Every travel guide out there tells you the same thing: use a VPN on public Wi-Fi. And honestly, it's good advice. Think about it: hotel, cafe, and airport Wi-Fi networks are often unencrypted, making your data vulnerable. Plus, more and more countries are blocking or slowing down the apps you rely on every day. Until now, following that advice meant buying two separate things: a data plan to get online and a paid VPN to keep you safe once you were.
We already give you the data. So, we asked ourselves a simple question: why not just include the VPN too? Starting this month, every active Cellesim eSIM comes with a free, built-in VPN. No separate subscription, no extra fee.
Data is not the same as safety
An eSIM solves your internet connection problems. It doesn't solve your privacy problems. The minute you hop onto the free Wi-Fi at your hotel, anyone else on that same network could potentially see what you're doing online. In many places, the apps and websites you use daily are filtered or completely blocked. A VPN encrypts your connection and helps you reach the services you need. That's exactly the gap a data-only eSIM leaves open. Before you even travel, you can check which apps are blocked where.
What we built
The Cellesim VPN is self-hosted across ten locations worldwide: Frankfurt, London, New York, US West, São Paulo, Mumbai, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, and Johannesburg. You can pick a region that's close to wherever you're traveling. It runs on the free, open-source Outline app, and it stays free for as long as your eSIM is active.
Turning it on takes seconds
- Buy any Cellesim eSIM and activate it once you arrive.
- Open the VPN page in your account. It automatically unlocks when your eSIM is active.
- Tap "Add to Outline," or simply scan the QR code with your phone.
- Choose your location. You're protected.
Why this is different
Most eSIM providers sell you data and then stop there. Neither Airalo nor Holafly includes a VPN, so with them, staying secure is an extra purchase you have to remember to make. We believe security should be part of the product from the start, not something extra you have to buy. If you're comparing options, our straightforward Cellesim vs Airalo comparison lays out all the differences.
Free, and staying free
There's no catch here and no trial period that suddenly ends. The VPN is included with every active eSIM at no cost, and it stays free for the entire time your data plan is active. Buy data for 198 countries, and the VPN simply comes with it.
