Airalo eSIM review 2026
Airalo eSIM plans anchor one of the most recognized names in travel data, a Singapore-registered marketplace covering more than 200 destinations with entry pricing from $4 and cashback through its own Airmoney program.
Quick Verdict: Is Airalo Worth It?
This Airalo review is for travelers weighing a data-only eSIM against Discover+, its fuller voice-and-data option. It suits people visiting many countries who want one app and don’t mind data-only plans. Airalo coverage runs to more than 200 destinations on the company’s own count, split across local, regional and global plans. Airalo pricing starts at $4 for a single destination, and the loyalty program pays back up to 10 percent in Airmoney once spending hits $200. Airalo scores 4.3/5 on features, a figure that leaves out price, live support and refund friendliness. Trustpilot’s 4.1 out of 5 from over 44,000 reviews goes a long way toward answering is Airalo legit, though its refund terms carry real conditions.
All Features at a Glance
Based only on the features listed below. It does not include price, support or refund policy.
▾ How this score is calculated
Each feature earns its weight if it is available (Yes = full weight, Partial = half, No = zero). Score = 1 + 4 × (points earned ÷ 22 possible points).
- •Local/country plans, Top-up available: 3 points each
- •Regional plans, Global plans, Calls included, Unlimited data plans, Hotspot/tethering, App available: 2 points each
- •Reusable eSIM, Multi-device support, SMS included, Local number: 1 point each
- •Data only, Subscription/auto-renew: shown for information, not scored
What Is Airalo, and Who Is It For?
Airalo is an eSIM marketplace, not a network operator: it resells data plans from local carriers rather than running its own towers, and the plan data itself names the partner operator behind each destination. The brand launched in 2019, founded by Ahmet Bahadir Özdemir and Abraham Burak, and operates through AirGSM Pte. Ltd., a company registered in Singapore. Plans come in three scopes: local, regional, and global through the Discover and Discover+ tiers. Every plan is bought through the app or website and installed through QR code activation or a direct in-app install, with no physical SIM swap involved.
Multi-Country Explorers
Local, regional and global plans in one app suit trips through several countries.
Short-Trip Budget Travelers
Entry plans from $4 suit a quick trip to one low-cost destination.
Repeat Airalo Shoppers
Frequent buyers earn Airmoney cashback climbing from 5 to 10 percent as spend rises.
Occasional Callers
Discover+ adds voice, SMS and a dedicated number for the odd call without a second SIM.
Countries, Coverage, and Network Support From Airalo
Airalo coverage rests on the company’s own claim of more than 200 destinations, spread across local, regional and global plans; an independently verified exact total wasn’t obtainable this round, so that figure should be read as marketing rather than an audited count. What is independently confirmed is that the partnerships behind it are real: sampled plan data shows named local operators standing behind destinations as varied as South Korea, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Algeria and Vatican City, evidence of genuine carrier deals rather than one blanket agreement. The Discover+ voice-and-data tier covers a narrower footprint: Airalo’s own plan data confirms 168 countries, a figure that supersedes earlier third-party estimates of 130 and an older page’s 137.
Show all 203 countries and networks
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Roshan |
| Albania | One Albania, Vodafone Albania |
| Algeria | Algerie Telecom Mobile (ATM), Mobilis, Ooredoo |
| Andorra | AndorraT, Andorra Telecom, STA |
| Anguilla | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Argentina | Claro, CLARO AR, Movistar, Telefonica |
| Armenia | MTS - Vivacell, Team, Viva, Viva Armenia |
| Aruba | Digicel, Digicel Aruba |
| Australia | Optus, Telstra, Vodafone |
| Austria | A1, Airalo, Drei, H3G |
| Azerbaijan | Azercell, BAKCELL, Bakcell Ltd, Nar Mobile |
| Bahamas | aliv, Be Aliv Limited, BTC |
| Bahrain | Batelco, stc, STC, Zain, Zain BH |
| Bangladesh | Grameenphone |
| Barbados | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Belarus | Life:), MTC, VELCOM |
| Belgium | BASE, Orange, Proximus, Telenet |
| Belize | Belize Telecommunications, Belize Telemedia, DigiCell, Smart, SMART, Speednet (SMART) |
| Benin | Celtis, Spacetel-Benin (MTN) |
| Bhutan | B-Mobile |
| BL | Digicel |
| BM | Digicel, Flow, One Communications (CellOne) |
| Bolivia | Entel, Nuevatel, Telecel S.A., Tigo |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BH Telecom |
| Botswana | MASCOM, Orange |
| Brazil | Claro, TIM, TIM Brasil, Vivo |
| British Virgin Islands | Digicel, Digicel (BVI) Limited, FLOW (LLA) |
| Brunei | DSTCom, DST Communications, UNN |
| Bulgaria | A1, A1 BG, Vivacom, Yettel, Yettel Bulgaria EAD |
| Burkina Faso | Orange BF, Orange Burkina Faso S.A |
| Cabo Verde | UNITEL, UNITEL T+ Telecomunica??es S.A. |
| Cambodia | Cellcard, Smart, Viettel, Viettel(Metfone) |
| Cameroon | Orange, Orange Cameroun S.A. |
| Canada | Bell, ROGERS, Sasktel, TELUS, Telus |
| Caribbean Netherlands | Digicel, Digicel Curacao, Telcell N.V. |
| Cayman Islands | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Central African Republic | Orange, Orange Centrafrique |
| Chad | Airtel, Airtel Tchad S.A. (former: Zain) |
| Chile | ENTEL PCS, Movistar, Movistar Chile, Telefonica, WOM |
| China | China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom |
| Colombia | Airalo, Claro, TIGO, Tigo, TIGO COLOMBIA |
| Congo | Airtel, Airtel-Congo B, MTN Congo, Orange RDC Sarl |
| Costa Rica | Claro, CLARO CR, LIBERTY, Liberty |
| Cote d'Ivoire | Orange, Orange Cote d'Ivoire S.A |
| Croatia | A1, A1 HR, A1 Hrvatsaka, A1 Hrvatska, Telemach, Telemach/TM, Telemach Croatia, TM HR |
| Curacao | Digicel, Digicel Curacao, UTS N.V. |
| Cyprus | cyta, Epic Cyprus, PrimeTel, PrimeTel PLC, Turkcell, Turk Telekom, Vodafone |
| Czechia | O2, O2 - CZ, Vodafone |
| Denmark | 3 (HI3G DENMARK APS), 3 Denmark, 3 DK, Norlys Mobil A/S, Nuuday, Telenor DK, Telia DK |
| Dominica | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Dominican Republic | Altice, Altice Dominicana, Claro |
| DR Congo | Africell, Africell RDC sprl, Airtel, Airtel-Congo B, Orange RDC |
| Ecuador | Claro Ecuador, MOVISTAR, Otecel |
| Egypt | Orange, Orange Egypt, Orange Egypt for Telecommunications, Vodafone, vodafone |
| El Salvador | Claro, Digicel, Movistar, Telemovil, Telemovil El Salvador, Tigo |
| Estonia | Elisa, Elisa Eesti, Tele2, Tele2 EE, Tele2 Eesti AS, Telia, Telia Eesti AS |
| Eswatini | MTN, Swazi MTN Ltd. |
| Ethiopia | Safaricom |
| Faroe Islands | Faroese Telecom, FT Samskifti |
| Fiji | Digicel, Digicel (Fiji) Ltd |
| Finland | Alands Mobiltelefon, DNA, DNA Ltd, Telia, Telia Finland, Telia Finland Oyj |
| France | Airalo, BOUYGUES TELECOM, Bouygues Telecom, Bouygues Télécom, Free, Free Mobile, Orange, Orange France, SFR |
| French Guiana | Digicel, Orange, Orange Caraibe |
| French Polynesia | Onati S.A.S., Pacific Mobile Telecom, Tikiphone (Vini), VODAFONE |
| Gabon | Airtel Gabon Ltd., Gabon Telecom |
| Gambia | AFRICELL, Africell (Gambia) Ltd., Comium Gambia |
| Georgia | Cellfie, Cellfie Mobile, Cellfie Mobile LLC, GEOCELL, Geocell Ltd |
| Germany | Eplus, O2, O2 Germany, Vodafone, Vodafone D2 GmbH, Vodafone Germany |
| Ghana | AT(AirtelTigo), ScanCom Ltd. (MTN), Vodafone Ghana |
| Gibraltar | GIBTEL, Gibtelecom |
| Greece | Nova, NOVA, Vodafone, WIND |
| Greenland | TELE Greenland |
| Grenada | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Guadeloupe | Digicel, Orange Caraibe |
| Guam | GTA |
| Guatemala | Claro, TIGO, Tigo, TIGO GUATEMALA |
| Guernsey | JT, Sure |
| Guinea | MTN Areeba Guinea, Orange |
| Guinea-Bissau | MTN, Orange |
| Guyana | Digicel Guyana, GTT, U-Mobile |
| Haiti | Digicel, Flow |
| Honduras | Celtel, Claro, Tigo, TIGO |
| Hong Kong | CSL, HKT, Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT), Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited |
| Hungary | T-Mobile, Telenor, Vodafone, vodafone HU, Yettel |
| Iceland | NOVA, Nova, Nova ehf., Siminn, SIMINN, Simmin |
| India | Jio, JIO Andhra Pradesh, JIO India Assam, JIO India Bihar, JIO India Delhi, Reliance Jio, VI India, Vodafone Idea Limited, Vodafone Idea Limited Gujarat, Vodafone Idea Limited Haryana, Vodafone Idea Limited Himachal Pradesh, Vodafone Idea Limited Karnataka, Vodafone Idea Limited Kerala, Vodafone Idea Limited Kolkata, Vodafone Idea Limited Madhya Pradesh, Vodafone Idea Limited Maharashtra, Vodafone Idea Limited New Delhi, Vodafone Idea Limited Orissa, Vodafone Idea Limited Punjab, Vodafone Idea Limited Rajastan, Vodafone Idea Limited Tamil Nadu & Chennai, Vodafone Idea Limited UP-East, Vodafone Idea Limited UP-West, Vodafone Idea Limited West Bengal |
| Indonesia | 3SinyalKuatHemat(Hutchinson), Indosat, Telkomsel |
| Iraq | Korek, Zain |
| Ireland | 3, Eircom Limited, Meteor, METEOR, Three Ireland, vodafone IE |
| Isle of Man | JT, Manx Telecom, Sure |
| Israel | Annatel, Cellcom, HOT IL, Hot Mobile, Partner, Pelephone |
| Italy | ILIAD, Iliad, ILIAD Italia S.p.A., TIM, TIM Italy, Vodafone, Wind, WINDTRE, Wind Tre |
| Jamaica | Digicel, Digicel Jamaica, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Japan | KDDI, Softbank, SoftBank Corp. |
| Jersey | JT, JT (Jersey) Ltd, JT Jersey, Sure |
| Jordan | OrangeJO, Orange Jordan, Umniah, Zain, Zain JO |
| Kazakhstan | Beeline, KCELL, Tele 2, Tele2 |
| Kenya | Airtel, Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd., Safaricom |
| Kosovo | IPKO, Vala |
| Kuwait | Ooredoo, stc, STC, stc Kuwait, Zain, Zain Kuwait, zain KW |
| Kyrgyzstan | Beeline |
| Laos | ETL, LAO GSM, LAO TELECOMMUNICATIONS, LTC |
| Latvia | Bite Latvija, LMT, Tele2, Tele2 LV |
| Lebanon | Alfa |
| Lesotho | Vodacom |
| Liberia | MTN, Orange Liberia |
| Liechtenstein | FL1, Salt.li, Salt Liechtenstein, Telecom Liechtenstein |
| Lithuania | Tele2, Tele2 LT, Telia, UAB Tele2 |
| Luxembourg | Orange, TANGO, Tango |
| Macao | CTM, Hutchison |
| Madagascar | Airtel, Orange Madagascar, Orange Madagascar S.A., Yas |
| Malawi | Access Communication, Airtel Malawi Ltd. |
| Malaysia | Celcom, CelcomDigi, Digi, Maxis |
| Maldives | Dhiraagu |
| Mali | Orange, Orange Mali |
| Malta | Epic, epic, Epic Malta, gomobile, Melita, Melita Ltd, Melita Mobile |
| Mauritania | Mauritel |
| Mauritius | Cellplus Mobile Communications Ltd, Emtel |
| Mayotte | Orange, Orange Reunion |
| Mexico | AT&T, AT&T Mexico, Claro, Movistar, Telcel, Telcel Claro, Telcel Mexico |
| Moldova | Moldcell, Orange, Orange Moldova |
| Monaco | MONACO, Monaco Telecom |
| Mongolia | Mobicom, MobiCom, Unitel |
| Montenegro | MTEL, One, Telekom.me |
| Montserrat | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Morocco | Orange |
| Mozambique | Movitel, Vodacom |
| MQ | Digicel, Orange, Orange Caraibe |
| Nauru | Digicel |
| Nepal | Ncell |
| Netherlands | KPN, NL KPN, Vodafone Netherlands, voda NL |
| Netherlands Antilles | Digicel Curacao, UTS(SETEL)- NETHERLANDS ANTILLES |
| New Zealand | 2degrees, One NZ, Spark, Spark New Zealand, Spark NZ |
| Nicaragua | Claro, Tigo |
| Niger | Celtel |
| Nigeria | Airtel, Airtel Nigeria, Glo, Glo Mobile, Glo Mobile Ltd, MTN |
| North Macedonia | A1, A1 MK, Makedonski Telekom |
| Norway | ICE Norge AS, TELENOR, Telenor Norge, Telia, Telia NetCom |
| Oman | Omantel, Ooredoo, Zain Omantel |
| Pakistan | Jazz, Mobilink, TELENOR, Telenor, Zong |
| Palestine | Ooredoo, Ooredoo Palestine |
| Panama | +Movil - C&W PAN, CABLE AND WIRELESS, CABLE AND WIRELESS PANAMA, Tigo, Tigo Panama |
| Papua New Guinea | Digicel |
| Paraguay | Claro, Tigo, TIGO |
| Peru | Claro, Entel, Entel Peru, Integra Technologies Group, Movistar, Telefonica |
| Philippines | GLOBE, Globe, Globe Telecom, Smart, Smart Philippines |
| Poland | Orange, P4, Play, Plus, PLUS |
| Portugal | MEO, Meo, NOS, Optimus, Vodafone |
| Puerto Rico | Claro, Liberty, Liberty Mobile |
| Qatar | Ooredoo, Vodafone |
| Reunion | Orange, Orange Reunion, Reunion, Telco OI |
| Romania | Digi, Digi Romania, Orange, ORANGE, Telekom, TELEKOM.RO, Vodafone, Vodafone RO |
| Rwanda | MTN RwandaCell, Tigo Ruwanda |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Saint Lucia | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Saint Martin | Digicel, Telcell N.V. |
| Saint Vincent | Digicel, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Samoa | Digicel |
| San Marino | TIM |
| Saudi Arabia | Mobily, stc, Zain, ZAIN |
| Senegal | Orange, SONATEL, Yas, Yas Senegal |
| Serbia | A1, A1 Srbija, Telekom Srbija, Yettel, Yettel Serbia |
| Seychelles | Airtel, Cable & Wireless, Cable & Wireless (Seychelles) |
| Sierra Leone | Africell, Airtel, Airtel Sierra Leone (former: Zain, Celtel Ltd.), Zain |
| Singapore | M1, M1 Limited, Singtel, SingTel, Starhub, StarHub |
| Sint Maarten | Digicel Curacao, Telcell N.V., UTS(SETEL)- NETHERLANDS ANTILLES |
| Slovakia | O2, O2 - SK, Orange, Telekom |
| Slovenia | A1, A1 SI, T-2, Telemach, TELEMACH |
| South Africa | Cell C, MTN, RSA CellC, Vodacom, Vodacom Pty Ltd. |
| South Korea | KT, KT Corporation, LGU+, SK, SKT, SK Telecom |
| Spain | Orange, Orange Spain, Telefonica Moviles Espana, Telefónica Móviles España, Vodafone |
| Sri Lanka | Hutch, Hutchison, Hutchison Telecom, Mobitel |
| Sudan | Zain SD |
| Suriname | DIGICEL, Digicel Suriname |
| Sweden | 3, 3 SE, 3 Sweden, Tele 2, Tele2 AB, Tele2 SE, Telenor, Telenor SE, Telia Company AB |
| Switzerland | Salt, Salt Switzerland, Sunrise, Swisscom |
| Taiwan | Chunghwa, Chunghwa Telecom, Far EasTone, Taiwan Mobile |
| Tajikistan | Tacom LLC |
| Tanzania | Airtel, Airtel Tanzania Ltd. (former: Zain/Celtel), Halotel, Vodacom |
| Thailand | AIS, CAT Telecom PLC, Dtac, dtac, True, TRUE-H, True Move H |
| Timor-Leste | Telemor, Viettel, Viettel Timor Leste |
| Togo | Atlantique Telecom Togo, Moov-Etisalat |
| Tonga | Digicel |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Digicel |
| Tunisia | Ooredoo, OOREDOO, Orange, Orange Tunisie, SA |
| Turkiye | TT Mobil Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., Turkcell, Turk Telekom, Turk Telekom (Avea), Vodafone Turkey |
| Turks and Caicos | Digicel, Digicel (Turks and Caicos) Limited, Flow, FLOW (LLA) |
| Uganda | Airtel, Airtel Uganda Ltd., MTN |
| Ukraine | Kyivstar, KYIVSTAR, lifecell, VODAFONE |
| United Arab Emirates | du, Du, Etisalat |
| United Kingdom | 3 UK, 3 United Kingdom, 3UK, EE, EE Limited, Virgin Media O2, VM O2, Vodafone |
| United States | AT&T, T-Mobile, T-Mobile USA, United States Cellular Corporation, Verizon |
| Uruguay | Abiatar, Claro, CLARO UY, Entel, Movistar |
| US Virgin Islands | T-Mobile |
| USPR | T-Mobile |
| Uzbekistan | Beeline, Ucell, Unitel, Unitel (Beeline) |
| Vanuatu | Digicel |
| Vatican City | Iliad, ILIAD ITALIA, TIM, Vodafone, Wind Tre |
| Venezuela | Telefonica, Telefonica Moviles Venezuela |
| Vietnam | Viettel Vietnam, VINAPHONE, Vinaphone, Vms Mobifon, VNPT, VNPT International |
| Zambia | Airtel, MTN Zambia |
| Zimbabwe | Econet |
200+ destinations
3 plan scopes
168 countries
Named carrier partners
How Does Airalo Pricing Work?
Is Airalo Legit?
Airalo's Pros and Cons
- Broad advertised footprint. A 200+ destination count across local, regional and global plans means most trips need just one app.
- Airmoney rewards repeat buyers. Cashback climbs from 5 percent for new users to 10 percent at the Platinum tier, once lifetime spend passes $200.
- Strong app-store standing. Ratings sit between 4.6 and 4.7 across iOS and Android, among the highest scores of any eSIM app.
- Discover+ covers the calls-and-texts gap. It bundles voice minutes, SMS and a dedicated US-format number into one purchase.
- Entry pricing is genuinely low. Plans from $4 make it cheap to test a single short trip.
- Calls and texts aren't standard. Most local plans, and all regional and Discover plans, are data-only; calls and texts are limited to Discover+ and a list of single-country "+" plans in about 19 countries.
- Some refunds pay out in Airmoney only. "Wrong purchase" and "plans changed" refunds land as store credit, not cash back to the card or PayPal used.
- A meaningful share of reviews are negative. 16 percent of its 44,547 Trustpilot reviews are rated "bad."
- ID verification can catch travelers off guard. Some destinations legally require a passport upload before the eSIM activates.
- Only one active eSIM on many phones. DSDS iPhones and most Android phones force manual switching between a home line and Airalo's data.
FAQs
How do I set up and activate an Airalo eSIM?
Setting up an Airalo eSIM takes four steps. First, buy a local, regional or global plan via the app or website. Second, install it through QR code activation or the app’s one-tap install. Third, before you travel, turn on data roaming and set the new eSIM as your data line. Fourth, once you land, connect to the network. Validity starts at first connection, not at purchase, so installing early costs nothing.
What is Airalo's refund policy?
Airalo offers a 14-day legal right of withdrawal, expiring at whichever comes first: 14 days after purchase or eSIM activation. Cancellation only works before activation, and a refund request must be filed within 30 days, with Airalo given 10 days to try to fix the service first. “Wrong purchase” and “plans changed” pay out in Airmoney alone; installation issues or a non-working eSIM can go back to the original payment method or Airmoney.
Can I reinstall or transfer my Airalo eSIM to a new phone?
An Airalo eSIM ties to one device only, installed against that specific phone with no built-in way to move an active install elsewhere. If you’re switching phones before a trip, install the plan on the device you’ll actually travel with, since the eSIM stays put once set up. Reinstalling after deletion isn’t addressed on Airalo’s own help pages, so treat installs as final.
Does Airalo offer calls or SMS?
Calls and SMS aren’t part of most Airalo plans: local, regional and the global Discover tier are data-only. Two routes add them: Discover+, a separate global tier bundling data with voice minutes, SMS and a US-format number across 168 countries, and single-country “+” plans, such as Annatel+ in Israel, sold in about 19 countries. Inbound texts on Discover+ don’t draw from the balance; only outbound calls and messages do, and top-ups apply only as a combined bundle.
Does Airalo require ID verification?
ID verification with Airalo depends on where you’re traveling. Most destinations need nothing beyond a card or PayPal payment, but some require eKYC under local telecom law, usually a passport upload, before the eSIM activates. Airalo flags this upfront: instead of a “Buy” button, destinations with a verification requirement show “Verify Your Identity” at checkout, so there’s no surprise after payment. Anyone heading somewhere with strict SIM registration rules should have a passport photo ready before buying.
Can I use WhatsApp or iMessage with Airalo?
Yes. Airalo’s plans are data connections, and WhatsApp, iMessage and similar apps run over that data rather than a carrier’s native call or text network, so they work the same way they would on home WiFi. That holds even on plans without Discover+, since messaging apps don’t depend on the native SMS or voice channel. What won’t work over a data-only plan is a regular carrier text or phone call to someone who isn’t on the same app.
Will I lose or keep my phone number if I use Airalo?
Buyers keep their regular number. An Airalo eSIM is a second, data-only line that sits alongside the original SIM or eSIM, not a replacement for it, so calls and texts on the home number keep working exactly as before. Discover+ is the one exception: it adds its own separate +1 US-format number for that plan, on top of, not instead of, the home number. Whether both lines can stay active at once depends on the phone.
Do I need to unlock my phone to use Airalo?
Yes. Airalo requires an unlocked, non-jailbroken iPhone or non-rooted Android device, per Airalo’s own Help Center. A phone still locked to a home carrier can’t add an Airalo eSIM profile at all, so it’s worth confirming unlock status before a trip. Jailbreaking or rooting a device, even one that’s otherwise unlocked, also blocks eSIM installation, since it interferes with the secure profile Airalo needs to write to the device.
Does Airalo charge for roaming?
Not in the traditional sense. Airalo works by connecting to a local network partner in the destination country rather than by extending a home carrier’s coverage abroad, so there’s no per-megabyte roaming fee added on top; the plan price paid upfront is the full cost. The one caveat is Airalo’s fair use policy: unlimited plans throttle to 1 Mbps once a user passes 3 GB in a single day, a speed cap, not a roaming charge.
What happens when my Airalo data runs out?
By default, an Airalo plan auto-renews once a user’s balance drops to about 10 percent remaining, buying a fresh matching package automatically so the connection doesn’t drop mid-trip. That setting can be toggled off in the app at any time. With auto-renew off and data fully used, the eSIM simply stops passing data until a top-up or new plan is bought manually through My eSIMs.
