plans run 30 days. Simify sells 45, 60 and 90-day plans. For a long stay they have something we currently do not.
- You want to buy far in advance. Simify lets you buy six months ahead. You can buy from us early too and the clock only starts on activation, but their window is longer.
- You want to pay in instalments. They offer Afterpay. We do not.
What we would not accept as a reason: "it is simpler." Once your line is live, both are just an eSIM on your phone.
How to decide
Two questions.
1. Do you need Gojek, Grab or QRIS? If yes, you need an Indonesian number, and Simify cannot issue one. That decides it.
2. Are you leaving south Bali? If you are going to Nusa Penida, Amed, the Ubud valleys, Munduk, or taking a boat, the network matters and you want to know it in advance.
If both answers are no — you are in Seminyak for five nights, you use Apple Maps and Instagram, you are happy paying more for less admin — Simify will do the job.
Questions people ask
Is Simify good for Bali?
It works. It is roughly three times the price of a local Telkomsel plan, it gives you no Indonesian number, and it does not disclose which network you are on. Fine for data-only trips, wrong if you need Gojek or Grab.
What is the fair use cap on Simify Unlimited?
Simify does not publish one. We checked the Indonesia product page and the full Terms of Service on 28 August 2026 and found no fair use policy, no daily limit and no stated speed reduction. Some travellers report slowdowns after 1.5GB to 2GB a day, but those reports are unverified and Simify has published no figure to check them against.
Which Indonesian network does Simify use?
Not disclosed. Their FAQ says the eSIM connects to "the strongest available network" and can switch in the background. No Indonesian carrier is named anywhere on their Indonesia page.
Does Simify give you an Indonesian phone number?
No. The Indonesia plan is data only. Voice and SMS run through your home carrier at roaming rates, so Gojek, Grab and QRIS verification codes will not reach you.
Is Simify cheaper than a local Telkomsel eSIM?
No. At 10GB Simify is $36 against our $13. At about 20GB it is $56 against our $17. At 45GB it is $100 against our $26.
Does Simify allow hotspot?
Yes, on unlimited plans, according to their FAQ. Our plans include hotspot with no separate cap.
Can I top up a Simify plan?
Not currently. Their FAQ says top-ups are not available yet. If you run out on a fixed plan, you buy another.
How long does a Telkomsel eSIM take to set up?
About 10 minutes, once we have everything we need from you. You buy, fill in a short registration form, and message us on WhatsApp. Full timing breakdown here.
Sources and dates. All Simify prices, the network FAQ, the hotspot answer and the absence of a fair use policy were read directly from simify.com on 28 August 2026 — the Indonesia product page and the Terms of Service. Balitel prices are live at balitel.com. Subscriber figures are the operators' most recent public reporting.
The daily throttling figures in the red box are traveller reports we could not verify. They come from members-only Facebook groups, they are not confirmed by Simify or by any public document, and they are flagged as unverified wherever they appear. Everything else on this page is checkable from the links above.
We sell Telkomsel eSIMs, so read this as an interested party and check the links yourself — that is why they are here.