Airalo Overview. Everything you need to know about their eSIM offers and data abroad.

Introduction

Airalo eSIM is among the most well-known providers of data eSIMs for travel with coverage in 211 countries worldwide. If you're planning a trip abroad and looking for a way to stay online without high roaming charges, virtual SIM card from Airalo is one of the options.

In this review, we'll focus on practical experiences with Airalo - from purchase through installation to actual usage. You'll find out whether Airalo eSIM is the right choice for your next trip, or whether you should consider other alternatives.

For a quick comparison of all available eSIMs for your destination, we recommend using our eSIM comparison tool, where you can filter by required data size, validity period, and country - even multiple countries at once.

Purchase Process

Purchasing an eSIM from Airalo is relatively simple and doesn't require downloading an app. You can log in directly on the website and use Google login or other methods, which is very convenient.

However, the purchase process contains several unnecessary steps:

• You need to confirm your phone's compatibility with eSIM
• You go through several pages with a tutorial explaining the entire eSIM process

These steps may be useful for beginners, but for more experienced users, they seem redundant. On the other hand, Airalo offers the option to share your eSIM's QR code, which can be handy if you're buying an eSIM for someone else.

If you're looking for a simpler purchase process or want to compare multiple providers at once, try our eSIM comparison tool to help you find the best solution for your needs.

For more information about alternative providers, you can check out our comparison of Airalo VS Holafly or explore other options like eSIM4Travel.

App

The Airalo app has over 5 million downloads and a rating of 4.3 stars based on 75,000 reviews, which speaks to its popularity.

Our experiences with the app:

• The app size exceeds 50 MB, which is relatively large
• Logging into the app is very easy thanks to Google sign-in
• The overall user interface is intuitive and clear

The app offers a good overview of your active eSIMs, remaining data, and top-up options. The disadvantage is that after using up your data, the app stops working - it doesn't have "zero-rating," which would allow access to purchase more data without Wi-Fi.

If you run out of data, you must use Wi-Fi or someone else's hotspot to buy more. This can be problematic in some situations, especially if you're traveling in remote areas.

eSIM Installation

Installing an eSIM from Airalo is relatively straightforward, but has its specifics:

• For installation, you need to take a screenshot of the page with the QR code, as there's no button for direct download/installation.
• After installing the eSIM, data starts working immediately - no need to select a network or restart your phone.

This immediate functionality is a big advantage compared to some competing solutions. However, if you use an iPhone or Samsung, you might appreciate our guides on how to add an eSIM to iPhone or how to add an eSIM to Samsung for trouble-free installation.

To verify if your phone is compatible with eSIM technology, you can check our list of phones with eSIM support.

Customer Support

Customer support is an important part of any service, especially when you're traveling abroad and need quick assistance. Airalo offers several contact methods, but our experiences were mixed.

When testing the support, we found the following:

• Airalo uses a chatbot as the first line of support, which tries to solve primarily installation problems
• Even when we stated that the eSIM was already installed, the chatbot insisted on going through basic installation steps
• After rejecting automated responses, we were placed in a queue for a live operator
• The waiting time to connect with an operator after going through the chatbot was 5 minutes, suggesting that one agent is likely serving multiple customers simultaneously
• When our turn came, however, the support did try to help us.

Connection Speed Test

Our speed tests in Switzerland with direct visibility to a transmitter showed:

• Download speed: 40 Mbps to 150 Mbps
• Upload speed: consistently around 40 Mbps

Airalo doesn't apply any artificial speed limitations on 4G, which is positive. Speed primarily depends on the quality of the local network and coverage in a given location.

An interesting finding was that Airalo doesn't limit data exactly at 1 GB, but at 1.4 GB. But we can only speculate whether Airalo really lets customers slightly exceed their data or simply didn't manage to cut off the connection in time during our testing

If you want to better understand the differences in mobile connection technologies, check out our articles on 4G vs. LTE or 4G vs. 5G.

For a better idea of how much data you'll need, visit our guides on what you can do with 2 GB of data or what you can do with 5 GB of data.

Prices

Airalo's pricing policy is one of its weaker points:

• The tested 1 GB data package cost $4.50
• That's more than four times the price compared to, for example, eSIM4travel

Airalo is among the more expensive eSIM providers on the market, especially if you're looking for basic data packages. The higher price isn't always justified by added value or better services.

To get the best price, we always recommend comparing offers from various providers using our eSIM comparison tool, which will help you find the cheapest option for your destination.

If you're traveling to specific destinations, you can also use our specialized guides such as eSIM USA, eSIM United Kingdom, or eSIM Turkey.

Customer Feedback

Airalo's customer support has its strengths and weaknesses:

• When contacting support, you first have to go through a chatbot that tries to solve installation problems
• After rejecting automated responses, you're placed in a queue for a live operator
• It seems that one operator serves multiple users simultaneously, causing waiting times

According to reviews in app stores, Airalo has very good ratings - 4.6 stars on iOS (61,000 reviews) and 4.5 stars on Android (72,000 reviews). However, on Trustpilot, the rating is only 2.6/5, suggesting that not all customers are satisfied.

Dissatisfied customers often mention connection problems or sudden outages, which may be caused by the quality of the local network rather than Airalo itself.

If you have concerns about technical issues, check out our article eSIM | What to watch out for, which will help you prevent common problems.

Result

Airalo eSIM offers a reliable solution for travelers who need mobile data abroad. The main advantages include:

• Wide coverage in 211 countries
• Easy and quick activation without needing to restart your phone
• User-friendly app with an intuitive interface
• No artificial speed limitations

On the other hand, Airalo has several disadvantages:

• Significantly higher prices compared to some competitors
• Unnecessarily complicated purchase process with many steps
• Inability to purchase additional data after using up the package without access to Wi-Fi
• Lower customer satisfaction rating on Trustpilot

Airalo is a good choice for travelers who prefer simplicity and reliability over the lowest price. However, if you're looking for the most economical solution or planning to use a large amount of data, you should consider alternative providers.

To find the best eSIM for your specific needs, we recommend using our eSIM comparison tool on vefru.com, which allows you to filter offers by required data size, validity period, and destination.

If you're planning a trip and want to learn more about connectivity options abroad, read our comprehensive guide eSIM for travel or check out frequently asked questions about eSIM.

Overview of Airalo Data Plans by Country