Airalo vs. Holafly: Which eSIM is better?

Airalo vs. Holafly: Overall comparison

We’ll go into a lot more depth later, but here’s the headline info for each eSIM company (in case you’re panic-reading this next to your departure gate — we’ve all been there!). For fairness, we’ve also included the relevant points of comparison for Saily, our own eSIM service.

On the table below, the term “local” refers to individual destinations like the US, Brazil, or Japan, while “regional” means a large grouping of local destinations, such as North America or Europe. “Global” in this context indicates that an eSIM plan covers all of a provider’s local destinations, but does not indicate worldwide coverage in a literal sense.

The information about eSIM features in this comparison was last verified on the eSIM providers’ official websites on August 19, 2025. The Trustpilot ratings were also checked on their respective Trustpilot pages on the same date. This information is subject to change.

*According to the information collected from official Saily’s website on August 6, 2025, Saily’s US$1.99 price applies to the 1 GB plan for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic (Czechia), and Mayotte only. 

Which offers better plans? Airalo vs. Holafly

Both of these companies provide great eSIM deals. That said, if we compare Airalo and Holafly eSIM plans, we’ll find some pretty big points of difference, especially when it comes to price and flexibility. 

Airalo plans

Airalo offers five or six data packages for all its destinations, usually starting with 1 GB for seven days and maxing out at 20 GB for 30 days. The value of each plan improves as you go up in price, so unless you’re going on a short trip with very minimal internet usage, the smartest choice is almost always one of the slightly more expensive options. Even for basic internet use, a 1 GB deal is unlikely to last you for seven days.

Beyond data limits and plan durations, the other defining factor of Airalo’s packages is the location — or locations — covered by each eSIM. The company offers three types of plans: local (an individual country, like Canada or Italy), regional (a group of multiple countries — think Europe or North America), and global. Airalo’s six global options start with 1 GB for seven days and go up to 20 GB for 365 days.

Setting itself apart from Holafly, Airalo lets users pay extra for a global eSIM that includes calls and text messages (or SMS). A limited number of local eSIMs also have this option — for example, travelers to the US can get up to 400 minutes, 200 messages, and 20 GB for 30 days (costing US$49.00).

Holafly plans

Holafly’s big selling point is its unlimited data plans. Its eSIM deals vary in duration and location, but not in the amount of internet you can use. Holafly also doesn’t restrict you to specific blocks of time. Instead, you choose the exact number of days you want coverage for, from one to 90. 

As with Airalo, the other variable is the area where the eSIM is operational. You can get an eSIM for a single country or buy a regional data package that covers a large area like Europe or Africa. Holafly also offers global eSIM plans with unlimited data across all of its 200+ destinations.

You won’t get any mobile calling or messages with Holafly, but that might not be a problem. Unlimited data means you can use VoIP apps (WhatsApp or Zoom, for example) without worrying about eating through your eSIM’s internet allowance.

Which one is cheaper: Airalo vs. Holafly?

Airalo is cheaper than Holafly — but “cheap” doesn’t automatically mean “best value.” Remember, Holafly’s whole selling point is unlimited internet, while most Airalo customers will probably end up buying a package with a fixed data limit. If you buy an Airalo eSIM for a seven-day holiday, you’ll probably pay around US$4.50. Compare that to Holafly, where seven days of data will set you back US$29.90. 

This kind of price comparison isn’t particularly helpful, though. A US$4.50 Airalo eSIM only includes 1 GB of data — enough for around an hour scrolling on social media. Airalo does offer some unlimited data plans, but just for a few specific locations. For example, among its regional plans, only the European deal includes restriction-free internet. To get a better understanding of these two services’ pricing, let’s compare unlimited deals.

We’ll use two destinations — a country (Turkey) and a wider region (Europe). Airalo’s unlimited eSIM for Turkey lasts for 10 days and costs US$35.00. Holafly doesn’t restrict the number of days your eSIM lasts, but if you request 10 days in Turkey, you’ll be charged US$36.90. In this instance, Airalo is cheaper. The European options? Exactly the same — 10 days with Airalo is US$35.00, while Holafly charges US$36.90.

While US$1.90 isn’t much of a difference, you can probably see the real contrast now. Airalo is cheaper, but the packages it offers are a lot more restrictive overall. Holafly is more expensive, but you’re paying for a combination of unlimited data and duration flexibility. 

Airalo vs. Holafly: Which is more trustworthy?

The trustworthiness of these two brands isn’t easy to determine, but one does seem to have a larger, happier user base. Neither Holafly nor Airalo has been involved in any known data breaches or major scandals, but let’s take a look at their Trustpilot pages.

When you view the entries for these two brands, the first thing that might jump out is the score. Holafly enjoys a strong 4.6 (out of five), while Airalo sits at 3.7 — an indicator of service quality, but not necessarily trustworthiness. But the important bit is the number of reviews. At the time of writing, Holafly has racked up 60,583 reviews, while Airalo’s score is based on just 7,354.

Despite these two companies being founded only a few years apart, many more people are choosing Holafly than Airalo, and they seem to be having a better experience (based purely on average reviews). Again, we’re not saying you can’t trust Airalo — just that a lot of users are apparently happier with Holafly.

You can view each of the Trustpilot pages for yourself by following the links below:

• Holafly on Trustpilot 

• Airalo on Trustpilot 

Which one offers better network speed?

This is a bit of a trick question, because eSIMs themselves don’t provide you with specific speeds. When you buy an eSIM plan — from Holafly, Airalo, Saily, or any other eSIM brand — you get connected to mobile providers in the locations where you’re traveling. Those cell companies have their own infrastructure, and that’s a big determining factor in the speed and stability of your service. Holafly and Airalo plans can both get you fast 5G connections, but only if local services are up to the job. 

One thing you need to be aware of is the companies’ fair usage policies. Like most eSIM brands — including Saily — Holafly and Airalo stipulate that the providers they connect you to are allowed to slow your internet down once you use up a certain (often undefined) amount of high-speed data. On Airalo’s website, the company states: “You may [...] experience slower connection speeds on days you use more than a specified amount of data.”

Holafly has the same clause. On its website, the terms and conditions say: “If you purchase an ‘unlimited’ data plan, please note your data coverage and speed may be subject to a network service provider’s fair use policy. This means that to ensure a high quality of service for all users, the network service provider reserves its right to impose restrictions or limitations on data usage or speed if your usage is deemed excessive or if it negatively impacts the network performance of other users.”

Is speed a major concern for you? Check which cell companies your eSIM will be using during your trip. On both Airalo and Holafly’s sites, their mobile provider partners should be listed in the details of your eSIM, which you can view before purchasing. You might want to research these networks to see if they’ll meet your needs.  

Airalo vs. Holafly: User reviews and feedback

Before going further, we should remind you that anecdotal feedback on the internet is not a great barometer for eSIM quality. Users on social media, Reddit, and Trustpilot have plenty of feedback for both Airalo and Holafly, but none of it is verifiable. We don’t even know if any of the reviews come from people who actually used the service, so take everything below with an enormous pinch of salt.

Let’s start with Airalo’s Trustpilot reviews — 37% include two stars or less, and many seem to focus on unreliable connectivity as their main complaint. One person, who used an eSIM in Malaysia, complained that Airalo connected them to an extremely slow local network, which often dropped their coverage. Another stated that their eSIM (purchased for a trip to France) offered poor speeds and often failed to connect.

On the flip side, 58% of the Trustpilot entries for Airalo give the service four (9%) or five (49%) stars, with a lot of users commenting on the low cost of its plans. Feedback from someone who traveled to Germany, Italy, and Iceland described Airalo as a “lifesaver” and said it was “cheap” and “affordable” — a sentiment echoed by a user who spent three weeks traveling around Asia with an Airalo eSIM. 

Holafly’s reviews are broadly more positive, with 89% of users rating them four (6%) or five (83%) stars. The big theme when you look through its feedback is customer service — one person after another mentions (sometimes by name) the Holafly customer support agents who helped them resolve issues and get connected. Oddly enough, Holafly’s sub-two-star reviews (9%) also mention customer service, zeroing in on slow response times. In short, Holafly has better reviews and seems to offer a pretty good customer experience, except for (admittedly rare) occasions when its team doesn’t respond quickly enough. 

Additional features and other considerations

Most eSIM providers want to set themselves apart with a few special features and add-ons, and Airalo is no exception. For example, Airalo includes options for call minutes and SMS services with some of its plans, though most eSIMs are currently data only. It’s harder than you might think to find eSIM companies that include calling and texting functions — points for Airalo!

Airalo also runs a rewards scheme called Airmoney. Users earn in-app points when they buy an eSIM, refer other people to the service, or take advantage of promotional offers. They can spend their points (or Airmoney) to reduce the price of future purchases.

Holafly users get access to a similar rewards program — the Holafly Travel Club, or HTC. This lets them earn HolaCoins, which operate in the same way as Airmoney. Aside from that, Holafly doesn’t bring any notable extra features to the table (at least, none that we could find). 

Both services include 24/7 customer support, but that’s the norm for eSIM brands these days. As previously discussed, though, anecdotal online reports suggest that Holafly’s support is a little better at resolving customer complaints than Airalo’s.

Airalo vs. Holafly: The final verdict

If you plan to use a lot of internet while you’re on your trip, perhaps making regular video calls or downloading large files, Holafly is probably your best bet. Airalo’s unrestricted data options might be marginally cheaper, but that’s only relevant if you’re visiting the specific regions where they apply. 

Travelers who don’t use a lot of mobile data while traveling (for example, if you want to spend your vacation relaxing in a resort with Wi-Fi) might find Airalo’s cheaper eSIMs more cost effective. Different trips call for different internet solutions, so don’t just pick one brand because it works for someone else — define your needs and then go with the eSIM provider that meets them.

Don’t worry if neither service is quite the right fit. These are just two of the many eSIM providers out there and others, like Saily, could also be a great choice for your next trip.

Saily: A great eSIM for affordable data and privacy protection

Saily is an affordable, easy-to-use eSIM app that comes stacked with extra features. When comparing Saily vs. Holafly, the biggest difference is the price — aside from its single-day deals, Holafly’s eSIMs are pricier than Saily’s across the board. Saily offers a small number of plans as cheap as US$1.99, but its standard starter package, priced at US$3.99, is one of the most affordable options on the market.

Maybe unlimited internet isn’t your top priority. In that case, you’ll probably end up choosing between Saily and Airalo. In this context, Saily again proves to be the low-cost option. Remember, Airalo’s basic plans usually start around US$4.50 — US$2.51 more than Saily’s cheapest eSIMs. Saily also has a more established and well-reviewed brand, despite being relatively new, with a Trustpilot rating of 4.5 stars based on feedback from 8,095 users (compared to Airalo’s 3.7 stars and 7,354 reviews).

What about those extra features we mentioned? Saily is brought to you by the team behind NordVPN, so the app doesn’t just get you online — it makes you safer while you browse. With Saily, you’ll see fewer ads, your online activity will be harder to track, and sites known for malicious activity will be blocked. If you’re looking for an internet experience that’s fast, affordable, and secure, you might be looking for Saily.

We do our best to keep everything accurate and up to date, but eSIM service provider prices, plans, and features can change quickly. If you spot something that seems outdated or incorrect, feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected] — we’d really appreciate the heads-up!