Zero paid placements. No brand can pay to rank higher on Simscanner.
Simscanner is an independent travel eSIM comparison site. Our comparison hub puts two brands, or two ways of getting data abroad, side by side on the same defined criteria.
Simscanner
Independent · 21 comparisons live · Last updated 01 Jun 2026

Comparisons

Two things, one set of criteria. Pick a brand-vs-brand head-to-head, or a category comparison that weighs an eSIM against another way of getting data abroad.

Direct answer

Simscanner publishes two kinds of travel eSIM comparison: brand-vs-brand head-to-heads and category comparisons. Brand pages put two providers against the same criteria (coverage, fair use, hotspot). Category pages weigh an eSIM against roaming or an airport SIM. Read a brand page when you have chosen eSIM; read a category page when you have not.

2Comparison types
7Comparisons published
0Paid placements
Two types: Brand vs brand two named providers, same criteria Category eSIM against another option
Start here

Which comparison should you open first?

The choice comes down to one question: have you already decided that a travel eSIM is the right format for your trip? If yes, a brand head-to-head narrows the field. If you are still weighing an eSIM against roaming or a shop-bought SIM, start with a category comparison instead.

Have you chosen a travel eSIM yet? No, still deciding Yes, eSIM it is Read a category comparison eSIM vs roaming, vs airport SIM Read a brand head-to-head Airalo vs Holafly, Nomad, Saily Decide the format, then come back Pick the provider that fits your trip

Both routes meet again on the country and region pages, where a single brand is scored against the rest for one destination.

Type one

Brand vs brand

Two named providers, weighed on the same criteria: coverage breadth, member countries, fair use and "unlimited" honesty, hotspot policy, and local-network behaviour. No head-to-head names an overall winner. Each page shows where one brand fits a trip better, and where the other does.

Brand vs brand

Airalo vs Holafly

A wide country catalogue against a fixed-data-versus-"unlimited" pitch, weighed on fair use and hotspot rules.

Sourced entry price · Airalo from $4.00 · Holafly from $11.70

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Airalo vs Nomad

Two app-first marketplaces side by side: coverage, member countries, fair use policy, hotspot, and local networks.

Sourced entry price · Airalo from $4.00 · Nomad from $4.00

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Airalo vs Saily

An established catalogue against a newer challenger, compared on coverage, fair use, hotspot, and network choice.

Sourced entry price · Airalo from $4.00 · Saily from $1.99

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Airalo vs Ubigi

A travel-eSIM marketplace against a carrier-backed provider, weighed on coverage, fair use, and hotspot policy.

Sourced entry price · Airalo from $4.00 · Ubigi from $2.50

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Holafly vs Nomad

An "unlimited"-led brand against a data-bundle marketplace, weighed on fair use honesty and hotspot rules.

Sourced entry price · Holafly from $11.70 · Nomad from $4.00

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Holafly vs Saily

An "unlimited" day-plan pitch against Nord Security's fixed-data challenger, weighed on fair use honesty and hotspot.

Sourced entry price · Holafly from $11.70 · Saily from $1.99

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Holafly vs Ubigi

An "unlimited"-led brand against a carrier-backed, data-sharing provider, weighed on fair use and hotspot policy.

Sourced entry price · Holafly from $11.70 · Ubigi from $2.50

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Nomad vs Saily

Two fixed-data marketplaces side by side, weighed on fair use allowance, plan validity, and hotspot rules.

Sourced entry price · Nomad from $4.00 · Saily from $1.99

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

Saily vs Ubigi

Nord Security's challenger against a carrier-backed, data-sharing provider, on coverage, fair use, and hotspot.

Sourced entry price · Saily from $1.99 · Ubigi from $2.50

Open comparison →
Type two

Category and format

Before you compare brands, it can be worth comparing formats. These pages weigh a travel eSIM against the alternatives a traveller actually faces at the airport or in the phone settings: switching on roaming, or buying a local SIM on arrival.

Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Airalo

HelloRoam's 185-country reach against Airalo's large catalogue, on price, coverage and fair use.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Airalo from $4.00

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Holafly

HelloRoam's fixed plus unlimited-daily mix against Holafly's unlimited pitch, on fair use and hotspot.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Holafly from $11.70

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Nomad

HelloRoam vs Nomad on per-country pricing, coverage and hotspot policy.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Nomad from $4.00

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Saily

HelloRoam vs Saily on entry price, coverage breadth and fair use.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Saily from $1.99

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Ubigi

HelloRoam vs Ubigi on coverage, connected-device support and pricing.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Ubigi from $2.50

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs aloSIM

HelloRoam vs aloSIM on coverage, pricing and hotspot policy.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · aloSIM from $3.50

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs GigSky

HelloRoam vs GigSky on coverage, network access and pricing.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · GigSky from $4.24

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Jetpac

HelloRoam vs Jetpac on entry price, coverage and validity.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Jetpac from $1.00

Open comparison → Brand vs brand

HelloRoam vs Maya Mobile

HelloRoam vs Maya Mobile on coverage, unlimited terms and hotspot.

Sourced entry price · HelloRoam from $2.09 · Maya Mobile from $3.33

Open comparison → Category

eSIM vs international roaming

Your home plan abroad against a dedicated travel eSIM: data allowance, cost structure, activation, and hotspot use.

Open comparison → Category

eSIM vs airport physical SIM

A shop-bought SIM on arrival against an eSIM bought before you fly: activation timing, ID checks, and plan choice.

Open comparison → Category

eSIM vs physical SIM card

A downloadable eSIM against a traditional SIM card: convenience, device support, keeping your number, and cost.

Open comparison →
Key facts

How a Simscanner comparison is built

  • Every brand-vs-brand page uses the same five criteria, so two comparisons can be read against each other.
  • No comparison names an overall winner. It maps which brand suits which trip, not which is "best" outright.
  • Brand figures that are not yet independently confirmed read as pending verification, never invented.
  • Category pages compare formats, not prices, because tariffs change far faster than the underlying trade-offs.
  • The order brands appear in is alphabetical or query-led, never sold. No brand pays for placement.
  • For a single destination, the country pages score one brand against the whole field.
Independence

How does Simscanner stay neutral in a head-to-head?

A two-brand comparison is where bias is easiest to hide, so we remove the levers that create it. The same criteria are applied to both sides. The page never declares a single winner. And no brand can pay to be the favourable side of any comparison.

What we do

Same yardstick, both brands

Both providers are measured against one published definition per criterion, taken from the methodology, not from either brand's marketing.

  • Coverage, fair use, hotspot, "unlimited" honesty, and network choice are defined once and applied to both.
  • Where a brand figure is not independently confirmed, the cell reads "pending verification".
  • The verdict is framed by trip type, so a reader sees where each brand fits, not a blanket ranking.

The full criteria live in the methodology →

What we never do

No paid sides, no thumb on the scale

A brand cannot buy the favourable framing, a higher position, or softer language in any comparison it appears in.

  • No brand pays to be included in, or excluded from, a comparison.
  • Brand order is alphabetical or set by the search query, never by a commercial deal.
  • We do not invent numbers to break a tie or make a page look more complete.

Read the full policy at zero paid placements →

How it works

What every comparison measures

Brand-vs-brand pages share one rubric, so the difference you read is a real difference, not a difference in how two pages were written. Category pages compare durable trade-offs (activation, allowance, control) rather than today's price. Both link back to the same published methodology.

Read the full methodology →

What a head-to-head weighs

  • Coverage breadth and member-country lists
  • Fair use policy and "unlimited" honesty
  • Hotspot and tethering rules per brand
  • Which local networks each brand connects to
  • A data-confidence state and last-reviewed date
Common questions

Questions about comparisons

How the two comparison types differ, why no winner is named, and how independence is protected in a head-to-head.

What is the difference between a brand-vs-brand and a category comparison?

A brand-vs-brand page compares two named travel eSIM providers on the same five criteria, so you can choose between them. A category page compares a travel eSIM against a different format altogether, such as international roaming or an airport SIM, so you can decide whether an eSIM is the right approach before you pick a brand.

Which comparison should I read first?

If you have already decided a travel eSIM suits your trip, start with a brand-vs-brand head-to-head to narrow the field. If you are still weighing an eSIM against switching on roaming or buying a SIM at the airport, start with a category comparison first. Once you have settled the format, return to the brand pages.

Why does no comparison name an overall winner?

The best travel eSIM depends on the trip, so a single "winner" would mislead more readers than it helps. A brand that suits a one-country city break may not suit a multi-country, hotspot-heavy trip. Each comparison instead maps which provider fits which kind of journey, using the definitions on the methodology page.

Can a brand pay to be the favourable side of a comparison?

No. No brand can pay to be included, to be positioned more favourably, or to soften the language used about it. The order brands appear in is alphabetical or set by the search query, never sold. This applies to every comparison on the site, and the full policy is published at the zero paid placements page.

Why do category pages compare formats instead of prices?

Prices and bundle sizes change far faster than the underlying trade-offs. A category page focuses on the durable differences, such as how data is activated, who keeps your home number live, and how much control you have over the network, because those still hold true after a tariff changes. Current prices belong on the brand and country pages.

Keep exploring

Related on Simscanner

By brand

Brand profiles

Want one provider in full rather than a head-to-head? Open the independent profile for each travel eSIM brand.

Browse all brands → By region

Regional comparisons

Comparing plans for a multi-country trip? The regions hub ranks brands by coverage breadth, region by region.

Browse all regions → Methodology

How we score

The definitions behind every comparison: coverage breadth, hotspot policy, fair use, and "unlimited" honesty.

Read the methodology → Independence

Zero paid placements

Why no brand can buy the favourable side of any comparison, a higher position, or softer language.

Read the policy →
Layout is AI-assisted; explanations are written and reviewed by the Simscanner editorial team. Structured data on this page: CollectionPage ItemList BreadcrumbList FAQPage. The ItemList lists only published comparison pages. No Product, Offer, Price, or Review schema is used.