PREPARING for a trip to Southeast Asia recently, I was struck by a thought: how do I use my phone while I’m there?
Thankfully, a quick search introduced me to the concept of eSIMs: digital SIM cards specific to the country you’re visiting, which offer a MUCH more affordable way to use your phone compared to the extortionate fees charged by UK network providers.
I decided to try Holafly, one of the biggest eSIM companies in the world, with over 200 destinations covered — whether you’re off to Florida or French Polynesia, there’s an eSIM available.
But are they easy to install, do they represent value for money, and is Holafly’s unlimited data plan all its cracked up to be?
Read on for my honest Holafly review to see if it’s the eSIM for you.
Holafly covers over 200 destinations[/caption]
Get 5% off Holafly eSIMs with discount code THESUNHOLA5
Pros
- Easy to install — even for someone who’s never encountered eSIMs before
- Over 200 destinations covered
- Likely much cheaper than relying on your existing UK network provider
- Unlimited data provides peace of mind (more on this in a second, though)
- User-friendly app
- Well-rated customer service that is available to address issues 24/7
- Automatically connects you to the best available network — I was rarely left without any internet whatsoever
Cons
- You might end up finding a cheaper deal abroad if you’re willing to risk it
- While data is technically unlimited, speeds will drop dramatically after a certain point
- Won’t work if your phone is locked to a single network provider
- Most plans don’t include texts or phone calls
Rating: 8.5/10
Holafly eSIM review: Quickfire Q&A
How much is Holafly? This depends on where you’re going and how long you’re off for, but for 14 days, you’ll be paying around £2.71 per day — far less than if you stick with your UK network provider.
Who’s it best for? Anyone travelling outside the EU roaming area that tends to be included in UK phone plans. The only people who won’t benefit are those using a phone locked to a single network — unfortunately, your phone won’t work with a Holafly eSIM. It also won’t work on some older phone models, which don’t have eSIM chips.
What we loved: eSIMs can be a bit confusing to the uninitiated, and Holafly makes it very easy to understand what you’re doing. I was also really impressed by the speed and availability of the internet I got.
What we didn’t: Holafly makes a big deal out of its “unlimited internet”, and technically, that’s what it is. However, be aware that after a certain point (reported to be somewhere between 3GB and 5GB) — it will slow down a lot. It’s also a bit pricier than some other options.
- Get 5% off Holafly eSIMs with discount code THESUNHOLA5 – buy here
How I tested Holafly
I tested Holafly over the course of a two week holiday to Vietnam[/caption]
Get 5% off Holafly eSIMs with discount code THESUNHOLA5
There’s no such thing as a work-free holiday when you’re The Sun’s reviews manager.
I’m joking, of course — but a two-week trip to Vietnam did seem like the perfect opportunity to test out Holafly.
While reviewing it, I was keeping an eye on several factors. Firstly, as a first-time eSIM user, I wanted to ensure it was easy to install, with zero faff.
I also assessed its coverage, speed and whether it offers value for money compared to other options.
The Nitty Gritty
What is an eSIM?
As the name implies, an eSIM is a digital SIM card (the “e” stands for “embedded”).
Instead of having to faff around with a fiddly plastic chip, you simply scan a QR code, which allows your phone to download the new network profile to the eSIM chip already built into your phone.
It basically takes all of the hassle (and much of the cost) out of using your phone in a foreign country.
Before, the options used to be either to find a shop in your travel destination and buy a physical SIM card, or swallow the extortionate roaming charges levied by UK network providers.
eSIMs provide the affordability of the first option and the convenience of the second — a no-brainer.
First impressions
I was surprised by how easy the installation process was[/caption]
Get 5% off Holafly eSIMs with discount code THESUNHOLA5
Using an eSIM for the first time, I was expecting to be confused by installation, but I needn’t have worried.
Once you’re on Holafly’s website, you simply pick from one of over 200 destinations — you can choose a city, country or even a region like Scandinavia or the Middle East — then select the number of days you need.
Once you’ve purchased, you’ll be asked to download the Holafly app. Once you’ve downloaded it and logged in, you should see your eSIM waiting to be activated — which you shouldn’t do until the day you’re travelling.
When the day of your travel arrives, it’s easy enough to install the eSIM — then when you’re on the plane, you’ll have to fiddle with your phone’s setting’s a bit to make sure that it’s using the Holafly eSIM rather than your existing data plan.
However, Holafly has a very handy guide that makes this incredibly easy.
Overall, when it comes to the purchase and set-up, I’ve got zero complaints.
Does it deliver?
Upon landing in Vietnam, I turned off airplane mode and was immediately rewarded with internet — 5G coverage, no less.
Holafly has a committment to offering 5G where possible, which will be welcome news to people like me who have become accustomed to 5G speed since it launched half a decade or so ago.
In fact, in many in places in Vietnam — especially cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh — I felt like my internet was quicker and less patchy than it is in London, where there aren’t enough 5G towers to service the ever-increasing population.
This isn’t something I expected in Vietnam, and it really does make all the difference when you’re trying to find the nearest top-rated Banh Mi spot.
And even outside of cities, I didn’t experience anywhere near as many dark spots as I expected I would.
This is likely because Holafly switches networks based on which one offers the best coverage in your exact location — so the network that I was on in one part of Vietnam might have been different to the one I was on in another.
The thing that sets Holafly apart from its competitors is its Unlimited Data promise.
This does provide a lot of peace of mind — it’s good to know that your internet isn’t going to disappear just as you urgently need it.
Holafly does implement a “fair use policy” which severely restricts your internet speed after a certain point (a tactic called “throttling”). This is usually estimated to be somewhere between 3GB and 5GB.
That means that, while you technically do have unlimited internet on Holafly, it’ll become so slow after a certain point that you’ll only want to use it for essential stuff.
However, it’s worth saying that 3GB – 5GB is a fair amount of data; that would probably allow you to stream high-definition video for over an hour.
Of the 14 days I was on holiday, I only hit the throttling threshold once, when I was attempting to download high-definition TV episodes to watch on a long train journey.
The rest of the time, I can’t imagine I even came close — if you’re mostly using your internet to use Google Maps and Whatsapp and occasionally post to Instagram, you’ll be more than covered.
It’s also worth saying that other “unlimited data” eSIM providers will also have these caps, and in many cases they’ll be a lot less generous.
More from Sun Shopping
How much is Holafly?
The longer you go for, the cheaper the per-day cost will be — for 14 days in Vietnam, the total was £38.
For comparison, I’d be paying £9.60 per MEGABYTE of data if I used my UK network provider.
To ground that in reality, streaming Charli XCX’s Brat in normal quality from Spotify would have cost me something like £285.
However, that doesn’t mean that Holafly is the cheapest option.
If you’re sure that you’re only going to use a limited amount of internet, you could go to a provider with specific data allowances, which might be cheaper than Holafly’s unlimited data approach.
And if you’re happy to risk it, you might be able to find an eSIM in your destination country for cheaper; my partner sourced one at our hotel and paid a little over £10 for two weeks’ worth of phone use.
Holafly alternatives
the eSIM market is rapidly expanding, so it’ll come as no surprise that Holafly has no shortage of competitors.
As well as selling unlimited data options, Airalo sells fixed-data options that work out a lot cheaper than Holafly — 10GB of data over 15 days in Vietnam would have cost me £15.
This does mean you’ll need to be stingey with your data — but you can always top up if you run out.
However, Holafly was the better option in my specific scenario — in Vietnam, an Airalo eSIM won’t get 5G, and where Holafly can switch between three separate networks to find the best coverage, Airalo only switches between two.
Saily also provides affordable options, but doesn’t have an Unlimited Data option like Holafly.
The Verdict
I’ll definitely use Holafly again whenever I’m lucky enough to go on another long-haul holiday.
The ease of the purchase and set up created a great first impression, but I was similarly pleased at the end of my holiday, having experienced quick, widely available internet for almost the entirety of the trip.
I was impressed by how seamlessly it switched between networks to find me the best internet, and by the fact that in urban areas, I was served by better 5G coverage than I get in London.
Depending on your requirements, it might not be the cheapest option, but if you’re looking for a provider that can give you maximum peace of mind, Holafly might just be the one to go for.
- Get 5% off Holafly eSIMs with discount code THESUNHOLA5 – buy here
