Numero eSIM review: legit or not? What the ratings don't tell you (2026)

What is Numero eSIM?

Numero eSIM is a mobile app published by Smarteletec, a company based in Spain. It has existed for years as "Numero: second phone number" and claims over 30 million users worldwide on its website, along with a displayed 4.4/5 rating. As you will see below, the real public ratings are more nuanced.

The single most important point of this review is that Numero eSIM actually sells three different products inside one app, and much of the disappointment we found comes from mixing them up:

1. Prepaid travel data eSIMs, local, regional or global, advertised for 190 destinations. This is a classic virtual SIM card: data only, no phone number, no SMS. If the concept is new to you, our guide on what an eSIM is covers the whole thing.

2. Subscription-based virtual numbers, monthly or yearly: a US, Canadian, British or Spanish number from €4 per month, used through VoIP calls and texts, meaning they travel over the internet rather than the mobile network.

3. International calling plans and "Full eSIM" bundles combining data, a number and calls in some regions.

Buying a data plan is therefore nothing like subscribing to a virtual number: the first is a one-off prepaid purchase, the second renews automatically until you cancel it. Keep that distinction in mind throughout.

Is Numero eSIM legit? Our verdict in short

Numero eSIM is a real company with a real product, not a ghost website: the app is distributed on the App Store and Google Play, the data eSIMs do activate, and plenty of users are happy with them, as the tens of thousands of positive Google Play ratings show.

Still, our verdict remains cautious, for three verifiable reasons. First, the Trustpilot rating is suspended at the time of writing: a rare signal that sanctions a breach of the review platform's guidelines. Second, recent negative reviews describe precise, recurring patterns: charges continuing after account deletion, disputed subscription renewals, refused refunds. Third, the French App Store rating (3.5/5) sits well below the 4.4/5 the brand displays on its own site.

In practice, our verdict fits in two sentences. For a one-off prepaid travel data eSIM, Numero eSIM works but is not the best value on the market, and data specialists are often cheaper. For a subscription virtual number, caution is warranted: that is where the vast majority of the disputes we found come from.

What customer reviews really say about Numero eSIM

We checked every rating live on 25 August 2026. Here is the unfiltered picture:

The Trustpilot case deserves a pause: Numero eSIM's page states that the company's rating is unavailable due to a breach of the platform's guidelines. Trustpilot applies this kind of measure when it detects practices that break its rules around collecting or managing reviews. Individual reviews remain readable, and recent ones are mostly one star.

Across the negative reviews, three themes come up again and again: subscription charges continuing after the user thought they had cancelled or deleted their account, refund requests refused or ignored, and virtual numbers bought to verify a WhatsApp or other account that fail the verification step.

Across the positive reviews: an app people find simple, data eSIMs that activate quickly and a chat support that answers. That contrast matches our analysis: the data product mostly delivers, the virtual number product concentrates the disputes.

Ratings and notices checked on 25 August 2026 on Trustpilot, the French App Store and Google Play.

Numero eSIM prices under the microscope

Here are the prices we pulled live from numeroesim.com on 25 August 2026, during their "Summer 2026" promotion advertised until 21 September. Example for France, standard data plans:

Numero eSIM also sells unlimited data plans in some countries: for France, from €11 for 3 days up to €65 for 30 days. Note that the product page says "data only", one partner operator in France, and hotspot support "depends on the operator": check that before buying if tethering matters to you.

On virtual numbers, subscriptions start at €4 per month for a US, Canadian, British or Spanish number, with aggressive discounts on yearly commitments. That subscription mechanism, with automatic renewal, is precisely what fuels the billing disputes described above.

Are those data prices good? They are fair, no more. On most destinations, our France eSIM comparator and our per-destination pages list equivalent plans for less from travel data specialists. Compare before you buy: that is exactly what the comparator is for.

The rat's tip: "promo" prices with countdown timers are an eSIM marketing classic. Always compare the final price per GB on the same destination, not the displayed discount percentage.

Virtual numbers: the real thing to watch

Numero's historic flagship product is the virtual number: a phone number from another country, without a SIM card, usable from anywhere through the app. On paper it is appealing for building a local presence abroad or separating work from personal life.

Two structural limits need to be understood though. One, these numbers run on VoIP: calls and texts travel over the internet, with lower reliability than a real mobile line. Two, and this is the theme that dominates the negative reviews: many online services (WhatsApp, banks, payment platforms) detect VoIP numbers and may reject SMS verification. Numero advertises "numbers for social media", but no guarantee exists that a third-party service will accept a virtual number, and refunds in that scenario are exactly what unhappy customers say they cannot get.

Three reflexes before subscribing to a virtual number, with Numero or anyone else. First, check that the service you want to verify accepts VoIP numbers. Second, subscribe through the App Store or Google Play rather than directly when possible: cancellation is then handled in your Apple or Google account subscriptions, without depending on the vendor's support. Third, note the renewal date the day you buy and cancel ahead of it if you are not using the number: it is the safest way to avoid a surprise charge.

Numero eSIM pros and cons

The pros:

✅ One single app for travel data, a second number and international calls. ✅ Advertised data coverage across 190 destinations, with unlimited plans in some countries. ✅ Instant activation, no physical card, no store visit. ✅ Regularly updated and widely distributed app (around 140,000 Google Play ratings). ✅ Some of the cheapest entry prices for virtual numbers (from €4/month).

The cons:

❌ Trustpilot rating suspended over a breach of the platform's guidelines, a serious trust signal. ❌ Recurring complaints about subscription renewals and refunds. ❌ VoIP numbers sometimes rejected for SMS verification (WhatsApp, banks, payments). ❌ Only 3.5/5 on the French App Store. ❌ Fair data prices, but rarely the market's best. ❌ Online-only support, with response quality disputed in negative reviews.

What are the alternatives to Numero eSIM?

It depends on what brought you to Numero. First case: you simply want data while travelling. That is the most common scenario, and the one best served by prepaid travel eSIM specialists, with no subscription. Our comparator tracks several providers' prices per destination: among them, voilà stands out for its value for money (France plans from €1.30), an eSIM that is simple to install with an easy-to-use app, and human customer support available 24/7: objectively useful criteria when the point of comparison is a disputed support like Numero's. Browse the compared providers or go straight to your destination for current prices.

Second case: you wanted to stay reachable while abroad. The most reliable answer is not a virtual number: keep your home SIM active in dual SIM alongside a local data eSIM for internet. Your usual number stays reachable for calls and bank verification texts, while data flows through the local eSIM, far cheaper than roaming. We explain the setup in our guide on what an eSIM is.

Third case: you want a genuine permanent second number (business, classified ads). A virtual number makes sense there, but compare established players and read the renewal and refund terms before paying, especially on yearly deals.

The rat's tip: before buying any eSIM, check that your phone is compatible in 10 seconds with our eSIM compatibility checker, or dial *#06#: if an EID number shows up, your device supports eSIM.