Airalo eSIMAiralo was the first travel eSIM marketplace to go mainstream, launching in 2019, and it's still the biggest name in the category by user count and destination coverage. But newer competitors now outscore it on trust ratings and support speed. Here's what the real data — pricing, reviews, and coverage — actually shows.
Airalo is the biggest name in travel eSIMs for good reason: the widest single-country selection on the market, a genuinely well-rated app, and the convenience of direct iOS installation without scanning a QR code. It's a strong default choice, especially for less commonly covered destinations. It's not the top pick on every metric, though — its Trustpilot score trails newer competitors like Saily and Jetpac, "unlimited" plans carry a daily fair-use cap, and once you delete an eSIM profile, Airalo doesn't let you reinstall it. Worth knowing before you buy, not after.
Airalo was founded in Singapore in 2019 by Ahmet Bahadir Ozdemir and Abraham Burak, and is widely credited as the first company to bring travel eSIMs to a mainstream consumer audience — before Airalo, eSIM data for travel was mostly a niche, carrier-by-carrier affair. That first-mover position is still Airalo's biggest asset: it has scaled to 200+ destinations and built one of the largest user bases in the category, and for many travelers it's simply the eSIM brand they've already heard of. The company doesn't operate its own cellular network; like every other provider in this category, it partners with local carriers in each destination and resells that access through its app.
Airalo covers 200+ countries and territories through local carrier partnerships, with speeds running at 4G/LTE or 5G depending on the destination and local network — 5G isn't available everywhere, and even where it is, remote areas within a covered country may fall back to 4G. Independent testing (iPhone 15 Pro and Google Pixel 10, using Ookla Speedtest across streets, indoor locations, and subways in the US, Qatar, and Thailand) found results that varied meaningfully by location within the same city, which matches the broader pattern reported across most Airalo reviews: strong, consistent performance in major European and North American cities, with more inconsistent signal in rural areas and some developing markets.
The Airalo app is highly rated on both major app stores — 4.7/5 on the App Store and 4.6/5 on Google Play — and is generally described as intuitive once you're through initial setup, though several reviewers note the first-time setup flow is slightly less obvious than newer competitors. One standout detail: on iOS, Airalo supports direct eSIM installation without needing to scan a QR code at all, which is faster than the process most competitors use. Plans, top-ups, and destination switching are all handled inside the app, and purchases can be made with a standard card or through the in-app wallet.
Unlike most reviews, which quote a single "starting from" figure, here's Airalo's actual current pricing for its unlimited-data plans across the destinations we track, pulled directly from our own pricing database:
| Destination | 7 days | 10 days | 15 days | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | $21.50 | $31.00 | $39.00 | $49.00 |
| Mexico | $25.00 | $32.00 | $40.00 | $59.00 |
| United States | $27.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $69.00 |
| United Kingdom | $27.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $72.00 |
| Italy | $27.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $72.00 |
| Japan | $27.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $72.00 |
| Spain | $27.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $72.50 |
| Australia | $26.50 | $32.00 | $45.00 | $66.50 |
| Canada | $32.00 | $34.00 | $44.00 | $85.00 |
| India | $39.50 | $46.00 | $62.00 | $99.00 |
| Europe (regional) | $27.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $72.00 |
| Asia Pacific (regional) | $26.00 | $35.00 | $49.00 | $73.50 |
Across the destinations we track, Airalo's 7-day unlimited plans range from $21.50 to $48.50, averaging around $30, and 30-day unlimited plans range from $49 to $99, averaging around $72. Smaller fixed-data plans are also available and cost significantly less — entry-level 3GB plans start under $7 in several destinations — worth considering if you don't need unlimited data for a short trip.
Note: this table reflects our own live pricing database as of the update date above. Destination and duration options vary — check the app for full details on your specific route.
Airalo's Trustpilot score has been reported anywhere from 3.9 to 4.0 out of 5 across recent snapshots, from more than 34,000 reviews — solid, but noticeably behind newer rivals like Saily and Jetpac, both of which sit closer to 4.7. Positive reviews consistently highlight ease of setup and the breadth of destination coverage. The most common negative reviews describe activation failures (most often linked to weak Wi-Fi during setup), inconsistent rural coverage, and a recurring complaint that the refund process isn't clearly signposted in the app when an eSIM doesn't work as expected.
As the longest-established and most widely used provider in this category, Airalo shows up constantly in travel subreddits — it's usually the first eSIM name people recognize. Sentiment is mixed rather than uniformly positive: many threads describe trouble-free use in well-covered destinations like Western Europe and the US, while others specifically warn that once an eSIM profile is deleted (including during a phone upgrade), it cannot be reinstalled or recovered, which is the single most repeated piece of advice about Airalo across independent reviews and forums alike.
On supported iPhones, Airalo eSIMs install directly from the app — no QR code to scan, faster than most competitors' flow.
200+ countries and regions, including a number of less commonly covered destinations that smaller providers skip entirely.
Refer a friend and both of you get credit toward future purchases — can't be combined with promo codes, so compare which is worth more for your order.
Choose a small fixed-data plan for light use, or an unlimited plan (with a daily fair-use cap) if you're not sure how much data you'll need.
Airalo sells both fixed-data and unlimited plans for almost every destination, plus regional and global options:
| Plan type | Coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-data (local) | A single country you choose | Short trips, light data use, predictable cost |
| Unlimited (local) | A single country, daily fair-use cap | Heavier data use in one destination |
| Regional | Multi-country regions (e.g. Europe, Asia Pacific) | Multi-country trips within one region |
| Global | Multiple regions | Frequent, multi-region travelers |
As a rough guide: if your trip is under a week in one country and you mostly need maps and messaging, a small fixed plan (3–5GB) is usually the cheapest option. If you're unsure how much you'll use, or you'll be streaming or tethering, unlimited plans cost more upfront but remove the risk of running out mid-trip. The moment your itinerary crosses into a second country, check the regional price against buying two local plans separately — regional is very often cheaper.
Download the Airalo app and buy your plan while you still have Wi-Fi — ideally before you leave home, since a weak connection during setup is the most common cause of activation problems.
On supported iPhones, install directly through the app with no QR code needed. On Android and other devices, scan the QR code provided after purchase.
For most plans, the validity countdown starts when the eSIM connects to a network at your destination, not at the moment of purchase — so it's safe to buy well ahead of your trip.
Once you land, enable the Airalo eSIM line and turn on data roaming for it in your phone's settings — without this step, data will not work even if installation succeeded.
Airalo does not support reinstalling a deleted eSIM. If you're switching phones, wait until you've fully set up the new device before removing the eSIM from the old one, and check Airalo's transfer instructions first.
Airalo offers 24/7 support through in-app chat and email, plus a self-serve help center. Support starts with an automated bot, which independent testing found to be genuinely capable at answering common technical questions from its knowledge base — but reaching a human agent for anything the bot can't resolve took around 6 minutes in one documented test. That's a reasonable wait for most situations, but worth planning around if you think you might need urgent help immediately after landing: test your eSIM before you travel rather than after arrival.
Airalo earned its position as the default eSIM most travelers think of first, and for good reason: no other provider matches its destination catalogue, and the app itself is genuinely well built and well rated. But "biggest and first" isn't the same as "best rated" — its Trustpilot score has settled meaningfully behind newer competitors, support requires patience to reach a human, and the no-reinstall policy on deleted eSIMs is a real practical risk worth knowing about in advance. For less commonly covered destinations, or if brand recognition and app polish matter most to you, Airalo remains a strong choice. If your destination is well covered by multiple providers and you want the strongest trust track record specifically, it's worth comparing against Saily or Jetpac before you buy.
Higher Trustpilot score, built-in privacy tools, and one eSIM you top up per destination instead of installing a new one per country.
Worth comparing on price for your specific destination — often competitive with or cheaper than Airalo's fixed-data plans.
The highest Trustpilot score of the major providers, plus eSIM reinstall support — the exact gap Airalo doesn't cover.
See our full eSIM provider comparison for more options.
This review is compiled from Airalo's own published plan and coverage data, our own pricing database, verified Trustpilot and app store reviews, and cross-checked independent speed and support testing, current as of the update date above. We do not accept payment for positive coverage, and we review pricing and ratings figures on an ongoing basis to keep this page current.
Editorial note: this page contains affiliate links, including to Airalo. We may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our testing process or verdict. Ratings shown are accurate as of the update date above and sourced from Trustpilot, official provider data, and independent third-party testing as cited.
