What is an eSIM?

In case you haven’t used eSIMs before, they’re a digital version of a typical physical SIM card. Instead of inserting it into your phone, you download software—usually an app—to activate and use it on your phone. An eSIM may have a phone number attached to it, but its most common use is for data connection to avoid costly roaming charges.

Since eSIMs have only been around for just under a decade, with the first eSIM-compatible smartphones released around 2017 and 2018, their usage is still somewhat restricted. Before investing in an eSIM, check if your phone’s build is recent enough to be compatible with the service. Some compatible devices can support several eSIMs at once, allowing you to try different services yourself.

What is Saily?

On one side of today’s eSIM comparison ring, you’ll find Saily—the eSIM provider developed by Nord Security, the company that’s also behind NordPass. Launched in the spring of 2024, Saily offers local and international eSIM services on iOS and Android devices. Saily is available as a dedicated app, providing mobile data coverage in over 190 countries and territories.

What is Airalo?

Our second subject today is Airalo. Launched in 2019 and seizing the title of the world’s first eSIM store, Airalo offers mobile data coverage in over 200 countries and territories. Airalo’s mobile app is available on iOS and Android devices.

Plans and network coverage

Let’s start our Saily vs. Airalo comparison by looking at the core service they offer—network coverage. After all, if you’re traveling to a different continent, you want to be sure that your selected eSIM provider works there and offers a plan that satisfies your needs.

With Saily, you can select a 7-day, 15-day, 30-day, or 365-day plan, starting at 1 GB of data for a week. The amount of data you receive may vary in different countries. However, in some countries, you may have the option to buy unlimited data for 15 days. Plans are sorted by country and region, with over 190 countries and 8 regions to pick from. For instance, if you’re planning a vacation in Thailand, you can opt for the Thailand plan, or if you’re setting out on a European road trip, you can purchase the Europe plan.

Saily has a global plan with up to 20 GB of data for a full year, allowing you to trek around the world to your heart’s content. A nice perk is that you can reuse the same Saily eSIM for multiple locations—you can simply buy a new plan without having to install a different eSIM.

Airalo offers 1-day, 7-day, 15-day, and 30-day plans, starting at 1 GB of data for a day, and 3 types of eSIMS—local, regional, and global. The local eSIMS are available for over 200 countries and territories. Depending on your destination, the availability of plans may vary. Although most regional plans are valid for 30 days, the Europe and Asia plans offer up to 180 days of data.

Airalo also offers a 365-day, 20 GB global plan for the long-haulers. However, unlike Saily, Airalo doesn’t support the same eSIM for different countries or regions. If you’re hopping from country to country, especially if they don’t fall under the same region, you have to install a new eSIM for each one.

So, if you’re planning a quick journey, Airalo can be a good pick. However, if you plan to travel more extensively and cover several regions, Saily offers more flexibility with its monthly and yearly plans.

Pricing and value for money

Next, let’s talk money. Even if you’re a budget traveler, expenses can build up quickly. So, when you’re looking for a cellular data service, you want to make sure you’re getting the value for money and don’t have to worry about looking for a new provider when you’re in a rush. Let’s see how the Saily eSIM and Airalo’s store compare in terms of pricing.

*Saily offers a joint regional plan for Asia and Oceania.

Note: The information in this comparison was last verified on eSIM providers’ official websites on April 1, 2025, and is subject to change.

While the pricing for shorter plans is similar, Saily has a slight edge over Airalo, with its 7-day USA plan being nearly a dollar cheaper. Airalo does offer 1-day plans and provides new users with a complimentary free eSIM with 1 GB of data, making it a good choice for weekend trips or to quickly top up when a plan runs out.

The real disparity is in longer-term plans, where Saily appears to be the more budget-friendly option. The standout is the 15-day USA plan—while Airalo only offers 2 GB of mobile data, Saily has an unlimited option that offers more flexibility and keeps travelers from worrying about running out of data before their journey’s over.

In addition to the main plans, both Saily and Airalo allow you to top up your current balance. This means you don’t need to scramble for a new eSIM if you’re running short on data.

The difference in pricing and Airalo’s requirement to set up a new eSIM for each region makes Saily the more budget-friendly option.

Ease of use and setup process

Setting up a regular SIM card is straightforward—you just insert it into your phone and can use cellular data pretty much right away. Setting up an eSIM should not be much more complicated. So, how easy is it to set up and get started with Saily and Airalo?

Firstly, both eSIM providers score points in terms of compatibility. They work with all iOS and Android devices that support eSIMs, as well as laptops and tablets. If you’re looking for a smartwatch-compatible service, though, Saily takes the win here, as its eSIM service is fully supported by Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, and other brands. As mentioned prior, ensure your device is eSIM-compatible before you sign up for either service.

Once you download the app, and before you even create an account or log in, Saily lets you preview all available plans in the app for different countries and regions. That means you can firmly settle on a plan first before you create an account and buy it.

To sign up, you can use your Google or Apple account. Saily offers easy in-app instructions to get you started with your eSIM. In case you encounter any issues with the setup, Saily offers 24/7 live customer support via live chat and email.

Likewise, Airalo lets you preview the plans as soon as you download the app. With some plans, you may have the option to receive a free Welcome eSIM, which covers 1 GB of data for 1 day. To create a new account, you can use your email address or Facebook and Google accounts. Some issues may arise when purchasing new eSIM plans for different regions, as each card will have to be removed and added manually.

In terms of payment options, Airalo is more flexible here. Both eSIM providers accept credit and debit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal. However, Airalo also supports payments via Apple Pay, Alipay, and AirMoney, which might make it more convenient for iOS users. Airalo’s customer support is available via email and WhatsApp.

Overall, both apps are easy to set up and get started with.

Speed and performance

You can have as many gigabytes in your plan as you want, but without the right network speed, they’re as good as expired. Network speed ensures you can connect and share your adventures in real time and is essential for video calls or livestreams. So, how do Saily and Airalo match up in terms of speed?

Turns out, they are pretty evenly matched. Both eSIM providers offer speeds up to 5G in regions that support it. However, due to local restrictions, network speeds may not exceed 4G in some regions.

Hotspot sharing can also be essential for some travelers. While Airalo puts a daily cap on how much data you can share, Saily’s hotspot sharing is unlimited. Both Airalo and Saily alert you with a notification if you’re running low on data. Saily sends a notification at the 80% cap, while Airalo lets you customize your preferred warning threshold.

Overall, both Saily and Airalo are solid options in terms of network speed and performance, but if you plan to share your data with other devices, Saily might be more convenient.

Additional features

Picking the right eSIM provider can be difficult. With similar price ranges and network features, how do you know you’ve made the right choice? Extra features can play a key role in that final decision. So, do Saily and Airalo offer more than just international network connection to their customers?

For Saily, the answer is an assured yes. As a Nord Security product, Saily is more than just an eSIM provider. It comes equipped with additional security features, like virtual locations for private browsing, a built-in ad blocker to get around those pesky interferences and save your data, and web protection to block any malicious sites and browse faster.

Airalo’s edge, on the other hand, is in providing mobile calls and texting in addition to data. Airalo’s select global plans offer up to 200 minutes of calls and up to 200 SMS.

So, if you’re interested in maintaining a higher level of security for your devices and data, Saily is a firm choice, but if you’re interested in making offline calls, Airalo offers a solution.

Customer reviews and ratings

Finally, it’d be amiss not to take practical user experience into consideration. What do users and reviewers have to say about Saily’s performance compared to Airalo’s?

On both Apple’s App Store and Android’s Play Store, the ratings go toe to toe, varying at just a small margin in Saily’s favor—4.7 to Airalo’s 4.6 on the Play Store and 4.7 to Airalo’s 4.6 on the App Store. Airalo does have more ratings overall, but that’s to be expected, as it’s been around for 5 years longer than Saily.

On Trustpilot, the difference between Saily’s and Airalo’s ratings is much bigger, with Saily boasting a 4.0-star rating to Airalo’s 2.6.

Saily received positive reviews for its customer support, quick setup, and reliable speed. Likewise, ease of setup, reliable data connection, as well as budget-friendliness were listed as some of Airalo’s highlights.

In terms of Saily’s negatives, some customers reported occasional issues with data coverage and eSIM activation, as well as a lack of support for local mobile calls. Criticism toward Airalo was due to signal issues, inconsistent network speed, and poor customer service.

Note: The ratings in this comparison were last verified on April 1, 2025, on the App Store, Play Store, and the respective Saily and Airalo Trustpilot pages, and are subject to change.

Conclusion: which one should you choose?

The Saily vs. Airalo match-up is a tough one. Both services have their strengths and offer a budget-friendly solution for travelers. Saily is a solid option for budget-friendly traveling, offering flexibility with multi-region support using a single eSIM, as well as security-focused additional features. Airalo provides broad worldwide coverage with plans suitable for both long-term and short-term travelers, more flexible payment options, and the ability to add a phone number to your eSIM. While Saily holds a slight advantage in terms of its pricing, eSIM usage flexibility, and extra perks, the choice may ultimately come down to your personal preference and device compatibility options.

We hope this guide helps you pick the right eSIM provider for your next adventure. Enjoy your travels, stay safe, and stay connected!