Airhub vs Airalo – While Airhub has more data plans in some countries and competitive prices in others, Airalo has an extensive selection of eSIMs in the market, a more polished app with smooth user-friendly interface, and powerful built-in features.
As the eSIM technology grows in popularity among travellers, digital nomads, remote workers, expats and frequent business travellers, more and more competitors are emerging – all of whom are offering attractive data plans with competitive price tags.
If you are considering one of the two eSIM providers, you have come to the right place. Having extensively used both Airalo and Airhub in my travels, this post will be a first-hand comparison of the two eSIM providers.
We’ll take a look at their coverage, pricing, and how to best choose the right eSIM for your next trip.
How does Airhub and Airalo Work?
Both eSIM providers work the same. In fact all eSIM works the same.
If you’re thinking that the ‘e’ stands for ‘electronic’, let me put you out of your misery by enlightening you that, the ‘e’ stands for ‘embedded’. An eSIM is essentially a chip that’s embedded in your phone and it eliminates the need for a physical SIM card.
When you purchase any plans on offer from Airhub or Airalo, an eSIM profile will be downloaded in your phone. This profile contains all the necessary information needed to enable connection to the chosen local mobile network. It allows you to switch between different network providers without changing or swapping physical SIM cards. Plus, it is all done through a software!
It provides a smarter more convenient way of staying connected with friends and family wherever you travel at local rates.
Follow 4 Simple Steps to Install and Activate an eSIM
Coverage Comparison Overview
Airalo is a god send tech designed to help you stay connected while you travel around the world easily and seamlessly. They are the first world’s eSIM store that solves the problem of paying high roaming bills by giving travellers access to eSIMs with digital data packs for over 200 countries/regions worldwide. You’ll get connected immediately when you land or arrive in a new country.
Airhub on the other hand, is the other top-notch player in the market. They boast an impressive global network that helps you stay connected in over 160 countries, offering local, regional, monthly eSIM plans, as well as global plans in certain countries. While Airhub does not offer coverage in remote and less-travelled destinations, they do offer reliable, secure and fast internet speed at your fingertips for popular destinations.
Take for example Namibia. Airalo has a decent selection of data packs on offer for this country, but Airhub doesn’t. However, Airhub does offer data packs covering other named countries in the African region.
Price Differences between Airhub & Airalo
When choosing between an Airhub or Airalo eSIM plan, there are several factors you’ll need to consider. Each of these factors will help you determine the best plan for your travel needs.
Country Coverage
Both Airhub and Airalo offer their eSIM plans by local, regional, and global. If you plan to travel to a single country, the local eSIM plans would be your best bet as it offers a shorter validity period, which can range between 7 days to 30 days.
If you plan to travel to multiple countries that fall in the same region, both Airhub and Airalo has a wide selection of regional plans. The only caveat is that not every country in the region you plan to visit is included in some of the regional plans. Its recommended to always check which countries are included in the regional plan you choose.
Data Allowance
Typically, my data usage gets heavy, usually for navigation purposes. I’m a heavy Google Maps user because finding direction and useful information such as opening and closing times, available mode of transportation, or public transport schedules can help make exploring a place that much smoother. This of course requires sufficient data. If you’re someone who is frequently on social media or need to stream movies or videos during your down time, then this should be a deciding factor for how much data you require.
Cost
It’s always best to compare prices between eSIM providers. Having a few of your frequently used eSIM provider app could prove to be useful in finding the best deal. I personally find myself returning to both Airhub and Airalo to compare prices and features in the eSIM plans they offer.
Validity Period
The validity period offered by Airhub and Airalo can vary from 1 day to 1 year. If you want the best price, compare prices between both Airhub and Airalo with plans that fall in the same validity period and then look at how much data each is offering in the same period.
Data Sharing
Some prepaid plan don’t offer eSIM hotspots or data tethering. Reviewing the features of each plan carefully and looking at what’s included and what’s not is always recommended. Typically unlimited eSIM plans don’t include data sharing, but some providers might, so it’s always worthwhile to be on the look out before your purchase.
Is Airhub Cheaper than Airalo?
Let’s examine the local eSIM plans of both Airhub and Airalo. For comparison sake, I’m choosing Turkey as the use case destination, and my travel duration will be for 7 days. The good news is, both Airhub and Airalo offers a 7-day eSIM plan to Turkey.
Airhub costs $3 with a 2GB data only, while Airalo costs $4.50 with a 1GB data. Both eSIM plans has a validity period of 7 days and they both start when the eSIM is connected to any supported local networks. Bare in mind that these are the bare minimum features. Which means with each of these plans you cannot do eSIM personal hotspots and no internet tethering. In that sense, I’d say Airhub would be the best eSIM plan for a trip to Turkey.
Now, say if we were to travel to Turkey for a month. We would need a 30-day plan. Both Airhub and Airalo offers a 30-day eSIM plan with the option of 5GB data and a 10GB data plan to choose from. Airhub costs $6.50 for a 5GB data and $8.50 for a 10GB data, while Airalo costs $12 for a 5GB data and $18 for a 10GB data.
| eSIM Provider | Validity | Data Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airhub | 7 days | 2GB | $3 |
| Airalo | 7 days | 1GB | $4.50 |
| Airhub | 30 days | 5GB | $6.50 |
| Airalo | 30 days | 5GB | $12 |
| Airhub | 30 days | 10GB | $8.50 |
| Airalo | 30 days | 10GB | $18 |
Based on the price comparison above, it’s clear that the Airhub eSIM plans are your best options. Personally, I’ve used both eSIM brands before and when it comes to connection reliability, I don’t see any difference. They are both reliable because they each partner with a local network provider that provides reliable connectivity. If you’re still not convinced, I recommend checking the network provider in each plan and search for some user review or comments about each of them, and then make a decision.
Read My Airhub Review
For the Turkey eSIM plan, both Airhub and Airalo partners with AVEA Turkey. My guess is if both are partnering with the same provider, there is a chance that it is one of the more reliable network providers compared to any other providers in Turkey. Again, I recommend researching the network providers and don’t just take my word.
In terms of app usage and how smooth each app is, I personally prefer the Airalo app. In a perfect scenario, I’d love to buy an eSIM with Airhub’s pricing and Airalo’s smooth app user experience.
If you are planning to travel Europe, here’s a quick comparison of Airhub Europe eSIM and Airalo’s Eurolink.
Airalo Eurolink – The Best eSIM for Europe Overall
- Affordable Europe eSIM option
- Seamless app to manage eSIM
- Smooth checkout process
- Includes 39 countries in Europe
- Starts from $5
Use NEWTOAIRALO15 to get 15% Off if you are a new user.
If you are an existing Airalo user, use AIRALOESIM10 to get 10% Off your next eSIM purchase.
*Promotion is valid until 31 December 2024
Airhub Europe – Wide Range of Data Plans for Europe eSIMs
- Widest range of Europe eSIM plans
- A selection of limited and unlimited data
- Up to 90 days of plan validity
- Includes up to 31 countries in Europe
- 20GB eSIM for $32
Are there Similarities when Activating Airhub and Airalo?
The installation and activation process for both Airhub and Airalo are both similar in many ways. They are both seamless and fairly straight forward. However, there are two things to check before installing and activating your eSIM.
Carrier Unlocked – What this means is that, your device should not be tied to any contract with a mobile carrier. If you purchased your mobile device without entering into a mobile carrier agreement, all well and good because it usually means your device is unlocked. If you’re not sure, it is best to contact your mobile carrier provider to check.
eSIM Compatibility – If you have a smartphone that was manufactured in 2018 or later, then your phone is likely eSIM compatible.
4 Simple Steps to Activate and Install an eSIM
Once you’ve confirmed that your device is carrier-unlocked and that it supports eSIMs, follow these 4 simple steps to activate and install an eSIM.
Step 1:
First you’ll need to download the app of either Airhub or Airalo, followed by registering and signing up to start browsing a selection of eSIM plans.
Step 2:
It’s best to purchase an eSIM plan a day or two before departing. This is so you don’t have to scramble to activate the eSIM when you arrive at your destination airport.
Step 3:
Once you’ve made a purchase, you’ll receive a QR code within the app as well as via email. Make sure to keep the QR code where it is easy to retrieve from your phone.
Step 4:
Scan the QR code to activate when you have arrived at the destination airport and NOT at your departure airport. If you attempt to activate your eSIM before arriving at your destination airport, the eSIM may not work.
The only caveat with this is that you’ll need an internet connection to activate your eSIM. Most airports offer a free wifi, and that’s usually enough to make the activation work.
Overall, the activation process takes less than 1 minute. If there is a long line at the immigration counters, that would be the opportunity to setup your eSIM. By the time the immigration officer approves your entry, you’re pretty much ready to start exploring with your eSIM.
Wrap Up
That said, there really is no set in stone answer as to which eSIM provider is best. Ultimately the deciding factor depends on the key factors I mentioned earlier in this article i.e. coverage country, data allowance, cost, validity period and data sharing. I hope this post has given you some guidance on how to choose the best eSIM plan for your next trip.
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Great article! I really appreciate the clear and detailed insights you’ve provided on this topic. It’s always refreshing to read content that breaks things down so well, making it easy for readers to grasp even complex ideas. I also found the practical tips you’ve shared to be very helpful. Looking forward to more informative posts like this! Keep up the good work!