Commercial comparison

Simbase vs iot.cards

How to choose between Simbase's developer-friendly IoT SIM and iot.cards' multi-carrier IoT SIM. Both are pay-as-you-go IoT MVNOs with good developer experience. The real difference is the market: Simbase is Dutch and pan-European; iot.cards is Spain-native with real tri-carrier multi-IMSI in Spain. Here's when each one fits.

Quick summary

Simbase is a good choice if you value a modern developer experience (CLI, dashboard, API), your deployment is pan-European with no specific Spain focus, and you don't need a deep operational relationship with Movistar/Vodafone/Orange. iot.cards is the reasonable choice if you deploy in Spain (especially with real tri-carrier failover), need private APN or static IP as a standard layer, want engineering support, or if your vertical (regulated metering, Telefónica/Iberdrola partner deployments) requires a vendor with operational experience in the Spanish market since 2013.

Side-by-side feature comparison

Same commercial model (pay-as-you-go multi-network), different market focus and support stack.

Simbaseiot.cards
Origin and focus
Dutch IoT MVNO (Amsterdam). Pan-European and developer-first positioning.
Spanish IoT MVNO (Seville). Spain-native positioning with operational relationships with Movistar, Vodafone and Orange since 2013.
Spain coverage
Multi-network via European partners. Spain coverage available but no public tri-carrier agreement with Movistar/Vodafone/Orange as a differentiating proposition.
Multi-IMSI with documented access to Movistar, Vodafone and Orange in Spain. Automatic switching between all three national networks.
Commercial model
Pay-per-MB with public tariffs in the dashboard. No lock-in.
Pay-as-you-go (€0.005/MB at low usage), volume-discounted bundles, and enterprise tariff with SLA. No lock-in, no per-SIM minimum.
Private APN
Available as an enterprise product.
Dedicated APN with your CIDR range + IPSec/WireGuard tunnel into your VPC, contractable as a standard layer (not gated behind enterprise sales).
Static IP
Available under enterprise plan.
Static IPv4 (public or private) per SIM, contractable from the first unit as a per-SIM add-on.
Developer experience
Modern dashboard, CLI, documented REST API with developer-first focus. Good documentation.
Documented REST API with HMAC-signed webhooks and ICCID idempotency. Bilingual management portal. More enterprise-focused than developer-CLI focused.
Technical support
Email support in English (and Dutch). Self-service via dashboard.
Engineering team in Seville, phone and email support in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Technical onboarding from day one.
Regulated verticals
No specific focus on Spanish regulated verticals (regulator-monitored metering, national critical infrastructure).
Documented operational experience in metering deployments (PRIME/G3-PLC/Meters & More), named partnerships (Iberdrola/Telefónica), ICCID-keyed traceability for regulatory audit.
Spanish regulatory compliance
Dutch company; GDPR compliance at European level.
Spanish company (Kore Logic SL), LSSI-CE + LOPDGDD + GDPR compliance. Matters if your client requires a vendor with legal presence in Spain.
Billing model
Monthly invoice for consumption in EUR.
Monthly invoice for actual pooled consumption in EUR, issued from Spain (Spanish VAT applicable to Spain customers).

When to choose which

Choose Simbase if…

  • Your deployment is pan-European with no strong Spain focus.
  • You're a developer and value CLI + modern dashboard over phone support.
  • Your team works in English/Dutch and developer-first documentation is more useful than human onboarding.
  • You don't need specific anchoring to Movistar, Vodafone or Orange.
  • Your use case isn't regulated in Spain (no metering compliance, no Spanish critical infrastructure).
  • The vendor can be outside Spain without your legal department raising flags.

Choose iot.cards if…

  • You deploy mostly in Spain and need real tri-carrier multi-IMSI (Movistar+Vodafone+Orange) as a differentiator.
  • You need private APN or static IP as a standard layer, not a gated enterprise module.
  • Your client or legal department requires a vendor with legal presence in Spain (Spanish-VAT invoice, Spanish-law contract, Spanish-language support).
  • Your vertical is regulated metering, healthcare, or Telefónica/Iberdrola partner contexts.
  • You need human technical onboarding from the first SIM, not just tickets.
  • You need ICCID-keyed traceability for regulatory audit.

Frequently asked questions

Does Simbase have coverage in Spain?
Yes, Simbase offers Spain coverage via European partners. The operational difference vs iot.cards isn't "yes or no coverage" but the depth of the tri-carrier multi-IMSI model specifically for Movistar/Vodafone/Orange. If your device is in an area where a single carrier has marginal coverage, a SIM with real failover between the three national networks reduces outage risk.
Which has the better developer experience?
Simbase has made DX its main proposition: clean dashboard, CLI, rich developer-oriented documentation. iot.cards has a documented REST API with HMAC-signed webhooks and ICCID idempotency — functionally powerful but with less "developer marketing" focus. If what you value is reducing the learning curve to zero days, Simbase scores higher. If you need integration into an existing enterprise system with traceability, both deliver.
What about regulated metering?
Here iot.cards has a clear advantage: documented operational experience in PRIME, G3-PLC and Meters & More deployments, ICCID-keyed traceability for regulatory reporting, dedicated private APN to the DSO, private static IP per meter. Simbase doesn't have that specific operational experience in the Spanish market. For a Spanish electricity distributor, it matters.
And private APN / static IP?
Both offer them, but with different positioning. iot.cards offers them as a standard layer contractable from the first SIM (no enterprise committee required), whereas in Simbase private APN is an enterprise product. For integrators who want to validate private APN on a 5-SIM pilot before scaling, iot.cards reduces commercial friction. For large fleets with annual commitment, both are viable.
Does Simbase invoice include Spanish VAT?
Simbase invoices from the Netherlands. For Spanish companies that need an invoice with Spanish VAT charged (not the EU intra-community reverse-charge scheme), iot.cards (Kore Logic SL, Spanish CIF) issues a local invoice. For companies with a finance department comfortable with the European intra-community scheme, it's not a problem. For Spanish SMBs with local accounting advisors, it simplifies things.
Spanish-language support?
Simbase operates in English and Dutch. iot.cards has an engineering team in Seville responding in Spanish by phone and email, with technical onboarding included from the first SIM. For Spanish integrators with non-English-speaking teams, it matters.
When should I NOT pick iot.cards?
If your deployment is 80% Netherlands, Belgium, Germany (Simbase's native markets) and only 20% Spain, Simbase has better cultural and operational fit. If your team works in English and CLI/dashboard developer-first is what you value most (vs human support), Simbase scores higher. If your end client is a European multinational with no Spain-vendor requirements, both deliver and the decision goes on DX and price.
Can I migrate between Simbase and iot.cards?
Technically yes, but it requires a physical SIM swap (different IMSI). If in doubt, we recommend starting with a 5-10% pilot at each vendor to validate the real usage profile (per-location coverage, latency, billing) before mass deployment. Especially with solderable MFF2, migration costs field time.

Want us to size your case?

Tell us how many devices, what they consume, what your requirements are (APN, IP, regulated vertical) and where they're deployed (Spain, EU, international). We'll honestly tell you which fits better — even if the answer is "stay with Simbase".

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