Airalo vs eSIM Net — I Tried Both. Here's My Take. (2026)

When I first looked for travel eSIMs, Airalo was the first name that came up. They've been around since 2019, they have tons of reviews, and they seem like the safe choice.

But I also found eSIM Net with lower prices for the countries I was visiting. So I did what any overthinking traveler does — I bought from both and compared them on an actual trip.

Here's what I found.

(Full disclosure: this comparison uses publicly available pricing. Prices change. Always check both sites for current rates.)

I compared prices for five popular destinations:

Country | eSIM Net | Airalo | Who's Cheaper? France (1GB) | $2.99 | $4.50 | eSIM Net saves $1.51 USA (1GB) | $5.99 | $4.50 | Airalo saves $1.49 Japan (3GB) | $3.99 | $8.00 | eSIM Net saves $4.01 Thailand (1GB) | $3.99 | $4.50 | eSIM Net saves $0.51 UK (3GB) | $4.99 | $6.00 | eSIM Net saves $1.01

For Europe and Asia, eSIM Net was cheaper on 4 out of 5 destinations. Airalo was cheaper for USA specifically. Your best bet: check prices for your exact destination on both.

This was the deciding factor for me as a first-time buyer.

eSIM Net: 30-day money-back guarantee. If your eSIM doesn't work for any reason, full refund. No questions.

Airalo: Refund policy is limited. Once you activate the eSIM, refunds are generally not available.

If you've never used an eSIM before and you're nervous about whether it'll work on your phone, eSIM Net is the safer bet. You can literally try it risk-free.

Both are legitimate companies that sell working eSIMs. I've used both and had no issues with either.

Pick eSIM Net if: • You're going to Europe or Asia (usually cheaper) • You want a money-back guarantee • You're a first-time eSIM user

Pick Airalo if: • They have a better price for your specific destination • You prefer their app experience • You value brand recognition

The truth is, you can't really go wrong with either. Just compare prices for your trip and pick the cheaper one.