Airalo vs Holafly vs Saily: The Best Travel eSIM in 2026
by Yannick SchrothAug 3, 20266 min read
Photo: Jacob / Pexels.
Best for
- All-round default and widest coverage: Airalo, cheap pay-per-GB in 200+ countries, tethering allowed
- Heavy, stay-put unlimited data: Holafly, unlimited plans (fair-use throttle, often no tethering)
- Cheap plans with built-in privacy: Saily, from NordVPN, with ad-blocking and web protection
| Airalo | Holafly | Saily | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries | 200+ | 190+ | 121 on the Global plan; regional plans in 200+ |
| Data model | Pay-per-GB (and some unlimited) | Unlimited focus (fair-use throttle) | Pay-per-GB, reusable eSIM |
| Tethering | Allowed, no hotspot cap on Unlimited | Allowed but capped, 1 GB a day on the Thailand plan | Allowed, “limitless hotspot sharing” |
| Full-speed data, unlimited plans | 3 GB per 24 h, then 1 Mbps | No fixed cap; operator fair-use policy may cut speed | Not stated on the Global plan page |
| Extras | Airmoney loyalty rewards | Unlimited data, 24/7 support | Ad-blocker and web protection (NordVPN tech) |
| Rough start price (2026) | Cheap per-GB regional plans | Higher, priced per day of unlimited | Small local plans are the cheapest of the three, priced per destination |
| Best for | The safe all-round default | Heavy phone data, staying put | Cheap short plans and privacy |
Airalo in short
Airalo is the default for good reason: the widest coverage (200+ countries and regions), cheap pay-per-GB plans, tethering allowed, and an app that just works. Its Airmoney loyalty scheme rewards repeat use. For most nomads hopping between countries on a data budget, it is the safe starting point.
The trade-off is that heavy, always-on users can burn through gigabytes; if you stream and hotspot all day from one country, an unlimited plan or a local SIM can work out cheaper.
Holafly in short
Holafly's angle is unlimited data: buy a plan for a set number of days and stop counting gigabytes. That suits heavy users who stay put in one country or region. Unlimited here means what the terms say it means: “no fixed data allowance that automatically stops data use”, with speed “subject to a network service provider's fair use policy”.
Tethering is where this page was wrong until September 2026, and it was wrong in both directions. Holafly does let you share the connection: but not on the unlimited terms the phone gets. Holafly's own words: “the hotspot feature is not unlimited to preserve network integrity”, with the allowance published per destination. On the Thailand plan that is 1 GB of sharing a day. So the laptop does not get unlimited data; it gets a gigabyte, and the phone gets the rest.
Saily in short
Saily is the newcomer, built by the NordVPN team, and it competes on price and privacy: cheap local plans, a reusable eSIM you can top up across countries, and built-in ad-blocking and web protection based on NordVPN's technology. On coverage, Saily’s own Global plan page is precise where this page was not: the Global plan reaches 121 destinations, while regional plans are sold across 200+. Hotspot is unrestricted: “limitless hotspot sharing” in Saily’s wording.
If you value the security extras and cheap short plans, Saily is worth a look; if you need the widest possible coverage, Airalo still wins on breadth. Check Saily’s current plans (affiliate).
Tethering and hotspot limits, compared
For a nomad, the number that matters is not gigabytes on the phone. It is how much of the plan reaches the laptop. All three providers allow hotspot; only one of them caps it, and that changes the ranking for anyone who works.
Airalo is the plainest: “You can use your personal hotspot with your eSIM as long as it is supported by your device and the network.” On its Unlimited plans it goes further, no hotspot limit at all, and 3 GB of high-speed data per 24-hour period, after which speed drops to 1 Mbps and resets 24 hours from activation. A megabit is thin for video calls and fine for mail and chat, so the reading is: three gigabytes of real work a day, then a slow lane you can still use.
Holafly sells the unlimited plan, and the unlimited part stops at the phone. Sharing is allowed but explicitly not unlimited, and the per-destination figure is what to look up before buying: 1 GB a day on the Thailand plan. If your laptop is your job, that is the plan's real size, whatever the headline says.
Saily states no hotspot restriction, and its coverage number is smaller than the one this page used to print: the Global plan reaches 121 destinations, not the “150+” that stood here before.
Which turns the old advice around for one specific reader. If you live on a laptop, the unlimited plan is the one to be careful with, not the pay-per-GB one, because its cap is on exactly the traffic you need. Look up the hotspot line for your destination before the price.
Airalo, Holafly or Saily: which to pick
- If you want one eSIM that works almost everywhere and you tether to a laptop: Airalo.
- If you stay put and want unlimited data on your phone: Holafly (check the tethering and throttle terms).
- If you want cheap short plans plus built-in ad-blocking and privacy: Saily.
- A common combo: run an eSIM for arrival and short stays, and buy a cheap local SIM once you settle for a month.
FAQ: Airalo vs Holafly vs Saily
Which travel eSIM has the widest coverage?
Airalo, with plans in 200+ countries and regions, has the broadest coverage, followed by Holafly. Saily's Global plan reaches 121 destinations by Saily's own count, with regional plans sold across 200+. For truly obscure destinations, always check the specific country is supported before you buy.
Which is best for unlimited data?
Holafly is built around unlimited plans, so it suits heavy, stay-put users. Note the fair-use throttle and that many plans do not allow tethering to a laptop, which matters if you work on the road.
Is Saily worth it over Airalo?
Saily is often cheaper on small, single-country plans and adds built-in ad-blocking and web protection from the NordVPN team, plus a reusable eSIM. Airalo covers more countries and has loyalty rewards. Pick Saily for price and privacy, Airalo for breadth.
Sources
- Airalo. eSIMs for "over 200 destinations": airalo.com. Checked 6 August 2026.
- Not confirmed: a USD entry price. Airalo shows prices in the visitor's local currency and they vary by destination and plan size, so the "from about USD 2" figure an earlier version of this page carried could not be confirmed at source and has been softened. Check the price for your own destination.
- eSIM pricing changes frequently and by country. Figures are "as of 6 August 2026".
- Airalo on tethering. Airalo's help centre: “You can use your personal hotspot with your eSIM as long as it is supported by your device and the network.” No limit is stated; some eSIMs need the APN set by hand. airalo.com. Read 10 September 2026.
- Airalo's unlimited plans. “Airalo's Unlimited eSIM plans give you 3 GB of high-speed data per 24-hour period”, after which “your speeds drop to 1 Mbps and resets every 24 hours from the moment of activation”; tethering is allowed with “no limit to how much you can hotspot”. airalo.com. Read 10 September 2026.
- Holafly on hotspot and on what “unlimited” means. Holafly's FAQ: “the hotspot feature is not unlimited to preserve network integrity”, with the allowance to be checked “in the Technical Specs section for your destination”; the Thailand plan states “Share 1 GB of data per day”. The terms define unlimited as “no fixed data allowance that automatically stops data use, but your data coverage and speed may be subject to a network service provider's fair use policy”. esim.holafly.com, Thailand plan, terms. Read 10 September 2026.
- Saily's coverage and hotspot. Saily's Global plan page: “Hotspot: Enjoy limitless hotspot sharing with friends and family” and “Coverage: Stay connected in 121 destinations”; the same page offers regional plans “in 200+ destinations”. The “150+ countries” an earlier version of this page carried is a figure Saily does not use, and it has been replaced with the two Saily does. saily.com. Read 10 September 2026.