Best Travel eSIM for Filipinos: Brands Compared

Ang daming travel eSIM brands ngayon. Airalo, Klook, Saily, Holafly, Nomad, Ubigi, KKday. Every one says it's the best. The truth is the best one for Japan may not be the best one for Vietnam, and a solo backpacker needs something different from a family of five.

So this page doesn't crown a winner. It shows what each brand says about itself on its own pages, checked on 29 October 2026, and gives you a checklist to choose per trip.

TravelESIM.ph is an independent guide run by Dominet BV. We're not a mobile network, telco or eSIM seller, and we don't sell or activate SIMs. Some links on this site may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy through them. eSIM brands and telcos we mention may not pay us anything. That never changes what we write. Read our affiliate disclosure. We haven't speed-tested these brands, so we don't rank them on speed.

The 7-point checklist

Use this for any brand and any destination:

1. Network. Which local network does the plan use there? It decides your coverage.
2. Data and days. Fixed GB or unlimited, and for how many days.
3. Fair use. On "unlimited", how much full-speed data per day, and what speed after.
4. Hotspot. Allowed or not, and any daily cap.
5. Start date. Does validity start on install, on first connection, or on arrival?
6. Top-ups. Can you add data to the same eSIM?
7. Refunds. What happens if you can't install it, or your trip changes?

Two kinds of sellers

• eSIM apps: Airalo, Saily, Holafly, Nomad and Ubigi. You buy, install and manage the eSIM in their app.
• Travel marketplaces: Klook and KKday sell eSIMs alongside tours, SIM cards and pocket wifi. On KKday, for example, the eSIM listings we saw were individual products with their own names and networks, so check who actually supplies the eSIM and whose refund rules apply.

Brand by brand

Airalo

As listed on Airalo's site on 29 October 2026:

• Local, regional and global eSIMs for 200+ locations, and an app in 53 languages.
• Top-ups on many eSIMs, and optional renewals that kick in when 10% of your data is left.
• Country plans name the network. For example, Japan runs on SoftBank and KDDI, and its unlimited plans drop to 1 Mbps after 3GB a day.
• Refunds go to Airmoney, Airalo's in-app credit, and expired or fully used eSIMs aren't eligible.
• Support by in-app chat or WhatsApp.

Our full Airalo review goes deeper.

Saily

From Saily's Japan page on 29 October 2026:

• Japan plans from US$3.49, with 4G and 5G through partners including KDDI and SoftBank.
• Hotspot included on every Japan plan, and an unlimited plan with 5GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.
• Optional US phone number with calls and texts, after identity verification.
• Plans activate automatically on arrival, with a 180-day activation window.
• Saily says it's backed by the NordVPN brand. Its pages also mention extra features such as a virtual location option and an ad blocker. We haven't tested these, and you don't need them for normal travel data. Whatever tools you use abroad, follow local law and each app's terms.

Holafly

From Holafly's Japan page on 29 October 2026:

• Built around unlimited data, with plans from 1 to 90 days, data-only.
• Hotspot sharing of 1GB a day.
• A fair use policy may be applied temporarily, for no more than a day, by operators.
• Up to 6 months to request a refund, under its refund policy.

Nomad

From Nomad's Japan page on 29 October 2026:

• Japan from US$4, on KDDI au and SoftBank, with unlimited and fixed data plans and regional plans.
• Add-on data that activates when your first plan runs out.
• You must start the plan within 60 days of purchase, or it starts automatically.
• Nomad's install steps say to turn on data roaming for the eSIM.

Ubigi

From Ubigi's site on 29 October 2026:

• Plans from 1GB to unlimited, on 4G and 5G.
• Data-only, with calls through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime.
• Recharge any time in the Ubigi app or site, and hotspot allowed.

Klook

Klook's Philippine eSIM page on 29 October 2026 listed eSIMs for Japan ("Softbank 5G / IIJ (Docomo) 4G LTE"), South Korea (SKT), Vietnam (Viettel), Thailand (AIS), China (China Unicom), Hong Kong (CSL), Taiwan (Taiwan Mobile), Indonesia (Telkomsel) and the USA (Verizon), each data-only with 1 to 30 day validity. Klook also sells physical travel SIMs and pocket wifi.

KKday

KKday's eSIM search on 29 October 2026 showed listings for Taiwan on Chunghwa Telecom, Japan on KDDI and SoftBank, Korea on SKT, and multi-country Asia plans. These are separate products, so read each listing's network, validity and refund terms.

Which kind of trip, which features

When a marketplace makes sense

Klook and KKday can be handy if you're already booking tours, airport transfers or a pocket wifi there, because everything sits in one account. The trade-off: on KKday, the eSIM listings we saw had different product names and networks, so the supplier, install steps and support channel may differ from one listing to the next. Read the listing page, not just the headline.

Is your phone ready?

Every brand above needs an eSIM-capable, unlocked phone. Dial *#06# and look for an EID, then check the carrier lock. Apple says an iPhone must not be locked to a carrier to use another carrier's eSIM abroad, and shows "No SIM Restrictions" under Settings, General, About when it's unlocked. Our sister site eSIMs.ph has a full compatible phones guide.

Installing any travel eSIM

The steps are nearly the same across brands:

1. Buy the plan while you're on reliable Wi-Fi at home.
2. Install from the app or QR code. Nomad, for example, gives the path on iPhone as Settings, Cellular, Add Cellular Plan, then scan.
3. Label the line so you can tell it apart from your Globe or Smart SIM.
4. On arrival, turn the eSIM line on and select it for mobile data.
5. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM if the brand says so. Nomad's steps say to, and Airalo's help page says some eSIMs need it.
6. Keep data roaming off on your PH line.

Red flags before you pay

• No network named. If a listing won't say which local network it uses, you can't judge coverage.
• "Unlimited" with no fair use line. The unlimited plans we checked from Airalo, Saily and Holafly all had one, so look for it.
• Validity that starts at purchase. Some plans start counting before you fly. Read the start rule.
• No clear refund page. Know what happens if the eSIM won't install.
• Too-good discount codes from random pages. Use codes from the brand's own app or site.

Paying from the Philippines

We didn't find GCash or Maya confirmed as payment options on the brand pages we checked. Most take cards, and paying in US dollars may add your bank's conversion fee. Check the payment options at checkout.

Using a travel eSIM with your PH number

Keep your Globe, Smart or DITO SIM on for calls, SMS and bank OTPs, set the travel eSIM for data, and turn off data roaming on your PH line. Apple warns you might still incur roaming fees from your home line if you keep both on. Our roaming vs eSIM guide explains the setup.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best travel eSIM for Filipinos?

It depends on where you're going. Compare the network each brand uses in that country, the data and fair use rules, hotspot and refunds. Our checklist above works for any brand.

Airalo or Holafly, alin ang mas okay?

Depende sa trip mo. Airalo offers fixed-GB and unlimited plans with top-ups. Holafly focuses on unlimited plans with a 1GB-a-day hotspot allowance. Compare both for your destination on the day you buy.

Are Klook and KKday eSIMs the same as Airalo?

Not quite. Klook and KKday are marketplaces that also sell eSIMs. Check which network and supplier each listing uses, and whose refund rules apply.

Can I pay for a travel eSIM with GCash?

We couldn't confirm GCash or Maya on the brand pages we checked on 29 October 2026. Check each brand's checkout.

Do travel eSIMs come with a phone number?

Most are data-only. Saily offers an add-on US number. For a local number, buy from a local carrier in the country you're visiting.