Ubigi vs Airalo eSIM Comparison 2024 | Which is Better?

Last updated on February 20th, 2024 at 04:03 am

Ubigi vs Airalo – When comparing Ubigi and Airalo in 2024, both companies offer comprehensive data plans that cater to the various connectivity needs of a world traveler. While Ubigi offers more extensive coverage with global eSIMs, Airalo primarily excels in providing affordable region-specific eSIMs.

eSIM technology has become a vital tool for today’s travelers, offering seamless connectivity and convenience across borders. In this detailed guide, we compare two prominent eSIM providers: Ubigi and Airalo. We will delve into their coverage, pricing, plan flexibility, and customer support, aiming to assist you in selecting the most suitable eSIM option for your travel requirements.

Which eSIM is better and which one should you choose? As we enter 2024, we help compare Airalo or Ubigi and their pricing, coverage, ease of use, support, and more.

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Comparing Ubigi and Airalo

As of 2024, while both Ubigi and Airalo continue to be strong contenders in the eSIM market, they offer varied features that cater to the diverse needs of travelers. This updated comparison aims to provide a comprehensive review of their current offerings, enabling you to make an informed decision for your eSIM needs.

If you are not sure what an eSIM is, and how getting one can help you with your travels In this article, we talk all about eSIMs, Airalo eSIM and Ubigi eSIM’s pros and cons, and which eSIM between the two should you choose for your next data plan – read the full review in this article.

Coverage Comparison: Airalo vs Ubigi

Ubigi

Known for its extensive global coverage, Ubigi offers country-specific plans across more than 200 destinations. This includes major travel hubs and less frequented locations, ensuring connectivity almost anywhere in the world.

Airalo

Airalo provides coverage in over 190 countries and regions, with both country-specific and regional plans. Its regional plans are particularly beneficial for travelers visiting multiple countries within a specific area, such as Europe or Asia.

Plan Flexibility

Ubigi

Provides significant flexibility with its diverse plan offerings. From short-term travelers to those needing long-term connectivity, Ubigi caters to a broad spectrum of data needs with its one-off, monthly, and annual plans.

Airalo

The ease of renewing and managing plans via Airalo’s user-friendly platform makes it a strong contender for travelers seeking simplicity and convenience. It’s particularly suitable for those needing short-term data solutions.

Customer Support and Assistance

Ubigi

Offers reliable customer support, with easy top-up features for its plans, although there have been some reports of issues with customer service responsiveness.

Airalo

Known for its efficient customer service, Airalo provides support in various languages, enhancing the user experience for a global clientele.

Ease of Use

Both Ubigi and Airalo are recognized for their user-friendly interfaces, making it easy for travelers to select and manage their eSIM plans:

Ubigi

Offers an easy top-up feature for its one-off plans, allowing travelers to quickly recharge their data as needed. This flexibility is particularly useful for those with varying data requirements or uncertain travel durations​​.

Airalo

Known for its simple app and website, Airalo allows users to easily purchase, monitor, and renew their eSIM plans. The process is streamlined to enhance user experience, especially beneficial for those who might not be very tech-savvy​

Comparison of Pricing and Ease of Use between Ubigi and Airalo

Ubigi Pricing

Ubigi is one of the top eSIMs in the market right now with flexible and competitive data prices you can choose from. Partnered with their mobile app, you can easily choose which eSIM data service you’d like and top up anytime, anywhere, even if you already lost your data service and with no internet connection. Ubigi eSIM data plans are also available to use in up to 190+ countries all over the world and currently have the widest coverage worldwide for countries where you can get an eSIM data plan.

Ubigi provides a variety of plans catering to different needs, with options ranging from one-off plans ideal for short-term travelers to annual plans for regular users. Their pricing varies based on the destination and the amount of data required. Here are some examples of their pricing for different regions and data packages:

• Europe: For example, in Belgium, a 3GB plan valid for 30 days costs $8, and in France, a 10GB plan for 30 days is priced at $10​
• Asia: A 1GB plan valid for 30 days is priced at $9, and a broader ‘Best Asia’ plan offering 3GB for 30 days costs $15​
• Caribbean: A plan offering 3GB for 7 days is priced at $36​
• Other Destinations: Prices for other destinations include $7 for 3GB in Bulgaria valid for 7 days and $19 for 3GB in Pakistan valid for the same duration​

Ubigi’s 5G coverage is available in 38 destinations at no extra cost, providing users with faster data speeds where available​

Ubigi offers some of the best eSIM data plans in the market at the moment. You have the choice to get a one-off use plan. If you’re a frequent traveler, outside your country, and will need a long-time data service plan, they also have plans for this, too.

In the photo above, you’ll see various Ubigi eSIM plans for the US, from a one-day $4 500MB plan, to $14 plans for 30 days. Those are some pretty competitive plans we’ve seen! 

In this photo, you’ll see 500MB plans for $3 only that covers multiple countries in Europe. Let’s check some of Ubigi’s most popular eSIM data plans:

• 500MB Europe+UK+Switzerland3GB Europe+UK+Switzerland
• 3GB France
• 3GB USA
• 3GB Switzerland
• 3GB Iberica (Spain, Portugal)
• 3GB Scandinavia + Baltic (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden)
• 3GB Japan
• 1GB Asia, Best Africa, Best Latam

The best data plans with Ubigi eSIM apart from the United States, you will find the best deals in Scandinavian countries: Norway eSIM, Sweden eSIM and Finland eSIM.

You can also find great data packages with Ubigi eSim in United States, eSim for Japan, and the best sellers in Europe are UK eSim, Spain eSim, Portugal eSim and Switzerland eSim apart from Scandinavian countries.

Airalo Pricing

The eSIM card rates offered by Airalo can vary depending on the country you want to connect to the internet. In addition to this, the amount of data and the number of days of validity also influence the eSIM prices.

The price of an eSIM for a single country usually costs around $10 for 1GB of internet for 7 days. However, eSIMs that have coverage in more than one country, such as North America or Europe Airalo eSIMs, can cost between $5 to $185.

You can see a sample of Airalo’s eSIM data plan prices for the United States in the image below. You can get 1GB of data for 7 Days for $4.50, 3GB for 3 days for $11, 5GB for 30 days for $16 and 10GB for 30 days for $26. Airalo definitely offers very competitive prices when it comes to their eSIM plans.

Airalo Data Coverage

Airalo eSIM has great worldwide data coverage in over 190+ countries, and regions. Check the countries covered below:

Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria. Also, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Benin, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda. Bolivia, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. As well as Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, and Curaçao.

Airlalo also offers eSIM coverage in the countries of Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, The Faroe Islands, Finland, France, and French Guiana. As well as Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, and Guam. They are also covered in Guatemala, Guernsey, and Guyana. Of course, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, and Italy. As well as Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kiribati. Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, and more.

These are best sellers in Airalo: United States eSIM, Canada eSIM and UK eSIM. Check those articles for specific blog posts about eSIM! And if you are traveling other destinations like Israel eSim, Brazil eSim, Singapore eSim and Australia eSim.

How To Start Using Airalo

To purchase an eSIM from Airalo, you have to go to its official website or install its app. It also serves as a store. This application is compatible with iOS and Android. With their phone application, you can purchase different plans for your eSIM. 

Through the Airalo app, you will be able to choose your destination and the plan you want for your eSIM. Then you can install and activate the eSIM through the application with the steps indicated after the purchase. 

There are great packages in touristic destinations like Egypt, Morocco and cheap eSims in Asian countries like Indonesia and Dubai.

Airalo offers a range of plans with varying data limits and validity periods, catering to different travel durations and data needs. Their plans are generally structured for short to medium-term usage:

• Global Plans: A global plan for 1GB of data valid for 7 days costs $8, and a 3GB plan for 30 days is priced at $16​
• Regional Variations: Airalo’s pricing for different regions varies slightly. For example, a plan offering 1GB for 7 days costs between $4.50 to $9.50 depending on the region, while a 10GB plan for 30 days ranges from $20 to $49​

When comparing Ubigi and Airalo in terms of pricing and ease of use, it’s clear that both providers offer distinct advantages. Ubigi’s flexible plan structure and wide coverage, including 5G in certain locations, make it a strong choice for travelers needing diverse plan options and high-speed data. Conversely, Airalo’s affordability and user-friendly platform make it ideal for those seeking cost-effective, short to medium-term data solutions. Ultimately, the choice between Ubigi and Airalo should be based on individual travel needs, data requirements, and preferred ease of use.

What is an eSIM – Airalo vs Ubigi

We’ve written about eSIMs extensively in our blog, but of course, we’ll still explain here what an eSIM is. In the simplest explanation, eSIMs are embedded sim cards or virtual sim cards that can work with your phone, while you’re using your original physical sim. Your phone will basically be able to use two sims, however, an eSIM is not a physical card you’ll need to insert into your phone.

eSIMs are usually set up on compatible phones, allowing you to get a data plan, using your eSIM’s connectivity.

The biggest reason people use eSIMs right now is to have better options for data plan connectivity, usually allowing you to get data/internet cheaper than your home sim’s data roaming services. The latter tends to be very expensive. eSIMs are better options when traveling in other countries.

Devices that are eSIM Compatible – Airalo vs Ubigi

Before we show you Ubigi vs Airalo and which eSIM you should choose, let’s first make sure that your mobile phone supports eSIM compatibility.

eSIMs are available in the newest version of mobile phones of different brands at the moment.

Below is a full list of mobile phones and devices that are compatible with an eSIM:

iPhones with eSIM: Ubigi vs Airalo Review

• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone SE 2 (2020)
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE 3 (2022)

Samsung with eSIM

• Samsung Galaxy S20
• Samsung Galaxy S20+
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S21
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ Ultra 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S22
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G 
• Samsung Galaxy Fold
• Samsung Galaxy Fold 3
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G Fold
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
• Samsung Watch (via Samsung Wearable application)

Google Pixel eSIM Phones

Have a Google Pixel phone, check this guide on how to activate eSIM. Below are the Google Pixel Phones that support eSIM:

Google Pixel 2 (only phones bought with Google Fi service), Google Pixel 2 XLGoogle Pixel 3, Google Pixel 3 XL, Google Pixel 3a, Google Pixel 3a XL, Google Pixel 4, Google Pixel 4a, Google Pixel 4 XL, Google Pixel 5, Google Pixel 5a, Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro.

Other Android Handsets that Support the eSIM functionality:

Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, Huawei Mate 40 Pro

Oppo Find X3 Pro, Oppo Reno 5A, Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G, Oppo Find X5, Oppo Find X5 Pro, Oppo A55s

Motorola Razr 2019, Motorola Razr 5G, Nuu Mobile X5, Gemini PDA, Rakuten Mini, Rakuten Big-S, Rakuten Big and Sony Xperia 10 III Lite.

Ultrabooks that support eSIM

So check the following ultrabooks and laptops:

Microsoft Surface Pro X, Microsoft Surface Go 2, Microsoft Surface Pro LTE Advanced

Acer Swift 3, Acer Swift 7, Asus Mini Transformer

Asus NovaGo, Asus VivoBook Flip 14, HP Elitebook G5

HP Probook G5, HP Zbook G5, HP Specter Folio 13, Lenovo Yoga C630, Lenovo Miix 630

Lenovo Yoga 520, Lenovo Flex 5G and Samsung Galaxy Book 2

Our Final Verdict – Ubigi vs Airalo, Which eSIM is Better?

While Ubigi provides consistent internet speeds, Airalo impresses with its competitive pricing and diverse data packages. We choose Airalo for this competition.

Airalo’s biggest strength is their offer of the cheapest eSIM data plan services, which can rival the prices of your local sims. And in our checking, they win when it comes to prices.

Ubigi’s best feature is its offer of a variety of plans. If you’re looking for long-term monthly plans that are good for the pocket, they have those options as well.