Best eSIM For Digital Nomads: Why Holafly Plans Have Taken Over

The best eSIM for digital nomads is Holafly Plans. It offers unlimited data across 160+ destinations on a single monthly subscription, so you don’t have to buy a new eSIM every time you cross a border. The Always On benefit gives you 1 GB of global backup data when you need it most.

We’ve been full-time digital nomads since 2018.

And one of the most annoying things about life on the move?

Sorting out data at every new border.

We’ve queued for SIM cards in airports at midnight. We’ve run out of data mid-video call on remote islands.

We’ve even bought multiple eSIMs in a single month just to stay connected in different regions of the same country.

So we’ve been looking for a new solution. Over the past five years, we’ve personally tested 12+ eSIM providers across four continents.

We weren’t looking for the best deal on a two-week holiday package.

We were looking for something that works the way nomad life actually works – across multiple countries, for months at a time, without all the hassle.

There are a lot of great eSIM providers for digital nomads.

But none of them let us move freely between countries on a single plan without buying a new package every time we crossed a border.

Until now…

Holafly Plans is the first time we feel like an eSIM has been designed just for us nomads.

In this guide, I’m going to explain why Holafly Plans comes out on top, what it offers, and how it compares to the competition

The Best eSIM For Digital Nomads

The best eSIM for digital nomads often depends on the location you’re visiting. But eSIMs in a lot of places have almost become a commodity.

Every major brand connects with the same local provider and offers more or less the same thing.

What matters now is the extra features. And that’s why we actively recommend Holafly Plans specifically for digital nomads.

Below is the table of how Holafly Plans compares to other digital nomad eSIM providers:

	Holafly Plans	Saily Ultra	Airalo	Nomad
TTA Score	4.8 / 5	4.4 / 5	4.1 / 5	4.2 / 5
Worldwide coverage	160+ destinations	121 destinations	Regional plans only	Regional plans only
Unlimited data	Yes	30 GB, then unlimited at slow speeds	No (capped plans)	No (capped plans)
Monthly subscription	Yes	Yes	No (per-trip)	No (per-trip)
Always On (global backup data)	Yes	No	No	No
Tethering/hotspot	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
User experience	Excellent	Excellent	Good	Good
24/7 support	Yes (live human)	Yes (live human)	Yes (chatbot-led)	Limited (bot-first)
Trustpilot rating	Excellent	Excellent	Great	Excellent

*Table elements such as our score and user experience are based on our independent testing and experience with each provider.

Holafly Plans is clearly our choice for the best digital nomad eSIM. They offer unlimited data, you can cancel anytime, and they’re the only provider to offer an Always On backup data benefit.

More on that later.

Holafly also covers the most destinations for a monthly subscription plan out of all the digital nomad eSIM providers, offering excellent connectivity and great customer support.

The problem for Saily is that their top-tier plan only includes 30GB of high-speed data. After that, the data speed slows down.

That’s far from ideal.

For nomads streaming, video calling, and tethering daily, 30GB goes fast.

Airalo and Nomad don’t even offer monthly subscriptions. Every plan is a one-off purchase tied to a specific country or region. That works fine for occasional travelers.

But it means constantly rebuying, which isn’t very conducive to the modern digital nomad lifestyle.

If you’re a digital nomad who moves between countries regularly and needs reliable, unlimited data on one plan – Holafly Plans is designed with you in mind.

Why Holafly Plans Wins For Digital Nomads

Holafly Plans wins for digital nomads because it combines unlimited data, coverage across 160+ destinations, and a single monthly subscription.

It completely removes the need to buy a new plan every time you cross a border.

It is the only eSIM provider that offers an Always On backup data benefit, keeping you connected even after you cancel.

Here’s what you need to know before signing up.

How It Works

Holafly Plans is a monthly subscription eSIM.

You install one profile on your phone once, and your subscription covers 160+ destinations.

Firstly, choose between two plans:

• Unlimited Plan – $64.90/month, unlimited data
• Light Plan – $49.90/month, 25GB of data

Both renew every 30 days and can be canceled anytime. But if you want to lock in a yearly price, you can save yourself 15%.

But that’s not all…

Click here to use our exclusive discount code “TWOTICKETSANYWHERE” for an extra 10%.

I recommend downloading the Holafly App before buying a plan to make installation even easier.

Choose your plan through the app. Once you’ve completed the purchase, it’s as easy as a one-click activation process.

The whole thing should take you less than 2 minutes.

Simple, right?

Once the Holafly Plans eSIM profile is installed on your phone and activated, you’ll get immediate access to the data.

There’s no need to set up a new eSIM profile just because you changed countries. One install. Done.

160+ Destinations On One eSIM

Holafly Plans covers 160+ destinations on a single eSIM profile.

And the best part?

It includes all of the most popular nomad destinations:

• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Vietnam
• Japan
• Taiwan
• Portugal
• Spain
• France
• Georgia
• Albania
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• UAE

And way more! Regardless of whether you’re doing the Southeast Asia loop or slow traveling through Europe – Holafly Plans has you covered.

I recommend checking out the full list of destinations before you buy to ensure it’s got all of your frequent places.

Always On

Holafly Plans and eSIMs include a unique benefit called “Always On”.

It’s the first time we’ve seen anything like it from an eSIM provider.

Here’s how it works:

Keep your eSIM installed after your plan ends and you’ll automatically receive 1GB of free backup data every month across 160+ destinations. If you purchased a short-term eSIM Always On works from the moment your eSIM is installed.

That’s potentially 12GB every year of included backup data. It resets every 30 days and activates without you doing anything.

And it’s completely automatic.

Here’s where I think a lot of nomads will benefit from this…

Imagine you’ve just wrapped up a long trip on the road. You’re heading to your home country for a few weeks, so you decided to pause your Holafly Plan.

Three weeks later, you fly out but forget to restart your Holafly Plan subscription.

When you land at your destination airport, the Always On data is sitting there ready to use. You get the 1GB you need to book an Uber or get Google Maps directions.

That’s what I love about this benefit…

It’s a backup that’s automatically added to your account when you need to get out of a tight spot.

I haven’t seen any other eSIM company offer such a unique benefit. And it comes at no extra cost!

Just make sure you keep your Holafly eSIM installed.

Who Holafly Plans Is Best For

Holafly Plans is best for full-time and long-term digital nomads who travel across multiple countries.

We’ve found it particularly valuable for working remotely without having to worry about running out of data or needing to rebuy packages whenever we move.

Holafly Plans is best if you:

• Travel across multiple countries in a single trip or year
• Work remotely and rely on data every single day
• Stream, video call, or tether your laptop regularly
• Want one predictable monthly cost for connectivity
• Move frequently enough that rebuying plans per country becomes a real headache

It’s an eSIM plan that’s finally built for this digital nomad life.

Who Holafly Plans Is Not For

Holafly Plans is a subscription built for frequency and volume. If that’s not you, a per-trip/destination eSIM will likely work out better.

Holafly Plans is probably not for you if you:

• Travel once or twice a year on shorter holidays
• Stick to one country or specific region each trip
• Your trips tend to be less than 30 days at a time
• You’re not ready to commit to a monthly subscription yet

The good news is that Holafly also offers a range of single-country and regional eSIMs. And every eSIM you buy comes with the Always On feature.

You also choose exactly how many days you need, so you’re never paying for data you don’t need.

Which Holafly Plan Should You Choose?

Holafly Plans come in two options:

• Unlimited Plan
• Light Plan

Both run on a monthly subscription, cover 160+ destinations, and include Always On backup data.

The difference comes down to how much data you actually need on the road and the extra features included in the Unlimited Plan.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in each plan:

	Unlimited Plan	Light Plan
Price	$64.90/month	$49.90/month
Data allowance	Unlimited	25GB
Hotspot	Yes	Yes
Coverage	160+ destinations	160+ destinations
Payment	Monthly	Monthly
Local phone number	Included – UK, US, Canada	None
Always On	1GB backup	1GB backup
Yearly Plan Savings	Save 15%	Save 15%

The core difference comes down primarily to two things.

Plan Data

If you work remotely every day, go Unlimited. Video calls, streaming, and tethering will eat through 25GB faster than you think.

If you mostly browse, check emails, and use maps on the road, the Light Plan might be enough and save you $15 per month.

Phone number

The Unlimited Plan also includes a US, UK, or Canadian number for inbound SMS and VoIP-based calls.

It doesn’t support traditional inbound cellular calls. If you need the phone number, this might be a nice feature. But if you’re like us, we primarily use WhatsApp and other messaging apps more than traditional texts and calls.

So it’s not a dealbreaker either way, but it might be a nice benefit to have.

Ready to get started?

Sign up for Holafly Plans now.

What Makes A Good Digital Nomad eSIM?

Digital nomads need an eSIM that works across multiple countries on a single plan, with unlimited data and no rebuying at borders.

Most eSIMs are built for tourists.

A two-week trip in Europe, a short vacation to Japan. You buy a package, use it up, go home.

But that’s not how nomads travel. Below are the 6 criteria that we use to evaluate eSIMs.

Unlimited Data

Unlimited data as a digital nomad isn’t a luxury – It’s a necessity.

Think about what a normal working day looks like on the road:

• Video calls with clients
• Uploading content
• Working from airports
• Streaming music on a day trip
• Hotspotting your laptop when the WiFi cuts out

We’ve all been there, right?

The average digital nomad we spoke to estimates they use between 20GB to 60GB of mobile data per month.

The nomadic lifestyle by nature involves a lot of data.

The problem is that most travel eSIMs sell you a fixed GB bundle over a specific period.

I mean, my data needs change month to month depending on the location. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to rebuy a package because I’ve used way more data than I thought.

Here’s the deal:

Capped data plans are built around tourist behaviour. A tourist uses Google Maps, posts a few photos, and scrolls through Instagram.

A nomad runs their entire life from their phone.

That’s why unlimited data is the first thing we look for in an eSIM.

But data alone isn’t enough. It also needs to work everywhere we go…

One eSIM For Multiple Locations

For digital nomads, one of the biggest frustrations with most eSIMs is that they’re tied to a specific country or region.

The moment you cross a border, you need to install a new plan.

And it’s not just the cost of rebuying.

Installing a new eSIM profile takes time and you often need a stable WiFi connection to do it. For us, it always seems to be at the airport when we’re installing a new eSIM.

The last thing I want is to wait around at the airport right after you land in a new country.

A few times we’ve been caught out because the airport didn’t have WiFi or required a local phone number to connect.

The best eSIM works pretty much anywhere.

Install it once, and you’re connected the moment you touch down.

Predictable Monthly Cost

For digital nomads, a predictable monthly data cost is just as important as coverage.

Unpredictable expenses are the enemy of the nomadic lifestyle.

Most eSIMs are pay-as-you-go. You buy a package, it runs out, and you buy another.

Some months, you get it right. Other months you’re rationing data just to avoid topping up again. The worst thing is when you run out of data 2-3 days before leaving that location.

A monthly subscription changes that. One fixed cost, every month.

You know exactly what you’re paying before the month even starts. Mobile data should be one less thing you have to think about each month.

Not an extra expense you have to juggle.

Stay Reachable Between Trips

It’s not uncommon for nomads to have gaps between trips.

A week back home or even just a couple of slowmad months where you’re not moving around as much.

The problem is that most eSIMs go dead the moment your package expires.

Holafly Plans solves this with their Always On feature. You get 1GB of free data per month, active in 160+ countries – even after you cancel your paid plan.

And when you’re ready to activate your plan again, it’s as easy as a click of the button. It doesn’t get much more convenient than that!

Tethering & Hotspot

Tethering and hotspot are one of those features that not every eSIM company offers.

And those that do often limit it to capped data plans – which run out pretty quickly the moment a laptop is involved (I personally have a conspiracy theory about this).

But if you’re anything like us…

Your mobile hotspot is more than just the occasional backup. We have had tons of times in places like Southeast Asia and South America where the wifi is unreliable or even non-existent.

Even some of the coliving spaces we’ve stayed at just didn’t have the WiFi infrastructure to handle 30+ nomads using it at the same time.

In those moments, you need to be able to tether your laptop instantly.

And even if you have reliable WIFI, being able to stay connected on travel days so you can work is a huge benefit.

Holafly Plans include tethering and hotspot on all plans. That includes the unlimited tier, subject to their fair use policy.

Even in heavy data usage months, we’ve never run into any issues with it. For nomads working remotely, tethering and hotspot have become must-have features

Built for Long-Term Travel In Multiple Locations

The eSIM market has evolved a lot over the last 5 years.

Some providers now let you install one eSIM profile and simply purchase packages for each new destination through the app. You don’t need to install a whole new eSIM profile.

The truth is that it’s a genuine improvement. But you’re still rebuying capped data bundles every time you move.

And what if that provider doesn’t offer a good plan in the country you’re going to?

You’re basically back to square one.

For nomads, the only real solution is one unlimited plan that works in every place you actually want to visit. No need to worry about reinstalling or buying new packages.

Take your phone out of flight mode and you’re connected.

Wrapping It Up

We’ve tested a lot of eSIMs over the years.

Most of them do the job for a week or two abroad. But nomad life isn’t a week or two abroad.

The constant rebuying, installing new eSIM profiles and the data running out three days before you leave is frustrating.

It becomes one of those background stresses you just accept as part of the lifestyle.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

Now there is an eSIM plan designed with digital nomads in mind.

Holafly Plans is the first eSIM subscription we’ve used that actually keeps up with the way we travel:

• Unlimited data
• 160+ destinations
• Hotspot/tethering
• Easy management
• One monthly cost
• No hassle

And of course the Always On free backup data that kicks in automatically when you need it most.

If you’re living life as a full-time digital nomad, we think it’s a no-brainer.

Ready to give it a try?

Sign up here.

Frequently Asked Questions