eSIM Holafly Review – unlimited eSIM for your holiday

Do you want to be online all the time on the go or do you need internet for work and are looking for a suitable eSIM? An eSIM from Holafly may be the solution for you. This provider has been on the market since 2018 and has more than a million users worldwide. It is one of the few that mainly offers unlimited data packages. Let’s take a look at our Holafly review to see what we recommend about it and where we still see gaps.

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Holafly review: eSIM offer

Holafly is an eSIM provider that offers a wide range of completely unlimited data services. In addition, for some eSIMs, it also offers a few minutes of calling, though this is limited to specific areas (which may encompass not just a single country but sometimes the entire surrounding region). But if you want to stay in touch with your loved ones, you can use Whatsapp or Messenger, and you won’t have to worry about your usage thanks to the unlimited data.

Coverage

The offer is quite wide. Holafly offers data packages for more than 170 countries and regions. Unlike others, it does not offer any global plan. However, you can get regional plans for Europe, Asia, North America, the Caribbean. Additionally, they are one of the few providers offering a package for all of South America.

Data volume

Holafly is different in that it offers completely unlimited data in most cases. But is it completely unlimited? For an average user, I would say yes. However, if the local operator where the eSIM is registered, estimates that your usage exceeds 90 GB of data per month, they may slow down your service to 256-1024 kB/s to prevent network congestion. In such a case, Holafly will be happy to help you resolve the situation.

In countries where an unlimited data plan is not available, Holafly offers eSIMs with at least 1-20 GB of data. However, these plans are so expensive that they are not worth it compared to other providers.

Prices

The prices align with the fact that you’re getting unlimited data, making them more expensive than almost any other provider. However, this higher cost can be justified. If you anticipate using a significant amount of data, or if you’re traveling to a destination for a extended period and need daily connectivity, opting for Holafly’s unlimited data package is a worthwhile investment.

For example, if we were going to Argentina for a month and really wanted to be online all the time, we might use approximately 1 GB of data every day (which is pretty standard for us when using maps, reading business reviews, and searching the web for things to do or the best places to eat). This usage equates to around 30GB of data per month. For this amount of data, we would pay $130 at Airalo, $135 at Nomad, and even more with other providers. With Holafly, you get 30 days of unlimited data for $79, without the need to monitor your usage. Furthermore, if we were to extend our travel from Argentina to additional surrounding countries, a regional plan covering all of South America could be purchased for $87.

However, the packages with limited data aren’t really worth it with Holafly, nor are the unlimited packages for countries where competitors offer similar unlimited options, often in Southeast Asian countries.

Validity

You can get data bundles for 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 or 30 days. Some eSIMs even offer longer-term plans for 60 or up to 90 days, or plans with flexible validity raging from 1 to 90. This makes Holafly one of the few providers to offer you data for more than a month.

The validity starts from the moment of activation (which should be by connecting to the local network or by turning on the eSIM in the settings). I was advised by customer support to buy the eSIM months in advance, but to only install it just before departure.

Holafly website and app clarity

The website is intuitive and suitable for first-time eSIM buyers. For each eSIM, it precisely describes whether it includes data or calls, whether you can use a hotspot, the expected internet speed, or which operator you will connect to in the country. Everything is available in English or 14 other languages.

They also have a support center on the site where you can find answers to all your questions, often accompanied by videos.

The only drawback for me is that the purchase itself cannot be done through the app. You can only log in to the app after buying your eSIM on the web. The installation instructions are provided in the email. Once installed, the app allows you to check when your eSIM expires or how much data you have remaining.

How complicated is it to buy and install an eSIM?

Before buying an eSIM, always make sure your phone supports the technology and is unlocked.

You can only buy an eSIM on the web, not in the app. You can pay in five different currencies, including euros or dollars, using your credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or even the PayPal virtual wallet.

You will then receive a QR code, a numeric code and instructions in your email. Follow the instructions and install the eSIM either by scanning the QR code or manually by entering the numeric code in your phone’s settings.

📱 Wanna help with eSIM instalation? Read our article. 📱

Can I share data via hotspot?

Because Holafly offers unlimited data, they don’t allow sharing across multiple devices using a hotspot, meaning larger groups of people can’t just buy one eSIM together. This can be a complication for those who get an eSIM for work, as it’s not possible to share data with a laptop.

Nevertheless, they now offer the option of using a hotspot in European countries. Hopefully this trend will continue. 🙂 Now you can use hotspot also in Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Turkey and Hong Kong.

Sharing via a hotspot is usually possible for some amount of data . You can always check the technical specifications of the eSIM before you buy.

Loyalty program

The loyalty program of such a reputable eSIM provider like Holafly is rather disappointing. Although there are significant discounts on eSIMs visible on the site, I honestly think they are more akin to permanent prices, as the original prices seem too high for anyone to consider buying them.

Holafly doesn’t offer cash back. The only way to earn credits for your next purchase is through their referral program, where the referred friend gets a 5% discount on their first purchase, and you receive a $5 credit for your next purchase. However, this benefit seems modest compared to what the competition offers.

Customer support

On the contrary, I was extremely satisfied with the customer support. You can use the live chat on the website or Whatsapp. They operate 24 hours a day on both channels and respond within a few seconds to a few minutes at most.

They have a chatbot on the website, but it’s not a problem to get through to a human operator when you need to. The only downside is that you need to know English.

Conclusion and rating (plus, minus)

Holafly is not an eSIM provider for everyone. It is particularly suitable for those who want unlimited data because they want to be online all the time and don’t want to worry about being restricted. It also seems quite suitable for individuals traveling for a month or longer. I would like to recommend it for those working at their destination too, but beware that you can use the phone for hotspot only in European countries. So, it’s most beneficial if you only need your phone for work.