rufly vs Airalo vs Holafly
Three travel eSIMs, compared fairly and kept current for 2026. Airalo and Holafly are genuinely good, so here is how they line up, which is best for your trip, and what you get with rufly on top of unlimited data.
Which is best for you?
There is no single winner. The best travel eSIM depends on how much data you use and what you care about.
Best for light or short trips
Airalo
If you only need a few gigabytes for a weekend away, a small pay as you go package is hard to beat. You pay for exactly what you'll use and top up if you run low.
Best for heavy, frequent travellers
Holafly
If you stream, tether and travel month after month, an unlimited plan or subscription removes the maths. Just keep an eye on the daily fair usage and hotspot limits.
Best for unlimited that gives back
rufly
If you want unlimited data at one flat price and like that your money does something good, rufly donates 10% of every order to street dog shelters and publishes every transfer.
Side by side
The features travellers ask about most, compared across all three.
| Feature | rufly | Airalo | Holafly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data on every plan | Unlimited on all destinations | Mostly set amounts, unlimited on some destinations | Unlimited |
| Pricing model | One flat price per trip | Pay as you go packages, top ups available | Per trip plans and monthly subscriptions |
| Coverage | Popular travel destinations | 200+ countries and regions | 160+ destinations |
| Fair usage policy | Speeds adjust only after heavy use | Applies to unlimited packages | Daily speed and hotspot limits apply |
| Hotspot sharing | Yes | Yes on most plans | Included, subject to daily limits |
| Top ups and renewals | Not needed, data is unlimited | Top ups and auto renew available | Plans renew or can be extended |
| Delivery | QR code emailed instantly | QR code via app or email | QR code via app or email |
| App required | No, buy and manage on the web | App or web | App or web |
| Keep your physical SIM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Support | 24/7 help | 24/7 help | 24/7 help |
| Donation to animal shelters | 10% of every order, published | None | None |
Details reflect publicly available information as of June 2026. Each provider updates its catalogue regularly, so always check the latest plans before you buy.
Pricing in 2026
A quick look at how each provider charges, using public prices as of June 2026. Rates move around, so treat these as a guide and confirm at checkout.
rufly
From €16.99, unlimited
Every rufly plan is unlimited data at one flat price for your trip, with no top ups and 10% of what you pay going to shelters. The US plan, for example, is €19.99 for 7 days, €29 for 15 days and €39 for 30 days, and plans across the catalogue start from €16.99.
Live prices in app, June 2026
Airalo
From about $4 for 1GB
Airalo charges per package. Standard data bundles for popular destinations start from roughly $4 for 1GB over a few days, with larger bundles costing more. Some countries also offer unlimited day passes, for example from about $11.50 for 3 days in the US. You can top up if you run low.
Checked June 2026
Holafly
From about $19.50 for 5 days
Holafly sells unlimited data by the trip. A US plan runs from around $19.50 for 5 days up to about $74.90 for 30 days, which works out near $2.50 to $3.90 a day. Frequent travellers can subscribe monthly from around €45.95, or €59.95 for a global plan.
Checked June 2026
Credit where it's due
Both are established, well reviewed providers. Here is where each one shines, and what to keep in mind.
Airalo
Widest coverage
The world's first eSIM store and a long standing favourite, used by tens of millions of travellers. Airalo's strength is reach and flexibility.
- 200+ countries and regions, plus regional and global plans
- Pay only for the data you need, with top ups and renewals
- Great for short trips and places that are harder to cover
Good to know: Most packages are a set amount of data rather than unlimited, so heavy users can run through their data and need to top up.
Holafly
Unlimited pioneer
One of the names that made unlimited travel data mainstream, with unlimited plans across 160+ destinations and monthly subscriptions for regulars.
- Unlimited data on most destinations
- Monthly subscriptions suit frequent travellers
- Hotspot sharing included on current plans
Good to know: Like all unlimited eSIMs, a fair usage policy applies, with daily hotspot caps and possible throttling after heavy use.
What unlimited really means
Every major travel eSIM, rufly included, runs unlimited plans under a fair usage policy. In practice that means full speeds for normal travel use such as maps, messaging, streaming, calls and the odd big download. After very heavy daily use, speeds may ease off, and hotspot sharing can be capped. It is how networks keep things fast and fair for everyone.
The differences are in the detail. Some providers apply firm daily hotspot caps, while rufly keeps it simple with unlimited data and speeds that only adjust after heavy use. If you tether a laptop all day, always read the fair usage policy of whichever eSIM you pick.
Read rufly's fair usage policySame unlimited data, a little more heart
You are going to buy travel data anyway. With rufly, 10% of every order goes to animal shelters and every transfer is published, so the same connectivity helps street dogs get fed, treated and housed.
Browse rufly plans- Unlimited data on every destination, one flat price.
- QR code in your inbox seconds after checkout, no app needed.
- Keep your physical SIM for calls and texts back home.
- 10% of every order to shelters, transparently published.
Comparison questions
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