Ubigi vs Holafly: which eSIM to choose for your trip in 2026?

Ubigi or Holafly: what are the differences in one table?

Across twelve criteria, Ubigi wins seven and Holafly five. Ubigi wins on price, transparency and top-ups, Holafly on service and flexibility. The table sums up this Ubigi vs Holafly comparison, with the details in each section below.

Collected on October 21, 2026 on cellulardata.ubigi.com, esim.holafly.com and Trustpilot.

What is Ubigi and which eSIMs does it offer?

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 / 5

eSIMrat rating

• ✓Volume plans (1 to 50 GB) or unlimited
• ✓Unlimited: 25 to 60 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbit/s
• ✓More than 200 destinations
• ✓A single eSIM, rechargeable from the app
• ✓Hotspot allowed

%code “ESIMRAT” (-10%)

From

3€00

1 GB, 7 days (Thailand)

See offers

Ubigi is the consumer brand of Transatel, a French mobile operator and subsidiary of the Japanese group NTT. It's one of the few travel eSIMs sold by an operator rather than a simple reseller. The service advertises more than 200 destinations worldwide, with country plans, regional plans (Europe, Asia, Americas, Africa, Middle East, Oceania) and a world plan for global coverage.

Ubigi offers two families of one-off plans, available on its website as well as in its app. The first is the volume plan: from 1 to 50 GB depending on the country, valid for 3 to 30 days. The second is unlimited data, sold in 7, 15 and 30-day tiers on the most popular destinations, with a full-speed cap written on every product page. In Japan, the short tier is 8 days instead of 7.

Ubigi's real strength is practical: you install the eSIM only once, then add a plan for each trip from the app, on your Ubigi account, even without Wi-Fi or any data left. The QR code is sent to the email address used for your order, stays valid for 6 months after purchase, and the plan starts when you arrive in the country. Our full Ubigi review covers the rest of its catalog.

Prices collected on October 21, 2026 on cellulardata.ubigi.com, in euros. Discounted amounts calculated from the −10% rate of the ESIMRAT code.

What is Holafly and which eSIMs does it offer?

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 / 5

eSIMrat rating

• ✓Unlimited data on all destination eSIMs
• ✓Length chosen down to the day
• ✓More than 200 destinations
• ✓Always On: 1 GB of backup data per month
• ✓24/7 support via chat and WhatsApp

%code “ESIMRAT” (-5%)

From

3€79

1 day, unlimited

See offers

Holafly is a Spanish company founded in 2017, based in Madrid and Dublin, which has built its entire offer on unlimited data. It covers more than 200 destinations, with country or regional plans, and its destination eSIMs are all unlimited, with a validity you choose down to the day, from 1 to 90 days.

The daily cost drops as your stay gets longer: €3.79 for one day, €2.30 per day over a month. The price grid is the same in Japan, the United States and Thailand, and only slightly higher in Europe.

Holafly also offers Always On: once your plan ends, the eSIM keeps 1 GB of free backup data per month, in more than 150 countries, as long as it stays installed. On the other hand, Holafly no longer lets you top up an eSIM: to extend your plan or travel again, its FAQ says you need to buy a new eSIM. Our Holafly promo code was tested all the way to the payment screen.

Prices collected on October 21, 2026 on esim.holafly.com, in euros. Discounted amounts calculated from the −5% rate observed at checkout.

Which eSIM is the cheapest?

On unlimited data, Ubigi is cheaper than Holafly in all four zones and for every comparable length. The gap ranges from +6% (Japan, 30 days) to +41% (Thailand, 30 days): it depends mostly on your destination and length of stay.

In Japan, Ubigi has no 7-day tier: its short unlimited plan lasts 8 days for €25, one day more than Holafly's 7 days at €25.50. With the eSIMrat codes, the gap grows even wider: 15 days of unlimited data in Japan drops to €35.10 at Ubigi versus €44.56 at Holafly.

The mechanism is the same as against Saily or Airalo: Holafly shows an almost identical price everywhere, while Ubigi sets a price per destination. So it's where data is cheap locally, as in Thailand, that Ubigi widens the gap. Only the exact length of your stay can flip the math: for 10 days, Holafly sells exactly 10 days for €33.90, while Ubigi makes you take the 15-day tier, at €35 or €39 depending on the country.

Prices collected on October 21, 2026 on cellulardata.ubigi.com and esim.holafly.com, in euros, unlimited plans.

Volume plan or unlimited: which costs you less?

If you use less than 1 GB per day, an Ubigi volume plan costs two to six times less than Holafly unlimited over 30 days: €32 for 25 GB versus €68.90 in Japan, €11 for 10 GB versus €68.90 in Thailand. It's Ubigi's main selling point, and its most flexible option: Holafly sells no volume plans on its destination eSIMs, so you pay for unlimited data even just to stay connected to your maps and messages.

For reference, typical travel use (maps, messaging, social media, a bit of browsing) often comes to around 500 MB to 1 GB per day. Over a two-week stay, 15 to 25 GB is therefore plenty. Our data usage calculator helps you estimate your needs before you buy.

Unlimited only pays off if you use a lot every day: video streaming, video calls, remote work. And even then, at Ubigi, unlimited data stays capped at full speed, which makes it closer to a large volume plan.

The rat's advice: before paying for unlimited data, open your phone's settings and check your mobile data usage over the last thirty days. If you're under 1 GB per day, go for volume: in Thailand, a 10 GB plan valid for 30 days costs €11 at Ubigi, versus €68.90 for 30 days of unlimited data at Holafly.

Prices collected on October 21, 2026 on cellulardata.ubigi.com and esim.holafly.com, in euros.

Is Holafly and Ubigi data really unlimited?

No, neither offers unlimited data at full speed with no limit at all. After a certain amount, the speed drops. The difference lies in what each one states in black and white before you buy.

Ubigi publishes its threshold on every product page, in a "Fair Use Policy" box. The 7-day unlimited plan includes 25 GB at full speed, the 15-day plan 30 GB, the 30-day plan 60 GB. Beyond that, speed drops to 2 Mbit/s, enough for WhatsApp, email, maps and light browsing, but not for HD video. Japan's 8-day plan works differently: 5 GB per day at full speed, with a counter that resets every day.

Do the math: 30 GB over 15 days is 2 GB per day on average. A heavy user who watches series every evening will hit the threshold before the end of the stay, and spend the last days at 2 Mbit/s. A Trustpilot review from October 16, 2026 describes exactly this case: a 15-day unlimited plan in Japan cut off for usage deemed excessive.

Holafly publishes no figure for its threshold. Its FAQ on unlimited data states that some operators apply a fair use policy, which can temporarily reduce speed, for one day at most, before returning to normal the next day. The comparison site Monito, which tested Holafly in 2025, reports a sharply reduced speed after about 4.5 GB in a day.

In practice, Holafly unlimited is better suited to very heavy use spread over the whole stay, since the slowdown doesn't last. Ubigi unlimited suits sustained but predictable use, which you can calculate before paying.

Can you share your connection with Ubigi and Holafly?

Yes, both allow hotspot use, or tethering, which turns your phone into a Wi-Fi access point for a laptop, a tablet or a travel companion. But not to the same extent.

At Ubigi, every product page says "Hotspot allowed", with no separate quota. Sharing draws on your plan's data, or on the full-speed threshold of your unlimited plan. With 25 GB over 30 days, you can devote a good share of it to your laptop.

At Holafly, the shareable amount is set at 1 GB per day of your plan: a 7-day plan gives 7 GB of sharing in total. Its FAQ also states that sharing is not enabled on every eSIM, so check the destination description before buying. Our page on hotspot explains how to turn it on on iPhone and Android.

If you work on a laptop while traveling, this is the criterion that should guide your choice before price: a single system update can eat up a day's sharing quota at Holafly.

What coverage and which networks?

On raw coverage, there's no clear winner: Ubigi and Holafly both advertise more than 200 destinations, and both offer country and regional plans. The real difference shows up country by country, in the partner network used.

For an eSIM for Japan, Ubigi accesses all three major operators, including NTT Docomo, Transatel's sister company within the NTT group. In the United States, Holafly uses two networks while Ubigi lists only one, which gives a fallback in rural areas. The more networks there are, the better your phone's chances of finding a signal when one network weakens. On a regional plan, also check the list of included countries: Holafly's Europe plan covers 33.

The negative reviews on both sides are about specific countries (Mauritius and China for Ubigi, Mongolia for Holafly): quality depends first and foremost on the local operator. For a stay in Europe, also check that your usual plan doesn't already include roaming in the European Union: a Europe eSIM would then be pointless.

Networks read on Ubigi product pages and Holafly country pages on October 21, 2026.

Installation, top-ups and app: which is simpler?

For a first trip, the installation experience is about the same: the eSIM is ready in a few minutes, before you leave, over a Wi-Fi connection. For later trips, Ubigi is more convenient.

At Ubigi, you install using the QR code received by email, or through the iOS or Android app. The plan activates when you arrive in the country, as soon as your phone picks up the local network, and the validity starts at that moment. For your next trip, you keep the same eSIM and add a plan from the app, even without Wi-Fi or data credit: no new QR code to scan.

At Holafly, installation is automatic with one tap from the app on iPhone running iOS 17.4 or later, or done with the QR code received by email. Each trip, however, requires a new eSIM to install again, since top-ups are no longer offered.

In both cases, you need an eSIM-compatible, unlocked phone, and your main SIM stays active alongside to receive your calls and texts, such as your bank codes. Your messaging apps like WhatsApp keep your usual number, and your number stays reachable throughout your stay.

Customer service and refunds: who responds best?

On customer service, Holafly clearly wins. It responds via chat, WhatsApp and email, 24/7. Ubigi offers a help center (FAQ, support, video tutorials), but its contact page goes through an online form, with no live chat displayed.

Refunds also lean in Holafly's favor. It gives you up to 6 months after purchase to submit a request, and processes an approved refund in 3 to 5 business days.

Ubigi's terms and conditions are stricter. A plan bought on the website is refundable only if you haven't scanned the QR code yet, and the request must be sent through the form within 14 business days of purchase. A phone locked by its carrier gives no right to a refund, and neither does a top-up already started, unless there's a technical problem caused by Transatel.

The rat's advice: at Ubigi, don't scan the QR code until you're sure you're leaving. First check that your phone is compatible and unlocked: once the code is scanned, the door to a refund closes.

Ubigi subscription or Holafly Plans: which one if you travel often?

Both brands also offer monthly subscriptions, but not for the same traveler. Ubigi sells subscriptions by zone, much cheaper. Holafly Plans covers more than 160 destinations with a single subscription.

If you travel to the same zone every month, for example for work in Europe, the Ubigi subscription is much cheaper: €18 per month for 20 GB in Europe. It can only be canceled after 3 months. If you change continents every month, Holafly Plans saves you from stacking plans, with no commitment, with hotspot, Always On and a local number to receive texts, reserved for the Unlimited and Ultra plans.

Prices collected on October 21, 2026 on cellulardata.ubigi.com and esim.holafly.com/fr/esim-plans, monthly price.

Are Ubigi and Holafly reliable?

Yes, both are established players. Ubigi belongs to Transatel, an operator in the NTT group, which makes it one of the few travel eSIMs sold directly by an operator. Holafly has been selling eSIMs since 2017 and has more than 115,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

On reviews, Holafly does clearly better. On October 21, 2026, it shows 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 115,647 reviews, 6% of them one-star. Ubigi shows 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 49,222 reviews, 12% of them one-star.

Reviews published on fr.trustpilot.com (Ubigi and Holafly), summarized and not quoted word for word.

On their eSIMrat reviews, our score gives both 4.2 out of 5. Ubigi makes up with price, transparency and top-ups for what it loses on support and reviews. Holafly does the opposite. Be wary of comparisons that name a clear winner: several well-ranked pages for this search are published on Ubigi's blog and on Holafly's blog, and each one's content defends its own brand.

Ubigi or Holafly: which one should you choose?

Ubigi or Holafly? The choice depends on your traveler profile, in three questions: how much data you use, how many days you're staying, and whether you need a human on the other end of the line.

Our verdict: Ubigi is the better eSIM of the two for most travelers who know how much data they use. It costs less, publishes its limits, lets you share your connection and tops up without reinstalling. Holafly remains the best choice for those who want unlimited data without any math and support that can be reached at any hour.

Once you've made your choice, go through our Ubigi promo code or Holafly promo code pages to get the ESIMRAT discount code: −10% at Ubigi, −5% at Holafly.

Cheaper alternatives to Ubigi and Holafly

If your main criterion is budget, Ubigi and Holafly aren't the cheapest options for a volume plan: there are alternatives. For 10 GB valid for 30 days, voilà eSIM costs less than Ubigi in all four zones checked, and Holafly doesn't sell this format.

voilà eSIM belongs to the same group as this comparison site, and we treat it like the others. What sets it apart, in addition to its value for money (€8.70 for 10 GB over 30 days in Japan, on the NTT Docomo network): an eSIM that's simple to install, an app that's easy to use, and human customer support, available 24/7. Its limit: it doesn't sell unlimited data, so it doesn't meet the needs of very heavy users, where Ubigi and Holafly remain the right options.

If you're also hesitating between other brands, our Saily vs Holafly and Airalo vs Holafly head-to-heads compare Holafly with the two other heavyweights, and our destination pages rank more than 25 providers by price per GB.

Prices collected on October 21, 2026 from the voilà eSIM public API and cellulardata.ubigi.com, in euros.