Saily vs Holafly: which eSIM to choose for traveling in 2026?

Saily or Holafly: what are the differences in a table?

Out of twelve criteria, Saily wins on eight, Holafly on three, and customer support is a tie. The table summarizes the essentials of this Saily vs Holafly comparison: the details follow in each section.

Report as of October 14, 2026, on saily.com, esim.holafly.com and Trustpilot.

What is Saily and what eSIMs does it offer?

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 / 5

eSIMrat rating

• ✓Data plans (1 to 20 GB) or unlimited
• ✓Unlimited: 5 GB/day at full speed, then 1 Mbit/s
• ✓More than 200 destinations
• ✓Unlimited data tethering
• ✓Chat 24/7

%code “ESIMRAT” (-10%)

From

2€99

1 GB, 3 days

See offers

Saily is the travel eSIM from Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, NordPass and Incogni. The service covers more than 200 destinations, with local plans per country, regional plans (Asia and Oceania, Europe, Latin America…) and a global plan that covers 121 countries starting from €7.99.

Saily offers two families of plans. The first is volume-based plans: 1, 3, 5, 10, or 20 GB, valid for 3 to 30 days. The second is unlimited, sold in tiers of 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days in the most in-demand countries. Not all destinations offer unlimited data: in Algeria, for example, Saily only sells volume plans, from 1 to 10 GB.

One practical point distinguishes Saily: a single eSIM serves all your travels. To top up, you add a new plan to the already installed eSIM (no need to top up a new eSIM), without having to go through the QR code for every destination. Each purchase also gives you 3% of its amount back in Saily credits, according to its product pages. The plan has an activation period of 180 days and activates automatically upon your arrival in the country. Our full review of Saily details the rest of its catalog.

Prices recorded on October 14, 2026 on saily.com, in euros. Discounted amounts calculated based on the -10% rate from the code ESIMRAT.

What is Holafly and what eSIMs does it offer?

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 / 5

eSIM rating

• ✓Unlimited data on all destination eSIMs
• ✓Duration chosen by the day
• ✓More than 200 destinations
• ✓Always On: 1 GB backup per month
• ✓Refund claimable for up to 6 months

%code “ESIMRAT” (-5%)

From

3€79

1 day, unlimited

See offers

Holafly is a Spanish company founded in 2017, based in Madrid and Dublin, specializing in unlimited data. It covers more than 200 destinations, with plans by country or region, and its destination eSIMs all feature unlimited data, with validity chosen to the exact day.

The daily cost decreases as your stay gets longer: €3.79 for one day, €2.30 per day on a one-month plan. And the pricing structure is strictly identical to Japan, the United States, and Thailand, making the offer very easy to understand.

The Spanish brand adds two services that Saily does not have. Always On, first: once your unlimited data is finished, your eSIM keeps 1 GB of free backup data per month. Next, a chat with a medical team, 24/7, included in the offer. Our Holafly promo code was tested in the cart on destination eSIMs.

Prices recorded on October 14, 2026, on esim.holafly.com, in euros. Discounted amounts calculated based on the -5% rate observed in the cart.

Which eSIM is the cheapest?

On the unlimited, Saily is cheaper than Holafly in all three countries and across the three recorded durations. Holafly costs 6% more in Japan for 7 days and 58% more in Thailand for 30 days. The size of the gap therefore depends primarily on your destination.

The mechanism is simple. Holafly displays a single rate across all three destinations, whereas Saily sets a rate per destination. This is why Saily widens the gap in places where data is inexpensive locally, such as Thailand. With the eSIMrat codes, the gap grows even larger: 15 days of unlimited data in Japan costs €39.14 at Saily compared to €44.56 at Holafly.

And if you don't need unlimited data, the comparison changes scale. Holafly does not sell volume-based plans, so you pay for unlimited even if you consume very little. With Saily, 20 GB for 30 days costs €21.99 in Japan and €17.99 in Thailand, compared to €46.90 for only 15 days of unlimited data with Holafly. Only the length of stay can change the game: for a 12-day trip, Holafly sells exactly 12 days, whereas Saily forces you to take the 15-day tier. So, compare both prices based on the actual length of your stay.

The complete ranking of every country, across all providers, is on our Japan eSIM page and its equivalents.

Prices recorded on October 14, 2026 on saily.com and esim.holafly.com, in euros, unlimited plans.

Does Saily offer unlimited data?

Yes, Saily offers unlimited data in most requested countries, from Japan to the United States, including Thailand, Spain, Italy, or Turkey. But just like with Holafly, unlimited is not unlimited at full speed. The difference lies in what each company states in black and white.

Saily displays it directly on each country page: the unlimited plan includes 5 GB per day with no speed limit, followed by unlimited data at up to 1 Mbit/s. At this speed, messaging, maps, and simple browsing work, but high-definition video does not. The counter resets every day.

Its Spanish competitor does not publish any specific numerical thresholds. Its FAQ on unlimited data indicates that certain operators apply a fair usage policy, which can reduce speed after a certain volume, and that this reduction never lasts more than one day. The comparison site Monito, which tested both in 2025, reports a significantly reduced throughput after approximately 4.5 GB with Holafly, which returned later in the day.

Specifically, with Saily you know exactly what to expect, and 5 GB per day easily covers a day of maps, social media, messaging, and even a bit of streaming. With the Spanish offer, the threshold depends on the country's operator and is not announced in advance. For normal use, both are sufficient. For intensive use, such as professional remote work, only Saily lets you do the math before buying.

How does hotspotting work?

Tethering, or hotspot, turns your phone into a Wi-Fi access point: the source device shares its internet connection with a computer, a tablet, or a travel companion. If you plan to use it, this is the criterion that should guide your choice between Saily and Holafly, even before the price.

At Saily, hotspotting has no separate quota. Saily writes on its blog: "hotspotting is unlimited on all plans". In practice, it draws from the phone's data counter, meaning 5 GB per day at full speed on an unlimited plan, or the volume of your plan.

At Holafly, the shareable data volume is set to 1 GB per day of the plan, according to its product page: a 7-day plan includes 7 GB of sharing in total. Beyond that, sharing stops, even if your phone keeps its unlimited data. To activate the hotspot, the setting is identical everywhere: Settings, then Personal Hotspot on iPhone, or Mobile Hotspot on Android. Our guide on hotspotting explains how it works step by step.

The rat's advice: if you work on a computer while traveling, do not trust the word "unlimited". With Holafly, a single update on your computer can swallow your entire daily data allowance. With Saily, you have five times more margin every day, on an identical type of plan.

What is the speed of Saily and Holafly?

The speed of a travel eSIM depends on three factors you can check before purchase: the local operator used, the 4G or 5G supported by your phone, and the unlimited data cap.

The operator, first of all. Saily and Holafly do not own any antennas: they are virtual operators that resell the capacity of local operators. In Japan, both use the same networks, KDDI and SoftBank, according to their product pages. Two eSIMs from a common operator theoretically offer equivalent performance. Both announce 4G LTE and 5G where the network provides it.

Published tests confirm it: there is no decisive difference. The website Technovice conducted 57 speed tests in Austria in September and October 2026: a median of 182.86 Mbps with Saily, and 160.14 Mbps with Holafly. This is just one country and two different phones, so it is merely an indication.

The cap, finally, weighs more than everything else. With Saily, the speed drops to 1 Mbit/s after 5 GB in a day. With Holafly, a reduction may apply after an unpublished volume. To check on-site, run a speed test (a speed test, for example with the Speedtest by Ookla app). If the result stays stuck around 1 Mbps at the start of the day, it's not the cap: change the network in the eSIM settings or contact support.

What regional and global coverage?

In terms of raw coverage, there is no clear winner: Saily and Holafly both announce over 200 destinations. What differs is the way each geographical area is divided into multi-country plans.

Saily groups its countries into large zones: an Asia and Oceania plan for 22 countries starting from €4.49, a global plan for 121 countries starting from €7.99, plus plans for Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, or the Middle East and North Africa. Holafly offers more granular segmentation, such as an Asia plan for 16 countries, and also sells its regional plans with unlimited data.

If your usual mobile plan is European, check before purchasing: roaming within the European Union is generally already included, so a Europe eSIM would be useless. For travel outside of Europe, always compare the country plan and the regional plan: for a single country, the local plan is almost always cheaper.

Which eSIM for traveling in Asia?

To travel in Asia, the answer depends on the number of countries. For a single country, Saily is cheaper for unlimited data, both in Japan and Thailand. On a multi-country tour with an unlimited regional plan, Holafly takes the lead, by a small margin.

Both plans are comparable for up to 15 days, after which Holafly becomes significantly cheaper over a month: €70.90 compared to €77.49. On the other hand, Saily covers 22 countries compared to 16, and also sells this regional volume-based plan: 10 GB for 30 days for €31.99, or 25 GB for 60 days for €43.49. For a multi-week trip to Asia without heavy data needs, it is the cheapest option of the two brands; for a short stay in a single country, the national plan remains the best value.

Before buying a regional plan, check that all your countries are included in the plan's list, especially China, where access to certain services is subject to specific rules. For a single country, our ranking of the best eSIM for Japan also compares other providers.

Rates recorded on October 14, 2026 on saily.com/fr/esim-asia-and-oceania and esim.holafly.com/fr/esim-asie, in euros.

Purchase, installation, application, and customer service: which one is the simplest?

Regarding installation, Saily and Holafly are equally good. You make your purchase, you download the app, and then the installation is fast: the eSIM is ready in a few minutes, before departure. Once you arrive, activation happens on the local network, and the validity only begins at that moment.

With Saily, the app is mandatory: it is what installs the eSIM, displays remaining data and the expiration date, and allows you to add a plan to the same eSIM for your next trip. Don't forget to enable data roaming for the Saily line, otherwise nothing will work. With Holafly, installation is automatic with one button from the app on iPhone starting from iOS 17.4, or is done with the QR code received by email, accompanied by an installation guide and useful information to activate it.

In both cases, you need an eSIM-compatible and unlocked phone. Your messaging apps like WhatsApp will continue to work with your usual number, since your primary SIM stays in the phone.

Regarding customer service, both announce 24/7 assistance. Saily responds via live chat in the app and on its website, as well as by email. The Spanish brand responds via chat, email, and WhatsApp. Monito, who tested both platforms in 2025, received a response in 1 minute at Holafly and in 7 minutes at Saily.

Security, phone number, refund: what else do they offer?

The secondary features reflect each brand's DNA. Saily comes from a VPN provider, and it shows: its app integrates web protection that blocks malicious websites, a data saver that cuts out ads, and virtual location in over 115 locations. For the privacy of your browsing on a foreign network, it's a real plus. Holafly offers no comparable solution.

Regarding phones, neither provides a local number with its data plans. Saily offers an American number as an option, associated with a calling and SMS plan. The Spanish brand reserves the number, which is used to receive SMS, for its Unlimited and Ultra monthly subscriptions.

Refunds lean towards Holafly. Saily offers a full refund within 30 days of purchase if the eSIM has not been installed or the plan has not been activated, and only on a case-by-case basis thereafter, according to its refund policy. Holafly announces a full refund in the event of cancellation, incompatible device, or faulty connection, and allows up to 6 months to make a request.

To receive your usual SMS, such as your bank codes, always keep your primary SIM active alongside it, in dual SIM mode.

Saily Ultra or Holafly Plans: which subscription if you travel often?

Both brands also sell monthly subscriptions for those who travel every month. These are two quite different products: Saily Ultra focuses on travel benefits, while Holafly Plans focuses on coverage and unlimited data.

Saily Ultra includes a phone number, access to certain airport lounges, a skip-the-line service, a ClassPass subscription, and the security and privacy tools NordVPN, NordPass, NordLocker, and Incogni. Holafly Plans includes hotspotting, Always On and, starting from the Unlimited plan, a local number to receive SMS. Both are contract-free, with a discount available on quarterly or annual plans.

For a frequent traveler with low data usage, Saily Ultra Standard is the cheaper of the two. For a digital nomad who wants unlimited data in more countries, Holafly Unlimited Plan is more suitable. Do the math before you subscribe: if you only travel two weeks a year, a one-off plan per trip is much cheaper than a twelve-month subscription.

Prices recorded on October 14, 2026, on saily.com and esim.holafly.com, monthly rate without commitment.

Are Saily and Holafly reliable?

Yes, both are established players. Saily is backed by Nord Security, the publisher of NordVPN. Holafly has been selling eSIMs since 2017 and has over 114,000 reviews on Trustpilot. Neither shows the usual red flags: impossible-to-find pricing, hidden conditions, or lack of support.

In terms of reviews, they are tied in rating. On October 14, 2026, Saily shows 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot for 32,279 reviews. Its competitor also shows 4.7 out of 5, for 114,936 reviews. The share of one-star reviews is twice as low at Saily: 3% compared to 6% at Holafly.

Behind the ratings, the experience shared by customers is quite similar. Here is a sample of recent reviews published on Trustpilot, both good and bad, summarized by us.

Reviews published on fr.trustpilot.com (Saily and Holafly), summarized and not quoted word for word. Reviews from both sides focus primarily on coverage in a specific country: a reminder that quality depends first and foremost on the local operator.

On their eSIM comparison sheets, our score gives Saily 4.5 out of 5 and Holafly 4.2 out of 5: the gap comes from pricing, transparency regarding unlimited data caps, and hotspot sharing; the quality of service is comparable. When competing sites name a winner, check who owns them: several highly ranked comparisons for this query are published by sister brands of Saily (Surfshark, NordVPN) or sponsored by Holafly, such as Passporter's, which notes it.

Which eSIM is the best in 2026?

This duel Saily vs Holafly is decided by traveler profile: each has its own best eSIM.

Our verdict, across all criteria: Saily is the better eSIM of the two for most travelers in 2026, and the best choice for a short, budget-friendly trip: it costs less, publishes its limits, and allows you to share your connection. Holafly remains the best choice for those who want unlimited data without having to calculate anything.

Saily or Holafly, which one to choose?

Saily or Holafly? To decide, ask yourself three questions, in this order: how much data do I consume, how many countries am I traveling through, and am I sharing my connection.

If you consume less than 1 GB per day during a two-week stay, go for Saily's data plans: it's by far the cheapest option of the two brands. For a short stay with a need for unlimited data in a single country, go for Saily unlimited, which remains cheaper even before any promo codes. If you are traveling through several Asian countries for more than two weeks, compare the regional plans: Holafly is cheaper there. And if you don't know yet how many days you will stay, Holafly gives you more flexibility thanks to its daily billing and its refund policy.

The rat's advice: before paying for unlimited data, check your mobile usage from the last thirty days in your phone settings. If you use less than 1 GB per day over a 15-day trip, a volume-based plan is enough: in Japan, 20 GB for 30 days costs €21.99 at Saily, compared to €43.49 for 15 days of unlimited at Saily and €46.90 at Holafly.

Once your verdict is in, visit our Saily promo code or Holafly pages to enjoy the discount code ESIMRAT, tested in cart: −10% at Saily, −5% at Holafly.

Alternatives to Saily and Holafly, cheaper

If your main criterion is budget, Saily and Holafly are neither the only alternatives nor the cheapest. On a 10 GB plan valid for 30 days in Japan, several lesser-known providers cost about half as much as Saily, and Holafly does not sell this format.

voilà eSIM belongs to the same group as this comparator, and we treat it like the others: in this format, it ranks third, behind eSIM Card and eSIM4Travel. What distinguishes it, in addition to its value for money (€8.70 for 10 GB for 30 days in Japan): an easy-to-install eSIM, an easy-to-use application, and human customer support, reachable 24/7. Its limitation: it does not sell unlimited data, so it does not meet the needs of heavy users, whereas Saily and Holafly remain the good options. If you are also hesitating with Airalo, our Airalo vs Holafly duel compares the other two heavyweights.

These rates change often, which is why the collection date is listed under each table on this blog. Our destination pages compare offers from over 25 providers, sorted by price per GB, including the promo codes we have tested in the cart.

Prices recorded on October 14, 2026, on esimcard.com, esim4travel.com, voilà eSIM public API, and saily.com. eSIM Card and eSIM4Travel bill in dollars ($7.82 and $9.44), converted at the ECB rate from October 13, 2026 (1 € = $1.1188): your bank may add conversion fees.