Best eSIM for a Europe trip: Breeze vs Airalo vs the big names
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There are dozens of travel eSIMs, but for a Europe trip they mostly differ on a handful of things that actually matter: the coverage model, whether data is capped or "unlimited", hotspot support, and who's behind the brand. Here's how the main names compare. We don't quote live prices — they change constantly and vary by region, so each provider links to its own current plans. And we're upfront about the money: we earn a commission on the Breeze and Airalo links; the others are unpaid informational links. It doesn't change our take.
The short answer
- Cheapest and simplest: Breeze.
- Widest, most established catalogue: Airalo.
- Truly unlimited data (heavy streaming): Holafly — mind the fair-use throttling.
- Value with privacy extras: Saily (from Nord Security).
- MNO-grade reliability for work: Ubigi (Transatel / NTT Group).
| Provider | Backed by | Best known for | Data model | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeze | Breezesim Ltd (UK); eSIM Go's consumer brand | Low price, simplicity | Fixed + unlimited | Yes |
| Airalo | Independent ("world's first eSIM store") | Widest catalogue, per-country plans | Fixed (some unlimited) | Check provider |
| Holafly | Independent | Unlimited data | Unlimited-led (+ fixed "Light") | Yes |
| Saily | Nord Security | Value + built-in privacy extras | Fixed + unlimited | Check provider |
| Ubigi | Transatel (NTT Group) | MNO-grade reliability | Check provider | Check provider |
"Check provider" means we couldn't confirm it from the provider's own page on our last check — verify on their site rather than trust a number that drifts. Country counts, prices and GB allowances all change often (Airalo's Europe plan even showed a different country count on two of its own pages the same day), so we link the live plans instead of quoting figures.
How each one is positioned
Breeze is run by UK company Breezesim Limited and is positioned by eSIM Go as its consumer eSIM brand. It leads on low prices and a no-frills setup, sells per-country and regional (including EU+) plans, offers both fixed-GB and unlimited options, and explicitly allows hotspot/tethering. Our pick for keeping costs down.
Airalo calls itself "the world's first eSIM store" and is one of the largest, most established catalogues, with per-country, regional (its Europe plan is branded "Eurolink") and global plans. Identity verification is only required for specific countries, not universally. The safe default if you want the biggest network of options.
Holafly built its name on unlimited-data plans (it also sells a fixed-GB "Light" tier). As with every "unlimited" eSIM, a fair-use policy can throttle speeds after heavy use — Holafly confirms the policy exists but doesn't publish a specific threshold, so treat "unlimited" as "lots, then slower", not infinite full-speed data. Best if you stream or tether heavily and hate watching a data counter.
Saily is owned by Nord Security (the NordVPN company) and leans on value plus built-in privacy features (ad blocker, "virtual location", threat protection). App-first, with fixed and unlimited plans. A good fit if you already trust the Nord ecosystem.
Ubigi is Transatel's brand (a member of the NTT Group) and holds its own international mobile network code — it's positioned on network quality and reliability rather than rock-bottom price. Worth a look if a work connection matters more than saving a few euros.
Which one for your trip
- Campervan through Europe: a regional Europe plan (Breeze or Airalo) is the cheap inner layer — see how it fits the wider stack in our campervan connectivity guide.
- Sailing: remember an eSIM only works near the coast — offshore you need satellite. Our sailing connectivity guide covers the full stack.
- Long stays / remote work: favour reliability and hotspot support (Ubigi, or a fixed-GB Airalo/Breeze plan sized to real usage) over a headline "unlimited" number.
A note on prices and honesty
We deliberately don't print plan prices: they move too often and differ by region, so the links above go to each provider's current plans. We earn a commission on the Breeze and Airalo links and nothing on the others — and it never changes our recommendations. See our methodology.