The eSIM I've Used in Seven Countries Without a Single Failure

The Stack · Travel

What unlimited actually covers, and what it doesn't

I've used a Holafly eSIM in Thailand, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Spain and Portugal. No failed activation, no dead zone that mattered, no support ticket. That's the honest headline, and it's also the problem with this page.

A review where the writer has no complaints is worth very little. So I've split this into what I've actually experienced across those seven countries, and what the spec sheet says that I simply haven't run into. Both are useful. Only one is first-hand.

7 countries Unlimited data Hotspot capable 200+ destinations

What Holafly actually sells

A prepaid eSIM — a digital SIM installed by QR code, sitting alongside your normal SIM. Your usual number keeps working for calls and messages; the eSIM carries the data. No shop, no plastic, no roaming bill at the end of the month.

The positioning is unlimited data across more than 200 destinations. Plans come three ways: single country, region, or a rolling monthly global subscription starting around €45.95 that cancels whenever you like.

What I've actually found

My use splits into single-country plans across Asia-Pacific — Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand — and the Europe regional eSIM covering the UK, Spain and Portugal on one plan. Two quite different products. Both have held.

  • Border crossings are a non-event. On the Europe regional plan you land, the phone finds a network, you carry on. Nothing to switch, nothing to buy again — one eSIM covers 33 countries including the UK and Ireland.
  • Buying late costs nothing. The plan doesn't start counting down until you first connect at your destination. Buy in the departure lounge, install before boarding.
  • Tethering handles a working day. I run a browser-only setup on a Chromebook off the phone's hotspot, which is heavier than most people's use, and it hasn't been the bottleneck.
  • I've never contacted support. Which is either a good sign or an untested one. I can't tell you how they handle a problem, because I haven't had one.

Longer plans cost less per day

Pricing isn't linear. The daily rate drops as plan length goes up — a 15-day plan doesn't cost double a 7-day one, and 30 days is cheaper per day again. Same shape as most prepaid pricing, but the gap here is wide enough to change what you should buy.

Two consequences. If your trip sits near a boundary — nine days, say — price the next tier up before defaulting to the shorter plan. And if you travel repeatedly rather than once a year, the monthly global subscription starts competing with buying individual plans, because you stop paying the short-duration premium every time you leave.

Work in cost per day, not headline price. It's the only honest way to compare plans of different lengths.

The limitations

These are published limitations rather than things I've hit. They'd be deciding factors for some people even though they haven't been for me.

Unlimited applies to the phone, not to tethering. Sharing is capped at roughly 1 GB per day, so a seven-day plan gives about seven gigabytes to spread across a laptop or tablet. Some plans don't tether at all. If your laptop is the machine that matters, that allowance predicts your week — not the unlimited headline.

No refunds once the eSIM is issued. Which makes checking compatibility and tethering terms a five-minute job worth doing.

It can't move between devices. Choose the handset before you scan the code.

Latency runs higher than some competitors according to independent testing. Irrelevant for browsing and calls; worth knowing if you do something that punishes lag.

Unlimited is poor value if you're a light user. If 5 GB covers your trip, a metered eSIM is cheaper and it isn't close.

How it compares

Holafly isn't the cheapest, and anyone telling you otherwise is being paid to. Airalo and Nomad undercut it on metered plans, and for a modest data user they're the better buy. Holafly's argument is unlimited plus not having to think about it — which only pays off if you genuinely use a lot of data on one device. Across seven countries, I have.

The comparison that actually matters isn't Holafly against another eSIM. It's Holafly against your home carrier's roaming rate, and against that almost any eSIM wins by an embarrassing margin.

Common questions

Will I keep my normal phone number?

Yes. The eSIM handles data only and your existing SIM stays active for calls and texts. WhatsApp stays on your original number unless you deliberately register a new one.

When does the plan start counting down?

When you first connect at your destination, not when you buy. Buying a few days early costs you nothing.

Does my phone support it?

iPhone XS/XR and newer, and most recent Android flagships — Pixel, Galaxy S-series, Xiaomi and similar. Check the compatibility list against your exact model first, because the eSIM is non-refundable.

One regional plan or several country plans?

If your itinerary crosses borders, regional wins on both price and hassle — one eSIM, no switching. For a single-country trip the country plan is usually the stronger connection and the better rate. I've used both and the split is that simple.

What happens when the plan runs out?

The eSIM stops working; there's nothing to cancel. Unlimited plans include 1 GB of backup data each month as a safety net.

The short version

Seven countries, no failures, and I stopped thinking about mobile data somewhere around the second trip. If you travel often, use your phone hard, and you'd rather not ration megabytes, it's an easy recommendation. If you're a light user, price up a metered eSIM instead and spend the difference on something better.

The link below is an affiliate link. If you buy through it I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I pay for my own Holafly plans.

Check Holafly plans and pricing

Prices and plan terms change. Everything above was accurate when this page was written — verify the tethering allowance on the specific plan before you buy.