Holafly review: simple unlimited, clear networks, tight hotspot

We compared Holafly's published prices and policies; we didn't buy or test its eSIMs for this review. Aventure SIM is run by the team behind Lotso Travel, a competitor, assessed on the same rubric.

How Holafly sells data

Holafly sells unlimited data by the number of days in "200+ destinations", and nothing else for a single country. Its homepage also advertises Holafly Plans, a monthly subscription "for just $49.90/month" covering about 160 destinations, aimed at digital nomads rather than a two-week trek. It includes a small "Always On" backup allowance on some plans.

Our index has Holafly in 17 of 18 destinations (its Nepal page showed euros only, so we left it out of the US-dollar rankings rather than convert). For a 14-day trip, Holafly's 15-day pass cost $44.90 in Mexico, $45.90 in Peru, $50.50 in Japan, the US, Canada and Norway, $51.50 in most of Europe and Patagonia, $54.90 in Tanzania and Ecuador and $59.90 in Morocco. At 0.5 GB a day, that's a median 2.9× the cheapest provider.

At heavy use the picture improves: at 1.5 GB a day the gap falls to about 1.8×, and Holafly starts beating Nomad in several destinations (Holafly vs Nomad has the full table). If you'll stream, video-call and upload every day, Holafly isn't absurd. It's just rarely the cheapest.

Networks: the best information here

Holafly's country pages are the clearest about which operator you'll use, often naming two: Vodacom in Tanzania, Movistar and Claro in Peru, Bell and Telus in Canada, Nova and Sýn in Iceland, Telenor and Telia in Norway, inwi, Maroc Telecom and Orange in Morocco, and four networks in the UK. In Chile and Argentina it's Telefónica (Movistar) only. Its Ecuador page warns that coverage may be limited in remote parts of the Galápagos, the kind of honesty we'd like to see everywhere.

That multi-network access matters off the beaten path: if one operator has no mast in the valley and the other does, a two-network eSIM can pick it up.

Hotspot: the real limitation

Holafly's hotspot FAQ says each destination page shows "how much data (in MB) you can share per day", and that hotspot use "adds to your overall data consumption, sometimes significantly". On the country pages we read, the allowance was 1 GB a day. For a couple sharing one eSIM, or anyone tethering a laptop, that's a deal-breaker; Airalo has no tethering limit and Saily advertises "limitless hotspot sharing".

Fair use: no number published

Holafly doesn't publish a daily threshold. Its country pages say operators may apply a fair-usage policy "temporarily applied for no more than one (1) day", and that a reduced speed resets the following day. It calls this rare. Airalo, Nomad, Saily and Ubigi all tell you the number; Holafly doesn't, so you can't plan around it.

Refunds and support: the best terms here

Holafly's refund policy gives "up to 6 months to request a refund". An unactivated eSIM gets a full refund. After activation, if connection problems come from Holafly or unstable networks, it offers "a full or partial refund", with a $3.50 admin fee that may apply depending on how much data you used. Money goes back to the bank account in 3–5 business days. The catch: "We cannot guarantee a refund if you contact us after your trip", so raise problems while you're travelling.

Support is chat "available around the clock, in your own language", plus WhatsApp, and there's an app for iOS and Android.

Who should pick something else

• Light use or trekking: Nomad, at a third to half the price.
• You'll share data: Saily or Airalo.
• Long trips where you want unlimited for less: Maya Mobile, $27.99 for 14 days.
• Europe, UK, Iceland, Norway on a short trip: Lotso Travel, run by our team (review).

Comparing the two unlimited heavyweights? See Airalo vs Holafly.