Airalo is my go-to service for purchasing mobile data whenever I travel abroad — here’s why

Logistically, traveling now is easier than it’s ever been. You can book flights and hotels online, and you always have a map in your pocket. Need to find a restaurant? Just ask Google Maps. Need a taxi to get there? Pop open one of the endless ride-share and taxi apps available at your destination.

But one thing has just recently been modernized: buying mobile data abroad. And that’s a pretty big deal, especially considering you need an internet connection for all of the modern travel conveniences just mentioned. Now, it’s easier than ever to get a cheap internet connection abroad thanks to eSIMs.

eSIMs are virtual SIM cards you can download to compatible phones, like most recent iPhones and premium Samsung devices. These let you connect to a local phone network abroad, often paying a lower price than roaming through your mobile carrier at home.

There are a handful of services you can use to purchase eSIM cards, but my favorite is Airalo. It’s one of the first eSIM marketplaces and it supports a variety of different countries around the world. The app is easy to use, has a built-in loyalty program and has saved me time and money over the past three years of travel adventures.

What we liked about it

It’s easy to buy an eSIM

One of the best things about Airalo is the ease of buying an eSIM card through its app. First, select the country or region in which you’d like to purchase an eSIM. You can choose from country-specific eSIMs or buy a regional or global eSIM if you plan to travel to multiple countries or want a long-term plan.

Then, you can pay with a credit card or Apple Pay and go to the “My eSIMs” tab to see your new eSIM. Tap on it and then tap “Activate Now” to activate your plan. The app will then walk you through the setup process, which takes just a few minutes to complete.

And that’s all there is to it. If your phone supports multiple eSIMs, you can keep your home plan active in the background for calls and texts. This is helpful if your carrier provides free international texts so you can still receive things like two-factor authentication notifications and messages from friends.

Note you can also purchase Airalo eSIM cards online and scan a QR code to add it to your smartphone. Overall, both options are easy for travelers to figure out before they hit the road.

Mobile data prices are very reasonable

The price you’ll pay for data plans with Airalo depends on the country and region you’re visiting, oftentimes in relation to how much mobile data actually costs in the country you’re visiting. You’ll often pay a premium to purchase a regional eSIM, but it can be worthwhile if you have a multi-country itinerary planned out.

You purchase data by the gigabyte, and each Airalo plan has a different validity. You can top up existing eSIM cards if you’re running low on data, which saves you from having to install a new eSIM. Note that you’ll often get a better deal by buying more data upfront versus reloading as you go.

Here’s a look at some sample countries and regions, as well as Airalo’s worldwide plan.

Prices vary widely depending on where you travel. Airalo isn’t always the best deal when compared to buying a local SIM card (more on that soon), but it will often save you money over buying a plan from your carrier. For example, Verizon’s TravelPass costs $10 per day to use high-speed data abroad, making Airalo a much better deal in most cases.

Speeds are great

Airalo partners with a number of different phone networks around the world. Here in the US, the carrier runs on both Verizon and T-Mobile’s 5G networks. Meanwhile, in the UK, it runs on O2 and Three, and in Japan it runs on KDDI and SoftBank.

These are all trusted and reliable phone carriers, so your speeds and coverage should be similar to if you purchased a SIM or eSIM directly from the carrier at a store. I’ve had great success with fast internet speeds on my travels thanks to the quality of network partnerships largely available.

Plans support mobile hotspot

Many international roaming plans offered by US phone carriers do not let you use mobile hotspot without paying extra. Thankfully, this doesn’t apply to Airalo, so you can use the data you purchase over mobile hotspot so long as your smartphone supports the function. This is immensely helpful when working remotely abroad as you don’t have to rely on hotel or cafe internet to get work done.

Save even more with Airalo’s loyalty program

Airalo has a loyalty program called Airmoney. It’s similar to a travel rewards program — you’ll earn rewards for buying your data plans with Airalo. More specifically, you’ll earn Airmoney whenever you purchase an eSIM or top-up with Airalo, with the exact amount varying based on the data package you purchase. You’ll also earn Airmoney when you refer friends.

When it comes to redeeming your rewards, you can use Airmoney to cover any portion of a future eSIM. Ultimately, it’s a nice way to save on your data when you travel.

What we didn’t like about it

Sometimes setup isn’t seamless

While Airalo eSIMs usually work right after they’re installed, my iPhone doesn’t automatically connect to the cellular network from time to time. Usually, this is solved by putting my phone in airplane mode for a few seconds. Other times, I’ve had success by manually selecting a supported cellular network in the “Cellular” section of my iPhone’s Settings app.

Again, this doesn’t happen every time I use Airalo, and it’s easy enough to fix when it happens. However, it would be nice to have Airalo eSIMs connect automatically every time I land in a new country, so I hope the company improves reliability over time.

You might spend more money than buying a local plan

While you’ll often save money over buying international roaming from your US phone carrier, you might still spend more money than if you were to buy a prepaid SIM or eSIM in your destination country. For example, 3GB of mobile data in Brazil costs $18 through Airalo and is valid for 30 days. Airalo uses the Vivo cellular network.

Meanwhile, purchasing 6GB of data directly from Vivo costs roughly $4 at the time of writing with its lowest-end prepaid plan. This plan is valid for 15 days and includes another 6GB of data for YouTube streaming and unlimited WhatsApp. You’ll also need to provide your passport number when purchasing a phone plan in Brazil.

On the other hand, you can purchase 10GB of prepaid data from Three UK for roughly $13 after currency conversion. Airalo charges $23 for 10GB of data in the U.K., so you’re paying roughly a $10 premium for the convenience of using the service.

So if you’re willing to go to a phone store and provide personal information, you might be better off buying a prepaid phone plan locally. But for quick trips, it may be worthwhile to pay more for an Airalo eSIM to save time.

Bottom line

Airalo is a good way to buy mobile data abroad. If you have an eSIM-compatible phone, you can purchase mobile data in almost any country around the world. This will often save you money over purchasing an international roaming plan from your carrier, and it will save you time over purchasing a local plan at a phone store when you arrive in a new country. It’s not always as cheap as the latter, but I think the time savings make it worthwhile on short trips.

That said, it can sometimes be tricky to actually get Airalo eSIMs to work. I’ve never had one completely fail, but sometimes it takes flipping my iPhone on and off airplane mode or manually selecting a mobile network to get the eSIM to connect. But once it’s connected, the experience is great.

Consider trying the Airalo app the next time you travel abroad. And if you have a long trip with multiple destinations, it might be worth purchasing a regional or global plan that covers all of your intended destinations.

Check out CNN Underscored’s guide to the best travel credit cards of 2023.