Airalo vs Holafly 2026: the honest comparison
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| Airalo | Holafly | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | GB plans (1 to 100 GB) and unlimited | Unlimited only, 1 to 90 days |
| Destinations (according to the provider) | 200+ | 200+ |
| Europe, 7 days unlimited | $27 | €25.50 |
| Europe, 15 days unlimited | $49 | €47.90 |
| Europe, 30 days unlimited | $71 | €70.90 |
| Europe, 10 GB / 30 days | $31 | – (unlimited only) |
| Turkey, 10 GB / 30 days | $15.50 | – (7 days unlimited €25.50) |
| Hotspot | No cap | 1 GB per day, not in all countries |
| Throttling on unlimited | After 3 GB per day (Europe, USA: 5 GB) down to 1 Mbit/s | No fixed limit; the network operator may throttle for one day at most |
| Refunds | 14 days, ends on activation; wrong purchase refunded as credit only | Up to 6 months before activation; case by case afterwards |
| Trustpilot (14 October 2026) | 4.1 out of 5 from 47,096 (62% five stars, 16% one star) | 4.7 out of 5 from around 115,000 (84% five stars, 6% one star) |
| Discount | $3 for new customers via the referral link | 5% with the code HERMESINVEST (checked 16 July 2026) |
- Airalo:
- GB plans (1 to 100 GB) and unlimited
- Holafly:
- Unlimited only, 1 to 90 days
- Airalo:
- 200+
- Holafly:
- 200+
- Airalo:
- $27
- Holafly:
- €25.50
- Airalo:
- $49
- Holafly:
- €47.90
- Airalo:
- $71
- Holafly:
- €70.90
- Airalo:
- $31
- Holafly:
- – (unlimited only)
- Airalo:
- $15.50
- Holafly:
- – (7 days unlimited €25.50)
- Airalo:
- No cap
- Holafly:
- 1 GB per day, not in all countries
- Airalo:
- After 3 GB per day (Europe, USA: 5 GB) down to 1 Mbit/s
- Holafly:
- No fixed limit; the network operator may throttle for one day at most
- Airalo:
- 14 days, ends on activation; wrong purchase refunded as credit only
- Holafly:
- Up to 6 months before activation; case by case afterwards
- Airalo:
- 4.1 out of 5 from 47,096 (62% five stars, 16% one star)
- Holafly:
- 4.7 out of 5 from around 115,000 (84% five stars, 6% one star)
- Airalo:
- $3 for new customers via the referral link
- Holafly:
- 5% with the code HERMESINVEST (checked 16 July 2026)
Airalo and Holafly are the two best-known travel eSIM providers – and they sell almost opposite products. This comparison (as of 14 October 2026) is based on both providers' pricing pages, help articles and terms of service, on Trustpilot and on the reviews by TechRadar and Cloudwards – not on a hands-on test of our own.
Contents
The pricing model is the real difference
Airalo sells classic data plans from 1 GB to 100 GB with validity from 3 to 365 days, plus unlimited plans in many countries. If you roughly know your usage, you pay considerably less here: for Europe, 5 GB (30 days) costs $19.50, 10 GB $31 and 20 GB $48; in Turkey 10 GB (30 days) costs $15.50, in Japan $18 (airalo.com, 14 October 2026).
Holafly sells unlimited plans by the day only, freely selectable between 1 and 90 days. The big country eSIMs (USA, Turkey, Japan, Thailand) cost €25.50 for 7 days, €46.90 for 15 days and €68.90 for 30 days; the Europe eSIM covering 33 countries costs €25.50, €47.90 and €70.90 (esim.holafly.com, 14 October 2026). The upside: no sums needed. The downside: for light users it is expensive.
On unlimited plans the two are close. Airalo charges $27 (7 days), $49 (15 days) and $71 (30 days) for Europe – roughly the same as Holafly, depending on the exchange rate. Airalo's price advantage therefore comes from the GB plans, not from unlimited.
Both providers display a different currency depending on your country: Airalo bills in US dollars, Holafly in euros or Swiss francs. The amount in your basket is what counts.
Hotspot: Holafly's weak spot
Holafly caps connection sharing at 1 GB per day – so 7 GB in total on a 7-day eSIM. This is stated on the product pages of the major destinations; the help centre says «many» Holafly eSIMs allow sharing, which means not all of them. Check the destination details before buying. If you want to work on a laptop while travelling, this is a problem.
According to its help centre, Airalo allows hotspot use on all plans with no separate cap – even on unlimited there is «no limit on tethering or the number of devices». For anyone who wants to connect a laptop or tablet too, this is the clear advantage.
How unlimited is unlimited?
Airalo states its limit openly: by default you get 3 GB per day at full speed, then 1 Mbit/s until the next day; for Europe and the USA the threshold is 5 GB according to the plan details. That is enough for maps, chats and music, not for high-resolution streaming.
Holafly gives no fixed limit. According to its help centre and terms, the local network operator may throttle very heavy usage under its fair-use policy – «for one day at most», with full speed returning the following day. TechRadar reports user experiences of throttling from 3 to 5 GB per day depending on the country. For most travellers this is a non-issue; for constant streamers it is not.
Refunds: Holafly is more generous here
Airalo's terms of service (as of July 2026) allow 14 days from purchase – but the period ends on activation. If you bought the wrong plan or cancel your trip, you only get the money back as Airalo credit («Airmoney»). Airalo refunds to the original payment method only for installation or functional problems.
Holafly refunds the full amount up to six months after purchase as long as the eSIM has not been activated. After activation Holafly reviews each case individually; for connection problems you get a full or partial refund if you contact them while still travelling – for other reasons a pro-rata refund minus a $3.50 fee (Holafly refund policy, retrieved on 14 October 2026).
Reviews put in perspective
Holafly stands at 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot from around 115,000 reviews (14 October 2026): 84% give five stars, 6% one. Praised are the setup and the 24/7 chat; criticised are complicated activations, dropped connections in certain countries and the tight hotspot cap. Trustpilot notes on the profile that it is working with Holafly because of earlier policy breaches and is monitoring the profile.
Airalo stands at 4.1 out of 5 from 47,096 reviews (14 October 2026): 62% five stars, 16% one star. The criticism centres on connections that never get going, patchy coverage in certain countries and disputed data usage; praised are the price and the easy setup.
Expert reviews: in its best-of list (22 September 2026) TechRadar calls Airalo «the best and easiest eSIM option», but not the cheapest, and faults the lack of phone support. Holafly lands there as «best choice for unlimited» in 10th place out of 12, mainly because of the price. Cloudwards (16 April 2026) rates Holafly's support at 95% and its pricing at 70%.
Price examples from our country guides
Turkey: Airalo 10 GB for 30 days $15.50 versus Holafly 7 days €25.50 – for the average Turkey holiday Airalo is clearly cheaper. Details: (→ Best eSIM for Turkey 2026: prices, networks & our pick).
Japan: Airalo unlimited 7 days $26.50 versus Holafly 7 days €25.50 – here the difference is minimal. If you only need a data plan, Airalo 10 GB for 30 days ($18) is considerably cheaper: (→ Best eSIM for Japan 2026: 5 providers compared).
USA: Airalo unlimited 30 days $68 versus Holafly 30 days €68.90 – on the monthly unlimited plan Airalo is slightly cheaper depending on the exchange rate, with 10 GB for $22.50 it is much cheaper: (→ Best eSIM for the USA 2026: prices & providers compared).
Europe: the Holafly Europe eSIM only pays off from around 1.5 GB of usage per day; below that, Airalo or Saily plans are cheaper: (→ Holafly Europe eSIM 2026: is unlimited worth it?).
Which provider when
Airalo: if you can estimate your data usage, watch your budget or need the hotspot.
Holafly: if you constantly make video calls, stream or upload, do not want to do sums, and value support and a generous refund window.
Alternative: Saily by Nord Security offers GB plans and unlimited with unrestricted hotspot and stands at 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot – see our three-way comparison: (→ Best travel eSIM 2026: Airalo, Holafly & Saily compared).
Tip: with the code HERMESINVEST you get 5% off Holafly (code checked on 16 July 2026) – details in the Holafly discount guide (→ Holafly discount code 2026: save 5% with HERMESINVEST) and in our in-depth Holafly analysis (→ Holafly review 2026: prices, limits & honest verdict).
What this comparison is based on
Prices: airalo.com (US dollar view) and esim.holafly.com (euro view), retrieved on 14 October 2026.
Hotspot, throttling and refunds: help articles, fair-use policies and terms of service of Airalo (terms of service as of July 2026) and Holafly, retrieved on 14 October 2026.
Reviews: Trustpilot, retrieved on 14 October 2026. Expert reviews: TechRadar (Airalo review updated on 22 May 2026, best-of list 22 September 2026), Cloudwards (16 April 2026).
We did not carry out a hands-on test of our own for this comparison.
Head-to-head
| # | Provider | Rating | Price from | Features | Deal | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Airalo Biggest travel eSIM provider: GB plans from $4, hotspot with no cap. | 4.6 | 1 GB / 3 days from $4 |
| Country plans from $4, Europe from $5 – no code needed checked on 14.10.2026 | See offer |
| #2 |  Holafly Unlimited data by the day – convenient, but not the cheapest. | 4.5 | Unlimited: 7 days from €25.50 |
| 5% off with the code HERMESINVEST Code: HERMESINVEST checked on 14.10.2026 | See offer |
What we like
- Airalo: GB plans from $4, widest choice
- Airalo: hotspot with no cap, throttling stated openly
- Holafly: unlimited throughout, no topping up
- Holafly: 24/7 chat support, six-month refund window before activation
What could be better
- Airalo: wrong purchase refunded as credit only, 16% one-star reviews
- Holafly: hotspot capped at 1 GB per day, not allowed everywhere
- Holafly: considerably more expensive for light users
FAQ
Are there discount codes for Airalo or Holafly?
For Holafly: with the code HERMESINVEST you get 5% off all Holafly eSIMs – code last checked on 16 July 2026; details in the Holafly discount guide (→ Holafly discount code 2026: save 5% with HERMESINVEST). For Airalo, the provider gives $3 off the first purchase via a referral link; we do not have a verified code of our own.
Which provider is cheaper?
For light and medium usage Airalo – 10 GB for 30 days costs $31 in Europe and $15.50 in Turkey, while Holafly sells unlimited only, from €25.50 per week. On unlimited the two are roughly level (Europe 30 days: $71 at Airalo, €70.90 at Holafly). As of 14 October 2026.
Can I install both at the same time?
Yes. Modern smartphones store several eSIM profiles at once. Only one profile can be active for data at any time, though – switching takes seconds in the settings. Step-by-step guide: (→ How to set up an eSIM: step-by-step guide for iPhone & Android).
Which is better for frequent travellers?
Airalo, thanks to regional and global plans valid for up to 365 days. Holafly only pays off for frequent travellers if you permanently need unlimited data – then the «Holafly Plans» subscription from €45.95 per month is an option.
What happens if the eSIM does not work?
With both, chat support is the first port of call. Airalo refunds to the original payment method for proven functional problems if you get in touch within 30 days; Holafly refunds in full or in part if you contact them while still travelling.
For most travellers Airalo is the cheaper and more flexible choice in 2026 – GB plans from $4, unrestricted hotspot, over 200 destinations. Holafly remains strong for heavy users who value unlimited convenience, support and a long refund window and can do without tethering a laptop.
Ali Cetinkaya is a business IT specialist with more than 15 years of experience in IT and online marketing. For DealsScout he evaluates plans, tools and deals – honestly, transparently and without jargon.