Holafly or Airalo: which one to pick
Checked on 22 August 2026 on their websites, for Japan: seven days of unlimited data cost 24,50 € with Airalo and 25,50 € with Holafly, and thirty days 62,00 € against 68,90 €. Airalo comes out cheaper across all three durations. The real difference isn't the price: it's that Airalo has a huge catalogue of countries and Holafly a bigger support operation.
Updated on
They're the two brands that show up in every travel blog comparison, and not by chance: both pay a commission on every sale that arrives from there. That doesn't make them bad. It makes it worth looking at the numbers yourself.
The prices, same day and same country
Japan, unlimited data plans, checked by opening both websites on 22 August 2026. In the third row, what the same trip would cost without buying unlimited.
| 7 days | 15 days | 30 days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo, unlimited | 24,50 € | 43,00 € | 62,00 € |
| Holafly, unlimited | 25,50 € | 46,90 € | 68,90 € |
| Zas, by volume | 1 GB — 2,90 € | 3 GB — 4,90 € | 5 GB — 5,90 € |
Airalo wins across all three durations. The difference isn't huge — one euro over seven days, nearly four over a month — but it's constant.
How they really differ
| Holafly | Airalo | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Unlimited, mostly | Unlimited and per-gigabyte packages depending on destination |
| Catalogue | Broad | Among the biggest on the market |
| Price in Japan | More expensive across all three durations | Cheaper across all three durations |
| Support | Its main selling point, 24/7 service | Via the app and a help centre |
| Fair use | Published: a restriction of at most one day | — |
| Data sharing | Advertises 1 GB a day over the hotspot | — |
A “—” doesn't mean it's worse: it means we didn't find it published the day we looked. We'd rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess.
When neither of the two is the answer
When you don't need unlimited data, which is most of the time. A two-week trip with maps, messaging and some social media uses between 2 and 4 GB in total. Paying for unlimited in that case is paying to insure against a risk you don't run.
The sum, with the numbers above: fifteen unlimited days cost 43,00 € with the cheaper of the two. The same fifteen days with 3 GB cost 4,90 €. If you genuinely use more than 3 GB, go up to 20 GB for 14,90 € and you're still far below.
And the other way round, so it's on record: if you'll use more than a gigabyte every single day — work video calls, streaming, keeping four people online — an unlimited plan suits you, and there Airalo came out cheaper than Holafly that day. If on top of that you value having someone at the other end at three in the morning, that's Holafly's argument and it's a legitimate one.
Which is cheaper, Holafly or Airalo?
For Japan, on 22 August 2026, Airalo was cheaper across all three durations: 24,50 € against 25,50 € for seven days, 43,00 € against 46,90 € for fifteen, and 62,00 € against 68,90 € for thirty.
Which has better coverage?
Neither has coverage of its own: both resell data from local operators, like the rest of the industry. In the same country and on the same operator, coverage is identical. What can change is which operator each one connects you to.
Is it worth paying for unlimited data?
Only if you genuinely use a lot every day. With maps, messaging and some social media, two weeks comes to between 2 and 4 GB, and for that usage a volume plan costs a fraction. If you work from there or share data with several people, the maths changes.
Why do travel blogs always recommend these two?
Because both run affiliate programmes and pay a commission on every sale. It doesn't mean they're bad products; it means the list you're reading isn't always ordered by what's best for you.
See what the same trip would cost with Zas
Something off, or a price changed? Write to ayuda@zasesim.com and we'll fix it. Data when you land.