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Airalo vs Holafly: Price Comparison Across 42 Destinations (Oct 2026)
HelloRoam is the top pick ahead of both, cheaper than Airalo on 187 of 240 same-size fixed plans read 30 Oct 2026. HelloRoam sells fixed and unlimited plans and refunds an unactivated eSIM for 180 days. Airalo covers 200+ destinations, against the 185 that HelloRoam sells.
Plan snapshot
- Holafly 6.3 and Airalo 5.5 out of 10 on the rubric
- Airalo sells fixed and unlimited plans; Holafly sells unlimited only
- Prices read 30 Oct 2026 in 42 destinations
HelloRoam was cheaper than Holafly on 87 of 122 unlimited stays, not like for like: Holafly states no daily cap, and the top pick gives 2 GB a day at full speed in most destinations.
Airalo sells fixed-data and unlimited plans; Holafly sells unlimited plans only. Airalo and Holafly prices on this page were read on each provider's own site on 30 Oct 2026, in US dollars, for 42 destinations, and the top pick's from the catalogue read 29 Oct 2026.
Airalo vs Holafly, spec by spec
Airalo and Holafly each publish 200+ destinations, so neither count shows a wider catalogue. Holafly is the only one of the three with no daily full-speed cap stated. The top pick leads the rubric on price cells won, plan types and a 180-day refund window, and takes 31+ checkout currencies.
A 7-day unlimited plan in each destination
Each row is the cheapest unlimited plan lasting at least 7 days that each provider sold for the destination on 30 Oct 2026, in US dollars. Airalo's unlimited plans carry a daily full-speed allowance of 3 or 5 GB; Holafly states none, so the two are not like for like. The lowest price in each row is in bold.
| Destination | HelloRoam | Airalo | Holafly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | $36.90 | $34.50 | $36.90 |
| Australia | $21.62 | $26.50 | $27.50 |
| Brazil | $32.46 | $25.00 | $28.50 |
| Canada | $21.50 | $28.87 | $36.50 |
| China | $21.44 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Colombia | $52.73 | $27.50 | $28.50 |
| Croatia | $15.15 | $24.50 | $27.50 |
| Egypt | $38.81 | $32.00 | $36.50 |
| Europe (regional) | $23.53 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| France | $21.50 | $23.50 | $27.50 |
| Germany | $19.10 | $24.00 | $27.50 |
| Global | Not sold | $45.00 | $46.90 |
| Greece | $19.10 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Iceland | $13.31 | $26.50 | $27.50 |
| India | $53.04 | $39.50 | $39.50 |
| Indonesia | $21.50 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Ireland | $17.19 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Israel | $21.50 | $26.50 | $27.50 |
| Italy | $17.19 | $23.00 | $23.90 |
| Japan | $19.71 | $26.50 | $27.50 |
| Malaysia | $21.50 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Mexico | $20.76 | $23.50 | $24.50 |
| Morocco | $27.72 | $31.00 | $32.50 |
| Netherlands | $15.15 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| New Zealand | $21.50 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Peru | $49.22 | $27.00 | $33.90 |
| Philippines | $23.59 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Portugal | $19.10 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| Saudi Arabia | $37.08 | $27.00 | $28.50 |
| Singapore | $21.50 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| South Africa | $36.90 | $36.00 | $39.50 |
| South Korea | $21.50 | $29.00 | $27.50 |
| Spain | $17.25 | $23.50 | $24.50 |
| Switzerland | $18.48 | $25.00 | $27.50 |
| Thailand | $22.85 | $21.00 | $27.50 |
| Turkey | $21.50 | $24.50 | $27.50 |
| United Arab Emirates | $35.48 | $27.50 | $27.90 |
| United Kingdom | $18.48 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
| United States | $21.50 | $25.00 | $27.50 |
| Vietnam | $27.29 | $27.00 | $27.50 |
Across every unlimited stay read for both, Airalo cost less than Holafly on 115 of 117. The first column cost less than Holafly on 87 of 122 unlimited stays, with 1, 2 or 3 GB a day at full speed by destination.
Metered per-GB against unlimited per-day
A fixed plan is priced per gigabyte: its cost is the plan price divided by the gigabytes in it. An unlimited plan is priced per day: its cost per gigabyte is the price divided by however much you use. The crossover is the daily use at which the flat plan becomes the cheaper of the two.
Work it out with the plans read for your destination. A light user on a short trip pays less on a fixed plan. A daily streamer or hotspot user reaches the crossover sooner.
Refund policy and installation
Refund policy
Holafly refunds within 180 days on a plan that has not been activated, against Airalo's 14 days on an eSIM that has not been installed; the top pick matches Holafly's 180 days on an unactivated eSIM. If you buy months before a trip, the longer window protects you if plans change.
Installation
Both install by QR code, and Airalo also installs from its app on compatible devices. Both need an eSIM-capable phone: iPhone XR or newer, or a recent Android phone with eSIM support.
Who should choose each provider
Airalo and Holafly each win a traveller profile above. HelloRoam is the top pick on the rubric at 9.0 out of 10. HelloRoam was not the cheapest on every plan: each destination page names the plans where a rival sold for less on 30 Oct 2026.
Airalo vs Holafly: common questions
How this comparison is built
Airalo and Holafly prices were read on airalo.com and holafly.com on 30 Oct 2026, with US dollars picked in each site's own currency menu. Rubric scores follow the method of 30 Oct 2026. Full research methodology →
See the full 5-provider comparison
Airalo and Holafly are two of five providers PrepaidSIM tracks. Each destination page shows how all five compare there.
What is the difference between eSIM and SIM card?
An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone. A physical SIM is a removable plastic card. eSIM activates instantly via QR code without visiting a store. Physical SIM requires a trip to a carrier store or airport kiosk. Both connect to the same mobile networks. Most phones made after 2020 support eSIM.
What are the disadvantages of eSIM?
eSIM disadvantages include limited phone compatibility (pre-2020 devices lack support), inability to physically swap between phones, and some countries requiring IMEI registration within a set period. eSIM plans also cannot be resold or given to others. For travelers, these drawbacks are typically outweighed by instant activation and lower cost.
Can I use eSIM and physical SIM at the same time?
Most modern phones support dual SIM: one physical SIM slot plus one or more eSIM profiles. This lets you keep your home number active on the physical SIM while using an eSIM for local data abroad. iPhone 13+ and Samsung Galaxy S21+ support this configuration. iPhone 14 US models use two eSIM profiles with no physical SIM slot.