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Holafly vs Airalo: Which eSIM is better?
From better data coverage to speedy customer support, Holafly is the best eSIM option for travelers. Read more in this Airalo vs Holafly review.
When on the hunt for the best eSIM, two providers will pop up on your radar—Holafly and Airalo. How do you make the best choice?
A quick check-in with Trustpilot puts Holafly in the lead with 4.6/5 stars with Airalo trailing back at 2.6. As trustworthy as user reviews are, there’s more to making an informed decision about an eSIM provider than just considering customer ratings.
To select the right eSIM, you need an in-depth view of both your options.
In this article, we’re comparing Holafly and Airalo eSIMs side by side. You’ll learn about each provider’s average speeds, coverage, customer service, and more.
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Airalo vs. Holafly: Overall comparison
When choosing an eSIM provider and data plan for traveling, look at the big picture. Consider data allowances, coverage, user experience, and customer service.
Here’s how Holafly and Airalo compare when you list all their core features side by side.
| Feature | Holafly | Airalo |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot rating | 4.6 stars | 2.6 stars |
| Prices | From $5.90 | From $4.50 |
| Cheapest data rate | From $1.54 a day for 90 days of unlimited data | From $2.10 per GB for a 30-day, 20 GB plan |
| Data allowance | Unlimited data | Limited data |
| Coverage | 200+ destinations | 200+ destinations |
| User experience | Easy to buy, install, and activate | Fast purchase, easy installation |
| Customer service | 24/7 chat with multi-language support | 24/7 availability in different languages. However, can be difficult to access with long waiting times |
| Device compatibility | Smartphones, tablets, and laptops that are eSIM compatible | Smartphones, tablets, and laptops that are eSIM compatible |
| Flexible refund policy | Up to 100% with certain conditions | Up to 100% under Airalo’s T&Cs |
| Hotspot | Available, up to 1 GB daily | Available with as much data as purchased |
| Top-up | Yes | Yes |
Let’s look at some of the key takeaways here. Holafly’s eSIM wins regarding data allowance, user experience, and a responsive support team.
When it comes to coverage, both of these reputable eSIM providers offer over 200 destinations.
Airalo provides budget-friendly options with limited data, making it an acceptable option for travelers who don’t care about having connection all the time.
Holafly, on the other hand, offers unlimited eSIM data plans, meaning you can stay connected and use all the data you need throughout your entire trip.
This makes Holafly best for travelers who don’t want to worry about running out of data while exploring new places and snapping pics to send back home.
With our overall comparisons complete, let’s dive into the specifics that pin up the Holafly vs. Airalo debate:
Prices and data allowance
Airalo has cheaper service in many destinations. However, this comes with a catch—limited data. In many of their budget-friendly plans, Airalo offers just 1-3 GBs of data to spread out across 7 to 30 days.
Their plans might seem affordable at first glance, but you’ll likely use up your data before your trip is complete and will need to pay for a top-up.
Holafly, on the other hand, gives you unlimited data plans for your travels at a slightly higher price. This makes Holafly the better option If you’re planning on using your phone to watch videos, video-call friends and family, or navigate with Google Maps.
Let’s compare a basic 7-day plan with both providers.
Holafly gets you 7 days of unlimited data in the USA for $28.90.
Airalo, on the other hand, provides you with 1 GB of data for seven days at $4.50
So, which plan is better considering prices and data? Let’s put both options into perspective.
Data usage patterns
At first glance, $4.50 looks like the cheaper option. However, Airalo only gets you 1 GB of data for the entire week.
For many travelers, this simply won’t be enough, especially when you consider the average data usage of different apps, such as:
- Youtube: 193 MB per five minutes.
- Disney+: 150 MB per five minutes.
- Uber: 102 MB per five minutes.
- Snapchat: 101 MB per five minutes
- Google Maps: 87 MB per five minutes.
That’s just 25 minutes of high-quality YouTube streaming and you’re out of data for the week!
Data adds up, doesn’t it? Keep in mind that these are averages, and your exact consumption depends on your specific data usage habits and your specific apps.
The best thing about having unlimited data is peace of mind. You’re paying more, but you’re also safe from using up all your data in a potentially unfamiliar environment.
Maximum plan validity is yet another important difference. The only way to get an Airalo plan that lasts longer than 30 days is to buy a regional or global eSIM.
This isn’t the most cost-effective if you’re staying in one location for a number of months, as you’ll have to keep buying new eSIMs or fork out for destinations you don’t need.
On the other hand, all of Holafly’s plans extend to 90 days with unlimited data—making them a great choice for longer trips.
Average speed and coverage
Speed and coverage are two essential factors when estimating the quality of your eSIM plan’s data connection.
While speed refers to how quickly you can upload or download using your eSIM, coverage includes the geographical areas where service is available and functional.
Both Airalo and Holafly have excellent speed and comprehensive global coverage. Let’s take a closer look at both.
Average speed
When it comes to speed, Holafly and Airalo are similar. Both providers offer 4G/3G and LTE in most countries, as well as 5G where available.
However, keep in mind that your connection speed doesn’t fully depend on your chosen provider. Both Holafly and Airalo eSIM plans will only be as fast as local carriers and networks allow them to be. Both providers often work with more than one network, connecting to the fastest one in the area.
Holafly coverage map
Holafly has over 200 destinations in its coverage map. These destinations aren’t always countries. Some are regions.
This makes it easy to stay connected with your Holafly eSIM if you’re traveling to more than one place. For example, the eSIM for Europe regional plan gives you unlimited data across the continent in 40 destinations.
Holafly offers eSIM plans for the following regions:
- Europe
- Asia
- North America
- Latin America
- United Kingdom
- Caribbean
- Middle East
- Africa
- Global
Holafly also offers five different global options:
- 7-day plan with unlimited data for $43.90 (USD)
- 10-day plan with unlimited data for $63.90
- 15-day plan with unlimited data for $86.90
- 20-day plan with unlimited data for $128.90
- 30-day plan with unlimited data for $183.90
Airalo coverage map
Similarly to Holafly, Airalo offers data plans for over 200 destinations. These include countries, regions, and global eSIMs.
Airalo’s regional options include:
- Asia
- Africa
- Europe
- Oceania
- Caribbean
- Latin America
- North America
- Middle East and North Africa
Airalo also offers six different global plans, including:
- 7-day plan with 1 GB for $9
- 15-day plan with 2 GB for $17
- 30-day plan with 3 GB for $24
- 60-day plan with 5 GB for $35
- 180-day plan with 10 GB for $59
- 365-day plan with 20 GB for $69
User experience and customer service
The ideal eSIM shouldn’t just get you connected. It should also be easy to use, with a helpful support team that can resolve any issues along the way.
There’s nothing worse than getting stranded without a connection while traveling.
Let’s look at Holafly’s and Airalo’s user experience and customer service.
User experience
Holafly makes it simple to browse destinations, find a plan that works, and buy your desired eSIM. All you need to do is purchase your unlimited data plan and scan the QR code that arrives through email.
For example, one user states: “Holafly is so easy to buy and use. I had purchased a different eSIM, which didn’t work and left me feeling blind in Paris. I tried Holafly instead and had no issues purchasing, and using the service.”
Another user on Trustpilot stated: “Holafly was simple to purchase and install- the service and connection speed was fast too.”
Airalo, however, can be more tricky to use, with issues often arising when attempting the automatic installation.
For example, one user states: “I purchased an Airalo eSIM from Canada to be used in the UK. It did not connect automatically as claimed. After a day of trying to connect, I still had no success.”
Both providers also have apps for Android and iOS, meaning you’ll have quick access to online stores, eSIM management, and support.
Customer service
In terms of customer service, Holafly takes the lead once again. With 24/7 chat in over ten languages, users have reported quick resolution times and personalized support.
One Trustpilot review says:
“I was very impressed with Holafly and particularly their customer service. I purchased a card for Europe which worked like a charm until I stayed in a very small town in Italy. Everyone, no matter what provider, had internet issues. I mentioned this to Holafly in the user survey, and they took the issue very seriously and even gave me a refund. I will definitely use Holafly on other trips!”
However, the same can’t be said for Airalo. Users experience long waiting times and a lack of support: “Extremely poor support. We were looking to solve an issue, so we went to support and waited hours with no response. We’re very disappointed and feel we were ripped off.”
Both Holafly’s and Airalo’s customer support are available in different languages. Users can simply change the website language and chat away with a representative to get their issues solved.
Refund policy
If your eSIM is not working, you’ll likely want your money back. Holafly and Airalo have different refund policies. Here’s what they look like.
| Holafly refund policy | Airalo refund policy |
|---|---|
| Three types of refunds: service withdrawal, incompatible or locked device, and connection issues | Only refundable if your device is not compatible with eSIM |
| Full or partial refunds | Terms and conditions are less flexible for customers |
| Refunds can be granted up to six months after purchase | Refunds are only available up to 30 days after purchase |
All things considered, Holafly has a better refund policy than Airalo. If users have an issue that the Holafly support team can’t solve, they’ll grant a refund. Airalo’s refund policies are noticeably more strict with only a small range of specific cases being eligible.
Data sharing
Airalo offers a hotspot for all of its plans. However, their tethering feature uses data from the plan you paid for, making it easy to use up all your data!
Holafly, on the other hand, gives you an extra 500 MB of data every day (1 GB for certain plans) to share with family and friends. This means you won’t have to worry about accidentally using up all your data while sharing with others.
Voice calls
While Holafly offers data-only eSIMs, Airalo has multiple global plans with both voice calling and texting available.
These options range from 10 minutes for calls and 10 for SMS to 200 minutes for calls and 200 for SMS. The downside, however, is that these plans can be expensive ranging from $15.00 to $89.00.
With Holafly, you can use apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, and Skype instead of traditional voice calls.
Bear in mind that these apps can burn through a lot of gigabytes, so Holafly’s unlimited data plan is the more affordable option for travelers expecting to make and take long phone calls.
Top-up options
While both Airalo and Holafly offer top-up options, there are some major differences you should be aware of. Not all Airalo plans support the top-up option.
Holafly, on the other hand, allows you to top up each plan. Once you’re nearing the end of your trip you can add more days as needed.
Once you complete your top up using the app or website, it will activate immediately after your old plan’s period expires. Both providers make the process easy with top-up options on their websites and apps.
Unsure which eSIM to take on your upcoming trips? Here’s our in-depth Airalo review and if their eSIM is still worth it in 2024.
Once you purchase more days with Holafly, you won’t have to worry about installing and activating a new eSIM. Instead, you can continue using your old one.
Reddit opinions
Still can’t make your eSIM choice? Fortunately, plenty of people have used both Airalo and Holafly side by side. Let’s look at how their features compare to each other according to Reddit users.
One user mentions how expensive Airalo top-ups can be. They also remark on the peace of mind that comes with having Holafly’s unlimited data plan.
Holafly vs Airalo: Which eSIM is better?
Holafly is definitely the better option for anyone who plans to actually use their phone while traveling. Its unlimited data plans mean you can stay connected throughout your entire trip and not worry about your data being capped, or receiving a surprise bill at the end.
After all, who wants to worry about data while taking that dream ship to Paris, or exploring the islets of Bora Bora?
Whether you need to navigate through unfamiliar places, or just keep your social media followers happy, Holafly eSIMs ensure you can do so wherever you are.
On the other hand, Airalo is a budget-friendly option for travelers who only need 1-2 GB of data.
Now that you’ve seen their features side by side, it’s time to make your choice, purchase your eSIM, and have an unforgettable adventure!
Grab your Holafly eSIM
Activate your unlimited data, and start traveling today!
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Originally from Michigan USA and currently based in Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armin Tanovic has five years of experience writing content and copy for both US and European marketing agencies. He’s written for travel brands like TravelPerk, and loves an adventure in the great outdoors. You can catch him off the beaten path exploring mountains and coastlines while drawing his writing inspiration from the scenery.
