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Airalo vs Saily: travel eSIMs and coverage?

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

Airalo logoAiralo7.2/10PaidSaily logoSaily7.5/10Paid · $0.99/mo

Quick verdict

Airalo vs Saily: travel eSIMs and coverage.

Airalo: Travelers visiting one or several countries who want a local, regional or global package.

Saily: Travelers who want to buy an eSIM before a trip and be online on landing.

Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Head-to-head

Airalo leads on 1, Saily on 3, 5 even

FeatureAiraloSaily
Entry price (Vietnam eSIM example)[2],[12]Cheapest is the 3-day unlimited plan at $11.50; Asia regional eSIMs from $4.$3.99 for 1 GB valid 7 days; 5 GB/30 days for $10.99.
→ Light users visiting Vietnam pay less with Saily's per-GB bundles.
Unlimited data plans[2],[6],[12]Vietnam: 3 days $11.50, 7 days $27, 30 days $69; after 3 GB/day speed drops to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day.Unlimited plans from 5 to 30 days are listed, but the research did not find specific prices.
→ Heavy users should check Saily's unlimited prices themselves, because the research has no figures to compare.
Calls and texts[8],[12],[13]Local and regional plans are mainly data-only; only Global eSIMs add calls and texts.Data-only; a US phone number add-on from $0.99/month, with identity verification required.
→ Neither fits if you need a local number at your destination; the choice depends on whether you want a US number or a Global eSIM.
Refund policy[5],[15],[14]14-day withdrawal right if not activated; faulty eSIMs get a replacement or refund if requested within 30 days.Full refund within 30 days if the plan is not activated; unused data is lost at expiry with no refund.
→ People who buy well before a trip get more time to change their mind with Saily.
Trustpilot rating[9],[18]4.2/5 from 50,481 reviews; mixed feedback on customer support.4.7/5 from 33,326 reviews.
→ Those who value service and support experience will see Saily rated higher.
App store ratings[7],[8],[16]App Store 4.58/5 (102,731); Google Play 4.6/5 (about 195,000).App Store 4.7/5 (14,000); Google Play 4.5/5 (101,000).
→ Scores are close, but Airalo's are based on many more reviews.
Interface languages[1]The app supports 53 languages, Vietnamese among them.8 interface languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Chinese.
→ Users who prefer a language outside Saily's eight should pick Airalo.
Privacy and advertising[4],[13]May process biometrics where eKYC is required; shares data with distribution partners.Allows behavioral advertising through partners; collects in-app event and network-traffic destination data.
→ Each has its own concerns, so privacy-minded users must weigh which risk matters more to them.
Business integrations[1]API and Airalo Partners reseller program.No public information found.
→ Businesses wanting to resell or integrate eSIMs should look into Airalo's program.

Choose Airalo if…

  • Travelers visiting one or several countries who want a local, regional or global package
  • Owners of eSIM-compatible, network-unlocked iPhones or Android phones

Choose Saily if…

  • Travelers who want to buy an eSIM before a trip and be online on landing
  • People who need small to mid-size data bundles (1 to 20 GB) for a specific destination

How the products differ

Airalo: Airalo suits short-trip travelers with an eSIM-capable phone who want data on landing without buying a SIM at the airport. Unlimited multi-day packages are not cheap, and customer support draws mixed feedback on Trustpilot.

Saily: Saily suits short trips abroad where you want clearly priced, easy-to-install data, backed by strong ratings on the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. The trade-offs are data-only service (except the US phone-number add-on), no refund for unused data after expiry, and a privacy policy that allows behavioral advertising through partners.

Choose around your use case

Airalo: Fits Travelers visiting one or several countries who want a local, regional or global package; Owners of eSIM-compatible, network-unlocked iPhones or Android phones. Strengths: 200+ locations with local, regional and global packages; Prices and validity are shown per destination page, and every package is a one-off purchase with no subscription.

Saily: Fits Travelers who want to buy an eSIM before a trip and be online on landing; People who need small to mid-size data bundles (1 to 20 GB) for a specific destination. Strengths: Per-destination prices are public; a Vietnam eSIM, for example, starts at $3.99 for 1 GB/7 days; High ratings: App Store 4.7, Trustpilot 4.7, Google Play 4.5.

Costs and limits to check

Airalo: Paid prices depend on plan and purchase channel; see the product review. Trade-off: Long unlimited packages are pricey, for example $69 for 30 days in Vietnam.

Saily: US phone number: 0.99 USD/month, as recorded in the review. Trade-off: Data-only plans, with no phone number apart from the US number add-on that requires identity verification. Prices retain the currency and billing units recorded in the source profiles; no currency conversion or plan equivalence is assumed. Check official prices, limits and terms before payment.

When to consider another option

Airalo is not aimed at: Phones without eSIM support or still locked to a carrier; Heavy daily users (over 3 GB/day): unlimited packages slow to 1 Mbps past the default threshold.

Consider alternatives to Saily if you are: Anyone who needs a local phone number for calls or OTP codes at the destination; Long-term residents of one country, where a local carrier plan is likely a better fit than per-GB travel pricing. Read these limitations alongside the feature table before deciding; a single strength cannot compensate for a missing requirement.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose Airalo or Saily?

Airalo vs Saily: travel eSIMs and coverage. Airalo: Travelers visiting one or several countries who want a local, regional or global package. Saily: Travelers who want to buy an eSIM before a trip and be online on landing. Choose for your main task, existing devices and plan limits; the overall score cannot replace your requirements.

Does a higher score always mean a better fit?

No. Overall scores are editorial judgements across several criteria. Your task, allowance and existing ecosystem may matter more; the table separates those differences so you can decide.

Where do prices and limits come from?

From each product’s researched profile, with source links and check dates in the review. This comparison reuses that evidence; its compilation date does not mean every price was rechecked that day.

Sources

Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.

  1. 1.Official homepage · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  2. 2.Official Vietnam eSIM page (USD) · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  3. 3.Official Japan eSIM page (USD) · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  4. 4.Official privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  5. 5.Official Terms of Use and Refund Policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  6. 6.Official unlimited plans fair use policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 10, 2026
  7. 7.App Store listing · store · Nov 10, 2026
  8. 8.Google Play listing · store · Nov 10, 2026
  9. 9.Trustpilot: Airalo · review-site · Nov 10, 2026
  10. 10.Travolution (2025-07-11) · press · Nov 10, 2026
  11. 11.Official homepage · Vendor-provided · Nov 11, 2026
  12. 12.Official Vietnam eSIM page (pricing) · Vendor-provided · Nov 11, 2026
  13. 13.Official privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 11, 2026
  14. 14.Official consumer terms of service · Vendor-provided · Nov 11, 2026
  15. 15.Official refund guide (2025-09-29) · Vendor-provided · Nov 11, 2026
  16. 16.App Store listing · store · Nov 11, 2026
  17. 17.Google Play listing · store · Nov 11, 2026
  18. 18.Trustpilot profile · review-site · Nov 11, 2026
  19. 19.Product Hunt launch page · Community-reported · Nov 11, 2026

Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.

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