Best mobile hotspot 2025: top portable Wi-Fi hotspots for international travel

Use all your favourite apps abroad with one of 2025's best mobile hotspots

TP-Link M7350
(Image credit: TP-Link)

If you've ever been bored while out camping, on holiday abroad, or just fuming at a home broadband breakdown, you might be in the market for one of the best mobile hotspots in 2025.

Unlike the fiddly process of tethering to a phone, the best mobile hotspots have excellent range, meaning that you can set them up and still get good connectivity even if you are in a different room, which is useful when working in hotel rooms or anywhere where multiple people will likely need access. Of course, remember to stick to your mobile data plan to avoid any surprise charges.

Recent updates

Update 21 October 2025: I've been through this guide with a fine-toothed comb to check its recommendations are still ideal, and that they're available to buy, plus I've added context about the author.

Written by
Max Freeman-Mills headshot square
Written by
Max Freeman-Mills

I've been reviewing tech and Wi-Fi devices for years now, and have more than half a decade of experience in the tech sector, which makes me well-suited to gathering our favourite Wi-Fi hotspots here for you.

Best portable Wi-Fi hotspots to buy in 2025

What you should know about Wi-Fi hotspots

If you've looked over the list of devices we've compiled and you're still wondering just what a Wi-Fi hotspot actually is, we'll cover some of the basics for you. These devices effectively hook onto mobile networks and then operate a Wi-Fi network that you can then use on a wider range of hardware.

This basically lets you use Wi-Fi on the likes of a laptop or gaming handheld without that device needing a SIM card slot to get data flowing. It can be hugely useful if you're travelling and don't have access to a safe or trusted Wi-Fi network to use when connecting your devices up.

That does mean that there's generally an extra cost to consider when buying a hotspot. The hardware will cost whatever its price is, but you'll also need a SIM or eSIM to access mobile data through it. Thankfully, many carriers around the world offer affordable data-only plans and even hotspot-specific plans that can get you plenty of data without too high a cost.

How to choose the best Wi-Fi hotspot for travel

You'll want a data connection abroad if you want to use WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all the rest abroad, but what you get depends on what you buy.

The first choice is to buy an off-the-shelf hotspot without a SIM, then buy a separate SIM card from a dedicated supplier or network provider (your current operator might even offer one if you check). This gives you a lot of flexibility.

The other option is to buy an all-in-one mobile Wi-Fi hotspot device that has a built-in eSIM – this all-in-one package will normally come with some free international data, plus the chance to easily top it up online whenever you run low.

Getting everything together in one bundle can potentially save you some money, but make sure you're getting the amount of data you want and compatibility for the countries you're visiting. Prioritise 4G or 5G data if you want an ultra-quick connection, but plan to buy data in bundles to save money. Check the availability and strength of the internet in your destination too, it might be good enough on its own if you're lucky.

Max Freeman-Mills
Staff Writer, Tech

Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.

With contributions from