Travel eSIMs compared

The specs that matter

Read this table before you read any price.

Provider	Full speed until	Then throttled to	Hotspot	Phone number
Saily	5GB/day	1 Mbps	Unlimited	Optional paid add-on
Airalo	3GB/day	1 Mbps	Unlimited	On some Data, Voice & Text packages and Discover+
Holafly	~2–3GB/day per third-party analysis; Holafly publishes no figure	256–1024 kbps	1GB/day	Never
Nomad	2GB/day	512 kbps	Supported	Thailand 50GB plan only, per review; otherwise unclear
Ubigi	No unlimited plan in several markets	n/a	Unlimited	Never — data only, no SMS

Prices checked by hand · 31 August 2026

Provider by provider

Nord Security (NordVPN)

Saily

Best daily allowance of any provider, and the only one selling a phone number as a clean add-on. Newest brand here, so the least field-tested.

+5GB/day before throttling — the most generous cap in the category

+Unlimited hotspot on every plan

+Optional phone number add-on for SMS and 2FA codes

−Newest brand of the five — fewer years of country-by-country field reports

−Does not disclose its carrier partners in the US or Thailand

−Single-country pricing is not always cheaper than a local SIM

See Saily plans →

Airalo

The default choice, and the one people search for by name. Middling cap, unrestricted tethering, and a support operation that draws consistent complaints.

+Largest destination catalogue and the most recognised brand

+Unrestricted tethering and connected-device count

+Top-ups without reinstalling the eSIM

−Support is largely bot-driven, with multi-day response times and refund friction

−A July 2026 review flags reports of unauthorised account access and fraudulent charges — pay with Apple or Google Pay rather than storing a card

−Local voice packages block international calls

See Airalo plans →

Nomad

Cheapest in Thailand by a distance, and the best-documented affiliate program. Harshest throttling, and prices move constantly because half the catalogue is permanently on sale.

+Aggressively cheap in Thailand — 50GB for 10 days at $12

+Only provider here publishing its full affiliate terms (10% tiered, 30-day cookie, monthly payouts)

+Nomad Pass subscription bundles 1GB a month plus 15% off

−2GB/day cap then 512 kbps — the harshest throttling in this comparison

−Constant sale pricing means the price you saw last week may not be the price today

−60-day activation window, the shortest here

See Nomad plans →

Transatel (NTT)

Ubigi

Runs on its own network infrastructure rather than reselling, and it shows in reliability. Cheapest for large data in the US and Europe. No unlimited option in several major markets.

+Owns its network through parent Transatel/NTT rather than reselling — reviewers consistently rate reliability highest here

+Cheapest 10GB/30-day plan in both the US ($14) and Europe ($15)

+The only provider with genuine monthly subscription plans alongside travel plans

−No unlimited plan at all in the US, Thailand or New Zealand

−No phone number or SMS on any plan, anywhere

−Affiliate commission pays on the first purchase only

See Ubigi plans →

Holafly

One flat price everywhere, which makes it the worst value in cheap destinations and defensible only where data is expensive or your usage is unpredictable. The hotspot cap rules it out for anyone travelling with a laptop.

+Genuinely simple — one price ladder, unlimited data, no tiers to weigh up

+Bundles Always On, a 1GB/month backup allowance in 150+ countries after the plan ends

+Names its carrier partners in every market, which most rivals don't

−Hotspot capped at 1GB/day — by far the tightest restriction here, and buried

−Flat global pricing means you pay Japan money for Thailand data

−Publishes no fair-use figure, so you cannot know when throttling starts

See Holafly plans →

Ubigi's 10GB for 30 days at $15 undercuts Nomad ($23), Airalo ($31) and Saily ($35.99) by a wide margin, and its 38-country footpr…

See prices →