Is an Airalo eSIM Worth It? Honest Review & Better Alternatives

I love a travel gadget, but I hate wasting money. When I heard about eSIMs I knew I had to try one. I was like, if they’re really as convenience as they sound, this will be a game changer. So I tried Airalo. I used it in two different countries and had vastly different experiences. Here’s what to know before you get an eSIM from this provider.

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Do I think Airalo is legit?

Previously, my answer was yes and no. However, in light of recent experiences, I have to give it a soft no.

I’ll give Airalo credit as one of the first and most prominent eSIM providers. But between consistently disappointing customer service and so many complaints from people saying their eSIMs never worked, it just not reliable enough. (See the comments section below, lol.) Fortunately, there are lots of other eSIM companies out there now, and they can be a great travel tool. More on all of this below.

I used an Airalo eSIM for the first time on my three-day stopover in Qatar and it served its purpose beautifully. When I downloaded one again for a 3 month trip in South Africa, it wasn’t so successful. And that’s when I had to go through several interactions with Airalo’s customer service.

Why I wanted to try an eSIM

A friend I met in Bucharest recommended I try out an eSIM and raved about Airalo. He’d been on an extended trip and used eSIMs in every country he visited. My experiences connecting to local networks over the past several months of country hopping had been very different.

My process typically looked like this:

• Taking screenshots of my Airbnb or hotel’s location and check-in instructions
• Connecting to airport wifi to get directions
• Finding the place and checking in
• Searching for the nearest cell store
• Fumbling my way through the local language or trying to interpret data package options on a brochure
• Doing mental math because I’m in a new country with a new currency
• Getting a SIM card (and maybe over paying for it)

His process looked like this:

• Downloading an eSIM before getting to a new country
• Activating it on arrival
• Using data on the local network
• So obviously I was like, his way is the way of the future and sounds like a dream, gimme one.

My experience with Airalo

In Qatar

So I used my first Airalo eSIM in Qatar on a 3-day stopover. I paid for and downloaded it a couple of days before we arrived. As soon as we got to the airport, I connected to the wifi and “activated” my SIM.

The instructions were super easy and just involved tapping a few buttons in the settings app on my iPhone. I was blown away by how fast everything was.

In South Africa

We then went to South Africa for 3 months and I used Airalo again. It was just as easy to install and activate the eSIM, but the network reception was really hit and miss. I chalked that up to South Africa’s infrastructure and made do with what I had.

It worked perfectly for 30 days. After I paid for a top-up, it worked for like 24 hours before it started getting wonky. I didn’t just have a weak network or a brief drop in signal, I had 0 bars. OR it would show I had 5G and full bars, but nothing would load. I hadn’t done anything to my settings. So it didn’t make sense.

Airalo customer service

I contacted Airalo about my issue in South Africa and they gave me a list of instructions that were not super easy to read. I sent them a bunch of screenshots and spoke to someone for about 20 minutes, but I had limited access to wifi (loadshedding, baby) and we never found a solution.

I contacted them later and never heard back. When I contacted them the third time… I sent my first message at 3:30 PM and they didn’t respond until about 24 hours later. In that timeframe, I’d given up and gone to get a physical SIM the old-fashioned way.

I’d only used 0.5 GBs of the 10 GB I paid for and asked for a refund, and at first they refused because they couldn’t see an issue with the ICCID (nerd stuff). It was only $26 USD, but I think that sucks.

After some back and forth, they finally agreed to give me credit. That’s better than nothing and seemed reasonable enough, so I thanked them for the offer… But getting that “offer” was like pulling teeth.

I don’t get trustworthy, reliable, honest vibes from the company. Call me crazy, but I think that’s important.

My best advice if something goes wrong with your Airalo eSIM

• Take a ton of screenshots/recordings of what you’re experiencing.
• Get a screenshot of the remaining data in your package to support your request for a refund.
• Reference the terms and conditions on this page (particularly section 6) in your communication with the customer service rep.
• And, as always, being polite and patient can go a long way!

Alternatives to Airalo

I first published this post in 2023, but in the first few months of 2025 I’ve gotten a lot of comments from people sharing a negative experience with Airalo. (You can read through them at the bottom of this page.) The last thing I’d ever want is for you to lose any money trying out this tool — so you may want to explore some alternatives.

I’ve also tried Holafly and Saily eSIMs, which both worked well. And I’ll be exploring other options on upcoming trips. If you’re looking for an alterative to Airalo, here are some options with stronger reviews.

Holafly: Every eSIM offers unlimited data, and you pay based on how many days you need it for. They also just released an awesome monthly subscription option with global coverage called Holafly Plans. Holafly is more expensive than Airalo, but you get what you pay for! Here’s a 5% discount on their regular eSIMs. Or get an exclusive 10% discount on the monthly plan (up to 12 months) with code RUNAWAYTRAVELLER at check out. I also wrote a more in-depth review.

Saily: One of the most affordable options on the market, Saily is the best alternative to Airalo. The activation was a bit delayed when I tried it, but then it worked a treat. It’s already affordable, but here’s an extra 5% discount and a more in-depth review.

Jetpac: This is probably the “coolest” eSIM provider out there. They have a bunch of additional features like free lounge access if your flight is delayed. They also have rave reviews on Trustpilot —4.8/5! Here’s 10% off any purchase over 10 USD.

ETravelSim: This is one of the few options that also offers texting/calling. Most eSIMs just provide data. Do I have a discount code? You bet I do. Get 15% off with the code ETS15 when you checkout.

Airalo pros and cons

Pros

You can activate an Airalo eSIM as soon as you enter the country. (As long as you have wifi. So like, free train station or airport wifi works.)

You don’t have to compare providers or avoid scams. When we got off the ferry in Albania, there was a woman selling Vodafone SIMs for the equivalent of $60, just hoping new arrivals wouldn’t be familiar with the currency or the normal price, I guess. I later went into the store and got one for $20. If you have an eSIM, you won’t be desperate to buy the first physical SIM card you see.

You don’t need to bring your passport or proof of address. Some countries don’t offer tourist SIMs and may have strict rules for local SIMs that make it hard for you to get one. eSIMs are specifically designed for travelling.

You can try Airalo at a discount and stack up credit for referring your friends. There’s a $3 “Airmoney” referral program.

Cons

You don’t always get a phone number. This can be important if you need to set up 2FA or even just want to call a restaurant to make a reservation or something. (Try ETravelSim instead if you need calling.)

Customer service was meh. Not to be a total Karen, but they pointed me to their terms and conditions for why I couldn’t get a refund, and I found this buried in there and sent it back to them, which is when they decided they actually could give me credit.

“6.1.11. Other Reasons: If the refund request is not within the above, we will investigate the request on a case-by-case basis.” Just including this as a little helpful nugget if you’re ever in need of a refund on your Airalo eSIM! Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

Cell service might not be as good as with a local SIM. My Airalo eSIM was technically through Vodacom, which is one of the more widespread and reliable cell companies in South Africa. But the service was still very hit and miss (even before it full on stopped working).

Would I use Airalo again?

No, I won’t be using Airalo again.

If you’re staying somewhere for 30 days or more, get a local SIM or do a monthly subscription with Holafly Plans. It was significantly cheaper for me to get a real SIM in South Africa. Though South Africa is a famously affordable destination. In some countries, an eSIM may actually be cheaper.

Airalo: $26 USD for 10 GBs over 30 days in one country or region.

MTN (South Africa local phone provider): $8 for 20 GBs over 30 days.

Holafly Plans: $65 USD per month for unlimited data anywhere in the world — with the ability to hot spot to another device. Get 10% off for the first year with my code: RUNAWAYTRAVELLER

There’s no point in getting a local SIM if you’re on a three-day stopover like I was in Qatar. That’s prime eSIM time!

Have you tried an eSIM before? How was your experience? Do you have suggestions for something better than Airalo? Let me know in the comments!