Saily vs. Airalo: Which is the better eSIM provider?

Both Saily and Airalo are well-known players in the eSIM market. Saily is the new kid making big waves, while Airalo is the more seasoned provider. But which one should you choose, if any at all? Follow along in this Saily vs. Airalo comparison to learn all about the providers and make an educated choice for your next trip.

Saily vs. Airalo: An overview

Before we dive deeper into the main features of each service, let’s take a quick look at the side-by-side Saily vs. Airalo comparison.

Plan selection and coverage

Both providers have a fairly vast selection of plans, including local, regional, and global eSIM plans. Saily provides coverage in 180+ destinations, while Airalo eSIM plans are available in 200+ destinations.

It’s worth noting that while the regional and global eSIM plans may seem similar in the regions covered, Airalo typically offers more destinations within those plans. All plans by both providers are data-only and don’t include things like phone calls or SMS messages. However, you can use your mobile data to make calls via VoIP apps.

If you’re going with a regional plan, make sure it includes coverage in the countries you’ll be visiting. Just because the plan is named after a continent doesn’t mean that it includes every country within it.

Pricing

The prices of eSIM plans differ depending on the mobile data plan you choose. Coverage in some countries tends to be more expensive than others, and regional and global eSIM plans are usually a touch more expensive than local ones. 

Both providers focus on offering affordable, low-data plans, so they are nearly identical in duration and data limits. Let’s compare some more popular plans side by side to give you a better idea of what to expect from the pricing.

USA eSIM plan

Europe regional plan

Global plan

As you can see, Saily is marginally cheaper across the board, though the price difference isn’t really significant. It’s also worth remembering that Airalo covers more countries in its Europe and Global plans, so paying a few pennies more might be the better deal. 

Speed

The speed of your internet connection matters. No one wants to be stuck with a buffering screen when watching a video or experience constant interruptions when FaceTiming. Saily and Airalo both combat this by including 5G coverage in a majority of their plans, ensuring the best possible connection speeds wherever 5G is available.

Keep in mind that 5G isn’t always available. It’s typically accessible in bigger cities and nearby suburbs. If you go out and explore less-populated areas, it’s more than likely that 5G won’t be available.

Ease of use

Having good coverage and connection speed is cool, but it can only be truly enjoyed if the eSIM is easy to use as well. And while any eSIM will beat a physical SIM card when it comes to convenience, not all eSIMs are equally as good.

Both providers are fairly convenient to use. The websites are easy to navigate and the apps are intuitive. One thing worth mentioning is that you must create an account in order to buy an eSIM, regardless of whether you’re shopping on the website or on the app.

You might just want to download the app, though, as it makes it easier to buy and track your eSIM usage. And with no unlimited data plans available with either provider, you’ll need to keep an eye on your data allowance to avoid running out.

Both apps have a simple layout featuring your owned eSIMs, profile information, and the eSIM store. 

Though the Airalo’s app is a tad more simplistic and the shop is right there on the main screen. 

Saily’s app does have some additional information, such as credits, that could easily be attributed to your profile instead of having a standalone section on the app. It also takes an extra step to get to the shop from the home screen.

That’s all splitting hairs, though, as both providers are fairly similar when it comes to how easy the websites and apps are to use.

Customer support

It’s always nice to have a reliable, knowledgeable customer support team to rely on in case things go wrong. Both Saily and Airalo have extensive knowledge bases on their help center pages, making it easy for you to find answers to the most common questions.

Both also have 24/7 customer support, though there’s a key difference when it comes to actually contacting the support agents. As of now, you can only access Saily’s live chat via the app. So if you have basic questions before purchase or the Saily eSIM isn’t working and you don’t want the app on your phone, you’re only left with email support, which means slower response times.

Airalo’s live chat is accessible on the website, app, and even WhatsApp, making it easier for you to get in touch with real people that can help you out with your problems and questions.

Refund policies

Both Airalo and Saily have comprehensive refund policies. However, being easy to comprehend doesn’t make them equally as good.

Saily’s refund policy is a bit more flexible. It offers refunds for all plans that haven’t been activated, as well as a full refund if you were unable to use more than 1% of your data allowance. Partial refunds are available if you had issues with the service but used more than 1% of the data.

When it comes to getting a refund from Airalo, you can only get a full refund if you didn’t install your eSIM. Once installed, you’re not getting a refund, even if you don’t use any data at all. You can get a refund if Airalo’s service fails to work, but there’s no way to get your money back on accidental purchases.

Saily vs. Airalo: Which is better?

Truthfully, both Saily and Airalo are very similar services. They’re a bit like two separate jewelers using the same mold to make a bracelet. There are some unique touches, but the overall feel is the same.

Saily offers marginally cheaper plans and has a better refund policy. Airalo has a slightly more intuitive app, the live chat is easier to reach, and it offers coverage in more destinations.

With this knowledge in mind, it’s now up to you to decide which one suits your needs better.

Holafly: The best unlimited data eSIM 

If you don’t feel like constantly checking your data usage on your holiday, or simply want an eSIM that causes no headaches — Holafly is the pick for you.

All Holafly plans offer unlimited data, 24/7 customer support via live chat, and a flexible refund policy. Moreover, you don’t even need to create an account to get your eSIM, and the activation QR code will be in your email a few seconds after you make your purchase. 

Holafly has a rating of 4.6/5 with 48,000+ reviews on Trustpilot. This makes it the most reviewed and one of the most highly rated eSIMs on the platform. So if you’re still not convinced, trust the users that have had great experiences with Holafly.

An eSIM you can rely on

Join over 1 million customers and get connected with our trusted, global services.

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Rokas Aniulis

Senior SEO copywriter

A senior SEO writer from Lithuania, combining my passion for writing and travel at Holafly. With years of experience in technical fields, I'm here to answer all of your questions about staying connected. I specialize in turning even the most complicated topics into something everyone can understand.

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