Airalo vs Saily: Which eSIM Should You Buy?

Q: Which is cheaper, Airalo or Saily?

Saily is slightly cheaper across most destinations checked, roughly 10 to 12 percent less per GB than Airalo before either discount code is applied.

Q: Does Saily's bundled VPN actually matter?

Only if you would otherwise pay for one separately. Saily's ad blocking, malware and phishing blocking, and virtual-location tool are built into every plan at no extra cost, while Airalo has no equivalent built in.

Q: Can I use Airalo or Saily in Turkey?

Yes, if bought and installed before arrival. Both providers' sites and apps were blocked from new purchases and top-ups inside Turkey by the country's telecom regulator starting mid-2025, but an already-installed eSIM keeps working.

Q: Why does Airalo have so many different discount codes?

Airalo runs a referral program called Airmoney that gives every user a personal $3-off code to share, instead of a single central affiliate discount, which is why many different codes circulate for it.

Updated September 8, 2026

The Short Answer

These two are closer competitors than most pairs on this site: both sell data by the gigabyte rather than unlimited-first. Saily is usually a bit cheaper per GB and bundles ad/malware blocking into every plan, since it's built by the same company as NordVPN. Airalo has the bigger, more established country-by-country eSIM catalog and its own quirky referral-code ecosystem. If you'd rather never think about a data meter at all, neither is the right pick: see Holafly instead.

The Core Difference: A VPN Company vs. an eSIM Specialist

Airalo was built specifically to sell travel eSIMs and has been at it longer, with a deep catalog of individual country and regional profiles. Saily is Nord Security's eSIM product, the same company behind NordVPN, and every Saily plan ships with ad blocking, malware/phishing site blocking, and a virtual-location tool built in rather than sold separately. If you'd normally pay for a VPN app when traveling anyway, that's already in the box with Saily. If you just want the cheapest possible GB and don't care about the extras, it's not a reason to pick one over the other.

Saily also sells one universal eSIM that keeps working as you cross into a new supported country, rather than requiring a fresh profile per region. Airalo's model leans more on picking the right local, regional, or global eSIM upfront for your specific trip.

Price Snapshot (1GB, before any code)

Destination	Airalo	Saily
United States	$4.50	$3.99
Europe regional	$5.27	$4.99
Global	$9.49	$8.99

Saily comes in slightly cheaper per GB across the board in our sample, before either discount code is applied.

Discount Codes

Airalo: NEWTOAIRALO15, 15% off first esim purchase. Full code list →
Saily: HELLOSAILY, 15% off all plans. Full code list →

Airalo's code is the best public one we've verified, since Airalo runs a referral program (Airmoney) rather than a central affiliate discount, which is why so many different codes circulate for it. Saily's HELLOSAILY applies storewide and isn't tied to a first purchase.

Is Airalo or Saily the Right Pick

Go with Airalo if…

You want the widest selection of individual country eSIMs
You're comfortable tracking a data meter for the lowest possible base price
You don't care about a bundled VPN or ad blocker

Go with Saily if…

You'd normally pay for a VPN or ad blocker separately when traveling anyway
Multi-country trip where you don't want a new eSIM at every border
You want the slightly lower per-GB price

Two Things Worth Knowing Before You Decide

Both were blocked from selling in Turkey. Turkey's telecom regulator (BTK) blocked Airalo's and Saily's websites and apps for purchases starting mid-2025, alongside several other eSIM providers. An eSIM from either one bought and installed before you land still works fine once you're there; the block only stops you from buying or topping up while physically inside the country.

Saily has a subscription tier Airalo doesn't really have an equivalent for. Saily Ultra ($59.99/month) bundles 30GB of high-speed data across 121+ destinations, the full NordVPN/NordPass/NordLayer/Incogni suite, 8% cashback in Saily credit, and a monthly airport lounge pass plus fast-track security pass. It's a real deal for someone who travels constantly and would otherwise pay for the VPN suite separately; a bad one for an occasional traveler who just needs data for a single trip.

For device setup and eSIM basics that apply to both providers, see our eSIM compatible devices guide.

Airalo vs Saily FAQ

Which is cheaper, Airalo or Saily

Saily, slightly, across most destinations we checked: about 10-12% less per GB than Airalo before either discount code is applied.

Does Saily's bundled VPN actually matter

Only if you'd otherwise pay for one. Saily's ad blocking, malware/phishing blocking, and virtual-location tool are built into every plan at no extra cost. Airalo has no equivalent; you'd need a separate app for the same protection.

Can I use either one in Turkey

Yes, if you buy and install it before you land. Both Airalo's and Saily's sites and apps were blocked from new purchases and top-ups inside Turkey by the country's telecom regulator starting mid-2025, but an already-installed eSIM keeps working.

Why does Airalo have so many different discount codes

Airalo runs a referral program (Airmoney) that gives every user their own personal $3-off code to share, instead of one central affiliate discount. Saily doesn't run that kind of program, which is why it has a single storewide code instead.

Some codes and links on this page are affiliate codes and links, including our own (ADAMANDLINDS, where it applies). If you use one, we may earn a commission. We show our own code more prominently where we have one, not because it's automatically the best deal. See our about page for the full breakdown.