Quick Verdict

Airalo is the established market leader with the broadest coverage and most plan options. Saily is the aggressive newcomer backed by Nord Security, offering lower prices and built-in privacy features. For mainstream destinations and budget-conscious travelers, both deliver excellent value -- but Airalo's deeper coverage catalog and Discover+ voice plans give it the edge for most use cases. Saily wins on raw per-GB pricing and is the clear choice for privacy-conscious travelers.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Pricing

Winner: Saily

Saily consistently undercuts Airalo on per-GB pricing, particularly on smaller plans. A 1GB plan for popular destinations costs $1.79-2.50 on Saily versus $4-5 on Airalo -- roughly half the price. The gap narrows on larger plans but Saily typically maintains a 10-20% advantage.

For pure data cost, Saily delivers better value on nearly every route. The savings compound over multiple trips, making Saily particularly attractive for frequent travelers on a tight budget. Airalo's Airmoney loyalty program offsets some of the difference for repeat customers, but Saily's base pricing is lower even before considering loyalty benefits.

Coverage and Plan Variety

Winner: Airalo

Airalo covers 200+ countries with local, regional, and global plans -- often 10+ options per destination ranging from 1GB to 20GB at various durations. Saily's coverage catalog is growing but still smaller, with fewer options in less popular destinations and less granular plan sizing.

The difference matters most for off-the-beaten-path travel. If you are headed to a popular destination in Europe, Asia, or North America, both providers will have competitive options. If you are traveling to Central Africa, Central Asia, or Pacific island nations, Airalo's broader network is more likely to have coverage. Saily is expanding rapidly, but the coverage gap is real as of early 2026.

Security and Privacy

Winner: Saily

Saily's built-in security suite -- Virtual Location masking, ad blocking, and web protection -- is unique among eSIM providers. These features are inherited from Nord Security's VPN expertise and provide meaningful protection for travelers connecting through untrusted public networks.

Airalo offers no security features. Your traffic routes directly through local carrier networks, which provides good speed and reliability but no privacy protection. If you want security with Airalo, you need to run a separate VPN, adding cost and complexity. Saily bundles it for free.

For privacy-conscious travelers, Saily's security features alone can justify choosing it over Airalo, even on routes where Airalo might offer slightly better plan options.

Voice and SMS Capability

Winner: Airalo

Airalo's Discover+ plans bundle voice minutes and SMS alongside global data -- the only major eSIM product with this feature. Saily is strictly data-only.

If you need a working phone number abroad for making calls, receiving verification codes, or contacting local businesses that do not use messaging apps, Airalo is the only option between these two. This is a significant differentiator for business travelers and anyone who needs real phone functionality alongside data.

App Experience

Winner: Tie

Both apps are well-designed. Airalo's app excels at browsing its massive plan catalog with filtering and sorting tools. Saily's app is cleaner and simpler, reflecting its Nord Security UX heritage. Neither has significant usability issues.

Saily requires app-only installation with no QR code fallback. Airalo supports both QR code and manual installation methods. For most users this does not matter, but travelers with limited phone storage or those who prefer QR-based setup may find Airalo's flexibility preferable.

Customer Support

Winner: Saily

Saily's support, backed by Nord Security's infrastructure, earns a 4.7 Trustpilot rating. Response times are reasonable and support quality is consistent. Airalo's support, rated 3.7 on Trustpilot, relies heavily on AI chatbots with a refund policy that draws regular criticism.

Neither provider matches the industry leaders in support (Maya Mobile and Holafly both offer faster, more responsive human assistance), but between these two, Saily provides a meaningfully better support experience.

Network Performance

Winner: Airalo

Airalo routes traffic directly through local carrier networks, providing speeds and latency comparable to using a local SIM card. Saily routes traffic through Nord Security's infrastructure in Romania, adding 20-50ms of latency that can affect real-time applications.

For browsing, social media, and messaging, the difference is unnoticeable. For video calls, banking apps, and latency-sensitive applications, Airalo's direct routing provides a better experience. The security trade-off is deliberate on Saily's part, but if raw network performance matters more to you than privacy features, Airalo delivers cleaner connectivity.

When to Choose Airalo

Airalo is the right choice when:

• You need the widest possible coverage including less common destinations that Saily may not serve yet
• You need voice calls and SMS through Discover+ -- Saily cannot match this capability
• You rely on video conferencing or other latency-sensitive applications where Airalo's direct routing performs better
• You want maximum plan flexibility to match your exact data needs across local, regional, and global options
• You are a loyal repeat customer who benefits from Airmoney rewards compounding over time

When to Choose Saily

Saily is the right choice when:

• You want the lowest per-GB price and are traveling to mainstream destinations where Saily has competitive coverage
• Privacy and security matter and you want built-in protection without configuring a separate VPN
• You are a digital nomad who can benefit from the Saily Ultra subscription bundling unlimited data, NordVPN, and lounge access
• You value better customer support and want a provider with higher user satisfaction ratings
• You are a first-time eSIM user who wants a clean, simple app experience from a trusted brand

Final Recommendation

Choose Airalo for the most versatile travel eSIM experience. Its coverage breadth, plan variety, and unique Discover+ voice capability make it the safer choice when you are unsure what you will need. The higher per-GB pricing compared to Saily is the cost of having more options and broader coverage.

Choose Saily for the best value on popular routes with built-in security. If you travel primarily to mainstream destinations in Europe, Asia, and North America, Saily delivers more data for less money while protecting your privacy. The Nord Security backing adds credibility and a polished product experience that belies Saily's newcomer status. As Saily's coverage catalog expands, the gap between these two will narrow -- but for now, Airalo's breadth gives it the overall edge.