As we rely on our smartphones more and more, staying online while traveling has become essential, eSIMs have made this easier than ever. Gone are the days of worrying about nightmare roaming charge bills or hunting down local SIM cards from questionable sources. Instead, with just a few clicks and minimal interactions required, you can purchase an eSIM plan online and be good to go as soon as you arrive at your destination.

Two of the most popular eSIM providers in the market are Airalo and Ubigi. Both are mostly reliable, have solid coverage and fast speeds, but which one is the best for your travel needs? In this comparison, we’ll dive into the features, benefits and drawbacks of Airalo and Ubigi to help you make the right decision for a painless experience on your next trip.

Airalo

Airalo, founded in 2019 by Bahadir Ozdemir and Ahmad Gharbeia in Singapore, claims to be the world’s first eSIM store. Since launch, Airalo has aimed to simplify the process of staying connected while traveling. Offering over 200 eSIM plans globally, Airalo has grown rapidly, serving more than 20 million users by April 2025.

Airalo was one of the first eSIMs we tried a long time ago, way before the inception of Travel ESIM Expert. Airalo is consistent, but not always the best option available for every country or region you head to. Our Airalo review page summarizes it as…

For us, Airalo is a reliable service that has served us pretty well around the world, scoring well on a number of key factors. Our review recognized this and awarded Airalo 4 out of 5. Based on reviews, public opinion is mixed however…

• App Store score: 4.6/5
• Play Store score: 4.5/5
• TrustPilot score: 3.9/5

Ubigi

Facing off against Airalo, it’s Ubigi, another of the biggest and fastest growing brands in the market. Ubigi was established in Paris by Transatel back in 2018 but has since become a subsidiary of Japanese giant, NTT group. Ubigi claims to offer “High-end global cellular connectivity and eSIM services in over 200+ destinations with a large range of affordable prepaid data plans for smartphones, tablets and laptops and connected cars.”

We use Ubigi regularly, especially in the US, Asia and Europe where prices are great value and speeds keep getting better. Ubigi more than earns it’s new review score of 4.5/5. For more on the overall product, check out our Ubigi overview page.

• App Store score: 4.6/5
• Play Store score: 3.9/5
• TrustPilot score: 4.2/5

There isn’t really much comparison when it comes to speeds measured for both providers. Ubigi is generally a speed demon, having recently won our Fastest eSIM for Travel award in our 4 country study. Ubigi is faster in 8 countries, Airalo is only faster in 2 countries. The only disappointment for Ubigi and where Airalo is substantially faster is in France, where Airalo recorded its fastest ever score of 567 Mbps, where Ubigi only achieved 148 Mbps. Other than that, Airalo beat Ubigi in the UAE, by roughly 30 Mbps. In every other country we’ve tested both in, Ubigi was substantially faster. No eSIM will be fastest in every country around the world, but if speed is of concern to you, we’d generally recommend Ubigi over Airalo.

Ubigi is cheaper overall if we’re judging by the all important price per GB metric, not just the lowest starting price. Airalo might look cheaper at first because it has a ton of low cost starter plans, especially if you only need 1GB for a short trip. That makes Airalo a decent option if your priority is the lowest possible upfront price.

But for most travellers, Ubigi tends to offer stronger value. Its plans often become cheaper once you move beyond very small data allowances, with better price per GB options across many destinations, especially in Europe. So while Airalo may be cheaper for light users, Ubigi is generally the better choice if you want more usable data without the cost climbing too quickly.

Our opinion: Ubigi is the better pick overall

With a final score of 5-6 and Ubigi taking a close win in each category, you’d think this was close. However, to us, not every category is created equal, our most important factors to consider are:

1. Speed.
2. Signal.
3. Price and value.

For these factors, Ubigi wins 3-1 thanks to:

• Lower pricing in most countries at most data levels above 1 GB, making it a better choice for most users
• Faster speeds in the majority of countries too, the speed difference is noticeable
• Signal is about equal.

On the other hand, Airalo generally offers a very polished app, strong customer support and signal too.

Of the 2 providers, we’d generally pick Ubigi thanks to better pricing and speeds overall. You may have a slightly more frustrating app and set up experience, but it’s worth it in the end.