Airalo eSIM Review – Can You Trust The Marketplace

Today we are going to be looking into what could hypothetically be one of the best options to get coverage abroad. In creating this Airalo eSIM review we are going to be going over virtually every aspect of the platform. We find it hard to believe that you would search for “Airalo eSIM Review ”, and not know what the platform is. Still, we’ll give out a quick explanation of what Airalo is. Before we jump into the different pros and cons that we found on the site. Airalo is an online platform that sells eSIM cards that can be used to get coverage in different parts of the world. It’s basically an eSIM market place. 

The concept behind Airalo is rather simple. You can buy eSIMs on their website and get local coverage where you happen to be in the world. This concept seems to beat the idea of having to go out and purchase a local SIM card at a store in the country that you’re visiting when you are not familiar with the local language. You may have to pay a little bit extra for this privilege though. Certainly part of our Airalo eSIM review is going to cover whether or not the rates on the site are decent, and beat what you can get from other options or from your regular service provider. The concept in itself certainly opens the door to a world where using your phone abroad is easier. That’s something to be celebrated. 

• Airalo eSIM Review – How To Get An eSIM 
• What The eSIM Is Going To Include
• Regional or Local eSIMs?
• They Promise You’ll Still Be Reachable At Your Regular Number
• Is This Real or Is This A Scam? 
• Airalo eSIM Review – Are The Rates Ok?  

Airalo eSIM Review – How To Get An eSIM 

The process of getting an eSIM with Airalo is actually not all that complex. Currently they are not running apps so the process has to be completed through a browser. That may not be the worst thing in the world though. Although it does essentially mean that you’re going to need two devices to be able to activate your eSIM. What you have to do is go onto the Airalo site. You then have to sign up for an account. Then simply pick the eSIM plan that you are interested in. There are multiple options to choose from. Pick the place that you are going to be visiting and the amount of data. Once you’ve paid for the service you are going to be redirected to a page with a QR code. Once you’ll scan the code you’ll get the service. 

A couple of things to keep in mind here, before you head off on your trip. We’d recommend that you plan these things before you travel. If not, as we mentioned you’d have to find a way to get access on two devices and pay at least some roaming fees to be able to buy an Airalo eSIM. The best way to do this then is to configure your account at home with all of the eSIM data that you are going to need. If you’re running out of data make sure to add more to your plan before you run out! Otherwise the process of adding more data can be complex at best.  

What The eSIM Is Going To Include

There are different options that are going to be available for you. Essentially the eSIM is going to include whatever it is that you want it to include. Usually the process that you’ll go through goes like this. You have to pick the country or region that you are going to be traveling to. From there you’ll be directed to the different coverage options that they have available for you. This is the part where you are going to pick what you want your eSIM to include. Essentially you are going to be able to buy as much data as you need. We already mentioned that the best strategy may be to buy coverage before your trip. So that you’re not scrambling to try and recharge your plan. 

Be sure to pick the amount of data that you feel you’re going to need when you’re traveling abroad. You’ll probably realize that decisions may not come easy. For example, they offer regional eSIM options and options by country. What that means basically is that you can buy a European eSIM, or you can buy multiple eSIM codes if you will. To be able to get coverage in the individual countries that you’re visiting. The path that you ultimately take is going to highly dictate the coverage that you can expect to receive as well as the price that you’ll pay. Here’s more on that dilemma. 

Regional or Local eSIMs?

We’ve actually come across this dilemma a couple of times already in our travels. Going back to the days where there were no eSIMs available. There are pros and cons to each option. In this Airalo eSIM review, the good part is that we don’t necessarily have to pick a side, but here we go anyway!  The way that we see it, a regional eSIM is the more comfortable option. We say this because you’re not going to have to worry on your Euro trip to get a new eSIM for every new country that you visit. You can keep the same eSIM active basically until you leave the European Union. With other regions around the globe the concept works in the same way. 

The bad part about regional eSIM coverage is that you may not get reliable coverage in certain parts of your trip. Now, you could face the same issues on a local SIM. Here is the difference though, for the most part regional eSIMs on Airalo have a base country. For Europe a lot of the regional eSIMs are France based. If you travel to Spain you can get coverage, but the quality of the coverage may drop off. When you get a local eSIM you are supposed to be entitled to better coverage because you have direct access to the national network. The issue is that you have to keep track of different local eSIM cards. With Airalo that’s rather easy though. They all stay on your account and you can activate the one you want. Going local could make more sense.   

They Promise You’ll Still Be Reachable At Your Regular Number

Something that we want to highlight in this Airalo eSIM review is that basically all of the SIMs that they offer are data only! That means that you should be able to still get coverage on roaming with your regular service provider if you want. What may be even better though is that you can use that data to make calls, or texts through apps without having to worry about paying roaming fees. If you have a specific need like receiving a regular SMS text for two step verification to login to an account you could essentially just use roaming for that specific situation. Just make sure to keep track of the amount of time that you are using roaming. A simple mistake in leaving your roaming on can make buying the eSIM a total waste.

In many ways what Airalo is currently offering is a service that we wanted to see from the more popular service providers with the introduction of the eSIM. In that you should be able to get access to a network easily, and essentially hold access to multiple networks. That’s exactly what Airalo is offering. They are facing an uphill battle in certain spots. Since they essentially don’t have “direct access” to the larger networks that are owned by the larger service providers. If the service takes off though we wouldn’t be surprised if Airalo is ultimately bought out by a large media giant.    

Is This Real or Is This A Scam? 

From our experience the eSIM cards that Airalo is offering are real. You are going to be able to get coverage with them in different parts of the world. The main problem that we have is that we can’t say that all of the cards work because we haven’t tried all of the eSIMs that they offer! We have to stop saying cards, and switch to QR code maybe. Anyway, we’ve tried Eurolink and that worked well for us. That doesn’t mean that other options on the site are going to work in the same manner. We can say with confidence that in general we are not looking at a scam at all.  

Even if it’s not a scam we would still recommend that you proceed with caution. We know that that’s probably not something that you want to hear, but hear us out. You need to make sure that the eSIM works for your particular needs. Also, that your phone is compatible with the site and everything. We’ve read different Airalo eSIM review opinions online. Really what people were referencing to say that Airalo wasn’t good was actually their lack of knowledge of the system and how it works. So, before buying anything the least that you can do is watch their little video that they have explaining how the system works. If your phone is not eSIM compatible there’s a good chance you won’t be able to get coverage. So watch out for that as well.   

Airalo eSIM Review – Are The Rates Ok?  

This is certainly one of the things that surprised us the most. On average you can get the same amount of coverage from a regular SIM card at around 5 to 10 less than you would be paying at Airalo. We suspect there are two main reasons for these price discrepancies if you will. Number one is the fact that Airalo doesn’t run it’s own network per se. They have to get coverage from one of the larger networks to be able to activate the data on the eSIM. The other idea that popped into our head is that they know their price is a little steeper than what you can find with a regular SIM card. It’s just that you’re paying that little extra for a better service. 

We actually framed the question this way on purpose. Because we would have to say that the rates are ok. That would be our bottom line on that subject. The thing is, you are getting a product where you’re essentially able to skip some of the complex parts of getting an actual SIM card. To be able to get a regular SIM Card you need to order it online or buy it at a local store. Then you need to physically insert it into the outlet that your phone has. Essentially with an Airalo eSIM you are just going to be able to skip the complicated process for the reasonable price of 10 or 5 dollars. The problem may come if you still need to keep buying coverage. That gap is going to start to widen.  

Airalo eSIM Review – Conclusion 

eSIM technology should change a lot in cell communications. The problem that we’ve always seen with the technology is that traditional wireless service carriers aren’t necessarily on board with the freedom that eSIM technology can provide. Essentially allowing you to pick your coverage on a daily basis if you wanted to. The Airalo eSIM marketplace is certainly a glimpse of what we feel the travel phone coverage industry is going to be like. Are there things that we don’t love about the marketplace? Sure, there are plenty. 

For one, we’d love to see everything set up on an app. Ironically though it seems that the reason why the service still doesn’t have an app is because you need to scan the QR code. So you need two screens to be able to do this. What they advise you to do is to use a computer or a tablet to log into your account and get eSIMs. An app would be nice, but currently you can plan your coverage for your whole trip through a computer and then just change your active eSIM when you need to on your phone. It’s a great concept overall.