Picks
Airalo review, from someone who uses it on every trip
It’s the only eSIM I’ve ever used. I set it up before I fly, so my phone works when the plane lands.
Written and photographed by Ethan Ward
Used: 7 countries
Before my first trip with it, I read up on the options, picked Airalo, and took a chance. It worked, so I never switched. I’ve used it in Albania, France, Indonesia, the Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Airalo sells eSIMs for travel. An eSIM is a SIM card that lives in your phone’s settings instead of a slot, so you buy it in an app and install it in a few taps. My own number stays on my phone, and Airalo’s eSIM handles data where I am.
THE ESIM I USE
Airalo
Price · Unlimited-data plans for France and Vietnam start at about $11 for 3 days and run $59 to $69 for 30 days. Plans with a set amount of data cost less.
Used · Yes, in 7 countries
Still good as of · October 2026
How to use Airalo: how I set it up before I fly
Before I go anywhere, I buy the eSIM for that country in the app and install it on my iPhone while I’m still home, on Wi-Fi or my regular data. It takes a few taps. I name each one after its country, since I have several for France alone.
When the plane lands and I turn my phone back on, it connects to a local network on its own, and I’m online.
Two things to know before you do this. Your phone has to be unlocked, or the eSIM won’t install. And most Airalo eSIMs don’t start counting days until they connect to a network where you’re going, so installing early doesn’t use up your plan. A few start the moment you install them, so check the activation policy on the plan before you buy.
Why I stay with it
The app is easy to get around and well designed, which matters when I’m buying data in an airport or topping up on a street corner.
Every time I buy an eSIM or top one up, I get credit back, which Airalo calls Airmoney, and I put it toward the next one. New accounts get 5% back, and it goes up to 10% the more you spend. It’s a small thing, but it’s a reason to keep coming back, and it works on me.
If an eSIM I’ve used before can’t be topped up anymore, the app tells me, and I buy a fresh one.
Data only, and the one time I needed a number
I buy data-only eSIMs. When I’m out walking around, data is all I need, and I’m back on Wi-Fi at the hotel or Airbnb at night.
Calls go through WhatsApp. Americans don’t use it much, but nearly everywhere else I’ve been, it’s how people keep in touch, and a lot of businesses list a WhatsApp number. It’s also how I keep up with people I meet on a trip. Between WhatsApp and a data eSIM, I can reach almost anyone.
Once, I needed a local number. A few places I had to call, mostly government and immigration offices and a post office, didn’t use WhatsApp. I bought an Airalo eSIM that came with a phone number, and it worked fine.
What I’d skip
Setting it up after you land
Do it before you leave, on Wi-Fi or your regular data, so the eSIM is ready when your phone comes back on and you aren’t hunting for airport Wi-Fi to download it.
Expecting it to work like a regular SIM
A data-only eSIM doesn’t give you regular calls or texts, so you’ll be on WhatsApp or FaceTime. It lives on one phone, so if yours breaks, it doesn’t move to another. And some unlimited plans slow down after a set amount of data each day. The plan page says how much.
Questions people ask
Is Airalo legit?
Yes. It’s the only eSIM I’ve used, and it’s worked in all 7 countries.
How does Airalo work?
You buy an eSIM for a country in the app, install it before you leave, and it connects when you land. Your own number stays on your phone.
WHERE I’VE USED IT
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