Best eSIM for Australians

My verdict, up front

Airalo is the eSIM I recommend to most people, and the one I keep installed. The reasons are all from use, not spec sheets.

It covers more places than I’m ever likely to go — over 200 destinations. The few times my Julie and I have landed somewhere obscure, there’s been a plan for it.

It runs alongside my normal SIM. My Australian number stays live for bank texts and two-factor codes while the Airalo eSIM carries the data. That sounds minor until you’re standing in a foreign airport and your bank wants to text you a code before it’ll let you move money. I go into that side of it properly in my guide to keeping your Australian number working overseas.

My Julie hotspots off it. Her phone isn’t eSIM-compatible, so on every trip she tethers to mine. Airalo allows that without fuss — which matters, because not every provider does.

You can buy it early. For most Airalo plans the validity clock doesn’t start until you connect at your destination, so you can install before you fly and switch it on when you land. One caveat worth knowing: a few plans activate the moment you install them, so check the package’s activation policy before you buy.

And it just works. QR code, install, switch it on when you land. I’ve stopped thinking about it, which is the highest compliment I can pay a travel product.

Airalo vs Nomad vs Holafly: how they compare

Where each one actually fits

Airalo — the safe default for most Australians. Widest coverage, dual-SIM so your home number stays active, hotspot allowed, and the app is easy to live with. It’s what I use, on every trip. Best for the 80% of travellers who want something that works without thinking about it.

Nomad — the value pick, if you’ll keep an eye on your data. Nomad’s a touch cheaper per gigabyte and its hotspot is uncapped, so on paper it’s the budget choice. But I’ve checked the like-for-like plans and the costs are comparable — and with Nomad you’re paying in USD, so on a lot of Australian cards you’ll cop around 3% in foreign-transaction fees on top, which quietly narrows any gap. That hidden card spread is the exact thing I built the FX rip-off calculator around — it’s real money, and most comparison pages pretend it doesn’t exist. The real lever isn’t the provider, it’s the coupon: a code like mine brings the price down further than the per-gigabyte difference ever did.

There’s also a reason I default to Airalo that has nothing to do with price. When my Julie’s tethered off my phone and I’ve got a couple of devices going, the last thing I want is to be rationing gigabytes in my head. I buy a comfortably sized Airalo plan up front — sized with my data calculator — and then I stop thinking about it. Nomad’s keener per-GB pricing tempts you into a tighter plan you then have to watch. A dollar or two saved against having to manage data across everyone’s devices isn’t a trade I want.

Holafly — unlimited data, with an asterisk. The pitch is genuinely unlimited data on your phone, which suits heavy users who don’t want to ration. The catch I’d want you to know before buying: hotspot is capped at roughly 500MB to 1GB a day on the standard plans, so if you’re planning to tether a laptop or share with a travel partner, you’ll hit that wall fast. There’s a pricier monthly subscription that lifts the cap, but for a normal holiday it’s overkill. “Unlimited” also carries a fair-use speed throttle after heavy daily use. Best for solo heavy data users who stay on their own phone.

One more I looked at: Saily, which is NordVPN’s eSIM. It’s cheap per gigabyte and bundles an ad blocker, but the plan structure is fiddly and the long-stay pricing is eye-watering — it reads more like a replace-your-home-internet option than a holiday eSIM. Worth knowing it exists; not what I’d buy for a trip.

The destinations Australians actually ask about

For every one of these, the honest answer is the same shape: work out how much data you actually need first — that’s what the data calculator is for — then buy the Airalo local plan for that country rather than a region or global plan. The single-country plans are almost always better value for a normal trip.

Best eSIM for Japan

I ran an Airalo eSIM the whole time I was cycling the Shimanami Kaido across the Seto Inland Sea, and it held up on the islands where I half-expected it to give out — here’s how that ride went. For a normal Japan trip, the Airalo Japan local plan does the job; size it with the calculator.

Best eSIM for Singapore

Singapore’s the easy one — Changi to the city, never a hiccup. If you’re connecting through rather than staying, my Changi lounge guide covers where to wait. Buy the Airalo Singapore local plan.

Best eSIM for Europe

Europe is where I’ve given Airalo the hardest test, and it’s held up everywhere I’ve taken it — Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and even Malta, which the coverage maps barely acknowledge. I crossed from Germany into Italy on the EuroVelo 7 and the eSIM didn’t drop when the border did — the full ride is written up here. Same story on seven days through Bordeaux and the Dordogne, where the data worked on greenways miles from anywhere.

For a European trip the regional plan earns its keep, because you’ll almost certainly cross a border or three and one plan covers the lot — no swapping SIMs at every frontier. Size it with the data calculator and buy a little more headroom than you think you need, since maps and translation apps do more work abroad than at home.

Best eSIM for the USA

Airalo’s USA local plan held up fine across the trip, including Hawaii, on the major networks. No surprises, which on the US networks is the most you can ask.

Best eSIM for Chile, Argentina & South America

I ran Airalo through Chile and Argentina on the way south to Antarctica — Santiago, Buenos Aires, and down at the embarkation end. It did not work in Antarctica, for the record; once you’re at sea you’re on the ship’s hotspot like everyone else. But that’s the point. An eSIM is for the gateway cities, the flights and the transfers, where you actually need it — not the ice. For a multi-country South American run, the regional plan’s worth a look.

Best eSIM for Bali

Bali’s the one I’d buy Airalo for without overthinking it. The Indonesia local plan sorts you for the trip — order it before you fly so you land connected.

Best eSIM for Thailand

Same call as Bali. The Airalo Thailand local plan is cheap and reliable for a normal trip; size it with the calculator and you won’t overpay.

Where I’m taking it next

I’d rather tell you where I’ve actually used a thing than pretend I’ve been everywhere. So here’s the honest version: below are the trips I’ve got booked or planned, where I’ll be running Airalo and reporting back. I’ll update each one with the real story once I’ve been — check back if you’re headed the same way.

Work out your data — and your savings — before you buy

The single biggest mistake I see is people guessing their data and either overbuying or running dry on day three. The eSIM data calculator takes thirty seconds and stops both. And if you want to see exactly how much an eSIM saves you versus letting Telstra, Optus or Vodafone charge you for roaming, I’ve worked that out in full here — the gap is usually bigger than people expect.

Frequently asked questions