Airalo eSIM Review: My Hands-On Experiece in 25+ Countries

So, you are planning a trip abroad, and you are looking for a way to stay connected.

You have already heard, and maybe read, about a company called Airalo, selling travel eSIMs in practically all countries.

Perhaps you have used an eSIM before (because the new iPhone 14 series sold in the United States are eSIM-only) or want to try this exciting technology for the first time this trip.

Maybe because you do not want to spend time trying to find a store selling local SIM cards, believe your mobile operator does not deserve those excessive roaming charges, or believe Airalo's eSIMs are better and cheaper than the country's options.

The latter is not always the case… but it happens (looking at you, Canada 🙄).

Well, I have indirectly worked with Airalo closely after its launch since 2020 (as an affiliate, not an employee – I am independent!) and have seen it grow to be the largest eSIM store on the web.

And it deserve this title because its service, coverage & pricing are highly competitive.

And I can say this because I have tried its eSIMs in more than 25 countries so far (and counting).

So I know in which countries Airalo eSIMs work well or truly suck.

Yes, it is not all roses and sunshine with Airalo (or any company for that matter).

Not only that, but I also try the eSIMs of other travel eSIM resellers AND the local SIM cards of each country I visit to properly compare Airalo's performance.

Surprisingly, Airalo often comes at the top, as it often partners with the best or second-best local mobile operator so that you can have a pleasant network experience.

Heck, you can even use 5G NR with its eSIMs in Europe, Thailand & the United States without any additional charges.

So in this review, I will give you a general, yet in-depth, analysis of Airalo's offering.

And because I do not want this review to be 30 000+ words long, I will not do in-depth country-specific eSIM analysis here.

You would have to go to my Airalo reviews page to learn about them.

But this review will practically answer all your questions about Airalo eSIMs.

At the same time, I throw in my experiences and recommendations here and there (including when you should not get an Airalo eSIM).

So, here is my Airalo review based on using its eSIMs in more than 25 countries over four years – let's get started.

Original publication: 14^th of February 2023. Last updated: 15^th of January 2024.

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Table of Contents

Which Phones are Compatible with Airalo eSIMs?

I assume you have a faint idea of what Airalo is, what eSIMs are & how to install them.

So I will skip straight to which phones can use Airalo's eSIMs to save you some fluff and time.

Your phone may support eSIM, but the local mobile operator and travel eSIM provider, like Airalo, first needs to certify a phone before the users can use their products.

You can even install Airalo eSIMs on some tablets and laptops, surprisingly.

But I know most readers are interested in using Airalo eSIMs on their phones, so I will not list the other compatible devices here.

But you can read about them on the Airalo site instead (but just remember to come back to this review to finish it!).

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Airalo APN Settings

Okay, I said I would not go over the Airalo eSIM installation steps because you will manage (even as a first-time eSIM user).

But the APN settings, standing for Access Point Name, can cause some issues with a handful of eSIMs.

In most cases, your APN will be set automatically and correctly after installing your Airalo eSIM.

This could be e-ideas, globaldata, mobile, tn1, or wbdata, depending on the eSIM and country.

And that is of your chosen installation method (copying and pasting the activation key, scanning the QR Code (recommended), or letting the Airalo app install the eSIM on your behalf (new and preferred).

However, you have to change the APN with some regional eSIMs depending on where you are.

An example is the Airalo Discover Global eSIM (can be used in 84+ countries globally – and I am to try it out in all supported countries in the coming years).

The default APN is globaldata, which you do not have to adjust.

However, the APN has to be changed to tn1 in the following countries in the Americas:

Worry not; when you install your Discover Global eSIM, Airalo will tell you about these settings.

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How Much do Airalo eSIMs Cost?

Depending on the country you are visiting and the data allowance you want, you can get an Airalo eSIM for as little as 4.50 USD with 1 GB of data for 7 days in many Asian, European & North American countries up to 185 USD with 100 GB for 14 Asian countries or 39 European ones.

>>> Get your Airalo eSIM now! <<<

In the next section, you will learn how many countries Airalo is active in (spoiler: 199).

But I cannot give you an in-depth overview of each country – else, this review would be way too long.

Luckily, I have written 190+ eSIM country guides with the best travel eSIMs covering said countries (and you know Airalo is included in almost all of them).

Just use the search function on the left side of your screen or click on the search button top right corner of the menu.

Or click this link to see all my Airalo-related guides and reviews (from newest to oldest – not ordered on popularity).

An example of such a guide is the Japan eSIM buying guide, covering the best Japan eSIMs.

Of which Airalo has its Moshi Moshi eSIMs, which are currently the most popular country-specific Airalo eSIMs (as per Phone Travel Wiz readers based on 2023 data).

Or the Asialink eSIM, which can be used in 14 East- and Southeast Asian countries.

And that is an eSIM I plan to test in all those 14 countries in 2023 and 2024 in my ongoing Asialink eSIM review (so check it out regularly because it gets updated frequently).

Anyway, some countries have six eSIM options, while others only have one.

If I were to multiply all those options by 199 countries, this review would be excessively long, and you would fall asleep before you could finish it 🗿.

But I will tell you all countries Airalo covers in the next section instead 😎.

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In Which Countries Can Airalo eSIMs Be Used?

Airalo covers the most countries with its eSIMs than any of its competitors, although some of them are catching up (quickly).

Currently, Airalo claims it sells data packages for 200+ countries and regions – this figure used to be 190+.

At the time of writing, Airalo sells eSIMs for the following 199 countries:

>>> Get your Airalo eSIM now! <<<

That is quite a list, is it not? Airalo sells eSIMs in all inhabited continents.

It even has eSIMs for active warzones 🤯 – just be careful out there!

But how is it possible for Airalo to be active in so many countries?

It is impossible for Airalo, or any other mobile operator, to operate in every country (and do not trust any company saying otherwise), so they set up roaming agreements.

And do not get worried by the word roaming yet – roaming can be expensive, but roaming with Airalo or many other travel eSIM providers, will not result in a 5000 USD roaming bill.

What Airalo does, and basically all (actual) mobile operators do, is partner up with a local mobile operator so that their customers can still stay connected when abroad.

For example, in East- and Southeast Asia, Airalo partnered with Singtel from Singapore.

Singtel already has plenty of (favorable) roaming agreements with East- and Southeast Asian mobile operators for its own customers.

So unless you were to go to Singapore, buy a Singtel SIM card & buy a roaming package, you would not be able to take advantage of Singtel's agreements.

But Airalo has done all this work for you, allowing you to purchase and use its eSIMs in multiple Asian countries.

Or in Europe – most European eSIMs are powered by FL1 Telecom Liechtenstein (formerly Mobilkom).

Liechtensteiner mobile operators no longer sell prepaid SIM cards (you would have to buy a Swiss one instead), and the standard roaming rates for non-European Union countries would be crazy.

But Airalo made an agreement with FL1 Telecom Liechtenstein so that you can purchase affordable eSIMs in practically all European countries.

And this may beg the question: will your speeds not be slower with Airalo than by going with the local mobile operator itself?

Yes, your speeds will be (significantly) slower with most Airalo eSIMs than the roaming partner itself, although they are often fast enough for general data browsing anyway.

Plus, my current top speed with an Airalo eSIM was 308.79 Mbps in Australia (in The Village Shopping Center in Brisbane to be exact), so you should not be expecting snail speeds.

That is why I do extensive testing with Airalo eSIMs, including speed tests across cities.

>>> Get your Airalo eSIM now! <<<

So while it indeed would be better for Airalo to have direct roaming agreements with each mobile operator out there instead of with a middleman, like FL1 Telecom Liechtenstein or Singtel, most are not interested OR charge high rates.

But Airalo's current setup has been working well so far, I can tell you!

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Which Regional & Global eSIMs Does Airalo Have?

One thing Airalo did early on was selling a regional eSIM, which its competitors did not do back then.

Wait… what do I mean by regional? Airalo sells different eSIMs for urban- and rural areas?

No, I do not mean regional in that way.

Instead, you get one eSIM to be used in multiple countries on a continent.

If I am correct, Airalo's first regional eSIM was for Europe (Eurolink), allowing you to use one eSIM in 39 countries.

And this Eurolink eSIM is Airalo's most popular regional eSIM – even with Phone Travel Wiz readers.

It also had regional eSIMs for Africa (Hello Africa in 26 countries), the Caribbean (Island Hopper in 24 countries) & a bad Asia one through China Unicom (in 12 countries giving you “unlimited” data, which was actually 4 GB high-speed data before throttled to snail speeds (128 Kbps)).

You can imagine the latter was not popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers (one brave soul actually bought that eSIM, surprisingly 🤯)

In 2022, it revamped its Asia eSIM with Asialink, copying Eurolink, by giving you six choices between 1 GB of data (7 days) to 100 GB (180 days) to be used in 14 East- and Southeast Asian countries.

Eventually, it introduced Latamlink, an eSIM with four choices (1 GB/7 days – 5 GB/30 days) in all Latin American countries (Central- and South America + Mexico, excluding the Falkland Islands).

And the Menalink eSIM, with 1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days & 3 GB/30 days eSIM options to be used in 15 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Rumors say more -link eSIMs will be released for the rest of Asia, North America & Oceania + Africa and the Caribbean to be revamped/made cheaper than they are right now… but no timeframe has been given yet.

And if staying within a continent is too boring for you, you can also go with the Airalo Discover Global eSIM, with coverage in 84+ countries with five options (1 GB/7 days – 20 GB/180 days).

As you can see, Airalo is continuously adding new eSIM options and revamping old ones when they are of bad value for current market conditions (I complained about the old Asia eSIM… I think Airalo got tired of me 🤪).

Now that I have given you a quick history lesson on the Airalo regional (and global) eSIMs, I will briefly tell you more about each regional eSIM.

Click the region and eSIM name to jump to the regional eSIM you are interested in:

• Africa/Hello Africa
• Asia/Asialink
• Caribbean/Island Hopper
• Europe/Eurolink
• Latin America/Latamlink
• Middle East/Menalink
• Global/Discover Global

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Hello Africa eSIMs Cover?

The Hello Africa eSIMs can be used in 26 African countries with two options: 1 GB/30 days & 3 GB/30 days.

Currently, the Hello Africa eSIM is Airalo's most expensive regional eSIM, but I have been told they are revamping it (and turning Hello Africa into a -link eSIM).

The Hello Africa eSIM can be used in the following 26 African countries:

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Asialink (Asia) eSIMs Cover?

The Asialink eSIMs can be used in 14 East- and Southeast Asian countries with six options: 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days, 5 GB/30 days, 10 GB/30 days, 50 GB/90 days & 100 GB/180 days.

This is indeed a huge upgrade from “unlimited” data, which actually meant 4 GB of data, lmao.

Until the upgrade, I used to recommend the Asia eSIMs from one of Airalo's competitors.

But now Airalo's are competitive again.

I do hope more destinations get included in the Asialink eSIM (just like how Eurolink does not solely cover the European Union).

The Asialink eSIM can be used in the following 14 Asian countries:

Below is an overview of how much each Asialink eSIM costs:

1. Asia/Asialink 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 5 USD
2. Asia/Asialink 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 13 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. Asia/Asialink 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 20 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Asia/Asialink 10 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 37 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Asia/Asialink 50 GB eSIM for 90 days, costing 100 USD
6. Asia/Asialink 100 GB eSIM for 180 days, costing 185 USD

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Island Hopper (Caribbean) eSIMs Cover?

The Island Hopper eSIM can be used in 24 Caribbean countries with only one option: 1 GB/7 days.

Honestly, I am not a big fan of the Island Hopper eSIM.

So much so that I recommend a competitors Caribbean eSIM because it gives you better value for money.

I am not sure about you, but 1 GB of data is nothing – especially not when spread across 24 island nations.

And you pay 15 USD for it too.

But as I said in the Asialink section, Airalo used to have a bad eSIM for Asia until it got turned into Asialink.

So… Caribbeanlink… Cariblink… Islandlink… or whatever-name eSIMs when? 😏

The Island Hopper eSIM can be used in the following 24 Caribbean countries:

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Eurolink (Europe) eSIMs Cover?

The Eurolink eSIM can be used in 39 European countries with six options: 1 GB/7 days, 3 GB/30 days, 5 GB/30 days, 10 GB/30 days, 50 GB/90 days & 100 GB/180 days.

To this day, the Eurolink eSIM is one of Airalo's most popular eSIMs because of how easy it is to travel across Europe and how convenient it is.

And it keeps getting updated.

When I did my 11-country tour throughout Europe in 2022, the eSIM could not be used in Andorra and Switzerland – now you can.

Moreover, the Eurolink eSIM is the only regional eSIM giving you 5G NR access.

In fact, 5G NR is available in 22 of the 39 supported countries – how awesome!

Especially knowing that the country-specific eSIMs, like Italy's Mamma Mia eSIM, cannot use 5G NR, while you can with the Eurolink eSIM in Italy.

The Eurolink eSIM can be used in the following 39 European countries:

• Check out my Airalo Eurolink eSIM review (tested in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia & Spain)

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Latamlink (Latin America) eSIMs Cover?

The Latamlink eSIM can be used in 19 Latin American countries with four options: 1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days, 3 GB/30 days & 5 GB/30 days.

This eSIM is one of Airalo's newest eSIMs that got published out of the blue.

And honestly, I was surprised that Airalo did not have an eSIM covering Latin America yet because it is a popular travel region – also for Phone Travel Wiz readers.

The Latamlink eSIM can be used in the following 19 Latin American countries:

¹ on 3G only

Below is an overview of how much each Latamlink eSIM costs:

1. Latin America/Latamlink 1 GB eSIM for 1 day, costing 5 USD
2. Latin America/Latamlink 2 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 28 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
3. Latin America/Latamlink 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 39 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
4. Latin America/Latamlink 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 60 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in August based on data up to the 6^th of August (2023 data only).

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Menalink (Middle East) eSIMs Cover?

The Menalink eSIM can be used in 15 Middle Eastern and North African countries with three options: 1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days & 3 GB/30 days.

This eSIM, just like Latamlink, got released out of nowhere.

I received an email from a Phone Travel Wiz reader thanking me for recommending Airalo, specifically the Menalink eSIM.

I had no idea what she was on about until I checked the Airalo website and saw a new entry under the Regional eSIM.

I was pleasantly surprised because I suggested that such an eSIM should be added to the store (also based on Phone Travel Wiz feedback) weeks earlier.

So you can see why I love working with Airalo – they listen to our suggestions.

They just do not inform me when they actually implement the feedback 🗿.

The Menalink eSIM can be used in the following 15 Middle Eastern and North African countries:

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Which Countries Does Airalo's Discover Global eSIMs Cover?

The Discover Global eSIM can be used in 84+ countries worldwide in all continents with five options: 1 GB/7 days, 2 GB/15 days, 3 GB/15 days, 5 GB/30 days, 10 GB/60 days & 20 GB/180 days.

Currently, the Discover Global eSIM is Airalo's most premium offering.

Because you can use one eSIM in so many countries.

In most cases, getting a country-specific eSIM or a regional one will be cheaper than getting a Discover Global eSIM.

For example, if you only go to Italy, stick with the Mamma Mia eSIM.

Or if you are going to Italy and Spain, the Eurolink eSIM will be more affordable and convenient than buying the Mamma Mia and Guay Mobile eSIMs.

However, if you plan on visiting multiple countries on two or more continents within 30 to 180 days of each other, the Discover Global eSIM will be of better value.

For example, a Phone Travel Wiz reader from the United States asked me for the best eSIMs for his 45-day tour in the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

While Airalo has eSIMs for all these countries individually, he would be better of with the Discover Global eSIM.

So he got 10 GB eSIM for 60 days and eventually a 5 GB top-up (30 days) while traveling around the world.

Imagine what the roaming charges would have been if he has used his AT&T postpaid plan 😲.

The Discover Global eSIM can be used in the following 84 countries:

Below is an overview of how much each Discover Global eSIM costs:

1. Discover 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 9 USD
2. Discover+ 1 GB (with 10 minutes and 10 SMS) eSIM for 7 days, costing 15 USD
3. Discover 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 17 USD
4. Discover+ 2 GB (with 20 minutes and 20 SMS) eSIM for 15 days, costing 27 USD
5. Discover 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 24 USD
6. Discover+ 3 GB (with 30 minutes and 30 SMS) eSIM for 30 days, costing 36 USD
7. Discover 5 GB eSIM for 60 days, costing 35 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
8. Discover+ 5 GB (with 50 minutes and 50 SMS) eSIM for 60 days, costing 50 USD
9. Discover 10 GB eSIM for 180 days, costing 59 USD
10. Discover+ 10 GB (with 100 minutes and 100 SMS) eSIM for 180 days, costing 79 USD
11. Discover 20 GB eSIM for 365 days, costing 69 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
12. Discover+ 20 GB (with 200 minutes and 200 SMS) eSIM for 365 days, costing 89 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in September based on data up to the 7^th of September (2023 data only).

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Airalo vs. Holafly & Nomad – Which One Is Better?

Airalo offers eSIMs with better value for your money in most countries or has partnered up with a better local mobile operator than Holafly or Nomad. However, Nomad has become cheaper in Asia and Oceania, while Holafly offers unlimited data plans in places like Europe.

As I mentioned earlier, I also extensively test the eSIMs of Holafly and Nomad (and some other (new) eSIM providers at times) as well to see which one is better for select countries.

Because there is no point in recommending a particular eSIM if I did not compare it with others.

In many countries, Airalo has the cheapest eSIMs (calculated by price/data).

However, in some less-popular travel destinations, like most of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean & Oceania, Airalo has simply one eSIM option: 1 GB/7 days, costing 4.50 USD, 9 USD, or 9.50 USD, depending on the country.

Now, you can top-up your eSIM, meaning you can purchase multiple 1 GB top-ups, but that is not economical at all.

Vietnam is a good example. For some reason, the only Cu Chi eSIM you can get is 1 GB for 7 days, costing 4.50 USD.

Luckily, it is not as expensive as Laos' Pak Ou Mobile eSIM for 9.50 USD instead.

But you would still have to spend 45 USD or 95 USD if you were to use 10 GB of data – and that is expensive.

Especially when compared to the local Lao or Vietnamese SIM cards and eSIMs.

Sure, you would have to deal with the local SIM card registration laws, but paying such a premium would be ridiculous (in my eyes).

In the case of Nomad, you would only pay 19 USD for 10 GB of data for Vietnam.

You can get unlimited data from Holafly for five days for the same price.

So yes, Airalo may cover the country you will be visiting (highly probable), but it may not be the most economical one.

However, it may be using the best local network in the country, while Airalo's compatitors may not do so.

But I always mention this in my Airalo reviews.

But I can explicitly recommend Airalo for the Americas (North-, Central- & South America), most East- and South East Asian countries, Europe, some Middle Eastern countries (Gulf states) & some Oceanian countries (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati & New Zealand).

For the best value for money in Asia, consider Nomad's eSIMs (although your speeds will often be (significantly) slower than Airalo eSIMs).

In the Caribbean, go with Holafly, which gives you options of 3 GB/7 days, 7 GB/15 days & 15 GB/30 days, although you can only use up to 500 MB/day with those eSIMs.

In many East- and Southeast, European & North American countries, you can get unlimited data plans with Holafly – perfect if you know you use a lot of data do not feel like making multiple top ups.

But besides these exceptions, Airalo will often be the best eSIM out there.

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My Overall Thoughts About Airalo

Overall, I have had pleasant experiences with Airalo. It offers many eSIMs with plenty of variants at competitive prices, often has great reception in urban and regional areas (depending on the roaming partners) & reasonable/blazing-fast speeds.

There is a reason why I have multiple regional Airalo eSIMs installed on my phone (Asialink, Eurolink & Discover Global) at all times, as they act as fallback services if I have a short layover somewhere and the airport WiFi is useless.

Not only that, but I try its country-specific eSIMs too, so that I can tell you which of the two or three options (local, regional & global) have the best performance in said country.

Because it is common for each type of eSIM to use a different roaming partner.

Generally, Airalo's eSIMs are the best bang for your buck in terms of pricing and network performance.

But I suggest reading my eSIM buying guides or Airalo eSIM reviews for a hands-on experience in the country you plan on visiting because the experience is not always great.

For example, I got embarrassingly slow speeds with the Airalo Eurolink eSIM in Hungary, Slovenia & Slovakia (with average download speeds of around 10 Mbps, while the roaming partners and competitors were significantly faster).

So in those countries, I may suggest the country-specific eSIMs instead: Szia!, Dobrý Deň & Živjo, respectively.

Or eSIMs from Holafly, Nomad, or whatever (new) eSIM provider I feel like testing at that time.

But in general, you will be in good hands with Airalo – and be sure to check out my Airalo reviews.