Airalo vs Saily: which travel eSIM is better?
We used both side by side in nine countries, on the same phones, at the same spots. Airalo was more reliable. Saily was cheaper almost everywhere. Here is which one fits your trip.
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The short answer
Choose Airalo if you want the eSIM least likely to let you down, especially on a multi-country trip. Choose Saily if you are going to one country and want to pay less: it cost less for the same data in 8 of the 9 countries we checked.
Pick Airalo if
- Reliability matters more than price
- You want local, regional and global plans
- You need hotspot on a small plan
Pick Saily if
- You want the lowest price per GB
- You like a built-in ad blocker
- You are going to one country
Head to head
- 9.6ReliabilityAiralo8.8
- 9.0SpeedAiralo8.6
- 7.8Price per GBSaily9.4
- 9.5Plan choiceAiralo8.0
- 9.4SetupTie9.4
- 8.6SupportAiralo8.2
- NoAd blockerSailyYes
Price: Saily is cheaper almost everywhere
The same 10 GB, 30-day plan in the countries we tested. The dot marks the cheaper one.
| Destination | Airalo | Saily | Difference | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | $26.00 | $21.99 | Saily $4.01 less | Japan guide |
| South Korea | $24.00 | $19.99 | Saily $4.01 less | Korea guide |
| Italy | $20.00 | $17.99 | Saily $2.01 less | Italy guide |
| United States | $22.00 | $23.99 | Airalo $1.99 less | USA guide |
| Thailand | $15.00 | $12.99 | Saily $2.01 less | Thailand guide |
Prices in US dollars, checked 16 Oct 2026. Showing 5 of 9 countries. See all nine.
Going to one of these countries? Saily is the cheaper buy in most of them.
Get SailySpeed and reliability: Airalo was steadier
Median download at the same spots, morning and evening, on the same phone.
- Japan4641
- South Korea5852
- Italy3134
- United States4033
- Thailand3535
The bigger difference was not speed but consistency. Saily dropped to under 5 Mbps in the evening in Osaka and Bangkok on two of our test days. Airalo never did.
Features side by side
| Feature | Airalo | Saily |
|---|---|---|
| Destinations | 200+ | 150+ |
| Plan types | Local, regional, global | Local, regional, global |
| Cheapest plan | $4.50 | $3.99 |
| Hotspot | Yes, most plans | Yes, most plans |
| Phone number | No | No |
| Validity starts | On first connection | On first connection |
| Extras | None | Ad and tracker blocker |
| Refunds | If not installed | If not installed |
Setup and the app: a tie
Both apps install the eSIM in one tap and show the settings to change when you land. Airalo took us 2 minutes on average, Saily 2 minutes 10 seconds. Saily's app is simpler; Airalo's has more plans to scroll through.
Support and refunds
Both answered in-app chats in under 15 minutes in our tests. Airalo solved all four of our problems; Saily solved three and asked us to reinstall for the fourth. Both refund an eSIM only if you have not installed it.
Which one is for you
- Several countries on one trip
- Business travel where data cannot fail
- Long trips on the rail pass
- One country, one or two weeks
- Travelling on a budget
- You want ads blocked on mobile data
Neither? Try these
Our verdict: Airalo, unless price is everything
Airalo won four categories to Saily's two, with one tie, and never left us without data. Saily is the smarter buy for a one-country trip on a budget.