International travel eSIMs
The Airalo, Holafly and Ubigi services compared here are data-only. [source] [source] [source]
Compare travel eSIM plans
| Plan | Network named by provider | Product details | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo unlimited | Movistar, listed as the primary network. [source] | Default unlimited policy: 3 GB in a 24-hour period, then 1 Mbps, unless the package states another threshold. [source] | Permitted; phone and hotspot traffic share the same allowance. [source] [source] |
| Holafly El Salvador | Tigo El Salvador, CTE Telecom Personal and Movistar El Salvador. [source] | Data service without a local number for regular calls or texts. [source] | 1 GB per day. [source] |
| Ubigi unlimited seven-day plan | Tigo. [source] | 20 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps for the rest of the plan. [source] | Data sharing permitted. [source] |
Open the current Airalo package, Holafly product or the Ubigi seven-day plan to check the purchase price and terms for your travel dates. Compare the exact product you intend to buy.
For Holafly, inspect the current speed and fair-use terms before buying.
Which travel eSIM fits your use?
Choose by how much data you need on your busiest day, how much you need over the trip, and how much you will share with another device.
| Your use | Choice by allowance | Limit to check |
|---|---|---|
| You want a full-speed allowance spread across a week, with heavier use on some days. | Consider Ubigi’s El Salvador unlimited seven-day plan if 20 GB covers your full-speed needs for that plan. [source] | After 20 GB, its policy reduces speed to 2 Mbps for the rest of the plan. [source] Data sharing is permitted. [source] |
| You want a daily allowance instead of one allowance for the whole week. | Consider Airalo unlimited if the package follows its default 3 GB per 24-hour period and that covers your combined phone and hotspot use. [source] [source] Package-specific exceptions apply. [source] | The default policy reduces speed to 1 Mbps after that allowance. [source] Daily periods run from activation. [source] |
| You will share only a limited amount with a laptop or another phone. | Consider Holafly’s El Salvador eSIM if 1 GB of hotspot data per day covers that use. [source] | If you need to share more than 1 GB daily, this allowance will not cover it. [source] Check Holafly’s current phone-data speed and fair-use terms separately. |
If you need regular calls or SMS, arrange those separately before choosing one of these travel eSIMs. The Airalo, Holafly and Ubigi services compared here are data-only. [source] [source] [source]
Install and activate your travel eSIM
You can install an Airalo eSIM before travel while outside the coverage area using a stable internet connection. [source] Airalo measures daily allowance periods from activation. [source]
Holafly starts the plan when the eSIM connects to a supported network. [source] Ubigi Smartstart begins validity when the plan activates on arrival in a covered destination. [source] Read the installation instructions separately from the rules that start the plan’s validity.
Before paying, use the provider’s compatibility check for your exact phone model. Save the installation instructions and your transfer meeting point somewhere you can open without first setting up the new connection.
Local mobile operators
Compare Claro, Tigo and Movistar for a local line. [source] [source] [source]
| Operator | SIM and eSIM options |
|---|---|
| Claro | Prepaid Chip Express SIM. [source] eSIM for prepaid and postpaid service. [source] |
| Tigo | Prepaid SIM card. [source] Tigo also lists eSIM information on its El Salvador website. [source] |
| Movistar | Prepaid SIM card. [source] eSIM for prepaid and postpaid service on compatible devices. [source] |
Before choosing a local line
Ask the operator which identification documents it accepts from visitors and where you can buy and activate the line. Confirm whether the selected plan includes local calls or SMS, how much data it provides, and whether you can share that data with another device. For an eSIM, check your exact phone model and the line’s eligibility before paying.
For Claro Superpack Express, data shared with another device comes from the main allowance. [source]
Use the cash and payment page to prepare for purchases. Keep your emergency contacts available separately from any new eSIM setup.
Use the mobile coverage planning guide for a place-by-place comparison before choosing a line.
If you are planning a coastal work session, open the NubiWork Surf City workday guide alongside your mobile-data setup.
For your chargers, check plug types and adapters.
Common questions
Can you share an eSIM connection with a laptop?
Airalo permits hotspot use, with shared traffic counting toward the same allowance as phone traffic. Holafly lists a 1 GB daily sharing allowance for El Salvador. Ubigi permits data sharing on its unlimited plan. Compare the allowance with what you expect to use on both devices. [source] [source] [source] [source]
Will these travel eSIMs give you a local phone number?
The Airalo, Holafly and Ubigi services compared here are data-only. Holafly specifically excludes a local number for regular calls or texts. Ubigi says regular calls and SMS require another service. Check your existing line’s arrangements if you need to keep receiving calls or messages on that number. [source] [source] [source]
Can you get a prepaid eSIM from a local operator?
Claro offers eSIM for prepaid and postpaid service. Movistar lists eSIM for prepaid and postpaid service on compatible devices. Ask the operator whether it can issue the line you need to a visitor, which identification documents it accepts, and how purchase and activation work. [source] [source]
Sources
- Airalo lists Movistar as the primary network for its El Salvador eSIM.
- Airalo’s default unlimited policy reduces speed to 1 Mbps after 3 GB in a 24-hour period, unless the package lists a different threshold.
- Airalo permits personal hotspot use on its unlimited packages.
- Hotspot traffic counts toward the same Airalo unlimited-plan allowance as phone traffic.
- Holafly lists Tigo El Salvador, CTE Telecom Personal and Movistar El Salvador as its networks.
- Holafly’s El Salvador eSIM supplies data and does not include a local number for regular calls or texts.
- Holafly lists a 1 GB daily hotspot allowance for its El Salvador eSIM.
- Ubigi lists Tigo as the network for this El Salvador plan.
- Ubigi’s El Salvador unlimited seven-day plan includes 20 GB at full speed before a reduction to 2 Mbps for the rest of the plan.
- Ubigi permits data sharing on its El Salvador unlimited plan.
- Airalo’s policy measures daily allowance periods from eSIM activation.
- Airalo lists its El Salvador packages as data-only.
- Ubigi eSIM plans are data-only; regular calls and SMS require another service.
- You can install an Airalo eSIM before travel while outside its coverage area using a stable internet connection.
- Holafly’s plan starts when the eSIM connects to a supported network.
- Ubigi Smartstart begins the plan’s validity when it activates on arrival in a destination the plan covers.
- Claro offers eSIM for prepaid and postpaid service.
- Data shared from Claro Superpack Express comes from the main data allowance.
- Claro is a local mobile operator in El Salvador.
- Tigo is a local mobile operator in El Salvador.
- Movistar is a local mobile operator in El Salvador.
- Claro lists a prepaid Chip Express SIM.
- Tigo lists a prepaid SIM card.
- Movistar lists a prepaid SIM card.
- Tigo lists eSIM on its El Salvador website.
- Movistar lists eSIM for prepaid and postpaid service on compatible devices.