If you buy eSIMs for travel, you probably know Airalo. It has wide coverage, a slick app, and a price point that works for many short trips. Still, Airalo is not always the cheapest or the best fit for every itinerary or device. Over the last few years I’ve tested a dozen providers during trips through Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, and a months-long remote work stint in Mexico. I learned when to reach for a global plan, when a regional pack is smarter, and which providers quietly outperform the marketing.
Below are practical alternatives to Airalo, what they do well, where they fall short, and how to choose the right eSIM for your next trip.
Top picks: five Airalo alternatives worth trying
Holafly — best for simple, unlimited data trips with predictable pricing Nomad — best balance of price and flexibility for regional or single-country plans Saily — best for cheap, frequent short trips and strong Asia coverage Ubigi — best for business travelers who need carrier-level reliability and multiple devices GigSky — best for professional travel and short-term plans across many countriesWhy look beyond Airalo Airalo is convenient, but price and policy details matter. Some of the frequent annoyances I ran into: throttling on supposedly unlimited plans, poor roaming handoffs at borders, limited hotspot tethering, and higher per-GB costs on long trips. If you travel through multiple countries, especially outside Europe, or need sustained high-bandwidth usage for remote work, the total cost on a single Airalo global plan can creep up. The alternatives below address those pain points differently, so the right choice depends on trip length, data needs, device compatibility, and how much hands-on management you want.
Provider snapshots and real-world impressions
Holafly Holafly’s proposition is simple: unlimited data plans in many countries with a fixed price and straightforward activation. I used Holafly in Spain and then in Thailand. Activation was instant, and speeds were solid on LTE and decent on 5G when available. The main trade-off is price. Unlimited plans often cost more than comparable data-bundle options from Airalo or Nomad, and Holafly’s “unlimited” sometimes comes with a soft cap after which speeds are reduced. For travelers who want to avoid topping up mid-trip and who value a predictable bill, Holafly is worth the premium.
Good for: tourists who want no-fuss unlimited data, families traveling together, short stays in tourist hubs. Watch for: hotspot use rules, which may be restricted on some unlimited plans; always check the fairness policy.
Nomad Nomad consistently hit the sweet spot for me on regional European trips. Their pricing on country-specific packs and regional bundles is competitive. The app is clean, provisioning is fast, and plans are granular — you can buy 3 GB for five days in Italy or a 10 GB EU pack for a month. On a recent two-week trip through Italy, Portugal, and Spain, a series of Nomad country plans was cheaper than a single global plan and avoided the performance drop I sometimes saw when Airalo attempted to switch between local operators.
Good for: travelers who prefer modular plans and want to avoid paying for unused countries. Watch for: slightly higher per-GB rates on island destinations or the Caribbean.
Saily Saily has quietly built a reputation for being one of the cheapest options for short trips, especially in Asia. The app often lists flash deals and micro-plans that are perfect for a weekend or a week. I tested Saily on a three-stop route through Vietnam and Bali. Combinations of short-term packs kept the cost low and coverage was surprisingly robust in urban areas. Rural coverage varied by country, which is common for many eSIM operators.
Good for: budget travelers, backpackers, and short-stay city trips in Southeast Asia. Watch for: plan expiry rules; some low-cost packs have tight activation windows.
Ubigi Ubigi markets itself as a carrier-grade option, and that shows. I used Ubigi on an extended work trip to Canada and the USA. It maintained stable connections, fast handoffs, and consistent tethering performance. Business travelers will appreciate the reliability and clear data accounting. Pricing leans toward the premium side, but if uptime and stable roaming matter more than the last dollar saved, Ubigi is a top choice.
Good for: digital nomads and business travelers who need dependable performance across multiple devices. Watch for: fewer tiny flash deals; Ubigi competes on reliability rather than rock-bottom pricing.
GigSky GigSky is a long-standing player in the global eSIM landscape and often pops up on airline portals and corporate travel portals. It offers flexible, short-term plans in many countries. I used GigSky for a Mediterranean cruise where island-by-island cellular options can be spotty; GigSky handled most ports with reasonable speeds. The customer experience is solid, though the best deals require careful plan selection.
Good for: cruise travelers, professionals who need short-term plans across multiple regions. Watch for: per-country data caps and occasional higher prices in small island nations.
Other noteworthy providers JetPac, Alosim, Roamless, Sim Local, and Nomad’s lesser-known competitors each bring nuances. JetPac focuses on larger global packs and promotional pricing. Alosim appeals with competitive EU and Asia bundles. Roamless and Sim Local specialize in tourist-destination add-ons and sometimes bundle physical SIMs with eSIMs for families. None of them beat the top five across every metric, but any one can be ideal depending on country combinations and timing.
How to choose the right eSIM for your trip Choosing an alternative to Airalo requires thinking about four practical constraints: coverage, price per gigabyte, plan flexibility, and device rules. Start by mapping your trip day by day and ask whether you need continuous coverage or only intermittent access. If you need steady upload bandwidth for remote work, favor carriers with carrier-level quality and clear tethering support. If you’re sightseeing and streaming occasional video, a cheaper regional plan with good LTE coverage is usually cheaper.
A short checklist to narrow choices quickly
Confirm device compatibility, eSIM lock, and carrier restrictions in your phone settings before buying. Compare total costs across providers for your exact travel dates, not just headline prices. Check hotspot/tethering rules and any fair use policies on “unlimited” offers. Look for local operator partners in the countries on your route, not just global coverage claims. Read recent user reviews for the specific country since coverage can change seasonally.Pricing reality: how to compare without getting fooled Headline prices are rarely apples to apples. One provider’s “unlimited” may be soft-capped after 20 GB, another will throttle to slow speeds only after 50 GB, and a third sells smaller, cheaper buckets that are cheaper for short trips. I keep a simple spreadsheet when planning a multi-country trip: columns for provider, plan name, data, days, price, effective price per GB, tethering allowed, and known operator partners. That lets me see whether a global 10 GB plan for 30 days is actually cheaper than three country packs totaling 6 GB for the same period.
Specific regions and the best choices
Europe Europe is the easiest case because EU roaming rules and dense operator networks create many good options. Nomad and Saily often offer very competitive regional bundles, and Holafly’s unlimited EU plan can be tempting for a family trip. If you only visit a single country like Italy, Spain, France, or Portugal, buy a country plan; it will usually outperform a global plan. For multi-week backpacking across several countries, prioritize plans that explicitly list partner networks for each country on your route.
Japan Japan has excellent local operators, but many global eSIMs charge a premium to connect. Holafly and Nomad both provide straightforward Japan plans. For long stays, consider a local provider or a physical SIM from a major airport kiosk if you want the best value and tethering. Saily has occasional promotional packs for Japan that can be the cheapest for short trips.
Southeast Asia and Indonesia / Bali Southeast Asia is where Saily shines on price. For Bali specifically, local operators are very competitive. I bought a Saily pack for a week in Bali and later found that a local physical SIM at the Denpasar airport would have been slightly cheaper once tethering needs factored in. For multiple countries in the region, pick a regional pack and check fair use terms carefully.
United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean North America is less forgiving on cheap eSIMs for roamers. Ubigi and GigSky showed the best reliability in my tests for the USA and Canada. Mexico is well served by Nomad and local prepaids; some providers price Mexico higher than it should be, so compare carefully. For Caribbean islands and cruise itineraries, GigSky and Sim Local often win because of better local partnerships and support for small-island operators.
Asia broadly and Korea For South Korea, Japan, and high-data-demand users, look for providers that list major local carriers as partners. Korea’s networks are fast and plentiful, but many global eSIMs will connect via secondary roaming agreements that slow speeds. Nomad and Ubigi were consistently fast in Seoul during my tests. If you stream or tether heavily, avoid the lowest-cost players in Korea.
Device compatibility and special cases Most modern iPhones, Pixels, and newer Samsungs support eSIMs, but there are variations. Some older Android devices allow eSIMs only on certain firmware builds. If you plan to use an iPad or a secondary device, check whether the provider supports multi-device or multi-eSIM installs. A few providers allow a single purchase to be used on two devices for family travel, which can save money compared to buying multiple single-device plans.
Tethering and hotspot behavior Hotspot allowance is often the hidden cost driver. I once bought an “unlimited” plan for a two-week remote work stint only to discover hotspot speeds were squelched on that plan. Always look for explicit hotspot or tethering language. Ubigi and GigSky are more transparent and often allow tethering at full speed for business plans. Holafly may restrict it on certain unlimited plans.
Customer support and refund policies Customer service quality varies. Some providers are quick with in-app chat and fast refunds if a plan fails to provision. Others require email chains and slow responses. My guideline: if a provider does not offer quick, accessible support and clear refund terms, buy only small, inexpensive plans to test them first. Providers that integrate with Apple’s eSIM setup flow tend to have smoother provisioning, but that does https://www.earthsims.com/starlink/best-portable-power-stations-van-life/ not replace responsive support if something goes wrong.
Practical buying tips and timing Buy an eSIM only after you’ve confirmed your phone is unlocked and supports the eSIM standard for your device. Install and test the plan while you still have Wi-Fi and before you land. Keep a backup: a small local physical SIM or another eSIM from a second provider can save a day of work if the primary plan fails. If your trip spans two highly different regions, split the purchase: a regional pack for the dense part of the trip and payday-sized global pack for the rest.
When cheaper is not better There are times when paying more saves time and headaches. If you have critical work calls, video uploads, or need predictable throughput, prioritize reliability and tethering clarity over the cheapest per-GB price. If your trip is vacation-style with light browsing and maps, the cheapest small packs from Saily or Nomad will do.
Final practical comparison: when to pick which provider Choose Holafly for simple unlimited needs and family trips when you want to avoid footage about topping up mid-trip. Choose Nomad when you want modular plans and competitive regional pricing, especially in Europe. Choose Saily when price per day matters and you make short, frequent trips in Asia. Choose Ubigi when reliability and tethering matter for remote work in North America. Choose GigSky when you need wide short-term coverage across many small countries or for cruises.
Traveling with multiple eSIMs often gives the best balance: a reliable primary line for work and a cheap secondary plan for local data and backups. After years of testing, that combination has kept me connected across airports, ferries, and remote villages without paying for one-size-fits-all convenience.
If you want, tell me your exact itinerary, device model, and primary use case (streaming, remote work, maps only, family sharing), and I’ll suggest specific plans and the cheapest combination across providers for that trip.