Airhub
Saily
Airhub vs Saily: Which eSIM Should You Buy?
Updated October 23, 2026
The Short Answer
Pick Airhub if you want the cheapest possible price per gigabyte and like that SMS and a local number come bundled in rather than sold as an extra. Pick Saily if you'd normally pay for a VPN and ad-blocker separately when traveling anyway, or you're crossing several borders on one trip and don't want to juggle a new eSIM at each one. Both sit in our "Cheap" price bracket, but they get there in different ways.
The Core Difference: Per-GB Blocks With Extras, or One Border-Crossing eSIM With a VPN Built In
Airhub sells data in multi-gigabyte blocks (3GB, 4GB) rather than the single-day or single-GB units most competitors use, and in cheaper destinations that lands at genuinely low per-GB prices. It also throws in SMS and, in many destinations, a local phone number on top of the data, which most budget eSIM apps don't. What it doesn't do is bundle any security features, and you're still picking a fresh package per destination.
Saily is NordVPN's eSIM spin-off, built by the same company (Nord Security), so every plan ships with ad blocking, malware/phishing site blocking, and a virtual-location tool baked in. It also sells one universal eSIM instead of a separate profile per region: install it once and it keeps working as you cross into a new supported country. The tradeoff is price per gigabyte, which runs noticeably higher than Airhub's in most destinations we checked.
Price Snapshot (before any code)
| Destination | Airhub | Saily |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | $0.85 (1GB) | $2.99 (1GB) |
| Japan | $1.55 (1GB) | $3.99 (1GB) |
| United States | $2.82 (3GB) | $3.99 (1GB) |
| Europe regional | $4.50 (4GB) | $4.99 (1GB) |
| Global | $11.50 (3GB) | $8.99 (1GB) |
Airhub sells in multi-GB blocks, so the per-GB price works out lower than the sticker price suggests in most rows above; Global is the one destination here where Saily's per-GB price actually comes out cheaper. Prices are each provider's own listed rates at the time we checked and change over time.
Discount Codes
- Airhub: ESIMOFFER5, 5% off. Our own code, ADAMANDLINDS, isn't currently applying at checkout; we've reported it and are showing ESIMOFFER5 instead until it's fixed. Full code list →
- Saily: HELLOSAILY, 15% off all plans. Full code list →
Neither code is a deep discount on its own; both providers' real savings come from their base pricing, not the percentage off.
Is Airhub or Saily the Right Pick
Go with Airhub if…
- You want the lowest per-GB price, especially in Thailand, Japan, or similar cheap destinations
- You want SMS and a local number bundled with your data instead of sold as an add-on
- You roughly know how much data you'll use per destination and don't mind picking a new package at each one
Go with Saily if…
- You'd normally pay for a VPN or ad-blocker separately when traveling anyway
- Multi-country trip where you'd rather not reinstall an eSIM at every border
- You're a frequent flyer who could actually use the Ultra tier's lounge passes
Two Things Worth Knowing Before You Decide
Saily's "unlimited" has a daily ceiling. Its fair-use policy caps full speed at 5GB in a rolling 24-hour window in most destinations (3GB in some), then throttles to 1Mbps until the local-midnight reset. Airhub doesn't sell unlimited plans at all, so there's no equivalent cap to worry about there, but you also don't get the no-cap peace of mind: you're buying a fixed block and need to watch it run out.
Neither is the pick for a full phone-number replacement. Airhub's local number covers SMS but not voice calls. Saily doesn't include a local number or SMS at all. If you specifically need a number with calls guaranteed, SimLocal's UK plans include one and we've bought and confirmed it. If you'd rather skip the GB-counting entirely on either of these, Holafly's flat-rate unlimited plans are the alternative worth a look.
For device setup and eSIM basics that apply to both providers, see our eSIM compatible devices guide.
Airhub vs Saily FAQ
Which is cheaper, Airhub or Saily
Airhub, in most destinations we checked. It sells data in multi-GB blocks that work out to a lower per-GB price than Saily's single-GB pricing, especially in cheaper destinations like Thailand and Japan. Saily's Global plan is the one exception where its per-GB price comes out lower.
Does Airhub include a VPN or security features
No. Airhub is data (plus SMS and, in many destinations, a local number) with no bundled security tools. Saily includes ad blocking, malware/phishing site blocking, and a virtual-location tool on every plan, since it's built by NordVPN's parent company.
Is Saily's unlimited data really unlimited
For normal use, yes. Saily's fair-use policy gives full speed up to 5GB in a rolling 24-hour window in most destinations (3GB in some), then throttles to 1Mbps until the local-midnight reset. Airhub doesn't offer unlimited plans, so this only applies to Saily.
Which one gives me a local phone number
Airhub, in many destinations, bundled with the data plan, though it covers SMS only and not voice calls. Saily doesn't include a local number at all. For a number with calls guaranteed, see SimLocal's UK plans instead.
Can I use one eSIM across multiple countries on either provider
Yes for Saily: it's one universal eSIM that keeps working as you cross into a new supported country. Airhub sells a package per country, region, or global, so a multi-country trip usually means picking a regional or global package upfront rather than swapping per border.
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.