Travel Intelligence · eSIM Head-to-Head 2026
By Richard J. · written from Valencia2 eSIMs scored /100Verified 5 October 2026
Airalo scores 81 out of 100 and Kolet 71 on the same six published criteria: Airalo wins on plan choice, named networks and an audited security attestation, while Kolet is cheaper for 10 GB in Europe ($27.99 against $31) and Japan ($22.99 against $25), gives 5 GB a day at full speed on unlimited plans against Airalo's 3 GB, and turns leftover data into credit. Kolet was assessed on 5 October 2026 against the rubric used for the seven providers in our September 2026 eSIM comparison; below are the scores, the prices, the unlimited terms, the networks and the pick for each kind of trip.
Verified 5 October 2026 · Kolet plan pages and help centre · B Lab directory · Airalo figures as published in our September 2026 comparison
Airalo is the better all-round eSIM at 81 out of 100 and Kolet scores 71: of the ten points between them, six come from network transparency and four from security and ownership. Kolet leads on price and on unlimited terms; Airalo leads on plan choice, networks, review evidence and security.
| Provider | Score /100 | 10 GB for 30 days: Europe, Japan, USA | Unlimited at full speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Airalo | 81 | $31 · $25 · $22.50 | 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps | Unusual destinations, a Kenyan safari on Safaricom, named networks, the largest review base |
| 2. Kolet | 71 | $27.99 · $22.99 · $22.99 | 5 GB a day, then 1 Mbps (bought in the app) | Europe and Japan on price, heavy unlimited use, keeping leftover data, sending data to a companion |
| Provider | Price /20 | Plan choice /20 | Unlimited terms /15 | Network transparency /15 | Review evidence /15 | Security and ownership /15 | Total /100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airalo | 11 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 81 |
| Kolet | 13 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 71 |
Kolet wins two criteria and Airalo four, and the gap sits where a buyer checks what a provider publishes rather than what it sells. Airalo names its operator in all four test markets and announced a SOC 2 Type II attestation in March 2025. Kolet's Spain and Kenya plan pages carry an Available networks panel whose operator names did not load for our reader on 5 October 2026, its Japan page has no panel, and its help centre directs travellers to the network list in the app; it publishes no security audit. Kolet's 13 on price sits between Nomad eSIM's 15 ($64 across the three markets) and Saily's 12 ($76.97) on the published scale. In the September table Ubigi scores 89, Airalo 81, Nomad eSIM 79, Saily 77, Yesim 71, Holafly 66 and aloSIM 61, so Kolet's 71 places it level with Yesim. Kolet was assessed after that edition was published and joins the table at the next one.
For 10 GB over 30 days Kolet is cheaper in Europe ($27.99 against $31) and Japan ($22.99 against $25), Airalo is cheaper in the USA by 49 cents ($22.50 against $22.99), and across the three markets Kolet totals $73.97 against Airalo's $78.50. Kolet's prices were read on its own plan pages on 5 October 2026; Airalo's are the figures read on Airalo's site in the first week of September 2026 and published in our comparison. Both are fixed-data plans valid for 30 days.
| Plan | Kolet | Airalo |
|---|---|---|
| Europe regional, 10 GB, 30 days | $27.99, 45 countries | $31.00, 41 countries (Eurolink) |
| Japan, 10 GB, 30 days | $22.99 | $25.00 |
| USA, 10 GB, 30 days | $22.99 | $22.50 |
| Global, 10 GB, 180 days | $54.49 | $57.00, about 160 countries |
| Three-market total (Europe, Japan, USA) | $73.97 | $78.50 |
Two things change the answer for a specific trip. A single-country plan usually beats either regional plan: Kolet's Spain 10 GB plan is $15.49, against $27.99 for its 45-country Europe plan. And Kolet's prices outside the main markets rise sharply: its Kenya 10 GB plan is $45.99. Kolet's homepage offers new users 10 per cent off with the code KOLET10. To size the plan first, the data estimator settles it in two minutes; the Europe, Japan and USA guides carry the destination detail.
Kolet's unlimited plans give 5 GB a day at full speed and Airalo's 3 GB, and both then slow to 1 Mbps until the daily reset, so Kolet carries more full-speed data on every day of a trip. Both publish the allowance, the reduced speed and the hotspot policy, which is why both score well on this criterion: Kolet 14 of 15, Airalo 12. Kolet's terms are in its unlimited plans article; Airalo's in its fair-use policy.
| Term | Kolet | Airalo |
|---|---|---|
| Full-speed allowance | 5 GB a day | 3 GB a day |
| Speed after the allowance | 1 Mbps | 1 Mbps |
| Daily reset | 24 hours after first data use | Every 24 hours |
| Hotspot | No added hotspot restriction | Unlimited tethering within the daily allowance |
| Where to buy | Kolet app only | App and website |
| Where it is sold | 65 countries and territories, plus Europe, EU and UK, North America and Oceania passes; not Kenya | Shown per destination on Airalo's plan pages |
| 15 days in Europe | Priced in the app only | $49 |
Two cautions. Kolet's unlimited plans are new, and several comparison sites and reviews still state that Kolet sells no unlimited data; that was true before the launch and is no longer. And unlimited data on Kolet cannot be sent to another user or converted into credit, because the allowance resets daily; those two features belong to its standard plans. At 1 Mbps maps, messaging and music still work, while video does not. If you plan to share one connection between two phones, read how dual eSIMs work first.
Kolet for Europe and Japan, on a fixed plan or for heavy daily use; Airalo for the USA by a few cents and for a Kenyan safari on Safaricom; and either for repeat trips, since both top up the same eSIM. The picks below use the prices and terms above.
| Your trip | Pick | Why | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two weeks in Europe, normal use | Kolet Europe 10 GB, $27.99 | 45 countries for $3.01 less than Airalo's 41-country Eurolink | Airalo Eurolink 10 GB, $31 |
| Europe, heavy data | Kolet unlimited, bought in the app | 5 GB a day at full speed, no added hotspot limit | Airalo unlimited, 3 GB a day, 15 days $49 |
| Japan on a fixed plan | Kolet Japan 10 GB, $22.99 | $2.01 less than Airalo; the network is listed in the app, not on the plan page | Airalo Japan 10 GB, $25, on SoftBank |
| USA | Airalo USA 10 GB, $22.50 | 49 cents cheaper, T-Mobile named on the plan page | Kolet USA 10 GB, $22.99 |
| One country only, Spain | Kolet Spain 10 GB, $15.49 | A single-country plan at about half the regional price | Kolet Europe 10 GB, $27.99 |
| Safari in Kenya | Airalo, on Safaricom | Safaricom has the deepest rural reach, and Airalo names it | Kolet Kenya 10 GB, $45.99, no unlimited plan |
| Several trips a year | Either | Both top up the same eSIM; Kolet also turns leftover data into credit | Kolet if you fly with Air France or KLM and collect Flying Blue Miles |
For a safari route across several countries, the safari eSIM guide matches plans to parks; for a stop in a country where eSIMs cannot be bought on arrival, install before departure. The plans compared here are data-only, so keep your home SIM active for calls and banking codes; keeping your number and WhatsApp explains the setup.
Kolet turns leftover data on a standard plan into Koins, credit for the next plan or for calls from its app, and lets you send whole gigabytes to another Kolet user; Airalo's Airmoney rewards are earned on purchases, not on data left unused. Kolet's help centre sets out the rules, and they matter at the end of a trip.
| Feature | How it works on Kolet | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Convert unused data | Leftover data becomes Koins, spent on a later plan or on international calls from the app | Converting stops the plan, so do it when the trip is over |
| Send data to someone | From an active standard plan with at least 1 GB left, in whole gigabytes, to the recipient's email | Transfers are instant and cannot be reversed |
| Top up | A top-up carries the unused data of the current plan forward | Not available on unlimited plans, which extend by adding days |
| Airline miles | Flying Blue members earn up to 10 Miles per euro and can pay with Miles | Link the Flying Blue account before buying; Miles are not added afterwards |
Both providers let a phone share its connection by hotspot. Kolet's hotspot article covers the iPad setting that hides the option until the APN is entered. Airalo's comparable case, and its trade-offs against Yesim, are in Is Airalo worth it?.
Free Kolet data from an airline or a city pass is a trial, not a plan. Kolet's partner offer, as sold with Turbopass city passes, is 1 GB valid for two days from first use; Kolet also supplies free data to travellers through airline and booking partners, including Air France, KLM and Kiwi.com. Install it on Wi-Fi before the flight, confirm the phone is eSIM compatible, and buy a paid plan on the same eSIM if the trip runs longer than two days.
Kolet added unlimited plans and a B Corp certification in 2026; Airalo added a SOC 2 Type II attestation and a $220 million Series C in 2025. March 2025: Airalo announced its SOC 2 Type II attestation, the only product-level security audit among the providers in our September table. July 2025: Airalo raised a $220 million Series C led by CVC. January 2026: Kolet was certified as a B Corp, with a B Impact score of 99.7 in the B Lab directory; the certification covers governance, workers, community, environment and customers, and is not a security audit, which is why it does not lift Kolet's security score. 2026: Kolet launched unlimited plans at 5 GB a day, set out in its help centre. 5 October 2026: Kolet assessed on our rubric at 71 out of 100.
On our published rubric Airalo scores 81 out of 100 and Kolet 71, so Airalo is the stronger all-round eSIM: it covers more destinations, names its networks in Japan, Spain, the USA and Kenya, and holds a SOC 2 Type II security attestation. Kolet is the better buy for 10 GB in Europe ($27.99 against $31) and Japan ($22.99 against $25), for heavy use on unlimited plans (5 GB a day at full speed against Airalo's 3 GB), and for travellers who want leftover data turned into credit. Kolet was assessed on 5 October 2026.
Mostly, yes. For 10 GB over 30 days Kolet charges $27.99 for Europe (45 countries) against Airalo's $31 (41 countries) and $22.99 for Japan against $25, while Airalo is 49 cents cheaper in the USA at $22.50 against $22.99. Across the three markets Kolet totals $73.97 and Airalo $78.50. Kolet's prices were read on its plan pages on 5 October 2026 and Airalo's in the first week of September 2026; both change, so check on the day you buy.
Yes. Kolet now sells unlimited plans that give 5 GB of data a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps until the allowance resets 24 hours after first use, according to its help centre. They are sold in 65 countries and territories, including Japan, the USA, Spain and the UK, plus regional passes for Europe, the EU and UK, North America and Oceania, and only through the Kolet app. Kenya is not on the list. Older reviews and comparison sites that say Kolet has no unlimited plans predate the launch.
Kolet on price: its Japan 10 GB, 30-day plan is $22.99 against Airalo's $25, and Kolet also sells unlimited data in Japan at 5 GB a day at full speed against Airalo's 3 GB. Airalo names its Japanese network on the plan page (SoftBank and one other); Kolet's Japan plan page does not, and Kolet lists its partner networks in the app. For a choice of KDDI and NTT Docomo, Ubigi scores 89 in our wider comparison of seven providers.
Kolet for most European trips: its regional plan covers 45 countries and costs $27.99 for 10 GB over 30 days, against $31 for Airalo's 41-country Eurolink, and its unlimited Europe pass gives 5 GB a day at full speed against Airalo's 3 GB. If the whole trip is in one country, a single-country plan is cheaper still: Kolet's Spain 10 GB plan is $15.49. Check both country lists against the route before buying.
On a standard Kolet plan, leftover data can be converted into Koins, credit held in the app for the next data plan or for calls made from the Kolet app. Converting stops the plan, so it belongs at the end of a trip. Topping up an active plan carries the unused data forward. Data on Kolet's unlimited plans cannot be converted, because the allowance resets every day. Airalo's Airmoney rewards are earned on purchases, not on data left unused.
Yes. Kolet is run by Kolet SAS, a French company registered in Paris under number 981 094 261, founded in 2024 by Eduardo Ronzano, Anne-Carole Cöen, Mehdi Chraibi and Jérémy Gotteland, and certified as a B Corp in January 2026. It sells data in more than 190 destinations, is rated 4.7 on Trustpilot from about 2,150 reviews, and is distributed through Air France, KLM and Kiwi.com, among others. It scores 71 out of 100 on our rubric.
Airalo names the operator on its plan pages: SoftBank and one other in Japan, Orange in Spain, T-Mobile and one other in the USA, and Safaricom in Kenya. Kolet lists its partner networks in its app and carries an Available networks panel on its Spain and Kenya plan pages, but the operator names did not load for our reader on 5 October 2026 and its Japan plan page has no panel. That gap is why Kolet scores 8 of 15 on network transparency against Airalo's 14.
Both allow hotspot sharing. Airalo allows unlimited tethering within the daily allowance on its unlimited plans, and Kolet adds no hotspot restriction of its own. Kolet also lets you send whole gigabytes from an active standard plan with at least 1 GB left to another Kolet user by email; transfers are instant and cannot be reversed. The feature does not apply to Kolet's unlimited plans.
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Richard J. · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 5 October 2026 · facts verified 5 October 2026
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