Roamly vs Airalo
An honest, like-for-like comparison for Australian travellers. Prices checked 19 September 2026.
Airalo is the biggest name in travel eSIMs, and for good reason: it covers more places than anyone and sells unlimited plans. Roamly is a small Australian company that does fewer things and prices them lower.
On the six destinations Australians fly to most, a like-for-like 5 GB plan is 16% to 41% cheaper with Roamly, every plan includes hotspot and can be topped up, and the person answering the chat is in Sydney. If you need unlimited data, a phone number, or a destination we don't cover yet, Airalo is the better fit today. The rest of this page is the detail behind that.
At a glance
Pricing
Roamly
Priced and charged in AUD by an Australian company.
Airalo
Shown in AUD to Australian visitors. 16 currencies supported.
Coverage
Roamly
100+ countries and territories, through single-country plans and regional bundles.
Airalo
200+ countries and regions.
Plan types
Roamly
Fixed-data plans. No unlimited option.
Airalo
Fixed-data and unlimited plans, local, regional and global. Unlimited slows to 1 Mbps after 3 GB in a day.
Calls and texts
Roamly
Data only. Your Australian SIM stays in for calls and texts.
Airalo
Voice and text packages in some countries. Of the six compared here, only the USA.
Hotspot
Roamly
Included on every plan, no restrictions.
Airalo
Allowed where the device and network support it. Some eSIMs need a manual APN setting.
Top-ups
Roamly
Reloadable plans top up from My eSIMs without reinstalling. Every plan in the six destinations below is reloadable.
Airalo
Only on eSIMs marked rechargeable.
Support
Roamly
Real people in Sydney by live chat, email and phone, 9am to 5pm AEST. Replies within 24 hours.
Airalo
24/7 live chat and WhatsApp, in several languages.
Refunds
Roamly
Generally not available once your eSIM is provisioned. Always refunded if provisioning fails, nothing is delivered, or you're charged twice. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply.
Airalo
Withdraw within 14 days or before activation, whichever comes first. Wrong-purchase refunds go to Airmoney credit; faults are refunded to Airmoney or your card within 30 days of the issue.
Apps
Roamly
iPhone and Android apps, and the website works on any phone.
Airalo
iPhone and Android apps.
Payment
Roamly
Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Airalo
Cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Alipay in the app.
Rewards
Roamly
Cashback credit that grows with what you've spent, plus referral credit.
Airalo
Airmoney cashback of 5 to 10% by spend tier. Credit expires after a year unused.
Company
Roamly
Australian-owned and run from Sydney (HJ Atlas Pty Ltd).
Airalo
Founded 2019, registered in Singapore (AirGSM Pte Ltd). 30 million+ users worldwide.
| Feature | Roamly | Airalo |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Priced and charged in AUD by an Australian company. | Shown in AUD to Australian visitors. 16 currencies supported. |
| Coverage | 100+ countries and territories, through single-country plans and regional bundles. | 200+ countries and regions. |
| Plan types | Fixed-data plans. No unlimited option. | Fixed-data and unlimited plans, local, regional and global. Unlimited slows to 1 Mbps after 3 GB in a day. |
| Calls and texts | Data only. Your Australian SIM stays in for calls and texts. | Voice and text packages in some countries. Of the six compared here, only the USA. |
| Hotspot | Included on every plan, no restrictions. | Allowed where the device and network support it. Some eSIMs need a manual APN setting. |
| Top-ups | Reloadable plans top up from My eSIMs without reinstalling. Every plan in the six destinations below is reloadable. | Only on eSIMs marked rechargeable. |
| Support | Real people in Sydney by live chat, email and phone, 9am to 5pm AEST. Replies within 24 hours. | 24/7 live chat and WhatsApp, in several languages. |
| Refunds | Generally not available once your eSIM is provisioned. Always refunded if provisioning fails, nothing is delivered, or you're charged twice. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply. | Withdraw within 14 days or before activation, whichever comes first. Wrong-purchase refunds go to Airmoney credit; faults are refunded to Airmoney or your card within 30 days of the issue. |
| Apps | iPhone and Android apps, and the website works on any phone. | iPhone and Android apps. |
| Payment | Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay. | Cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Alipay in the app. |
| Rewards | Cashback credit that grows with what you've spent, plus referral credit. | Airmoney cashback of 5 to 10% by spend tier. Credit expires after a year unused. |
| Company | Australian-owned and run from Sydney (HJ Atlas Pty Ltd). | Founded 2019, registered in Singapore (AirGSM Pte Ltd). 30 million+ users worldwide. |
Like-for-like prices
The fairest comparison is the same plan on both sides. Both companies sell a 5 GB, 30-day plan in each of these destinations, so nothing here is approximated. Prices are in Australian dollars as each site shows them to an Australian visitor, read on 19 September 2026.
| 5 GB, 30 days | Roamly | Airalo | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | A$12.45 | A$19.50 | A$7.05 (36%) |
| Japan | A$9.45 | A$16.00 | A$6.55 (41%) |
| Thailand | A$9.10 | A$11.50 | A$2.40 (21%) |
| Vietnam | A$13.50 | A$16.00 | A$2.50 (16%) |
| USA | A$15.40 | A$19.50 | A$4.10 (21%) |
| New Zealand | A$15.45 | A$20.00 | A$4.55 (23%) |
Every Roamly plan in this table can be topped up from My eSIMs without reinstalling.
The cheapest way in
Entry-level plans aren't like-for-like, so here's what each one buys. Airalo's is a 1 GB, 3-day plan; Roamly's starts at 3 GB for 15 or 30 days. For a weekend, Airalo's can be the cheaper ticket. For anything longer, the extra dollar or two buys three times the data and a much longer clock.
| Cheapest plan | Roamly | Airalo |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | A$7.003 GB, 15 days | A$6.501 GB, 3 days |
| Japan | A$5.453 GB, 15 days | A$6.001 GB, 3 days |
| Thailand | A$6.803 GB, 30 days | A$6.001 GB, 3 days |
| Vietnam | A$8.003 GB, 30 days | A$6.001 GB, 3 days |
| USA | A$8.453 GB, 30 days | A$6.001 GB, 3 days |
| New Zealand | A$7.453 GB, 15 days | A$6.001 GB, 3 days |
Where each one wins
Where Airalo wins
- More places: 200+ countries and regions against our 100+.
- Unlimited plans, if you'd rather not think about data at all.
- Calls and texts on some plans, including the USA.
- Support around the clock, in several languages.
- A refund window of 14 days or until activation.
Where Roamly wins
- Cheaper on every one of the six like-for-like plans, by 16 to 41%.
- Hotspot on every plan, with no restrictions.
- Every plan we sell in these six destinations can be topped up without reinstalling.
- Priced and charged in AUD by an Australian company, with people in Sydney answering the chat.
- One clear catalogue: five plans per country, not forty.
Which should you pick?
Going to Bali, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the US or New Zealand for a week or more? Roamly. The like-for-like plan is cheaper, you can hotspot and top up, and you're not converting currency.
Want unlimited data, a local phone number, or somewhere we don't cover yet? Airalo. Those are real gaps in our catalogue and we'd rather say so than sell you the wrong thing.
Two or three days, light use? Compare the entry plans above. Airalo's 1 GB plan can be the cheaper ticket for a very short trip.
Common questions
On a like-for-like 5 GB, 30-day plan, yes, in all six destinations we checked on 19 September 2026: Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the USA and New Zealand. The saving was between 16% and 41%. Airalo's cheapest plans are 1 GB for 3 days, which can cost less in absolute terms for a very short trip.
Unlimited data plans, calls and texts in some countries, coverage of 200+ destinations and 24/7 chat support. If any of those is essential for your trip, Airalo is the better fit today.
Yes. Every Roamly plan includes hotspot and tethering with no restrictions, so you can share your data with a laptop, tablet or travelling companion.
Roamly plans are digital products and refunds are generally not available once your eSIM is provisioned, though we always refund if provisioning fails, nothing is delivered, or you're charged twice, and your Australian Consumer Law guarantees always apply. Airalo lets you withdraw within 14 days of purchase or until activation, whichever comes first.
Both sides were read on 19 September 2026, in AUD as shown to an Australian visitor. Prices on both sites change, so we re-check monthly and note the date at the bottom of this page. If you spot something out of date, email hello@onroamly.com and we'll fix it.
See what your trip would cost
Plans for 100+ countries and territories, priced in AUD.
Roamly figures are from our own plan catalogue and policies. Airalo figures were read from airalo.com and its help centre on 19 September 2026, in AUD as shown to a visitor in Australia, and checked a second time the same day. Both companies change prices and terms; we re-check this page monthly. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@onroamly.com. Airalo is a trademark of its owner. Roamly is not affiliated with Airalo.
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