Airalo vs Holafly: Which is the best eSIM option for your trip?

Are you preparing a trip and can’t decide on a brand of eSIM cards? Then you’re in the right place. At Passporter we want you to enjoy your trips to the fullest and we know that having internet on your mobile phone is a great advantage when you are abroad. That’s why we have prepared this post where we compare Airalo and Holafly, two of the best eSIM card brands at the moment. And we had the opportunity to test both of them on a trip to the United States.

Airalo is one of the cheapest brands on the market, however, in our experience in the end it comes out expensive as their plans have limited data that usually run out, forcing you to recharge the eSIM and paying more. That’s why at Passporter we always recommend cards with unlimited data, like those of the Spanish company Holafly, to travel without worries or unexpected expenses.

If you want to know all the advantages and disadvantages of the eSIM from Holafly and Airalo, follow us and we will share everything you need to know to choose the perfect eSIM for your trip.

Comparison of Airalo and Holafly eSIM card

Brand	Plan duration	Data sharing	Unlimited data	App	GB per plan	Support	Price	Trustpilot	Passporter Score
Holafly	5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 90 days	Sometimes	Yes	Yes	Unlimited data in all plans	English and other languages via direct chat and WhatsApp	6€ -99€	4,6	4,3
Airalo	7, 15 and 30 days	Yes	No	Yes	1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, 15GB and 20GB	In English, via bot	5€ – 185€	3,9	3,8

Advantages and disadvantages of Holafly and Airalo

At Passporter we have prepared these tables with the advantages and disadvantages of Airalo and Holafly eSIM cards based on our experience with them to help you make a decision. Although we are very clear that the cards with unlimited data are the best option for traveling, your needs may be different and other products may meet your expectations. Everyone travels and experiences it differently 😉

1. Advantages and disadvantages of Holafly’s eSIMs

Advantages

Disadvantages

– Quick and easy purchase and installation process. – Their eSIMs have unlimited data. – You can pay in several currencies (euros, dollars, Mexican pesos…). – It has multiple plan options: 5, 10, 15, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 90 days. – It has an App where you can check the remaining days of the contract. – 24/7 technical support in your language (English, Spanish, German, French, etc). – Its rating on Trustpilot is high: 4.6 out of 5.

– Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. – It is not exactly the cheapest option on the market. – They do not always allow data sharing with other devices. – It is not possible to install it through the App.

2. Advantages and disadvantages of Airalo eSIMs

Advantages	Disadvantages
– Quick and easy purchase and installation process. – It is considered one of the most economical brands in the market. – Their eSIMs allow data sharing with other devices. – Allows top up on some of its eSIMs. – Purchases and installation from the App.	– Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. – They do not have eSIMS with unlimited data. – Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes. – Very few plans available: only for 7, 15 and 30 days. – Their technical support is only in English. – Trustpilot rating is low: 2.3 out of 5.

1. Who offers better speed and data limit, Airalo or Holafly?

Holafly’s eSIM plans come with unlimited data, which is a great advantage, meaning you travel without worrying about running out of internet and never having to pay to recharge the eSIM again. You have the security that you are paying a single amount for “X” days of unlimited internet connection.

In the case of Airalo they don’t have plans with unlimited data, all their plans have a data limit of 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 10GB…. We recommend you to calculate well your GBs needs for your trip and prepare the budget to pay again, because, most likely, you will have to top up (you will have to be recharging the eSIM).

2. Which card has better plan duration, Holafly or Airalo eSIM?

In this aspect, Holafly’s eSIMs are better suited to all types of trips, since you can choose among multiple data plan options; for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 90 days. They even have products in which you can choose exactly how many days you will need, that is, you pay only for the days you use the service; you will neither have too much nor too little.

In case you are a digital nomad or are studying abroad, the 90-day plans may be perfect for you, you make a single payment and avoid having to buy the eSIM every month.

Airalo has only 3 options to choose from. 7, 15 and 30 days but you have to take into account that their plans allow you to share internet. If this is your best option we advise you to choose the plans with more GB and remember that having more devices connected will make you run out of data faster.

3. Who has better price, Airalo or Holafly?

Currently Airalo is considered one of the cheapest brands on the market. The prices of its eSIMs depend on each destination, but typically the weekly price is around $5 and the monthly price is around $30. Regional data plans per continent cost around $60 per month. In the case of Holafly, prices range from €6 to €99 depending on the plan you choose.

Although at first glance Airalo may seem the cheapest option, the truth is that it is very likely that you run out of gigabytes ahead of schedule and you have to be recharging and paying at least once more. Therefore, what looks economical at first, in the end, from my own experience, does not end up being so, and on top of that, you are under stress checking that you do not run out of data at the wrong time.

4. Do Holafly and Airalo eSIM allow data sharing?

One of the advantages of the Airalo eSIM cards is that they allow you to share data with other devices. In the mobile phone settings you can configure your data plan to allow this option. Keep in mind that if several devices use the eSIM at the same time, you will run out of data sooner. Holafly cards do not offer this service.

With Holafly cards, if you choose the unlimited data plans you will not be able to share internet with other devices. They only offer this possibility in the plans that do not have unlimited data and there are very few plans with this option.

5. Who offers the best purchasing and installation process?

In this regard, both brands have a very intuitive website and their purchase process is very simple. You can choose the destination of your trip and buy the eSIM data plan that suits you best. Then you will receive an email with instructions to install the eSIM and a QR code along with a numeric code to install it manually. You scan the QR code and follow the installation instructions, which are really simple.

With Holafly, you can also consult this numerical code in its App so as not to depend on a computer when it comes to making the installation. And in the case of Airalo, if you buy the eSIM from the App, you can install it directly from there.

6. Which app is better, Airalo’s or Holafly’s?

Airalo has an App where you can buy your eSIM plan and install it directly on your phone. This is a plus point for the brand as it greatly simplifies the purchase and installation process.

Holafly also has an App where you can monitor your remaining contract time and consult how to install the eSIM manually. But to be honest, the Holafly App is not a strong point of the brand.

7. Can eSIMs be recharged (if you run out of data)?

It is possible to recharge some Airalo cards once installed, but not all. When you buy the data plan, you can check if they offer this service in the “additional information” section. This service is useful when we run out of data in the middle of the trip not to go through the installation process again.

With Holafly this service is irrelevant because with their unlimited data plans you will never run out of GBs, so you don’t have to think about recharging.

8. Who offers better customer support, Airalo or Holafly?

Last but not least, we must take into account the technical support that each brand can offer us. If we have any unforeseen events with the service or need help to resolve doubts, it is very important to have immediate assistance. In this case, Holafly’s technical support is considered one of the best in the sector. They have 24/7 customer support and usually respond quickly via their chat or Whatsapp in your language, as they have assistance in multiple languages such as Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Japanese … etc..

Airalo customers can contact them through the chatbot or through social networks and only in English. It might be a disadvantage of the brand to have the assistance only in English because in case of any inconvenience it is essential to have immediate answers in our language and more when we are abroad.

User reviews of Airalo and Holafly eSIM cards

One of the most reliable websites to consult opinions about a brand is Trustpilot, the best source of reviews where you can compare and read what thousands of users think about all kinds of brands such as Holafly and Airalo.

On the Trustpilot website they rate brands from 0 to 5, and Holafly has a score of 4.6, the best compared to all other eSIM providers and the highest rated with over 30 thousand users who have taken the time to post their review, while Airalo has a score of 2.3, one of the lowest.

These are some reviews you’ll see on Trustpilot that we thought might help you make a decision.

1. Holafly Trustpilot reviews

I had some difficulties with the card because of a trip cancellation, and also because of my inexperience with technology. The guys at Holafly quickly resolved it with priority and excellence. I highly recommend this company.

E. Alonso, Trustpilot

Excellent service from Wayre!!! I had previously used HolaFly’s service and everything was perfect. Now with the change to eSim because of my mobile version I can’t use it but I have made the purchase for a family member who is leaving soon for the USA.

Jacinto, Trustpilot

Excellent service, very secure transaction and very very quick to help me with my questions. Highly recommended! Wayra was the one who assisted me and she is great, if you are assisted by her, consider yourselves lucky!

Jensie Bolaños, Trustpilot

The truth is that my experience was very good, at the beginning it was a little difficult to get connectivity but nothing that was not solved by a Holafly WhatsApp operator…I would do it again without doubt…in my case I took the 10 day card for New York and it was perfect.

Sandra Mata DE LA Concepcion, Trustpilot

2. Airalo Trustpilot reviews

It worked great for me. I was able to surf and make calls without any problems in Paris and in Italy. I highly recommend it!!!

Fernando Revah, Trustpilot

Excellent, super affordable prices and you can see how your consumption is going and recharge it, I had no problems in any country, my husband and I love it. We are from Mexico and it served us perfect in Spain, Italy, Malta, Greece and France.

Fer Alor, Trustpilot

A very good experience on my trip. It was very helpful. Maybe the plan rate should be a little cheaper. But the service is very good

Daniel, Truspilot

Lousy service, the esim worked 1 day and since then nothing.
The customer service is non-existent, they do not respond. I have been sending messages and contacts for 3 days but nothing. It’s a waste of money, I do not recommend it.

Claudio Reininger, Trustpilot

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Which card is better Airalo eSIM or Holafly eSIM?

In short, at Passporter we prefer to travel with Holafly eSIM cards because of their unlimited data plans and with the certainty of making a one-time payment and forgetting about having to keep checking your plan so you don’t run out of data.

As we have previously discussed, although the price of Airalo cards is considered cheaper, in the long run it can be more expensive since with their limited GBs plans you are likely to run out of data and have to buy more. On our US trip we ran out of data and had to recharge on one occasion. That’s why we recommend considering plans with unlimited data. In this case the Holafly brand is the best option as the vast majority of their eSIM cards have unlimited data.

Another advantage of Holafly is that it has quite a variety in its plans with durations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 90 days, which better suits all types of trips. And in some destinations you even have the option to customize exactly how many days you will need. That is, you pay exactly only for the days you use the service.

The installation process of the eSIM cards is very simple and fast, and you can buy your eSIM on their website and install it through the QR code or the numeric code that you will get by email immediately after the purchase.

If you want to know more details about each brand we recommend you to visit this post about Holafly: Our review of Holafly: is it worth it? and this one about Airalo: Our review of Airalo: is it worth it?

Questions to consider before choosing an Airalo or Holafly eSIM