Airalo vs Holafly: eSIM prices compared in 26 destinations
As of 3 October 2026: Airalo has the lower price for a 7-day unlimited plan in 23 of the 26 destinations that both Airalo and Holafly cover; Holafly is cheaper in 1 and 2 are level. Unlimited plans can slow down after a daily amount of data; the limits each provider states are quoted below. Price is only one part of the choice: this comparison does not measure network quality or speed.
7-day unlimited plan by destination
| Destination | Airalo | Holafly | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $25.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Japan | $26.50 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Europe | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| United Kingdom | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Italy | $23.00 | $23.90 | Airalo |
| China | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Canada | $32.00 | $36.50 | Airalo |
| Mexico | $23.50 | $23.90 | Airalo |
| France | $23.50 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Thailand | $21.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Spain | $23.50 | $23.90 | Airalo |
| Philippines | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| India | $39.50 | $39.50 | Level |
| Australia | $26.50 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Vietnam | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Turkey | $24.50 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Costa Rica | $36.50 | $36.50 | Level |
| Asia | $26.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Portugal | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Ireland | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| South Korea | $29.00 | $27.50 | Holafly |
| Germany | $24.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Greece | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Indonesia | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Singapore | $27.00 | $27.50 | Airalo |
| Worldwide | $45.00 | $46.90 | Airalo |
What each provider states
Taken from each provider's own pages; every value links to its source. Where we could not verify a fact, the table says so.
| Topic | Airalo | Holafly |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019source | 2017source |
| Registered in | Singaporesource | Irelandsource |
| Destinations (provider's claim) | 200+ countries and regionssource | 200+ destinations (daily eSIMs); 160+ destinations (Holafly Plans subscriptions)source |
| Unlimited plans | Yessource | Yessource |
| Hotspot / tethering | YessourceAllowed 'as long as it is supported by your device and the network'. For Unlimited eSIMs, tethering allowed with no stated cap, but the daily data allowance applies to hotspot usage too. | YessourceDaily/trip eSIMs: up to 1 GB of hotspot sharing per day. Holafly Plans Unlimited ($64.90/month shown): unlimited hotspot sharing; 25 GB plan: 25 GB sharing. Always On backup 1 GB: hotspot prohibited. |
| Top-up of an existing eSIM | YessourceOnly rechargeable eSIMs can be topped up; check the 'Additional information' tab before purchase. Top up via My eSIMs > Top up. Whether top-ups extend validity is not stated in the article. | NosourceDaily eSIMs cannot be topped up; buy a new plan (ideally 24h before expiry) and switch profiles. Holafly Plans Light (25 GB) also has no top-up. Monthly plans auto-renew every 30 days. Always On gives 1 GB/30 days after plan ends. |
| Calls / SMS included | NosourceStandard plans are data-only. Some plans ('Data, Voice & Text') include calls and SMS; 'Data Only' plans do not. Discover+ Global eSIM includes a US (+1) phone number with calls and SMS; inbound SMS is not deducted from SMS balance. | NosourceDaily/trip eSIMs are data-only: no phone number, no calls, no SMS (T&C). Exception: Holafly Plans (monthly/annual Unlimited Plan only) include a +1 or +44 number that can RECEIVE SMS only (via app or email); no outgoing SMS, no calls. Calls/messages possible via WhatsApp over data. |
| Longest validity (days) | 365source | 90source |
"Unlimited" plans: what the providers say about limits
Unlimited plans often slow down after a daily amount of data. These are the providers' own statements.
Airalo
Airalo blog: 'If you exceed 3 GB of data usage, your speeds drop to 1 Mbps and resets every 24 hours from the moment of activation'; connection stays active. Help center: unlimited packages 'may ... experience slower connection speeds on days you use more than a specified amount of data'.
sourceHolafly
No fixed data cap, but 'data coverage and speed may be subject to a network service provider's fair use policy'. Some operators may reduce speeds after a certain high-speed data limit; per Holafly, 'this is not a restriction applied by Holafly' and the reduction lasts no more than one day. No numeric threshold published. Hotspot is capped (1 GB/day) on daily plans even though data is 'unlimited'.
source
Frequently asked questions
- Is Airalo cheaper than Holafly?
- As of 3 October 2026: Airalo has the lower price for a 7-day unlimited plan in 23 of the 26 destinations that both Airalo and Holafly cover; Holafly is cheaper in 1 and 2 are level. Unlimited plans can slow down after a daily amount of data; the limits each provider states are quoted below. Price is only one part of the choice: this comparison does not measure network quality or speed.
- How do you compare the two providers?
- At least one of the two providers sells no fixed-data plans, so a price per GB cannot be compared. Instead we compare the price of each provider's 7-day unlimited plan in every destination both cover. Unlimited plans can slow down after a daily amount of data, so the providers' own limits are quoted below.
Read the methodology and the affiliate disclosure.