3 Reasons Why I Wouldn't Choose Holafly eSIM For My Travels [Personal Review]

Products that influencers excessively promote on social media, including but not limited to travel eSIM, can be risky.

shuhei

• 12 min read
3 Reasons Why I Wouldn't Choose Holafly eSIM For My Travels [Personal Review]
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This is just my personal opinion - nothing more, nothing less.

Lately I've noticed a big uptick in people choosing travel eSIMs (prepaid eSIMs) to stay connected when they're abroad. No wonder, they are super convenient. Since 2018, I've probably used eSIMs on over 50 overseas trips myself.

As this trend being prominent, there's been a surge in influencers on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram recommending travel eSIMs. The one I see popping up the most is Holafly eSIM. It seems they're really ramping up their online marketing lately. If you search "Holafly eSIM" on X (formerly Twitter), you'll find posts from various influencers and bloggers.

Before I dive into the main topic of "why I wouldn't choose Holafly eSIM myself," I want to mention this upfront:

Often times, when specific products or services are featured on social media or YouTube, the people promoting them are getting paid by the companies or earning commissions - in other words, it's sponsored content = PR.

I don't know if Holafly actually pays these influencers, so this is just a general observation. In any case, I think most people are already aware of this and take it into account when they see such posts.

While eSIMDB - the world's largest comparison / directory site for travel eSIMs - also operates mostly on performance-based commissions, its purpose isn't to promote specific services or products. Instead, it aims to let travelers easily discover products that suit them by comparing various options.

*This article does not use any affiliate links whatsoever. So instead, there are a few Google ads placed (thank you for your understanding).

Alright, that's enough of the preamble, let's get into the main topic.

Why I Wouldn't Choose Holafly's Travel eSIM

Having used travel eSIMs over 50 times, I've found three main reasons why Holafly eSIM isn't my top pick.

[Reason 1] The Misleading Use of "Unlimited Data"

First off,

They intentionally use the term "unlimited data", which isn't exactly false but is quite misleading.

(*Note that I haven't examined every single eSIM and plan Holafly offers, so what I'm sharing is based on my personal experience and knowledge.)

Here's the issue with "unlimited data" in mobile data communication (using the internet with a SIM or eSIM, not Wi-Fi) and international roaming (a method of using mobile data abroad):

  • "Unlimited data" and data speed restrictions are separate things.
  • Even if it's labeled "unlimited data," in many cases (actually almost all cases), speed restrictions apply, meaning your data speed slows down after you reach a certain usage.
  • Having "unlimited data" with absolutely no speed restrictions is rare even among domestic mobile subscription plans, and in international roaming, it's extremely rare and practically nonexistent.

The crucial point is the second one; "unlimited data" doesn't guarantee that you can use high-speed data without a limit.

In most cases, once you hit a certain data threshold, the speed drops to something like 128kbps or 512kbps, and you're stuck with that reduced speed.

We were pretty glad we were driving slow on our way home from a camping expedition in the mountains of Santa Barbra. This little guy (maybe only a hand’s width big) was crossing a bridge that ran over a small stream. We pulled over to check him out and give him a headshot. We did learn a while back that you shouldn’t move turtles out of the road because they might get scared and pee and then become dehydrated and die… but that might just be for turtles in the desert of Joshua Tree.

This is known as "Fair Usage Policy" or simply "FUP". Fair Usage Policy is a rule or limit set by mobile network providers to make sure everyone gets a fair share of the network's resources. It helps prevent a few users from using too much data (or bandwidth), which could slow down the internet service for others. It’s like making sure everyone in a group has enough food at a picnic instead of one person taking too much.

"Unlimited Data" in International Roaming Is a Marketing Tactic

International roaming is a mobile data service provided through networks of carriers in other countries, not directly from your home carrier.

When you're using international roaming, the local carrier charges fees based on the amount of data you consume. Given this setup, it's highly doubtful that a truly unlimited data plan without any speed restrictions actually exists. (If you know someone in the telecom industry, feel free to ask them!)

Given these circumstances, it's hard to believe that Holafly, which relies on international roaming and advertises low prices, can provide truly unlimited high-speed data.

In fact, if you look closely at Holafly's website, under the "Technical Specs" section, it clearly states:

Speed reduction: if necessary. Some carriers may reserve the right to apply a Fair Usage Policy
Speed reduction under Technical Specs

This simply means that if you use a lot of data, your internet speed might be slowed down at some point. And the problem is that it's not clear when it's triggered.

To be clear, even with international roaming, "unlimited data" isn't necessarily a lie. What I'm trying to explain is that "unlimited data" doesn't mean you can use unlimited data at normal high speeds endlessly.

Earlier, I mentioned that they "intentionally" use the term "unlimited data" in their marketing, and I want to note that Holafly isn't the only provider that does this (many do actually).

So you almost always should not take the "unlimited data" at face value.

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Personally, I find it stressful to use a service without knowing when the speed might decrease. I'd rather choose a plan that clearly states how much high-speed data I can use, like a total of XX GB or X GB per day.

Complaints About Holafly's Speed on X

While I can't verify their authenticity, there are posts on X (formerly Twitter) where users complain about speed restrictions/throttling or slow connections with Holafly eSIM.

FYI: Those plans were initially not advertised as 'unlimited'

It seems that during the first half of 2022, Holafly updated their data plans and began promoting their plans as "unlimited data".

Evidence of this change can be found in older blog posts, such as this article from travel with bender featuring Holafly.

From travel with blender blog

[Reason 2] No Clear Advantage in Communication Quality

As someone who's used travel eSIMs over 50 times, I tend to choose an eSIM that's either "high quality," "reliable," or "cost-effective," given the variety of options. I believe this applies to almost everyone.

In terms of communication quality, local eSIMs provided directly by local carriers are generally the best in my opinion (though the countries where you can purchase them are currently quite limited). So, I believe that Holafly, which primarily relies on international roaming, is unlikely to offer significantly better quality than others.

That being said, I assume their quality isn't terrible in most cases either. However, you can find people on X complaining about slow speeds and/or unreliable connectivity in some countries, so the experience may vary.

One last thing I want to mention is that complaints about slow internet speeds or unreliable connectivity can be found for almost any provider, not just Holafly. Even popular internet services, whether it's travel eSIMs or others, get criticized for being slow.

Moreover, what people expect in terms of communication quality (such as speed and latency) varies from person to person, so it's hard to definitively say whether the service is (was) good or bad in many cases.

[Reason 3] Concerns About Data Limits on Tethering

Holafly's eSIMs do allow tethering (a.k.a Personal Hotspot or just Hotspot), but there are limits on the amount of data you can use when tethering.

You can check this under the "Technical Specs" section on their website.

Hotspot data limit - Technical Specs

It seems to vary by country, but generally, there's a limit of 500MB/day or 1GB/day.

If you have multiple devices like laptops or tablets, or if you want to share with family members, tethering is extremely convenient.

For those who never use hotspot, this limitation doesn't matter, but if you're planning to use this feature, it's a significant point to consider.

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Personally, I think 1GB/day would probably be fine for general travel, but 500MB/day might be a bit worrisome.

However, the fact that they set limits on data usage for tethering can be seen as supporting my earlier point that "unlimited data" is a marketing term. Generally, tethering tends to consume more data than usual, so it appears that Holafly doesn't want users to consume large amounts of data with hotspot.

As far as I know, it's extremely rare for travel eSIM services to impose restrictions on tethering data. Some services don't allow tethering at all, but those that offer fixed data plans like XX GB have no reason to limit tethering.

Comparing Prices

So far, I've pointed out that:

  • "Unlimited data" doesn't guarantee you'll always get high-speed data (there's a chance of sudden speed reductions).
  • There's no evidence that Holafly's international roaming quality is significantly better than others.

So, what about pricing?

Naturally, we all want an eSIM that's affordable and offers the best value for our money.

If you're considering Holafly's eSIM after seeing posts or hearing about it, try searching for other eSIM options for your destination country or region using eSIMDB.

In the end, I think it comes down to one of these:

  1. You don't need that much data → You probably don't need Holafly, which promotes unlimited data, and can find cheaper options.
  2. You want a certain amount of data or aren't sure how much you'll use → Then it might be better to avoid Holafly, which could potentially throttle your speeds halfway through.

These days, even travel eSIMs have started offering large data plans, so you can buy prepaid plans with GB amounts similar to what you get at home.

Ok, now let's compare prices using some popular travel destinations as examples.

Example 1: United Kingdom – 7 Days

The UK is a popular destination for both tourists and business travelers.

At the time of writing, Holafly's 7-day UK plan is $28.90.

On eSIMDB UK eSIM page, if you filter for 7 days + under $25, you will find over 400 data plans from more than 50 eSIM service providers. This includes options like a 10GB / 7 Days plan for as low as $8, and a 20GB / 7 Days plan for just $16.

Plus, many eSIM providers offer promo codes, so you could save even more.

Example 2: Thailand – 10 Days

Thailand is one of Asia's top destinations, with Bangkok, its capital, attracting over 25 million international tourists each year.

With Holafly, the 10-day Thailand plan is $36.90.

Using eSIMDB for Thailand, 10 days, under $30, you can find various kinds of eSIM and data plans (more than 600 of them) that are way cheaper than Holafly.

Compare Thailand eSIM - eSIMDB

Thailand is one of the rare countries where you can buy local, tourist eSIM packages at very reasonable prices. There is practically no competition.

Related article

As we can conclude from the two examples mentioned above, it's important to know the various available options and choose what's best for you.

Tips for Choosing a Travel eSIM

Ultimately, the decision is up to you. But personally, rather than using an "unlimited data" plan while worrying about when speed restrictions might kick in, I prefer an eSIM that clearly states how many GB I can use at normal speeds from the get-go.

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Don't be too quick to jump at the term "unlimited data".

It's unsettling to use a service without knowing when or how much usage will trigger speed restrictions. And when speed limits are imposed without clear numbers, you can't really argue ("I haven't used up to XX GB yet"), which feels unfair.

Providers might say, "There shouldn't be speed restrictions for normal use by average people". But without a defined GB limit, it feels like a black box to me.

Honestly, you don't need tons of data for typical overseas travel. For me, 1 or 2 GB per day is usually plenty. Of course, if you're working with large files or streaming a lot of videos, you might need more. But for apps used during regular travel, data consumption won't be that high. You can also cut down on mobile data usage by using hotel Wi-Fi and such.

Finally, to avoid any misunderstanding, I'm not against promotional activities or marketing methods that involve monetary rewards or kickbacks. This time, rather than focusing on that, I've simply explained why I wouldn't choose Holafly eSIM myself (as a personal opinion) because I see it as a marketing strategy using unlimited data plans that may have speed restrictions, and I don't think the price is particularly cheap given the expected connectivity quality. This article simply aims to provide a heads-up about these issues, especially since it seems many influencers promote it without offering the full picture.

Before wrapping up, I want to mention some positive aspects of Holafly that I personally think are great. First, the website is clean and easy to navigate, which is excellent. They also support various payment methods, not just cards but also Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal which is a big plus (especially Apple Pay for iPhone users).

In conclusion, once again, I think it's best to choose what's optimal for you after understanding that there are various options. Well, that's not always easy, though.

Looking for a travel eSIM? eSIMDB is a dedicated search engine designed to help you easily discover the best options.

Search by a country or region, filter by GB or days. eSIMDB helps you find the best eSIM for your next trip!

eSIMDB - Travel eSIM Search Made Easy

esimdb.com is the travel eSIM discovery & search engine, where you can find and compare more than 50,000 data plans from more than 70 eSIM services.

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