Airalo vs Holafly: Which eSIM Is Cheaper, and Where Each One Wins
Verdict:Buy Airalo for most trips: it was cheaper than Holafly on every unlimited duration we checked in Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, it sells fixed-GB plans that cost far less for light use, and it publishes its daily full-speed cap. Buy Holafly only if you want unlimited data sold by the exact day, from 1 to 90 days, and accept paying from $0.50 to about $25 more.
Buy Airalo for most trips. On the unlimited plans where the two compete directly, Airalo was cheaper than Holafly at every duration we checked in Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, and it also sells cheap fixed-GB plans that Holafly does not offer on its country pages. Holafly is the better choice only if you want unlimited data sold by the exact day and you accept paying more for it.
That is the short answer. The longer one is about two different models: Airalo sells a catalog of fixed-GB plans plus unlimited plans, while Holafly sells unlimited by duration. We compared both on their own country pages on October 12, 2026, and the numbers below are in USD.
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The price comparison
Here are the unlimited plans side by side, which is the only apples-to-apples comparison, since Holafly’s country pages show only unlimited plans.
Destination and duration
Airalo
Holafly
Holafly costs more by
Japan, 7 days
$26.50
$27.50
$1.00
Japan, 30 days
$69.00
$73.90
$4.90
Thailand, 7 days
$21.00
$27.50
$6.50
Thailand, 30 days
$49.00
$73.90
$24.90
Vietnam, 7 days
$27.00
$27.50
$0.50
Vietnam, 30 days
$69.00
$76.50
$7.50
Thailand is where the gap is widest. A 30-day Thailand plan is $49 at Airalo and $73.90 at Holafly, a difference of $24.90, which pays for a fixed 20 GB plan with money to spare.
The bigger saving is the model. If you will use 5 to 10 GB, Airalo’s fixed plans are far cheaper than any unlimited plan: 10 GB for 30 days is $18 in Japan, $11 in Thailand, and $18 in Vietnam. Holafly’s country pages do not list a fixed-GB option.
How “unlimited” works at each
Both brands cap their unlimited plans in practice, and the difference is whether they tell you the number.
Airalo publishes it. Its Japan and Vietnam unlimited plans slow to 1 Mbps after 3 GB per day, and its Thailand unlimited plans do the same after 5 GB per day.
Holafly’s pages say operators may restrict speeds “for no more than one day” under a fair-use policy, and that speed returns to normal the next day. It does not publish a gigabyte figure.
That does not mean Holafly is worse in use. A cap you cannot see is still a cap, though, and it is harder to plan around than one printed on the plan.
Hotspot, phone numbers, and setup
Hotspot is a clear split. Airalo’s help centre says you can use your personal hotspot “as long as it is supported by your device and the network.” Holafly’s pages cap sharing at 1 GB per day, so a 7-day plan gives you 7 GB to share. If you tether a laptop for work, that is the deciding factor.
Neither includes a phone number on the country plans we checked. Holafly’s country pages say there is no local number for calls or texts, and Airalo’s Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam plans are data-only. Keep your home SIM active as a second line for bank codes, which our guide to eSIM vs physical SIM for travel walks through.
Airalo’s homepage claims 200+ locations and more than 30 million customers, with local, regional, and global eSIMs, plus app ratings of 4.7 on iOS and 4.6 on Android. Its Japan listing also describes plans as rechargeable online with no expiry, so you can top up instead of buying a new eSIM.
Two things trip people up. Airalo prices by your location, and from a Canadian connection its pages showed Canadian dollars, so use the currency selector before you compare it with a USD price elsewhere. And its unlimited plans cost more than its fixed plans for the same trip, so light users should skip unlimited entirely.
Holafly’s strength is simplicity. You pick a destination and a number of days, from 1 to 90, and you get unlimited data with no tiers to decode. Its homepage shows a 4.7 Trustpilot score from 114,725+ reviews, and says chat support runs around the clock.
It also sells a monthly subscription at $49.90 for people abroad for 30 days or more, and a global “Light” plan with 25 GB of data. We did not compare those against Airalo’s equivalents, so check them if you are staying a month or more.
The price is the problem. Holafly was more expensive at every duration we compared, and its hotspot sharing is capped at 1 GB per day.
The user evidence is mixed and mostly small-sample. A GummySearch roundup of Reddit comments scores Airalo 4.5 from 73 reviews and Holafly 4.3 from 22. One Holafly reviewer wrote that it “worked perfect since minute 1,” with TikTok as the exception, and a Thai Q&A thread named Airalo the most recommended eSIM there.
The same thread also had a poster calling Airalo and Saily “not good for data,” so coverage depends on the country and the network the plan picks. If you want the country-level detail, our guides to the best eSIM for Japan, the best eSIM for Thailand, and the best eSIM for Vietnam name the network each plan rides.
If you want the cheapest reliable plan for most trips, buy Airalo. It was cheaper than Holafly at every unlimited duration we checked, with fixed plans from $4.
If you tether a laptop, buy Airalo. Its help centre allows hotspot, where Holafly caps sharing at 1 GB per day.
If you want unlimited data picked by the exact day and never want to compare tiers, buy Holafly. A 7-day plan is $27.50 in Japan or Thailand.
If you will use under 5 GB, buy a fixed Airalo plan, not an unlimited plan from either. 5 GB for 30 days is $8 in Thailand and $11 in Japan or Vietnam.
Airalo vs Saily compared on live prices, coverage, calls, apps, support, and Trustpilot scores, with a clear pick for each kind of trip.
Verdict: Airalo is the better default because its prices match Saily's almost to the cent and it adds calls and SMS plans, 3 to 365 day validity, and wider regional coverage. Saily is the better pick if you want a single reusable eSIM, faster in-app support, and a much higher Trustpilot score (4.7 against 4.1).
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