Based on each provider's published plans and policies, checked August 2026.
| Holafly | Airalo | SimplySIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan types | Unlimited only (most destinations) | Capped (1GB–50GB); "unlimited" is 3GB/day then slowed | Capped and unlimited: 1GB to 100GB, 1 to 180 days |
| Typical price for a week | ~£20 (7-day unlimited, most countries) | ~£19 (Spain 10GB), varies a lot by country | £2.59 (Spain 1GB) · £11.14 (Spain 10GB) · £14.11 (Spain 7-day unlimited) |
| Hotspot / tethering | Capped at 500MB/day on standard unlimited plans | Allowed on data plans | Allowed. Use your data how you like |
| Top-ups | Extend by buying more days | In-app top-ups | Top up anytime, no new eSIM needed |
| Coverage | Popular destinations; gaps in smaller countries | 200+ countries and regions | 180+ countries, plus regional & global plans |
| Currency | USD/EUR pricing for UK buyers | USD pricing for UK buyers | GBP, no foreign-transaction fees on UK cards |
| Support | 24/7 chat | App/email support | UK-based human support |
| Student discount | Not offered | Not offered | 10% off with a university email |
Competitor details are based on publicly available information and approximate GBP conversions, last checked August 2026. Plans and policies change, so always confirm on the provider's site.
The same trip, three providers. Approximate GBP prices, August 2026.
~£20
7 days unlimited data.
Hotspot capped at 500MB/day on the
standard plan. Great if you stream heavily all week.
~£19
10GB valid 30 days.
Fine for maps and messaging, but run out
and you'll need a top-up mid-trip.
£11.14
10GB valid 30 days, or 7-day unlimited for £14.11. Both cheaper than the equivalent Holafly or Airalo plan.
See Spain eSIMsLive catalogue prices. Every plan delivered by email in minutes.
| Destination | 1GB / 7 days | 10GB / 30 days | Unlimited / 7 days | Unlimited / 30 days | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | £2.59 | £11.14 | £14.11 | £34.52 | View |
| United States | £2.59 | £13.73 | £20.79 | £46.03 | View |
| Japan | £1.85 | £11.50 | £14.85 | £43.06 | View |
| Thailand | £1.85 | £11.50 | £19.53 | £37.12 | View |
| Turkey | £1.48 | £10.02 | £17.08 | £31.93 | View |
| Europe (35 areas) | £1.85 | £12.99 | 20GB / 30 days: £23.01 | View | |
If you're looking at Holafly, it's because you want unlimited data. SimplySIM sells unlimited plans too, for less. Spain 7-day unlimited is £14.11 with us against roughly £20 at Holafly, and our US 30-day unlimited is £46.03 against roughly £56.
The differences that matter beyond price: Holafly's standard unlimited plans cap hotspot sharing at 500MB per day. Ours allow tethering, so your laptop and travel companions can share your data. Holafly charges UK buyers in USD or EUR, so your bank may add a currency-conversion fee on top; we charge in pounds, and what you see at checkout is what you pay.
And if your trip doesn't actually need unlimited, we don't force you into it. A 10GB or 20GB plan often covers a fortnight for a third of the price.
If you're looking at Airalo, it's because you want cheap pay-as-you-go data. That's our home turf: Spain 1GB is £2.59, 10GB is £11.14, Turkey starts at £1.48. All under Airalo's like-for-like pricing, and in GBP rather than USD.
Where capped plans sting is running out mid-trip. With SimplySIM you top up the same eSIM in a couple of clicks, with no new eSIM and no reinstalling. And if you'd rather never watch a data meter, we sell genuinely unlimited plans as well, something Airalo's "unlimited" (3GB per day, then slowed) doesn't really offer.
Add UK-based human support and a 10% student discount, and there's no reason to pay in dollars for the same data.
No dollar-to-pound guesswork and no foreign-transaction fees from your bank. What you see at checkout is exactly what leaves your account, and support is UK-based when you need a human.
Holafly makes you buy unlimited. Airalo makes you count gigabytes. We sell both, from a £1.48 starter plan to fully unlimited, so you pay for the trip you're actually taking.
Your eSIM arrives by email in minutes, installs with a QR code, and can be topped up mid-trip without buying a new eSIM. Check your phone on our device compatibility page.
You get the same unlimited-data model for less. Spain 7-day unlimited is £14.11 with SimplySIM against roughly £20 at Holafly, without the 500MB/day hotspot cap on Holafly's standard plans. You also pay in pounds instead of USD or EUR, so there's no currency-conversion fee from your bank, and if your trip doesn't need unlimited you can pick a cheaper capped plan instead.
SimplySIM undercuts Airalo on like-for-like data (Spain 10GB is £11.14, Turkey starts at £1.48) and charges in GBP rather than USD. If you run low mid-trip you top up the same eSIM in a couple of clicks, and unlike Airalo we sell genuinely unlimited plans too, so you're never forced to count gigabytes. Support is UK-based humans, not just an app.
On most like-for-like plans, yes. For a week in Spain: roughly £20 for Holafly's unlimited or £19 for Airalo's 10GB, against £14.11 unlimited or £11.14 for 10GB with SimplySIM. Because we price in pounds, UK cards also avoid the foreign-transaction fee that USD checkouts can trigger.
Yes. We sell unlimited plans in popular destinations from 7 to 30 days (Spain from £14.11, Japan from £14.85), alongside capped plans from 1GB to 100GB. You choose the model that fits your trip rather than being locked into one, and tethering is allowed on our plans.
Yes, tethering is allowed, so you can share your data with a laptop, tablet or travel companions. That's a real difference from Holafly, whose standard unlimited plans cap sharing at roughly 500MB per day.
Our travel eSIMs are data-only, like most travel eSIMs. Your normal SIM stays active for calls and texts, so you keep your number and WhatsApp works exactly as before, while the eSIM handles your data abroad. Check your handset on our device compatibility page.
A regional plan beats juggling single-country eSIMs. Our Europe plan covers 35 areas from £1.85, with 10GB for £12.99 and 20GB for £23.01. See our regional and global eSIMs for every option.
Unlimited when you need it, cheap capped plans when you don't, all in pounds.
Browse Destinations See Current DealsHolafly and Airalo are trademarks of their respective owners. SimplySIM is not affiliated with either provider. Comparison details are based on publicly available information, last checked August 2026.
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