Airalo vs Holafly
Both sell travel eSIMs you install in minutes. The real difference is how you pay: Airalo sells fixed gigabytes and unlimited days; Holafly sells unlimited days only.
How the two compare
| Airalo | Holafly | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Fixed data (1 GB and up) or unlimited, by days | Unlimited data, by days |
| Unlimited throttling | Full speed for the first 3 GB a day on most plans we checked (5 GB on Eurolink), then 1 Mbps | Operators may reduce speed under a fair-usage policy for up to one day |
| Hotspot / sharing | Not stated on the plan pages we checked | 1 GB of shareable data per day |
| Phone number | Most plans are data-only; some plans add minutes and texts (for example Airalo's Mexico "Chido+" and global "Discover+") | Data only, no local number |
| Top-ups | Plans are rechargeable | No top-ups needed on unlimited plans |
| Extra | Global "Discover+" plan includes a +1 (US-based) number, per Airalo | "Always On": 1 GB of backup data a month in 150+ countries, per Holafly |
Source: airalo.com, esim.holafly.com, checked Nov 7, 2026. Prices in US dollars, before any discounts or coupons. They change often.
Unlimited data: same trip, both providers
| Destination | Length | Airalo unlimited | Holafly unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 7 days | $26.50 | $27.50 |
| Japan | 15 days | $48.00 | $50.50 |
| Japan | 30 days | $69.00 | $73.90 |
| Europe | 7 days | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Europe | 15 days | $49.00 | $51.50 |
| Europe | 30 days | $71.00 | $76.50 |
| Mexico | 7 days | $23.50 | $24.50 |
| Mexico | 15 days | $43.00 | $44.90 |
| Mexico | 30 days | $62.00 | $66.50 |
Source: airalo.com, esim.holafly.com, checked Nov 7, 2026. Prices in US dollars, before any discounts or coupons. They change often.
You know roughly what you use
- You're on Wi-Fi most of the day and want to pay for a few gigabytes
- You want long validity, such as Europe plans lasting 90 or 180 days
- You'd like a plan with minutes and texts in some countries
You don't want to count gigabytes
- You use maps, video and social media heavily on your phone
- You rarely tether a laptop (sharing is capped at 1 GB a day)
- You prefer one price per day with no top-ups
Heading to Latin America?
Country plans for Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and Brazil, plus regional eSIMs.
Common questions
Is Airalo cheaper than Holafly?
For unlimited plans in Japan, Europe and Mexico on Nov 7, 2026, Airalo's listed prices were slightly lower at every length we compared. Airalo's fixed-data plans can be much cheaper again if you don't need unlimited data.
Which is better for working from a laptop?
Check the sharing rules. Holafly allows 1 GB of hotspot data a day. Airalo's unlimited plans slow to 1 Mbps after the daily full-speed allowance, and its plan pages we checked didn't state a separate hotspot limit.