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aloSIM review: Alternative eSIM for Travelers in 2024
Learn all you need to know about this provider from our aloSIM review. Discover prices, features, plans, and real customer reviews.
June 6, 2024
+1M
Unlimited data
Limitless data plans in more than 170 destinations
With Holafly, you save +30% compared to roaming fees
Plans that may interest you
Gone are the days when you had to poke your smartphone and hope you wouldn’t break it while trying to replace your SIM card with a different one. Not to mention storing that tiny nano SIM in your wallet, dreading you losing it. eSIM technology is finally here to save you from all that. eSIM providers are everywhere, so it’s time to look into their offers and pick a favorite. Here’s our honest aloSIM review – an eSIM provider worth looking into.
We’ll explore its prices, plans, and offers, so you can decide what works best for you.
What Is aloSIM?
aloSIM by AffinityClick is an eSIM provider that offers data plans in over 170+ countries. These prepaid eSIMs don’t have SMS or call options, but they help travelers stay connected abroad using LTE, 4G, and 5G connectivity. This Canada-based eSIM provider offers plans that cover individual countries or entire regions. You can have individual plans, but you can also set up group plans to share with your family or when traveling.
Pros and Cons of aloSIM
Here are some things to consider when considering aloSIM as your eSIM provider.
| aloSIM Pros | aloSIM Cons |
| eSIM top-up options SIMs come with a phone number (not available for calls or texts) aloSIM shared account option | iPhone users report complicated installation process No global plans No unlimited data plans |
aloSIM eSIM Review: Destinations, Plans, and Pricing
It’s time to explore all the important features of aloSIM and see if it is a viable option for travelers worldwide.
aloSIM Covered Destinations
aloSIM covers over 170 countries. In addition to data connection options for individual countries like Cambodian eSIMs, they offer options for multiple destinations covered by their regional plans. Usually, eSIM providers have regional plans that cover Europe, possibly some Asian regions, North America, or South America.
aloSIM has attractive packages that bundle multiple countries, such as Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, Western Europe, etc. Each package transparently shows which countries are covered within it. These can be very useful for those traveling through multiple countries within a region.
When looking into aloSIM Trustpilot reviews, some countries pop up when people review the connectivity strength. Here are some of the countries that people are talking about.
- UK – aloSIM seems to be working great in the UK because a good number of 5-star reviews mention having great experience using their eSIM data in London or UK in general.
- Canada – This is another country where aloSIM seems to have great coverage, at least according to those who left their reviews.
- USA – This is a mixed bag. There are almost an equal number of reviews that praise the connection and those that say they had issues setting up their data packages.
- Europe – Similar to the USA, there are some excellent reviews, but there are also the others. However, people reported having good coverage and connectivity in some European countries, such as Italy, Portugal, Malta, and Spain. Two persons praised their experience with the Mediterranean regional plan.
- Other countries that find themselves on both “good” and “bad” lists are: Turkey, Vietnam, and Portugal.
- People have expressed their frustration with their aloSIM cards in the following countries: Tunisia, Mexico, Albania, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Bosnia. Interestingly enough, there seems to be a recurring problem with connectivity in Switzerland.
aloSIM eSIM Plans and Pricing
When choosing your eSIM data packages, aloSIM will warn you that your eSIM doesn’t come with a phone number and that you need to turn off your SIM Data Roaming to avoid additional charges.
However, when you pick a plan, you’ll discover an interesting feature that comes with their eSIM plans – a Hushed international number. You can use this number to make phone calls and send text messages over Wi-Fi or data plans. Hushed gets you started with about 30 calling minutes or 50 texts you can top up if needed.
You can use your aloSIM eSIM plan to set up a hotspot for multiple devices. Their website says it is fully unthrottled data.
Regarding the eSIM plans, here are some of the most popular destinations.
USA
The packages range from 1GB to 20GB, and the prices range from 4.50 USD to 42 USD. To make them work, you should connect to AT&T or T-Mobile. aloSIM eSIM can support 5G, but whether you’ll achieve that speed depends on the network in your area.
UK
Similarly to the USA plans, the United Kingdom plans range from 1GB to 20 GB, but the prices go from $5 to $36. The speed aloSIM supports is LTE, and the networks you should look into are 3, EE, and O2 (UK).
Australia
When using your data, be careful to connect to the Yes Optus network, and you can expect 3G / 5G / LTE speeds.
Europe
This is a regional plan for 34 countries. The expected speeds are LTE or 5G. However, each country has a different telecommunications provider you should choose when crossing the border. That list is available on the aloSIM website.
aloSIM App
There is not much difference between the experience you get on the aloSIM website and the aloSIM app. You can download the app from your app store: Google Play store or Apple Store. Once you download it, you can create an account and start browsing eSIM plans.
However, aloSIM allows you to browse even before signing up, which is a very nice touch. If you choose to create an account, you can do it using email/password combination, and your Facebook, Google, or Apple accounts.
Once you have your account, the aloSIM app has Store, My eSIMs, and Profile options. These allow you to manage your eSIM plan, top up your existing eSIM, and more.
It is easy to browse data plans with the aloSIM app. Simply go to the Store section and toggle between Countries or Regions, depending on your needs. The options will be listed, and you can take your pick.
aloSIM Customer Service
aloSIM’s customer service starts with the Support tab on its website’s home page. This opens a page with FAQs classified into categories and a search bar to browse those questions.
There is also an AI chatbot that doesn’t offer live support unless you ask for it. After you submit your contact information, there seems to be an option for a live chat. The AloSIM website claims that its live chat service is available 24/7, and that they have an in-app customer service.
There is no contact number or contact form to use. The chat seems to be the only direct line to customer service, and you have to go through the AI chatbot first.
When analyzing the positive and the negative user reviews, there seems to be a recurring topic of the installation being tricky. That might be why eSIM installation and eSIM activation guides are written out. Truth be told, the links to these guides are at the website footer, and not everyone will be looking for them there.
aloSIM Refund Policy
AloSIM website doesn’t directly share their refund policy on a separate page or as a support article. However, on their Terms of Service page, you will find a section 11. Terms of Sale that says:
“11.1 Please note that we do not accept any cancellations, refunds or exchanges.”
There is, though, an article in the Support section inviting users of certain types of second-hand iPhones to contact support for refunds if their devices cannot support eSIMs after all. However, besides that, aloSIM is very untransparent or very strict with its refund policies.
How to Install and Activate aloSIM eSIMs
aloSIM has a more complicated installation and activation process. This has been a reason for some of the aloSIM reviews to look like this:
The installation process might vary based on your phone and model. However, these are the general steps. For a more detailed explanation, you need to check the aloSIM website and look for your specific model.
- Check if your phone supports eSIM technology.
- Buy an eSIM plan of your choice
- Find “My eSIMs” in your app or website when logged in.
- If available, choose the automatic installation and follow the prompts. If that’s not an option, select the installation via a QR code.
- If you’re using an iPhone, make sure that you choose your primary SIM as your iPhone’s Default Line, for FaceTime, and iMessage
- Activate your eSIM
aloSIM advises installing your alo eSIM card while you are still at home and have a strong Wi-Fi signal. This won’t activate your card. Its validity starts only when it’s activated, not installed.
This is how to activate your eSIM. Again – this greatly depends on your model, and you should check for the detailed activation instructions on the aloSIM website, but this is a general outline of the process.
- Find the SIM card manager on your phone
- Find the eSIM and turn it on
- Choose your primary SIM card as a card that deals with calls and texts
- Activate roaming for your eSIM card and turn it off for your primary SIM
- Make sure your eSIM APN is “alosim”
If you’re using an iPhone, make sure that FaceTime and iMessage can use email.
aloSIM User Reviews
There are positive and negative reviews for aloSIM. Let’s inspect the most typical ones from both of these groups and get a clearer picture of aloSIM’s pros and cons.
Positive Reviews
Negative Reviews
Holafly’s Unlimited Data eSIM, an Alternative to aloSIM
While aloSIM offers interesting regional plans, its offer seems to be the same no matter the destination – 1 GB to 20 GB eSIMs spread out into 6 different plans with validity varying from 7 to 30 days. This is somewhat limiting, especially when you look at other eSIM providers with a wider range of plans.
Effectively, this means that if you’re traveling for 15 days, you can either buy a 2 GB eSIM that is valid for 15 days or choose between the 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, or 20 GB that are valid for 30 days. A smart way to do this would be to get a smaller package with at least 15 days of validity and then top it up if you run out of data.
Sounds like a lot to think about when traveling.
That’s why Holafly offers unlimited data on your desired destinations for the duration of your stay. You simply choose a destination and the number of days – not a day more or less than your stay. For that duration, you’ll have unlimited connectivity. This is an excellent option for those who want to be worry-free about their data spending when traveling.
Holafly eSIM Pros and Cons
Holafly is a good alternative for travelers who want to keep using their internet connection as they do back home – without worrying about additional charges, top-ups, or running out of data. However, it still might not be the best option for everyone. Here’s a list of pros and cons.
| Holafly Pros | Holafly Cons |
| Unlimited data Customizable plans Quick and reliable support No app necessary | No Hushed number option No calls or texts Tethering is capped at 500 Mb per day |
Holafly Reviews on Trustpilot
Here are some examples of what users think about Holafly:
Final conclusions on aloSIM review
aloSIM packages are a good option overall. They have a decent price, and all packages for all destinations are organized similarly – 6 options with different data allowances and eSIM validity. Their coverage is decent, with 170+ countries. Even though they offer individual countries and regional packages, there are regional packages that are smaller than your average “Europe” or just “Latin America.” This makes more sense for those traveling to just a selected few countries of a region and don’t want to overpay. Their free Hushed number is a nice perk but not always necessary for travelers.
However, it seems that aloSIM customer service could use some upgrading and their installation and activation process. Users who want uncapped data and a worry-free experience with excellent customer support should look into different providers before choosing.
FAQ about aloSIM review
aloSIM works like most of the eSIM companies – you choose a plan and purchase it, and then you get your eSIM to install on your smartphone. After you activate it, you can use the data package you bought. aloSIM comes with no SMS or call options, but it comes with a Hushed phone number you can use for activation codes.
aloSIM is a good option for those who don’t expect to use their data while traveling that much and those who don’t mind going through an installation process for a bit. Holafly is an excellent option for those who want unlimited data at all times during their travels so they can use their phone freely, just like at home.
You need to contact aloSIM customer service – ideally through their in-app chat. Your other option is to use the chatbot from their website and ask to talk to an agent. Whatever you do, it’s not advisable to delete your eSIM from your phone before talking to the support.
