Updated September 29, 2026 · NomadCue Editorial Team
Airalo vs Yesim
Airalo
Yesim
Higher score in this comparison
What sets them apart
| Compare | AiraloReviewVisitVisit | YesimReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €4 | €0.92Lower |
| Countries covered | from 200 | 170 |
| Reference plan prices | US 4.00 EUR; UK 4.00 EUR; Germany 4.00 EUR; Italy 4.00 EUR; Spain 4.00 EUR; Japan 4.00 EUR; Turkey 4.00 EUR; Egypt 5.00 EUR; Armenia 4.50 EUR | US from €1.50 / day; UK from €1.90 / day; Europe (Germany, France, Spain) from €1.90 / day; Japan from €1.83 / day; Thailand from €1.40 / day; Turkey from €1.90 / day; Mexico from €2.63 / day; global Pay & Fly from €0.92 / GB |
| Fair use policy | Unlimited plans have no fixed data cap; after more than 3GB per day, speed is throttled to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day and the daily allowance resets every 24 hours from activation; personal, non-commercial use only, no reselling or machine-to-machine use | A plan day is 24 hours of unlimited internet from the moment of connection; the next day is deducted only when you reconnect after the previous 24 hours expire. Pay & Fly is charged per MB used and the balance never expires. |
| 5G | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Networks | Not confirmed | T Mobile, Vodafone, AT&T, Orange, Verizon, Telefonica, Airtel, Tele2, O2 |
Same on both: Unlimited data (Yes), Hotspot sharing (Yes), Top-ups (Yes), Seller type (Marketplace).
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Key differences
- Yesim scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.1.
- Price from is lower at Yesim: €0.92 vs €4.
- Support channels: only Airalo offers Chat.
- Support channels: only Yesim offers Community.
- Region: only Airalo offers Local.
- Features: only Yesim offers 5G.
Our verdict on each
Airalo
Airalo suits short trips and longer stays that want one shop for local, regional and global eSIMs, with unlimited plans, hotspot sharing and instant activation in the range. Coverage reaches from 200 countries, and entry plans start at €4 for a single destination or a whole region.
Yesim
Yesim is an eSIM marketplace for travellers who want daily unlimited passes alongside a per GB global balance. Coverage of 170 countries, hotspot sharing and a Pay & Fly rate of €0.92 per GB suit short trips that cross several regions.
Score breakdown
| Area | Airalo | Yesim |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Entry plans start at €4, under a site median of €5, with local, regional and global options across a broad destination list. | 9.9Higher |
| Offer | 9.3Higher | 9.2Coverage of 170 countries, unlimited day passes, hotspot sharing and a per GB balance from €0.92 keep the offer broad. |
| Trust | 8.2 | 8.2 |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Airalo | Yesim |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €4 | €0.92 |
| Countries covered | from 200 | 170 |
How they place
| Ranking | Airalo | Yesim |
|---|---|---|
| Travel SIMs and eSIMs | 59 of 926 | 23 of 926 |
| Travel eSIMs | 60 of 918 | 23 of 918 |
A third option
Pelago by Singapore Airlines has price from at €0.73, against €4 for Airalo and €0.92 for Yesim.
Pelago by Singapore Airlines reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | Airalo | Yesim |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Local, Regional, GlobalCovers more | Regional, Global |
| Features | Unlimited data, Hotspot, Instant activation | Unlimited data, 5G, Hotspot, Instant activationCovers more |
| Pricing model | Marketplace | Marketplace |
| Audience | Short trip, Long trip | Short trip, Long trip |
| Legal entity | AirGSM Pte Ltd | Genesis Group AG |
| Headquarters | Singapore | Switzerland |
| Founded | 2019 | 2019 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre | Email, Help centre, Community |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Airalo | Yesim | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | €4below the median | €0.92lowest quarter | €4.99 |
| Countries covered | from 200highest quarter | 170above the median | 120 |
Median across 492 listed travel providers.
Pros and cons
Airalo
Pros
- Coverage of from 200 countries, with local, regional and global plans for multi-country trips
- Unlimited data plans, hotspot sharing and instant activation are all listed in unlimited data, hotspot and instant activation
- Top-ups are available, so data can be added mid-trip without buying a new eSIM
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, so there is no phone line to call
- Airalo sells as a marketplace, so the network behind a plan and its terms depend on which seller you pick
- Unlimited plans follow a fair use policy for personal, non-commercial use only, with speed slowed after heavy daily use
Yesim
Pros
- A global balance from €0.92 per GB next to unlimited day passes, so you can pay for a week of data or a single heavy day.
- Coverage of 170 countries with hotspot sharing and instant activation on major host networks.
- Top-ups are available and the per GB balance never expires, which suits longer routes (short trip and long trip).
Cons
- The unlimited plan is metered in plan days: the next day is deducted only when you reconnect, so a long streaming session spends a day quickly.
- Support runs on email, help centre and community only, with no phone line listed.
- Coverage of 170 countries sits below Zwitchy's 200, which matters on trips that cross several regions at once.
Who each suits
Airalo
Who it suits
- Travellers on a short trip buying a plan for a single destination
- Longer itineraries that need a regional or global plan across several countries
- People who want hotspot sharing and top-ups handled from one account
Who should look elsewhere
- eSIMGo.is, which starts at $0.99 and competes on entry price alone rather than on destination range
- SimToIsrael, priced at $25, for a plan aimed at a single market rather than from 200 destinations
- Zwitchy, which also covers 200 countries, if you want a second marketplace with the same reach to compare against
Yesim
Who it suits
- Travellers on short trips who want unlimited data for a set day instead of counting gigabytes.
- Longer routes where a toppable balance that never expires beats buying a fresh plan at each border.
- People who need hotspot sharing for a laptop or tablet while moving between countries.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone whose route needs the longest country list: Zwitchy covers 200.
- Travellers who only need a single destination: SimToIsrael lists prices from $25.
- Anyone who wants live phone support, since support runs on email, help centre and community.
Questions about each
Airalo
How much do Airalo eSIMs cost?+
Entry plans start at €4, under a site median of €5. Reference prices for the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Turkey sit close to that figure, while Egypt and Armenia cost a little more.
Does Airalo sell unlimited data plans, and are they really unlimited?+
Unlimited data plans are part of the range, listed alongside hotspot sharing and instant activation. They run on a fair use policy for personal, non-commercial use only: there is no fixed data cap, but speed slows once heavy daily use is passed, and the allowance resets each day from activation.
Yesim
How much does Yesim cost?+
Global Pay & Fly starts at €0.92 per GB, charged by the megabyte. Unlimited day passes are listed per destination, with the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Thailand, Turkey and Mexico each at its own rate, so you can mix a fixed run of unlimited days with pay as you go data.
Is the data really unlimited?+
Unlimited data is available on the day pass plans, and the fair use policy sets the limit. A plan day runs from the moment you connect, and the next day is deducted only when you reconnect after the previous one has expired, so a heavy streaming session uses up a full day quickly.