Buying an eSIM used to be simple. Today, there are dozens of providers, but Airalo and Holafly remain the two biggest names.
Both let you avoid expensive roaming charges, install an eSIM in minutes and stay connected almost anywhere in the world.
But they are built for different travelers.
Airalo focuses on flexibility and value, giving you everything from small 1GB plans to unlimited data in many destinations.
Holafly focuses on simplicity, with unlimited data on almost every destination plan, making it attractive for travelers who never want to think about running out of data.
So which one should you actually buy?
If I had to recommend only one provider for most travelers, I’d choose Airalo.
However, Holafly is absolutely the better choice for certain types of trips.
This guide explains exactly when each provider wins.
Quick Verdict
Buy Airalo if:
✔ You want the cheapest option
✔ You mainly use Google Maps, WhatsApp and social media
✔ You’re visiting multiple countries
✔ You prefer choosing exactly how much data you buy
✔ You occasionally use your phone as a hotspot
Buy Holafly if:
✔ You stream videos every day
✔ You work remotely
✔ You don’t want to monitor your remaining data
✔ You’re happy paying a little more for unlimited data
✔ Simplicity matters more than saving money
Airalo vs Holafly at a glance
| Feature | Airalo | Holafly |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plans | ✅ Winner | ❌ |
| Unlimited data | Available in many destinations | ✅ Standard on most plans |
| Countries covered | 200+ | 200+ |
| Local & regional plans | Excellent | Very good |
| Global plans | Yes | Yes |
| Hotspot | ✅ Full purchased allowance | ⚠ Usually 500MB/day on unlimited plans |
| Voice & SMS | Available on Discover+ and selected plans | Data only |
| Customer support | Live chat, email | Live chat, email, WhatsApp |
| Best for budget travel | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Best for heavy users | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall winner | 🏆 Airalo |
Which one would I personally buy?
This is probably the question you’re really asking.
If I were spending 10 days in Greece, Portugal or Albania, I’d buy Airalo.
Why?
Because my phone usage would mostly be:
- Google Maps
- Booking.com
- Uber
- restaurant searches
- Google Translate
I’d probably use somewhere between 5GB and 10GB during the entire trip.
Paying extra for unlimited data simply wouldn’t give me any real benefit.
On the other hand…
If I were backpacking around Europe for two months while working remotely every day, I’d buy Holafly.
Video meetings, cloud storage, YouTube and constant tethering can quickly consume dozens of gigabytes.
That’s exactly where unlimited data becomes worth paying for.
Airalo overview
Airalo was the world’s first dedicated eSIM marketplace and remains one of the biggest providers.
Instead of selling one type of plan, Airalo gives you options.
You can choose:
- Local eSIMs
- Regional eSIMs
- Global eSIMs
- Fixed-data plans
- Unlimited plans (available in many destinations)
- Discover+ plans including calls and SMS
That flexibility is Airalo’s biggest strength.
For many travelers, unlimited data simply isn’t necessary.
If you’re mostly using maps, messaging apps and booking confirmations, a smaller plan can save a surprising amount of money.
Airalo Pros
- Lowest prices for most destinations
- Huge country selection
- Local, regional and global plans
- Flexible data packages
- Unlimited plans available in many countries
- Calls and SMS on Discover+
- Excellent app
Airalo Cons
- More plans means more decisions
- Many local plans are data-only
- Some travelers prefer unlimited data regardless of price
Holafly overview
Holafly takes a completely different approach.
Instead of offering dozens of different data packages, it asks a much simpler question:
How many days are you travelling?
For almost every destination, Holafly provides unlimited data.
Choose your destination.
Choose your number of days.
Install the eSIM.
Start using your phone.
That’s why Holafly has become so popular with people who don’t want to think about gigabytes.
If you’re constantly uploading photos, making video calls or streaming content, unlimited data removes a lot of stress.
Holafly Pros
- Unlimited data on almost every destination
- Extremely easy purchasing process
- Flexible trip durations (1–90 days)
- Great for heavy users
- Excellent customer support
- WhatsApp support
Holafly Cons
- More expensive
- Most plans are data only
- Hotspot limits apply on unlimited plans
- Fewer plan choices
Airalo vs Holafly pricing
Price is where most travelers notice the biggest difference.
Let’s compare a typical 7-day trip.
| Provider | Typical Plan | Approximate Price |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | 3GB | $8–12 |
| Holafly | Unlimited | $25–35 |
If your holiday mostly involves:
- Google Maps
- browsing
- restaurant searches
- social media
then 3GB is often enough.
In that situation, Airalo costs less than half the price of Holafly.
However…
If you’re using:
- Zoom
- YouTube
- Netflix
- cloud backups
- remote desktop
- large file uploads
Holafly quickly becomes better value because you never have to worry about buying additional data.
Fixed data vs unlimited data
This is the biggest decision.
Not installation.
Not coverage.
Not customer support.
Choose Airalo if:
You know roughly how much data you use.
For example:
- 3GB
- 5GB
- 10GB
- 20GB
You pay only for what you need.
Choose Holafly if:
You never want to think about remaining data.
That’s Holafly’s biggest advantage.
Unlimited data removes uncertainty.
Instead of checking usage every day, you simply use your phone normally.
For many travelers, that peace of mind is worth paying extra for.
Hotspot comparison (one of the biggest differences)
This is something surprisingly few comparison articles explain.
If you regularly connect your laptop to your phone, Airalo is usually the better option.
With Airalo, your hotspot simply uses your purchased data allowance.
Buy 20GB.
Use 20GB.
Whether it’s on your phone or shared with your laptop doesn’t matter.
Holafly works differently.
Most unlimited destination plans allow hotspot sharing, but it is generally limited to around 500MB per day.
That is enough for:
- Slack
- web browsing
- messaging
It is not enough for:
- Zoom meetings
- streaming video
- downloading large files
- cloud backups
- remote desktop sessions
If you plan to work while travelling and expect to tether a laptop every day, this single difference could make Airalo the better choice despite Holafly’s unlimited phone data.
Coverage comparison
When it comes to coverage, there is no dramatic winner.
Both Airalo and Holafly cover more than 200 countries and regions, meaning you can use either provider almost anywhere most travelers visit.
The real difference is how they package their plans rather than where they operate.
Airalo
Airalo offers:
- Local eSIMs
- Regional eSIMs
- Global eSIMs
For example, if you’re visiting Portugal, Spain and France, you can buy one Europe plan instead of three separate eSIMs.
If you’re travelling through Asia, you can buy an Asia regional eSIM.
The same applies to Africa, Latin America and many other regions.
That flexibility is one of Airalo’s biggest strengths.
Holafly
Holafly also covers more than 200 destinations.
However, its philosophy is different.
Instead of offering dozens of data options, Holafly focuses on making the purchase process as simple as possible.
Choose:
- destination
- number of travel days
That’s it.
For many travelers, that simplicity is worth paying extra for.
Which has better coverage?
For signal quality, neither.
Both providers use local mobile networks.
If Vodafone has the strongest network in Portugal, both companies may partner with Vodafone.
If Orange has the strongest network in Morocco, both may use Orange.
Coverage therefore depends far more on the local carrier than on Airalo or Holafly themselves.
For destination-specific recommendations, read:
If Morocco is your next destination, these guides may also help:
Customer support
Neither provider leaves you on your own after purchase.
Both offer:
- 24/7 customer support
- Live chat
- Email support
- Extensive help centers
Holafly adds another option:
- WhatsApp support
That can be useful if your eSIM stops working while travelling and you don’t want to search through a help center.
In practice, both companies have good reputations for resolving activation issues quickly.
Support winner
🏆 Holafly
The extra WhatsApp support makes contacting an agent slightly easier.
Installation
Fortunately, installation isn’t a deciding factor.
Both providers support:
- QR code installation
- Manual installation
- Direct installation through their apps on supported devices
The process is almost identical.
My recommendation
Install your eSIM while you’re still at home on Wi-Fi.
Once you land:
- Enable the eSIM
- Turn on Data Roaming for the travel eSIM (if required by the provider)
- Select it as your mobile data line
Most installation problems happen because travelers wait until they arrive at the airport with no internet connection.
Voice calls and SMS
This is another important difference.
Airalo
Most Airalo plans are data only.
However, Discover+ and selected destination plans include:
- Phone number
- Voice minutes
- SMS
If you genuinely need traditional calls instead of WhatsApp or FaceTime, Airalo is the stronger option.
Holafly
Holafly destination plans are generally data only.
Calls are expected to happen through:
- Messenger
- FaceTime
- Telegram
- Signal
For most travelers that isn’t a problem.
But if you need a real phone number, Airalo wins.
Who should choose Airalo?
Airalo is the better choice if you:
- Travel several times each year
- Want the lowest price
- Mostly use Maps and messaging apps
- Like choosing different data packages
- Want regional eSIMs
- Need occasional voice calls or SMS
- Use your phone as a hotspot
- Don’t need unlimited data every day
For the majority of holidays, Airalo offers the best balance between price and flexibility.
👉 See Airalo’s latest plans and prices
Who should choose Holafly?
Holafly is ideal if you:
- Work remotely
- Stream videos daily
- Upload lots of photos
- Don’t want to monitor your remaining data
- Prefer paying one price and forgetting about it
- Value simplicity more than saving money
Unlimited data removes one of the biggest travel annoyances—constantly wondering how much data you have left.
Final verdict
After testing both providers and comparing their pricing, flexibility and features, my recommendation is straightforward.
Buy Airalo if:
✅ You want the best overall value.
It offers:
- Lower prices
- More plan choices
- Excellent regional eSIMs
- Voice and SMS on selected plans
- Better hotspot flexibility
For around 80–90% of travelers, Airalo is the better purchase.
Buy Holafly if: choose Holafly when your priority is unlimited data.
It’s particularly well suited to:
- Digital nomads
- Heavy YouTube users
- Frequent video calls
- Long work trips
- Travelers who simply don’t want to think about data limits
The higher price buys convenience rather than extra features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Airalo or Holafly better?
For most travelers, Airalo is the better choice because it offers lower prices, more plan flexibility and a wider range of eSIM options.
Holafly is better for travelers who specifically want unlimited data.
Which is cheaper?
Airalo.
A typical 7-day trip can cost around $8–12 with Airalo compared with approximately $25–35 for Holafly’s unlimited plan.
Which has unlimited data?
Both.
However, Holafly builds almost all of its destination plans around unlimited data, while Airalo offers both fixed-data and unlimited options depending on the destination.
Which has better coverage?
Neither provider has a consistent advantage.
Both cover more than 200 countries and use local mobile network partners.
Coverage depends on the destination rather than the brand.
Can I use my phone as a hotspot?
Yes.
Airalo lets you use your purchased data allowance however you like.
Holafly allows hotspot sharing, but most unlimited destination plans limit tethering to around 500MB per day.
Which is easier to install?
Both are equally easy.
Installation takes only a few minutes using a QR code or direct app installation.
Which is better for Europe?
Airalo.
Its Europe regional plans offer excellent flexibility and usually provide better value for typical holiday data usage.
Which is better for digital nomads?
Holafly.
If you’re online all day, unlimited data becomes much more valuable.
Does either provider include a phone number?
Airalo does on selected Discover+ and some local plans.
Holafly destination plans are generally data only.
Is Holafly worth the extra money?
Yes—but only if you’ll genuinely use the unlimited data.
If your trip mostly involves navigation, messaging and social media, Airalo usually offers much better value.
