Simba vs Circles Life (Roaming): Which Roaming SIM Holds Up When It Matters Most?

Introduction

You're at Changi, boarding in 40 minutes. Your current plan has no roaming built in. Sound familiar?

Picking the right roaming SIM in Singapore before a trip is one of those decisions that looks simple and gets expensive fast when you get it wrong.

Simba and Circles Life are two of the most talked-about options for roaming in 2026. Both are no-contract. Both are affordable. Both cover APAC destinations that Singaporeans actually travel to.

But the way they build roaming into their plans is completely different. That difference matters a lot once you're overseas.

The Two Providers at a Glance

Simba (formerly TPG) is Singapore's fourth major telco, operating its own network. It has built a strong reputation for packing high data volumes and built-in regional roaming into every plan at entry-level prices.

Circles Life is a fully digital MVNO running on M1's 5G network. No physical stores, no contracts, entirely app-managed. Its roaming structure ranges from built-in pools on premium tiers to flexible add-ons for occasional travellers.

Roaming Structure: How Each Approach Works

Simba's Roaming

Simba's roaming works on a zone-based data pool system.

Every plan from S$10 per month includes roaming to Malaysia and Hong Kong from the main data pool. Plans from S$12 also include Indonesia and Thailand. The SuperRoam 10 at S$10 bundles 15GB of APAC roaming plus coverage across 60+ global destinations in a separate allowance.

Simba's roaming zones break into: main local data (usable in SG, MY, HK, and select countries), an APAC bucket for countries like Australia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and a global Group A bucket for 60+ countries, including Europe and the USA.

The plan structure means you get multi-destination roaming without buying an add-on. For users who frequently visit a few specific countries, Simba's all-in approach is hard to argue with at S$10 entry.

IDD minutes are included in every Simba plan, covering 20+ dialling destinations. That is a genuine extra that Circles Life does not match on standard plans.

Circles Life's Roaming

Circles Life approaches roaming in tiers.

Entry plans like the 4G Core at S$10.80 include 1GB of free roaming data across 7 countries. That covers light use but runs out quickly for anyone doing more than navigation and messaging.

The Circles Pro plan at S$14.88 per month changes the picture entirely. It includes 100GB for Malaysia and 13GB across 14 other APAC countries: Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Vietnam, USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Macau, and Bangladesh. No activation required. Roaming starts automatically when you land.

The Borderless plan covers 8 countries in a shared 100GB pool. GoRoam Boost one-time add-ons and SuperRoam monthly subscriptions are available through the app for users on other tiers.

Coverage Compared

Pricing Per GB: Where the Real Difference Shows

Simba SuperRoam 10 at S$10 gives 400GB local data, 15GB APAC roaming, and 3GB across 60+ global destinations. For APAC-heavy travellers, that 15GB APAC pool works out to roughly S$0.67 per GB of regional data. The 3GB global pool covers basics for occasional international trips.

Circles Life 4G Core at S$10.80 includes 1GB of roaming. That is a starting point, not a roaming plan.

Step up to Circles Pro at S$14.88, and you get 100GB for Malaysia plus 13GB for the wider APAC region. For Malaysia-focused travellers, the 100GB pool translates to under S$0.15 per GB. That is the best-priced Malaysia roaming data in Singapore's market right now.

For the 13GB across 14 other countries, the blended rate works out to roughly S$1.14 per GB, comparable to Simba's APAC bucket at similar tiers.

Roaming Speed and Network Quality

Simba operates its own network in Singapore. Internationally, it connects through partner carriers. 5G is available locally. Most international roaming connects at 4G speeds, depending on the destination's infrastructure.

Circles Life on the 5G network via M1 delivers consistent local performance. The Borderless 5G plan supports 5G speeds in Singapore and select covered countries. Circles Pro primarily operates at 4G internationally, in line with partner network availability.

Both are reliable for streaming, navigation, and work use across APAC destinations. The gap is minimal for everyday travel.

Activation and Day-to-Day Ease

Simba's roaming is always on. Your local data pool and APAC allowance travel with you across covered countries automatically. You do not need to activate or download a separate add-on.

Circles Life on the Circles Pro plan works the same way. Nothing to activate. Nothing to toggle. It simply works when you land.

For users on lower Circles Life tiers, activating a GoRoam Boost or SuperRoam add-on through the app takes under a minute. Plan changes and add-ons are managed entirely digitally.

Extras Worth Noting

Simba includes IDD call minutes (600 on the SuperRoam 10 plan) to 20+ countries. That is a genuine standalone benefit, especially for users who call fixed lines internationally.

Circles Life 5G plans bundle CirclesAI access: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity Sonar at no extra charge. For users already subscribing to any AI tool separately, that is a direct monthly saving alongside the roaming value.

Summary Comparison

Conclusion

Simba is a strong option for users who want roaming coverage built into an affordable base plan without going beyond S$10 to S$12 per month. Its 60+ destination reach and IDD call inclusion make it particularly good for users who call internationally or travel to countries outside APAC's top tier.

Circles Life on the entry plan falls short on roaming. 1GB across 7 countries is not a roaming plan for anyone who travels seriously.

But the Circles Pro plan changes the conversation. 100GB for Malaysia, 13GB across 14 APAC countries, automatic activation, no add-on complexity, and CirclesAI bundled into 5G plans with no extra cost. For the traveller who hits the same APAC destinations regularly and wants roaming to work without thinking about it, Circles Pro delivers more convenience and better Malaysia value than any equivalent Simba tier.

Simba wins on IDD calling and low-entry global reach. Circles Life wins on Malaysia data volume, APAC breadth at the Pro tier, and total per-gigabyte value for the destinations most Singaporeans actually visit.

If your trips go to KL, Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, or anywhere else in that 15-country footprint, Circles Life Circles Pro is the plan to be on in 2026.

Check the latest Circles Life roaming plans and activate your eSIM in minutes.

FAQs

Does Simba include Malaysia roaming in all plans? 

Yes. Simba includes Malaysia in its main local data pool from the S$10 SuperRoam 10 plan onwards. There is no separate add-on needed for Malaysia travel.

Is Circles Life Circles Pro worth it for APAC roaming? 

For regular travellers hitting Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, or any other country in the 15-country footprint, yes. The S$14.88 entry price includes 100GB for Malaysia and 13GB across 14 other countries, which is the best Malaysia roaming value currently available in Singapore.

Can I use Simba eSIM for roaming internationally? 

Yes. All Simba prepaid and postpaid plans are eSIM-compatible. International roaming activates automatically in covered countries without needing to swap cards.

Does Circles Life offer roaming if I'm not on the Circles Pro plan? 

Yes. GoRoam Boost one-time add-ons are available via the Circles Life app for 7-day windows. SuperRoam monthly add-ons provide ongoing coverage. The 4G Core plan also includes 1GB of free roaming in 7 countries.

Which plan is better for someone who frequently calls overseas?

Simba. Its plans include IDD minutes to 20+ countries from S$10 per month. Circles Life's standard plans do not include IDD minutes, though calls via data (WhatsApp, FaceTime) are unaffected.