Holafly eSIM Honest Review: Everything You Need to Know

The invention of eSIMs makes life a lot easier as a traveler. They’re not a fool-proof cure-all for staying connected while you’re on the road, but they do the trick and the tech can only get better from here. I recently tried Holafly, and here’s what I can tell you about the customer service, pricing, pros and cons, and how it compares to Airalo.

What an Holafly eSIM does

Basically, eSIMs work by — and please remember I am not a tech girlie — accessing the local data network without you needing to swap out the little chip in the side of your phone. But how, you say? That’s a question for someone else. I already feel like Wi-Fi is witchcraft. All I know is that I need it.

But it’s such a luxury to arrive in a new country and be able to just tap a few buttons in your phone settings to get miraculous access to the internet.

Holafly is the best eSIM that I’ve tried in terms of functionality, though I can only compare it to Airalo. More on that below.

Why I tried an eSIM

Connecting to the internet when you first touchdown somewhere new is both essential and inconvenient. Maybe you forgot to screenshot the directions or address of your Airbnb, or perhaps booking an Uber is going to save you way more money than catching a taxi.

(At Auckland airport, I was once quoted $90 for a taxi that I booked for $40 on Uber — I know the app has its issues… but 50 bucks more?!)

My arrival process always looked a little something like this:

- Screenshotting my accom’s location and/or check-in instructions.
- Connecting to airport wifi (which was not always reliable) to get directions or call an Uber.
- Using the wifi at my accom to map my way to the nearest phone store for a physical SIM card.
- Assessing the different data packages (usually while navigating a language barrier).
- Struggling to math as I get used to the local currency.
- Fumbling around with that little pointy metal thing to swap out my old SIM card.
- Accessing that sweet, sweet internet.

With an eSIM, the process is now streamlined to this:

- Installing an eSIM before getting to a new country.
- Quickly connecting to airport wifi to change some phone settings and activate it.
- Gaining access to data before I’ve even left the airport.

Is Holafly legit?

Yes (I’ve tried it!) and it even has good reviews on Trustpilot. The company is headquartered in Spain and the website has a cute little story about how the couple who founded it couldn’t access internet easily on vacation, and set out to make the world a better place.

Holafly pricing

So eSIMs aren’t particularly cheap, but I guess you pay for the convenience. It sort of depends on which country you’re using it in.

For example, here in New Zealand I pay about $25 USD for my monthly phone plan with 10 GBs. By comparison, a 30-day eSIM for New Zealand with Holafly costs $75 USD — yikes! (Remember, it’s unlimited data, though.)

In the US, the average phone bill is apparently $140/month. (Can someone who lives there tell me if that’s true?!) So in that case, the $75 eSIM on Holafly seems pretty cheap!

Also, this isn’t true for all locations, but some eSIMs on Holafly will let you hotspot to your computer. So it’s better bang for your buck if you’re a digital nomad.

Holafly customer service

As with all things these days, I had to navigate through a few automated questions, but I was ultimately passed over to a real human in under a minute!

My issue was pretty mild — I’d just noticed that while the eSIM seemed to be on and working just fine, the Holafly app was still prompting me to activate it. I couldn’t see how much data I’d used (even though it’s unlimited) or when it was expiring, so I wanted to get that fixed. Really it was just a test so I could tell you about the customer service experience.

Would I use Holafly again?

Holafly is definitely the best eSIM I’ve tried, so it’s my new go-to for short international trips.

That said, when I’m in a situation where I can easily get a physical SIM, like the Canadian one I keep at my parents’ house, I’m going to do that instead.

The only major difference between an eSIM and a regular one is the ability to call. You’d think you don’t need it, but there are bound to be a couple occasions where you want to make a reservation over the phone or call a landline, and an eSIM just doesn’t let you do that.

I wouldn’t use any eSIM as a long-term solution, but if you’re staying somewhere for up to let’s say… 30 days, it’s a great option. If you’re settling into a new place for 3 months as a digital nomad or you’re on a year-long Working Holiday Visa, just get a local SIM.

Get 5% off Holafly eSIMs. (Unlimited data!)

Holafly vs. Airalo

These are the only two eSIM providers I’ve tried, but the experiences were vastly different.

Overall functionality

Airalo seemed good at first and was super effective for a three-day trip. But issues started to arise when I used it for a three-month trip to South Africa. It worked for the first month, then just kinda freaked out when I went to top-up another 30 days. The support team and I never found a solution.

So far, I haven’t had any issues with the functionality of Holafly.

The set up for both eSIMs was super easy with step-by-step guides and images. It’s maybe a liiiiittle bit confusing the first time you do it because there are a few settings to adjust, but I promise it becomes clear.

Customer service

Getting help from Airalo’s customer service was a headache. Not to mention the teeth I had to pull to get a refund when I had to give up because there was no solution. I didn’t even actually succeed in getting a refund, just credit. I ended up getting a local physical SIM card instead.

Holafly’s customer service was way more human. (Ok, both eSIM providers technically had human support, but I felt Holafly actually spoke to me like a human rather than just copying & pasting responses and sending me long lists of dizzying, poorly-formatted instructions.) Like, Holafly’s instructions were soooo much easier to read.

That said, I never had any major issues that I needed to troubleshoot, and I never had to ask for a refund, so I can’t totally weigh in on what that process would look like. They do advertise a 6-month refund period where you can get your money back if you don’t end up needing the SIM card, so that’s a good sign!

Holyfly vs. Airalo instructions from customer service

Pricing

Holafly and Airalo’s prices are about on par, but the major difference is Holafly’s unlimited data. If you just want 1 gig, Airalo is cheapest, but once you get to the 10 GB mark, the price is the same as the unlimited version with Holafly.

I have no idea how to effectively estimate how many gigs I’m going to use/need on a trip. I got a 3 GB Airalo eSIM thinking I’d start small and top-up as needed. But I somehow managed to run through those 3 gigs in two days. To avoid that happening again, I just paid for 20 GBs, and then only used 8 over three weeks. No idea how or why. Like I’m sure that’s totally on me, but I don’t want to have to worry about that when I’m trying to enjoy my trip!

I also really hate being like, “Oh nooo, I can’t use Google Maps because it’ll drain my data.” So the fact that every Holafly option includes unlimited data I’m like, sign me tf up.

Referral/points programs

Airalo will give you $3 USD of credit for every friend you refer, and offers them $3 off their first purchase, too. The credit is called “Airmoney” and you can put it towards your next purchase. There’s also a tiered system for Silver vs. Gold users, which just means you’ll get a higher percentage of Airmoney cashback once you’ve spent over $70 USD on eSIMs.

Holafly has the Travel Club and offers 500 coins (5€) for every person you refer and gives them a 5% discount. (Hey, here’s my referral code.) As with Airalo, Holafly has a cashback system where you’ll get 5% of whatever you spend in Hola Coins for a future purchase.

While the referral stuff is worth mentioning, the real reward is better data coverage, so I suggest you go with Holafly.

Holafly pros and cons

While the pros certainly outweigh the cons, here are some things to consider before you give Holafly a whirl. But look, it’s honestly pretty low risk, so I say go for it!

Pros

You can activate it as soon as you arrive in a new country. Convenient af.

Every plan comes with unlimited data. You really just pay for the number of days you need it rather than trying to predict how much data you’ll use.

It’s easier to dodge scams. If you have an eSIM pre-organized, you won’t be desperate to buy the first real SIM you see. They’re often sold for more than they’re worth if you get one at the airport.

You don’t need proof of address or a passport. Some countries have strict rules that make you ineligible for a local SIM without proof of address. And in some cases, you’ll need to present your passport to get a tourist SIM. Annoying.

You don’t even need to remove your home SIM card. It’ll work once you adjust the settings to use the eSIM as the default, so you don’t have to faf about with the little chip.

You get 5% off any eSIM in any destination if you use my code! And who doesn’t love a good discount?

Cons

It only provides data, not a local phone number. This can be important if you need to set up 2FA or want to call a landline for any reason.

Cell service isn’t quite as strong as with a local SIM. I found the cell reception pretty good overall, but when we were driving through a rural area of New Zealand, my partner had access to data in a few patches where I didn’t. Otherwise I had 5G pretty much the whole time.

The most I can offer you is a 5% discount. However, the plans are cheap to begin with so all things considered it’s still a budget-friendly travel tool.

Have you tried Holafly? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments!