Airalo alternatives in 2026: when a by-GB plan stops making sense
Key facts
- Airalo and similar brands sell data by GB; VoaSim sells time with truly unlimited data, no cap and no throttling.
- VoaSim uses one price per duration for all 170 destinations: from USD 18.90 for 5 days down to USD 1.78 a day on the 60-day plan.
- A by-GB package can still be the better pick for short, light trips or if you need a local phone number.
- Install before you fly: the days start counting only at the eSIM's first connection at the destination.
- No island Caribbean coverage right now, no hotspot promise, and no service at sea on cruises.
See the exact price for your dates
Airalo is a Singapore-based eSIM store that sells local, regional and global data packages by GB through its app. It works, and for some trips it is the right call. The question most travelers actually ask is different: how many GB do I need? That is the part nobody can answer before the trip.
This page compares the two models — data sold by GB versus unlimited sold by day — with qualitative facts only. It is not a lab test or a speed benchmark. Prices quoted here are VoaSim's own; check any other brand's current rates on its official site or app.
How the by-GB model works (and when it wins)
Brands like Airalo, and also Nomad, Saily, Ubigi, Alosim or Jetpac, sell you a bucket: 1 GB, 3 GB, 10 GB, valid for a number of days. You pick a country or a region, you buy, you install. When the bucket runs out, you top up in the app.
That model genuinely wins in three cases:
- Short, light trips. Two days of maps and WhatsApp on hotel Wi-Fi may cost less as a 1 GB package.
- You know your usage. If your phone reports 400 MB/day abroad every single time, a bucket is predictable.
- Very specific countries. Some by-GB catalogs list destinations no unlimited provider covers, and some offer local phone numbers, which data-only eSIMs do not.
The model stops making sense when you stream, upload video, tether a laptop, share the trip in real time or simply hate checking a data meter on vacation. Then every top-up is a small decision you did not want to make. See the wider field on our best eSIM comparison.
What VoaSim does differently
VoaSim sells time, not gigabytes. Truly unlimited data: no cap, no speed throttling after X GB, no hidden "fair use" clause buried in the terms. You buy 7 days, you use the internet for 7 days.
Other differences worth knowing before you compare:
- One price per duration, same for every destination. Japan costs the same as Portugal or Brazil.
- 170 destinations on every continent, with the Europe plan covering 50 countries on a single eSIM, including the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, Norway and Iceland.
- Data only. No phone number, no traditional voice calls. WhatsApp, FaceTime, app calls and maps all run over data, on your own number.
- Human support by email and chat, plus a free eSIM Rescue tool that diagnoses an eSIM of any brand with no signal — yes, including one you bought elsewhere.
If the eSIM will not connect and support cannot fix it, you get a 100% refund.
VoaSim price table (today's promo, 15% off)
One table, all destinations. No country surcharge, no early-booking game — the table price is the price.
| Duration | Price (USD) | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 18.90 | 3.78 |
| 7 days | 23.90 | 3.41 |
| 10 days | 30.90 | 3.09 |
| 15 days | 42.90 | 2.86 |
| 30 days | 61.90 | 2.06 |
| 60 days | 106.90 | 1.78 |
Trips of 1 to 4 days pay the 5-day package. Maximum 90 days per eSIM. A second eSIM in the same order gets 10% extra off — useful for couples. Payment is by international credit or debit card in USD through Stripe, no hidden fees, with an invoice sent by email. No cash, no local-currency billing.
Run your dates through the price simulator to see the exact total in about a minute.
Decision checklist: which model fits your trip
Answer these five questions honestly before you buy anything.
- Do you stream, upload or navigate all day? Unlimited removes the math. A bucket will need top-ups.
- How many countries? One eSIM for 50 European countries beats juggling several local packages.
- Trip length? The longer the trip, the better the daily rate on a time-based plan — down to USD 1.78/day at 60 days.
- Do you need a local phone number? If yes for SMS codes from a local bank, VoaSim is data-only; look elsewhere or keep your home SIM active for SMS.
- Island Caribbean? VoaSim has no coverage right now in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba or Curaçao. Puerto Rico works on US networks.
Also compare against your own carrier before deciding — see roaming vs eSIM. If your plan already bundles international data for the countries you visit, that may be the cheapest answer of all.
The other alternatives, briefly and fairly
The eSIM market is crowded. Holafly (Spain) sells "unlimited" plans with usage conditions and tethering limits described in its terms — read them. Ubigi (Transatel/NTT), Saily (Nord Security), Maya Mobile, Yesim, GigSky, Instabridge, Firsty, Truphone, MobiMatter and Roamless sell by GB or by day, usually through an app. Caps, validity windows and tethering rules differ in every one; check each brand's official terms rather than a third-party blog.
"Free eSIM trials" exist too. They are usually a few hundred MB valid for a few days — fine to test whether your phone accepts an eSIM profile, not enough for a trip.
Then there is the local physical SIM: often cheap, but it means finding a shop, registering with your passport in most countries, spending airport time and pulling out your own SIM, so your home number leaves the phone. For a two-month stay in one country, it can still be the smartest option.
Switching: install, activation and your old number
Moving from any eSIM brand to VoaSim takes minutes. After payment, the QR code arrives by email within minutes (plus a WhatsApp heads-up if you left a number at checkout). Install it at home, before you fly, following the step-by-step guide for iPhone and Android.
The days only start counting at the eSIM's first connection to a network at the destination. So install early and keep the eSIM line switched off until you land — on Android, do not turn on the eSIM's data before the trip. When you arrive, enable it and turn off your home carrier's data roaming.
Your physical SIM and your number keep working, so WhatsApp stays on your usual number. Compatibility: iPhone XR or newer, Galaxy S20 or newer, Pixel 3 or newer, and most phones released from 2020. Universal check: dial *#06# — if an EID appears, your phone supports eSIM. Carrier-locked phones must be unlocked first. More detail in our setup guides.
Why trust VoaSim?
Registered company with an invoice on every purchase, USD payment via Stripe with no hidden fees, human support and a guarantee: if the eSIM will not connect and support cannot fix it, you get 100% back.