There are quite a few eSIM marketplaces popping up all over the web. We’ve been a bit reluctant to talk about some of these options on this site because not all of them are legit. That’s the first thing that we have to admit. One of the issues with trying to get an eSIM online is that some of the deals seem too good to be true. That’s usually because they, in fact, are.
Now, when it comes to Holafly, the deals are actually not all that good to be true, but there’s a catch that gets a lot of people hooked on the service. That is the fact that basically all of their plans offer unlimited data. When you take that into account, you can justify the price difference that you’ll have against Airalo or other SIM card options … at least, that’s what they’ll have you believe.
There are certainly benefits that Holafly brings to the table, primarily the unlimited data situation that we mentioned. It’s also true, though, that if you can limit your data usage with other options, you can end up paying a lot less. With this in mind, it’s hard for us to crown Holafly as the best eSIM marketplace around. Just to clarify, the Airalo links have not been updated for a while, so we’re not biased in their favor. At least not at the time of writing.
Here are some of our main takeaways from Holafly. Our goal is to give you a sense of whether or not their service is going to fit your needs best!
The Biggest Selling Point for Holafly
The unlimited data is the biggest selling point for this platform. If we dive deeper, though, what this means is that you can purchase the SIM card for however long you’re going to stay in a particular country, and then you don’t have to worry about a thing. They even say on the website that you keep your WhatsApp number, and everything’s great.
What’s true about the other options is that you’ll be forced to be a bit more vigilant with the amount of data that you’re spending. The difference in prices, which can be significant in some cases, is justified, at least according to Holafly, because it gives you some peace of mind. If you’re going to be abroad for 10 days, you can purchase a SIM card that has a 10-day credit validity, and you’ll know that you’re going to have unlimited data.
It’s all fine and dandy until you realize that you could be getting the same or even better coverage for less. When we mean coverage, we mean that some of the other options will have a stronger or larger coverage map, which means that you could be getting faster speeds with other options. That leaves Holafly some of the steepest prices on the market and unlimited data as their lone selling point.
The Prices Are a Bit Steep
Let’s take the Mexico SIM card as an example because it’s a country that we’ve covered often. If you’ve read through some of the other articles on the site, you’ll know that you can get 3GB of coverage for the whole month with unlimited social media access for around 11 dollars. Holafly’s cheapest deal, on the other hand, gets you unlimited coverage for five days for 19 dollars.
Again, the argument that Holafly has in its favor is that you’re getting an unlimited deal. You won’t have to insert a new SIM card into your phone like you would in the other deal that we’re talking about. It’s just five days, though, and on the other deal you could drag it out for 30 days with about half the investment.
If you were to be spending the whole month in Mexico, you’d need to buy the eSIM with the 30-day credit validity. That one also grants you unlimited data, but you’d be paying 64 dollars for that coverage. Those are almost roaming prices for some wireless service providers. When you take into account that American wireless service providers grant you at least some convergence in Mexico, you can almost guarantee that you won’t be paying an extra 60 dollars a month if you stick with your regular plan.
We still believe that there are people for whom these plans make sense. It is a limited market, in our opinion. Unless Holafly is all you find and you didn’t do your research. Those of you who are here won’t be dealing with that issue.
Who Holafly Makes Sense For
To us, it can make perfect sense for parents who have kids who just don’t know how to be away from their phones. In a family setting maybe you’ll keep one phone on the unlimited plan and make sure to use that one to make all of the video calls through apps to relatives and have your maps app open if you’re going on a road trip.
A family of four on a week-long trip to another country could spend an extra 120 dollars on phone coverage if they wanted to. We wouldn’t necessarily call those people budget travelers, though. Some people don’t even want to pay for traveler’s insurance that costs that much. There’s an argument to be made that traveler’s insurance is a bit more important than phone coverage.
If you’re a business traveler and you can add this to your expenses bill that your company pays then this is a perfect option for you. You just have to download the app and get all the data that you need. Many businesses are not going to be too mad about spending an extra 60 dollars on phone coverage, as mentioned, though we get the sense that this option is going to be a better fit for a very specific type of traveler.
Will Airalo be a Better Option For You?
There are a couple of things that you want to consider when picking either of these options. The first thing that you need to check is whether your device is compatible with these apps. Your device needs to feature eSIM capabilities to be able to access the coverage that both apps offer. If that’s not the case, you won’t be able to choose any of the two.
Airalo offers less data within the same credit validity dates in most cases. What we mean by that is you can buy, let’s say, 1GB with a credit validity of 7 days from Airalo. That card for Mexico, to make the comparison fair, costs 8 dollars. The problem with Airalo in that scenario is that you’re probably going to use up more than 1GB of data if you’re in Mexico for a week. You’d have to jump to their 15-dollar 2GB package. That’s close enough to 19 to where it may not make a lot of sense to not get the unlimited deal from Holafly.
Where Airalo can be a much better deal, at least in this Mexico example, is in the monthly coverage rate. They sell a 5GB card for 32 dollars that has a credit validity of 30 days. They also have a 10GB card for 49 dollars that covers the same 30 days. Will you really use up more than 10GB in a month for it to be worth an extra 10 dollars? Most people probably won’t!
Regular SIM Cards Can Still be Less Expensive in Some Countries
We mentioned the Mexico example already. You can get 3GB for around 11 dollars with a credit validity of 30 days. If you run out, you can recharge that card at virtually any convenience store. The issue in these situations is that you would change your number and you have to actually insert the card into your phone. These are two things that could seem a bit complex for some people at this point. Maybe you’re better off sticking with the Airalo prices, which are similar to what you’ll find at local stores.
The “hassle” of having to go to the store and things like that can be a bit too much for some people. With Airalo, though, there’s a 4 dollar difference in the 3GB packages that we’re comparing. The credit validity with Airalo is half of what you get with a regular SIM card. We may be splitting hairs for a lot of people, but if you’re traveling on a very tight budget, the traditional local SIM option bought at the store could still be your best bet.
You could also look into this traditional SIM card option through the site SIM options. The prices on the site may be a bit steeper than what you’ll find on the street for a SIM card. It can be a way, though, to get coverage in a foreign country just as you step off the plane. Which is what Holafly and Airalo both offer. Otherwise, you’ll be like us, walking aimlessly through Madrid for hours until the store finally opens up.
Is Holafly the Best eSIM Marketplace Currently Available?
If you’re looking for a way to not have to worry about your local coverage from the moment you step off the plane to the moment you get back on it, then Holafly is your best bet. You’re going to pay an extra fee for that sense of “comfort.” As mentioned, there are plenty of people who may truly benefit from unlimited data in spite of the higher prices. If your company is going to pay for the eSIM, then you’re in a great spot.
The problem is that the marketplace is not accessible to some people. We’re talking about travelers who are on a very tight budget. You’re not necessarily going to want to spend an extra 60 dollars on phone coverage. There are plenty of other ways to get coverage for less. It does involve, though, being a lot more vigilant with the amount of data that you’re spending, and that’s not something that you want to overlook.
With all this, it’s fair to say that we feel that crowning Holafly as the best option is a bit of a stretch. Especially because it’s very rigid in what it offers, you can’t necessarily tailor a lot of its plans to your needs. If you’re staying seven days, you’ll be paying for three more days of credit validity that you won’t use. That lack of flexibility can be an issue, but the unlimited data is certainly going to keep people coming to the site!