Saily vs Airalo – Which eSIM service is right for you?
As someone who is both constantly traveling and constantly online, I’m pretty much always looking for ways that I can stay connected for cheap while traveling. For the “work” portion of my traveling, that just looks like making sure my stays have decent WIFI available, but a pretty big portion of travel is spent away from the hotel, which means getting a mobile data plan.
For the last few years, Airalo has been the go-to option for travelers looking for an easy and affordable way to stay connected overseas, and they’ve done a pretty decent job of it. But there’s always room for improvement, and a new competitor, Saily, has just entered the field!
Let’s take a look at these two eSIM services and find out how they compare!
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My pick!
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- Inexpensive
- Easy to use
- From a trusted internet security brand (NordVPN)
- Still a new service
- Fewer options
- Wide variety of options
- Regional and Global eSIMs
- Industry leader
- More expensive
What even is an eSIM?
Before we even get into a discussion on which eSIM provider you should choose, it’s important to have a good understanding of what an eSIM is, and why it might be a good choice for you.
SIM cards, or Subscriber Identity Modules, are small physical cards that allow users to make phone calls, send text messages, or connect to the internet. Basically, they are the part of your phone where your phone number is stored. If your phone gets damaged, or if you need to change phones for another reason, physical SIM cards can be removed from one phone and placed in another to move your phone number, phone contacts, and text message history over to the new device.
Electronic SIM, or eSIMs, ditch the physical SIM card in favor of a digital version that does much the same thing. Instead of a physical card, the necessary identification data is downloaded to your phone so it can connect to your plan provider’s cell towers and you can call, text, and use the internet.
Why would I choose an eSIM over a physical SIM Card?
- More SIMs on a single phone
- Easier to switch between profiles (no removing your phone case!)
- Some phones no longer accept physical SIMs
Using eSIMs provides a number of benefits over physical SIM cards. The biggest one is that while some phones do have two physical SIM card slots, modern phones can store information for as many as 8+ eSIMs. Only two of them can be active at any given time, but switching between available eSIM profiles is usually a pretty simple process, and you don’t have to worry about damaging or losing your SIM card.
This means that you can have your home phone number as one of your two active SIMs (for getting bank texts, confirmation codes, etc.) and switch through your different eSIMs to get internet access in each of the countries you visit.
The other main reason to use an eSIM instead of a physical SIM, at least for iPhone users, is simply because you have to.
The US versions of the iPhone, starting with the iPhone 14, don’t even have a physical SIM slot, which means that if you’re using one while traveling, you’ll either have to use an eSIM for internet or buy a separate device that can use a physical SIM.
Phone makers say that not having a SIM slot will allow for thing like squeezing in some extra battery space and lowering the amount of plastic that gets used for making SIM cards, but the US iPhone 14 doesn’t actually gain anything from losing the SIM slot. It’s exactly the same as the international iPhone 14, just without the ability to use physical SIMs.
Sorry, American iPhone users.
Which phones can use eSIMs to connect to the internet?
Most modern phone makers in 2024 are including the ability to connect using eSIMs in their phones. This is especially true of more expensive flagship models, but many older, less expensive phones (like the Pixel 4a) also offer the ability to use eSIMs.
If you aren’t sure if you’re phone can install an eSIM, head to your phone app, dial *#06# and look for your EID number. If you have an EID, you’re phone can use eSIMs. If not, then it can’t.
Airalo has an article on the process here that does a good job of explaining things, if you need more help!
Also note that you need a phone that is carrier unlocked, if you plan on using either Airalo or Saily. If you bought your phone through your provider, or if it was included with your phone plan, you may need to get it unlocked by your carrier before you try to install an eSIM. If that’s not an option, consider getting an inexpensive phone to use specifically for travel!
Are eSIMs a good choice for travel?
It really depends on what you’re looking for.
I’ve been to around 25 different countries at this point, and I can guarantee that getting a local phone plan is going to be cheaper than using an eSIM service like Airalo or Saily. However, getting a local plan either means standing in line at the airport for a tourist SIM or visiting a local service provider’s store to get a plan. ESIMs allow you to set up your internet connection before you even step foot in country, so you have internet on arrival and can skip the lines.
Plus, some eSIM providers (like Airalo) offer Regional or Global plans that work in multiple different countries across a region and let you travel freely between them without worrying about internet. This is perfect for quick travel across several countries.
But whatever you do, DO NOT use your American service provider for data while traveling overseas! At best, you’ll be paying American prices for data (which are way higher than they really should be). At worst, you’ll end up with a surprise phone bill costing thousands of dollars!
Should I use Airalo or Saily as my eSIM provider?
Over the last few years, there have been several different eSIM apps to come out, each with their own take on the technology. However, in my research Airalo has consistently been the provider to come out on top. Saily, on the other hand, is the newest eSIM app on the scene, and it comes from the same people who made my top choice of VPN for travelers, Nord Security. Will Nord’s background in user-friendly programs help Saily to sail past the competition?
Let’s find out!
Airalo – A great eSIM option for most travelers
I did my original testing of Airalo’s eSIM app back when my family was exploring the Galapagos Islands and I found the app to be extremely user-friendly to set up. It was as simple as downloading the app, setting up an account, and selecting the plan that I wanted.
Airalo offers nearly global coverage
Airalo’s website states that it offers eSIM plans in over 200 different countries and regions around the world, which is particularly impressive considering that there are only 195 countries in the world. You would think that this means that Airalo would work literally anywhere, but alas that is not the case. A careful look through the supported countries shows that there are actually quite a few countries where Airalo won’t work, including a good number in Africa. The extra “countries” are places like Greenland, which is part of Denmark, but needs a separate eSIM. Still, the vast majority of places are covered.
If you’re curious if your place is covered, you can do a quick search below.
However, where Airalo really shines are its Regional and Global plans.
Airalo offers several different Global plans which all work in the same 128 different countries, but which include different amounts of data and last for different amounts of time. The 365-day plan, in particular, is a great choice for travelers who are wanting a data plan to fall back on if their local plan runs out of data during a meeting or for the time between landing and being able to find a physical SIM card.
Regional plans have coverage areas that fall somewhere between the single country and global options. They allow travelers to move between countries in the same region without needing to buy a new plan for every country. For instance, the Asialink Plans cover 18 different countries in Asia, from India to Japan, making it a great way to stay connected if you’re planning in visiting a few different countries within a single 30-day period. (Say, if you’re spending a week in Langkawi, then taking the ferry north across the border to see Thailand’s islands for a couple weeks before crossing into Cambodia to check out Angkor Wat…)
Each of Airalo’s coverage plans has its place and can work well to support a wide variety of different travel styles.
Airalo can be more expensive than some local plans, but less expensive than others
Each country/region has its own pricing, so you’ll have to check your specific country for accurate prices, but my overall impression is that Airalo is a bit overpriced in countries that have cheap internet, but not too bad for places with expensive internet.
For example, just this week I paid about $10 for a local data plan in Vietnam that includes up to 4GB of data per day for a full 30 days. But Airalo’s largest data plan for Vietnam costs $32 and only includes a total of 20GB for the entire month! Yet in America, Airalo’s 20GB plan costs $42 while my American cell plan costs $65 a month.
Interested in giving Airalo a test-run?
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This promo lasts until the end of the year, so be sure to check it out before the end of 2024 to get your discount!
Airalo’s app is easy to use and informative
Finding and setting up an eSIM using Airalo is a simple process, but it does require a couple of steps to complete.
Once you’ve found the plan you’re looking for, installing the eSIM is a fairly easy process. You can either just hit the button and wait, scan a QR Code using the phone you want to install it on, or set things up manually. However, when I set my eSIM up in Ecuador, I hit a bit of a snag in the process and had to manually create an APN.
It wasn’t hard and Airalo walked me through the steps without an issue, so that’s definitely not a deal-breaker.
- Wide variety of options
- Regional and Global eSIMs
- Industry leader
- Slightly more expensive
Now, let’s take a look at Saily.
Saily – A new eSIM option from a trusted brand
Saily is a brand new service that has only been around since the beginning of this month (April 2024). However, its parent company is Nord Security, which is known for their NordVPN software. I’ve been using NordVPN as my go-to VPN for over 5 years and have regularly been impressed with how well it works and how easy it is to use, so I’m really excited to see what they do in this new space!
Getting started with Saily is just as easy as it was with Airalo!
Saily covers almost as many locations as Airalo
A quick look at Saily’s website shows that they currently operate in 150 different countries. That’ not quite as many as Airalo, but really good for a service that’s just starting!
Saily does the same thing as Airalo in their country list and includes regions that are technically not countries, but that are different enough from the countries that they belong to as to need different cell networks. (Think how the Bahamas are a commonwealth, not a country, but are also a completely different experience from the UK.)
I expect the number of locations covered to continue to grow as time goes on, but obviously that’s not a big help if you’re in one of the spots not yet covered. As always, check to see if you’re covered before landing in country to be sure it will work.
Where Saily falls short is in their lack of regional and global plans. Not offering options that work in multiple countries does keep things simpler, but if your looking for a global coverage plan Airalo is still the winner here.
Saily is less expensive than Airalo, but still more expensive than local plans
Since I’m in Vietnam at the moment, that’s the country I chose to compare. Airalo’s plans range from 1GB for $4.50 all the way up to 20GB for $32. Saily offers pretty much the exact same range of plans but, at consistently cheaper prices. So, the 1GB plan only costs $3.99 and the 20GB plan costs $27.99.
Prices for US plans follow a similar pattern, with Airalo offering plans from $4.50-$42.00 compared with Saily’s plans from $3.99-$36.99.
Basically, if you’re looking to save some money, Saily is going to offer you more bang for your buck.
Saily’s app is simple and intuitive, but lacks some of the extra information you get from Airalo
When you open Saily’s app you are taken directly to their storefront where you can start browsing through the different countries available. The plans are listed in simple language and the whole process is super straight-forward.
And, if there are any hiccups in getting your eSIM, the customer service team is very responsive. Though, that does mean finding enough internet to contact them.
When it comes down to it, I really didn’t find either app to be more or less difficult to use. So, this one is a bit of a wash.
- Inexpensive
- Easy to use
- From a trusted internet security brand
- Very new service
- Fewer options
Conclusions – Which app would I use?
Here’s the thing. I’m a budget conscious family traveler, so price is a pretty big motivator for me. And yes, I know that it’s like $5 difference between the two, at the most. But a penny saved, right?
On the other hand, if I didn’t already have an international internet back-up plan (Hello, Google Fi!), Airalo’s year-long Global Plan would be a really interesting one for me. I can’t count the number of times I’ve run out of data on my local pre-paid plans and had to fall back to Google Fi. If I didn’t have that option, things would have gotten interesting. (Bonus tip: Download your maps for offline use!)
So there you have it! For day to day use while traveling in a single country, I’d recommend using Saily. But for quick travel across borders or for an inexpensive internet back-up option, Airalo is currently the better bet.
Happy travels!
