Keepgo offers unthrottled international mobile 4G data for travelers that can be used anywhere in the world via their hotspot devices or through one of their SIM cards with your cell phone. I featured them in my article about Best 4G WiFi Hotspots for Travelers because they are one of the only international data providers that offer truely unthrottled 4G data speeds, which makes them a popular choice for business travelers who require high speed data at all times and are willing to pay for it.
Throttling is when an Internet provider intentionally reduces your 4G data speed to 2G/3G after you reach a certain daily allotment. For example, both Skyroam and TEP Wireless offer unlimited daily use Internet, but Skyroam limits you to 512 MB per day of 4G speed, and TEP Wireless allows you up to 1 GB if you opt for their $1.95/day add-on. Keepgo on the other hand, does not throttle your 4G speeds because they do not offer unlimited data, but rather a pay-per-MB approach to international data access. In this post, I will dig deeper into Keepgo's service offering as well as compare them against competing hotspot services.
Article Contents
- Keepgo Full Review
- Best Keepgo Alternatives
- Keepgo vs Skyroam
- Keepgo vs TEP Wireless
- Keepgo Promo Code
Just here for the Keepgo discount code?
Use this link to Keepgo.com and promo code TRAVELISLIFE for 10% off your purchase.
Keepgo Mobile Hotspot & SIM Review 2020
This is a detailed breakdown and review of Keepgo to save you the time of pouring through their website for information. I work with a rep at each hotspot company and I am very familiar with the industry, so I've done my best to transparently explain and review their service offering below. If you have any questions, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this post or e-mail me at paul@travelislife.org.
About the Company: Keepgo is an Israeli based company with offices in the USA, Netherlands, Israel, New Zealand, Russia and Australia. They are one of the original companies to offer international data and have earned a solid reputation amongst travelers since they launched in 2009. Their core offering consists of providing consumer and business grade Internet services, as well as wholesaling physical and virtual SIM cards to other companies.
Devices: Keepgo offers SIM Cards for your phone and smartwatch as well as WiFi hotspot devices. They are one of the few companies to offer both options (SIM cards or hotspots) instead of just one or the other.
Cost: Their smartphone SIM cards cost $10 and include 5MB of data, their cell phone SIM cards cost $49 and includes 1GB of data, and their WiFi hotspot costs $99 and includes 1GB of data. Shipping is free in 38 countries. Once you own the SIM or hotspot, you purchase the data as needed, which you can refill remotely from anywhere in the world. Keepgo's data packages differ in price per device, which I'll break down below:
Smartwatch SIM – 500MB for $14 / 1GB for $26 / 3GB for $61 (The data expires after one year if unused.)
Cell Phone SIM / WiFi Hotspot – 500MB for $14 / 1GB for $26 / 3GB for $61 / 5GB or $88 / 10GB for $165 (The data never expires if you refill at least once a year. Meaning, if you have 5GB left after one year, you can buy an additional 500 MB or 1 GB and all your data is extended for another year.)
Update Feb 2020: Keepgo has now introduced a GoFi Europe USA Plan which offers data at a flat rate of $8/GB in those regions. You can switch between this and their Worldwide plans above whenever you'd like.
Speed Throttles: Since you are paying per GB, Keepgo does not throttle your 4G speed. You will alway be connected to the fastest possible towers no matter how much data you use in a day.
Highlights: There are two standout features of Keepgo worth mentioning. The first, which I mentioned earlier, is that they do not throttle your 4G speed. This is what makes them a very attractive product for business travelers who require high speed data all the times and can't risk having their speed capped past a certain point each day. The second standout feature is their virtual SIM cards which work throughout the world. Other hotspot providers advertise worldwide coverage, however, with many of them, the same device that works in Europe (for example), won't work in Africa. The companies offer worldwide coverage, but different devices are required to access it. With Keepgo, their virtual SIM card technology will work wherever they offer service from the same SIM card or device.
Coverage: Keepgo offers coverage in 110+ countries listed below. Remember that 4G data is only available in the specific areas where 4G towers exist, so your data speed will differ depending on the specific area you're traveling. Keepgo's website lists specifically which areas offer 4G service which you should check before your trip.
NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA – Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
EUROPE – Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
OCEANIA – Australia, New Zealand
ASIA – China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macao, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Reunion, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia
Best Keepgo Alternatives & Competitors
You can read a summary breakdown of each competitor in my article on Best Internetional WiFi Hotspots for Travelers or continue reading below where I compare Keepgo vs Skyroam vs TEP Wireless – which are their most popular alternatives with travelers.
Keepgo vs Skyroam
Keepgo: Keepgo.com
Skyroam: Skyroam.com
DEVICES: As you learned earlier, Keepgo offers SIM cards for your phone or smartwatch and hotspot devices. Skyroam only offers a hotspot device – so I'll compare that to Keepgo's device. Skyroam's Solis hotspot doubles as a 6000mAh power bank and can power up to 5 devices with Internet at once, while simultaneously charging one of them. It can last more than 16 hours on a single charge (if not used as a power bank). Keepgo's hotspot can connect up to 16 devices at once, lasts up to 11 hours of usage time, but does not double as a power bank, meaning it won't charge your connected devices.
PRICE: You can RENT or BUY a hotspot device with Skyroam. Their device costs $149 to purchase, which you can then use to connect to the Internet for $8/day, $99/month for unlimited data, or $9/GB for pay-as-you go w/ a $9/month subscription. Keepgo only offers the option to BUY a device (which I listed the prices earlier), and then you pay per GB of data usage. Keepgo does not offer an unlimited plan.
THROTTLING: On their Unlimited Plans, Skyroam throttles your 4G speed based on individual country's Fair Usage Policies which range from 550MB to 1GB. This means that after you use that amount of data in a given day, your Internet speed drops from 4G to a crawling 2G/3G. Then it resets the next day. Skyroam does not, however, throttle your 4G speeds on their pay-as-you-go plan since you are paying per GB. Keepgo also does not throttle your data speed no matter how much you use in a day because you pay per GB.
COVERAGE: Both Keepgo and Skyroam advertise that they work in 110+ countries and they seem to offer similar coverage areas. The reality is that coverage very much depends on the specific location you'll be traveling. These devices don't have their own towers, but instead operate through international data roaming agreements with other providers. The best thing you can do is check the individual websites for Skyroam and Keepgo and view their coverage in the specific areas you'll be traveling to ensure that the devices and service will meet your needs while abroad.
SIM CARDS: Keepgo offers you the ability to purchase a SIM card which can be used in your existing phone. That way you don't have to carry around an extra device when you travel. Most phones allow you to wirelessly tether your phone's Internet connection to use as a hotspot device. Skyroam only offers hotspot devices which your phones / tablets / laptops access Internet from via a WiFi connection.
OVERALL WINNER: Skyroam is a more affordably option if you don't want to worry about counting your data usage but don't mind having your speed throttled past a certain point each day. (Use promo code TRAVELISLIFE at checkout for an additional 15% off your entire purchase or rental at Skyroam.) If you need guaranteed 4G speeds at all times and are willing to pay for it, then Keepgo is your best bet. (Use that link to Keepgo for 10% off – no promo code required.) Keepgo can also be a more affordable option if you won't be heavily using Internet. For example, you could purchase 1GB for $35 and make that last a month, versus paying $8/day or $99/month with Skyroam for unlimited data that you probably wouldn't use. I recommend having a Keepgo device and traveling with it for emergencies because the data doesn't expire. You can load up a couple gigabytes and have it last all year, only using it on occasion or for emergencies.
Keepgo vs TEP Wireless
Keepgo: Keepgo.com
TEP Wireless: TEPWireless.com
DEVICES: TEP Wireless offers a hotspot device that you can BUY or RENT for daily or monthly usage. Keepgo, as you know, offers hotspot devices or SIM cards for your phone or smartwatch.
PRICE: With TEP Wireless, you can RENT their Teppy hotspot device for $8.95/day or BUY a Teppy for $129 and pay $8/day or $99/month for unlimited Internet. With Keepgo you can only BUY their hotspot devices or SIM cards and then you pay per GB (which you can see I listed the prices earlier).
THROTTLING: Keepgo does not throttle your speeds because you're paying per gigabyte. TEP Wireless throttles your 4G speed past 500MB per day with an option to double that to 1GB for an additional $1.95/day.
COVERAGE: Both companies offer worldwide coverage in over 100+ countries, but the actual countries vary. You'll want to check each company's website for their specific coverage areas.
OVERALL WINNER: If you'd like to use your own unlocked device and are only looking for occasional international Internet access, go with Keepgo because you can purchase a few gigabytes of data and make them last for a long time. (Use this link to Keepgo for 10% off your purchase with no promo code needed.) If you're a heavy Internet user or don't want to count gigabyte usage and would prefer to activate unlimited Internet for a day at a time, go with TEP Wireless. (Use this link to TEP Wireless and promo code 0TEPTILORG10 at checkout for an additional 10% off your purchase or rental.)
Need more options?
Read my popular post entitled The 8 Best WiFi Hotspots for International Travelers 2018 for additional Keepgo alternatives.
Questions? Comments?
What's your review of Keepgo or their competitors? Have you had a positive or negative experience with one or another? Let me know in the comments section below. Or if you've got any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below or e-mail paul@travelislife.org and I'll do my best to help you out.
Don't forget to use our Keepgo discount!
Use this link to Keepgo.com and promo code TRAVELISIFE for 10% off your purchase.