Airalo vs Ubigi
Airalo runs the wider, app-first catalogue; Ubigi (a Transatel and NTT brand) leans into connected devices and data sharing. Both sell data-only travel eSIMs across 200+ destinations, and Simscanner tracks 72 country pages for each. This page sets them side by side on entry price, fair use policy, hotspot, devices, and refunds, using sourced data only.
Is Airalo or Ubigi better?
Pick Airalo for the simplest single-phone trip on a wide, app-first catalogue; pick Ubigi if you tether across a tablet, laptop or connected car, or want a larger unlimited high-speed allowance. Both are data-only travel eSIMs, both list plans in 200+ destinations, and Simscanner tracks 72 country pages for each. The split is in the detail: Airalo throttles unlimited plans after 3 GB a day, Ubigi after 60 GB a month on its 30-day plans; Ubigi adds data sharing and names laptops and cars among supported devices, while Airalo stays focused on phones and tablets.
Simscanner names no overall winner and takes no paid placements. Per-brand scores are not publicly sourceable, so they stay pending; the verdicts below rest on sourced feature differences, not on a single score.
Airalo and Ubigi snapshot
The same tracked attributes for each brand, at equal visual weight, each read from the brand's own published wording on 02 Jun 2026. Entry price, fair use and hotspot are sourced; per-brand category scores stay pending because they are not publicly sourceable.
Side by side
Every dimension Simscanner tracks for a brand-vs-brand page. Each value carries a source and a retrieved date; values we cannot source show as not stated, never guessed. The entry-price row gives the lowest sourced plan as a headline reference only. Full per-plan pricing lives on the brand profiles, since Simscanner runs no price-comparison funnel.
| Dimension | AiraloBrand A | UbigiBrand B | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan priceLowest sourced plan across tracked countries | From $4.00 Verified | From $2.50 Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Plan typesHow each catalogue is structured | Local, regional and global; data-only Verified | Country, regional and global; data-only Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Country coverageSimscanner-tracked country pages carrying a sourced plan | 72 tracked Verified | 72 tracked Verified | Primary sourcewww.simscanner.app/countriesRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Regions coveredCanonical regions with a tracked plan | Modelled est. | 6 of 8 (Caribbean not yet covered) Secondary | Primary sourceubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Unlimited and FUPHigh-speed allowance before throttling | 3 GB/day, then 1 Mbps Verified | 20 GB (7d) / 60 GB (30d), then ~2 Mbps Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Hotspot and data sharingStated tethering allowance | Tethering allowed Verified | Tethering plus data sharing across devices Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Device rangeDevice classes named in each brand's own wording | eSIM phones and tablets Verified | Phones, tablets, Windows 10/11 laptops, connected cars Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| KYC defaultIdentity verification requirement | eKYC only in certain countries Verified | No ID for most plans; some markets require ID within 15 days Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Top-up policyHow a running plan is extended | Rechargeable in-app via My eSIMs Verified | Buy a new plan in-app or at ubigi.me Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Refund windowStated refund terms | 14-day withdrawal, expires on activation; Airmoney credit Verified | 14 business days; only if no data used Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Apps and supportSelf-care channels | iOS and Android apps Verified | iOS, Android and web (ubigi.me) Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Founded and HQCorporate basics | 2019 · Singapore Verified | 2017 · France (Transatel, NTT Group) Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · ubigi.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
Coverage comparison
On catalogue size the two are close. Both advertise 200+ destinations, and Simscanner currently tracks 72 country pages carrying a sourced plan for each. Brand marketing such as "200+ countries" is not the count; the 72 figure is Simscanner's own per-country tally, not a brand coverage claim.
Airalo sells local, regional and global eSIMs and describes itself as the first eSIM store. Per-country plan detail publishes as each listing reaches verified confidence.
Ubigi sells country, regional and global plans across five continents. Six of Simscanner's eight canonical regions carry a tracked Ubigi plan; the Caribbean is a modelled estimate.
Unlimited and fair use policy
Both brands sell unlimited plans, and both publish a fair use threshold. The gap is in how much runs at full speed: Airalo resets a daily allowance, Ubigi works to a monthly one. Simscanner records the published wording with a retrieved date rather than estimating an effective cap.
Airalo's fair use policy throttles unlimited plans to 1 Mbps after 3 GB of high-speed data in a day, resetting at midnight local time.
On many Ubigi unlimited plans the high-speed allowance is 20 GB on 7-day plans and 60 GB on 30-day plans, after which speed drops to about 2 Mbps. Sourced per country.
Hotspot and tethering
Both brands allow tethering, so this is where Ubigi's connected-device angle shows. Airalo permits personal hotspot where the device and local network support it. Ubigi goes further and lets many plans share data across several devices at once.
Airalo permits tethering and personal hotspot where the device and the local network support it.
Ubigi supports tethering and personal hotspot, and many plans also allow data sharing across multiple devices.
Speed and reliability
Country-level public performance signals for each brand. Speed depends on the local network used in a given country, so this is reported per country rather than as a single brand figure.
Speed signals a modelled estimate
Modelled est.Speed and reliability for both Airalo and Ubigi are reported per country, tied to the local network each plan connects to. Network mapping is pending for both brands, so no speed figures are shown here yet. Simscanner does not estimate throughput.
When verified, country-level signals will appear on the relevant country pages and feed the speed category on Rankings.
Reviews and user sentiment
Review signals are shown only with a named source, a review count, and a fetched date. Simscanner never displays a star rating it has not sourced, and never publishes an aggregate rating of its own.
Public review signals for Airalo are a modelled estimate. When published, each source will list its own rating, the number of reviews behind it, and the date Simscanner fetched it. No averaged or invented score is shown.
Public review signals for Ubigi are a modelled estimate. When published, each source will list its own rating, the number of reviews behind it, and the date Simscanner fetched it. No averaged or invented score is shown.
Device compatibility and activation
Both brands require an eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked device and both install by QR code, manual entry or in-app. The difference is breadth: Airalo's wording covers phones and tablets, while Ubigi also names Windows 10/11 laptops and connected cars.
Supported device classes
Airalo's published wording covers eSIM phones and tablets. Ubigi additionally lists Windows 10/11 laptops and connected cars, which fits its connected-device focus.
Ubigi: laptops and cars tooCarrier-unlocked
An eSIM cannot install on a phone locked to a home carrier. This applies to both brands.
Applies to bothActivation flow
Both brands install by QR code, manual code or in-app direct install. Airalo offers in-app direct install; Ubigi adds activation through its ubigi.me web self-care.
QR, manual or in-appKYC default
Neither requires ID for most purchases. Airalo asks for eKYC only in certain countries; Ubigi may require a national ID or passport in some markets before first use or within 15 days, under applicable law.
Country-dependent for bothBest fit by traveller type
These verdicts rest on sourced feature differences, not on a single score. Per-brand category scores are not publicly sourceable, so where the facts do not separate the two, the card says so rather than inventing a winner.
Which brand has more countries with a verifiable plan listing.
Both advertise 200+ destinations and Simscanner tracks 72 country pages for each, so neither leads on the count.
How coverage is scored →Which brand keeps more data at full speed before throttling.
Ubigi runs 60 GB/month at full speed on 30-day plans against Airalo's 3 GB/day reset, so a few heavy days favour Ubigi.
How FUP is scored →Which brand states tethering plus multi-device data sharing.
Both allow tethering; only Ubigi states data sharing across devices, and names laptops and connected cars.
How hotspot is scored →Lowest sourced entry price across tracked countries.
Ubigi's lowest sourced entry plan is $2.50 against Airalo's $4.00. Per-trip value still depends on the country.
Open a country page →Which brand fits one phone, app-first, with the widest catalogue.
Airalo is app-first and phone-and-tablet focused, with a daily-reset unlimited allowance that suits steady everyday use.
Open a region page →Which brand's stated refund terms protect an unused plan.
Airalo's 14-day withdrawal expires on activation; Ubigi refunds within 14 business days only if no data has been used.
See the categories →What is sourced, what is modelled
An open ledger of the comparison. Plan, fair use, hotspot, KYC, refund, app and corporate fields are sourced on both sides; per-country plan detail, network mapping, speed and per-brand category scores are a modelled estimate. Each field publishes independently as it is verified.
How Simscanner compares brands
The same rules apply to both columns. A value publishes only when it is read from a primary source, dated, and re-checked on a schedule. No brand can pay to change a value or its position.
Primary source only
Every value is read from the brand's own published wording or a regulator, never from marketing claims or third-party summaries.
How we score →Dated and re-checked
Each verified value carries a retrieved date and is re-verified on a schedule, so a stale figure never sits unflagged.
Verification cadence →Equal weight
Both brands use identical tiles, identical rows, and equal treatment. Neither gets larger visual space.
Zero paid placements →Verdicts only when verified
A winner is named per use case only when sourced data supports it, with a link to the methodology anchor behind it.
Category anchors →Airalo vs Ubigi questions
The questions travellers most often ask when choosing between these two brands.
Is Airalo better than Ubigi?
Which has more countries, Airalo or Ubigi?
Does Airalo or Ubigi allow hotspot tethering?
Is Airalo or Ubigi unlimited data really unlimited?
Why are there no prices in this comparison?
Does Simscanner favour one of these brands?
How are the Airalo vs Ubigi verdicts decided?
Related links
Article FAQPage BreadcrumbList. No Product, Offer, Price, Review, AggregateRating, ItemList, or HowTo schema is used. Simscanner does not sell or price eSIMs, and this page is a binary comparison, not a ranked list.