Airalo vs Saily

These two get compared more than any other pair, and most comparisons pick a winner and stop. The honest answer is that it depends where you are going — and the gap is big enough to matter. We earn commission from both, so there is no version of this where one pays us to win.

Airalo prices refreshed automatically, last updated 2026-07-20. Saily checked by hand on 20 July 2026.

The short answer

On the four markets we price, Airalo is cheaper more often — 4 to 0. But the averages hide the real story: the difference is small in Asia and large in Europe, where Saily is markedly expensive. If you are doing a multi-country European trip, that gap is the whole decision.

Beyond price they differ in two ways that matter. Airalo allows uncapped tethering; Saily advertises unlimited hotspot but its terms restrict tethering to “occasional personal use” and reserve the right to disconnect. Saily supports proper top-ups on every plan; Airalo only on eSIMs marked rechargeable. If you tether a laptop, that points to Airalo. If you would rather buy small and extend, that points to Saily.

Price, market by market

Cost per gigabyte at a comparable allowance. Airalo's column is live; Saily's 10GB/30-day plans were read from their site.

Destination	Airalo	Saily	Cheaper
Europe	$2.35/GB 20GB · 15d · $47	$3.6/GB 10GB · 30d · $35.99	Airalo
Japan	$1.2/GB 20GB · 15d · $24	$1.8/GB 10GB · 30d · $17.99	Airalo
Thailand	$0.88/GB 20GB · 15d · $17.5	$1.1/GB 10GB · 30d · $10.99	Airalo
USA	$1.8/GB 20GB · 15d · $36	$2.3/GB 10GB · 30d · $22.99	Airalo

Both providers geo-detect currency, so you may be quoted differently. Airalo's allowance sizes vary by market, so the plans are not always identical in size — the per-gigabyte figure is the comparable number.

The fine print, head to head

Throttled after	3 GB per day on unlimited plans, resetting every 24h from activation	3 GB per day in Europe, 5 GB per day in Japan, Thailand and the USA
Then capped at	1 Mbps for the remainder of that day	1 Mbps for the rest of the 24-hour cycle
Hotspot	No cap — unlimited tethering, unlimited devices	Marketing says unlimited; the terms prohibit tethering 'beyond occasional personal use' and allow disconnection
Top-up	Only on eSIMs marked rechargeable — check before you buy, it is not universal	Yes — top up in-app, with optional auto top-up
Unused data	Forfeited — unused data cannot be used after the validity period	Forfeited at expiry, with no refund payable for unused data
Refunds	30 days — but 'wrong purchase' and 'changed plans' refund only to in-app credit, not your card. Only a faulty eSIM gets cash back	30 days, but once activated a refund needs over 99% of the data unused — troubleshooting a faulty eSIM can itself disqualify you
Phone number	Data only on most plans. The USA and Thailand voice plans are the exceptions	Data only. A number is a paid add-on, and Saily itself warns it is unsuitable for 2FA

The sharpest difference is refunds. Saily requires over 99% of the data to be unused once a plan is activated — so troubleshooting a faulty eSIM can burn enough data to disqualify you. Airalo will refund a change of mind, but only to in-app credit rather than your card.

Which should you buy?

Choose Airalo if

You tether a laptop, you want the widest country coverage, or you are going somewhere neither has priced keenly and you would rather have the bigger catalogue. It is also the better pick for Europe on current prices.

Choose Saily if

You are travelling in Asia, you would rather buy a small plan and top it up than commit up front, or you value the bundled ad blocking and tracker protection. Just do not count on tethering, whatever the marketing says.

Airalo pays us 12% and Saily 15%. Saily paying more has not made it the recommendation — the per-gigabyte figures above are the whole basis.