Best eSIM for USA: GigSky vs Airalo vs Holafly (2026)

Long story short: Our choice of eSIM for USA travel is GigSky. It beat Airalo and Holafly across every single test we ran, from Brooklyn to suburban New Jersey to a ferry crossing between Manhattan and New Jersey.

My partner and I run this blog and split our time between Berlin, Italy, and wherever else pulls us in. We don't have a home carrier plan anymore, which means eSIMs aren't a nice-to-have for us. They're how we work, navigate, communicate, and occasionally upload a 60-second Instagram reel on hotspot in an apartment with broken Wi-Fi (more on that later). We've burned through eSIMs in 20+ countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

On this particular US trip, Fabio used Airalo and I used GigSky simultaneously, across Brooklyn, a ferry ride to New Jersey, and out to some genuinely suburban (borderline rural) NJ. The gap between the two was real and it's a little embarrassing for a brand as well-known as Airalo. We also have Holafly data from a West Coast trip earlier this year to round out the comparison.

This is what happened on the ground.

What Is GigSky?

GigSky is a global eSIM provider covering 200+ countries. They offer country-specific plans, regional plans (like North America), and some genuinely unusual options you won't find anywhere else, including cruise and ferry plans and GigSky One, a monthly subscription that works across 120+ countries.

Unlike Airalo and Holafly, which mostly resell capacity from a patchwork of underlying carriers, GigSky builds direct partnerships with major carriers in each region. In the US, that means AT&T and T-Mobile networks, which is about as good as it gets for domestic coverage!

The app is clean, setup is simple, and they've added some features lately that surprised me. More on those below.

Our On-the-Ground Test: Brooklyn, New Jersey, and a Ferry

Before we get into features and pricing, here's what actually happened when we used these eSIMs. On a recent trip to the US, I went with GigSky's 30-day unlimited plan. Fabio had Airalo's equivalent on his phone. We ran them side by side the entire time.

Brooklyn

We were doing a dog sit in Brooklyn, splitting time between long neighborhood walks and working from the apartment. I installed the GigSky eSIM the day after I arrived, after a Mexico eSIM I'd been using had expired (which also worked in the US while it lasted). Nothing dramatic... it just connected and worked.

The real test came when the apartment internet went down one afternoon. We needed to hotspot and we had an Instagram reel to upload, the kind of task that exposes a bad connection immediately. GigSky's hotspot handled it without any trouble. The upload was fast. After some genuinely rough connections during our recent time in Mexico, that felt like a significant relief.

One more thing worth flagging: the unlimited plan does throttle after 2.5 GB in a day. That's fair. What's not fair with most eSIMs is that they silently throttle you and you spend 20 minutes wondering why your connection suddenly feels like 2008. GigSky sent me a notification. That single small thing saved a lot of frustration.s

Fabio's Airalo was fine in Brooklyn. Not great, just fine. When we were both looking something up on Maps at the same time, I'd consistently get there faster. After the 4th or 5th time, we just stopped using his phone for navigation.

Seastreak Ferry: Manhattan to Belford, NJ

We took the Seastreak Ferry from lower Manhattan to Belford, New Jersey to visit some family. Mid-crossing, over the water between two states, I had 5G the entire ride on GigSky. Fabio dropped to LTE and then it was basically unusable. To be fair, maybe you shouldn't be on your phone on a scenic ferry crossing. But the difference was hard to miss.

Suburban (Borderline Rural) NJ

This is where the gap became genuinely embarrassing for Airalo. My nana lives at the far end of a quiet street in suburban NJ, set pretty far back from everything. I was averaging one bar of 5G on GigSky, which was enough to function normally. Fabio was bouncing between LTE and 3G, sometimes hitting dead zones entirely. For one of the most widely used eSIM brands in the world, that's a frustrating result.

We've had worse experiences with Airalo before, for full context. When we were in Armenia, their eSIM didn't connect at all and support was essentially nonexistent. We got no refund and no real help. That kind of thing stays with you, even when they perform okay on a different trip.

Holafly in LA: The West Coast Data Point

We can't directly compare GigSky and Holafly at the same time, but back in January we used Holafly across Los Angeles and Orange County. It worked fine for most of the trip. There was one stretch where the data got very slow, and even though Holafly officially claims no throttling, their fair use policy clearly kicked in. Their hotspot is also capped at 500 MB to 1 GB per day, which is a real limitation if you're working remotely or need to tether a laptop.

Then there's the price. Holafly's 30-day unlimited is $74.90. GigSky's base unlimited is $74.99, nearly identical. But GigSky regularly runs discounts of 15–25%, which Holafly doesn't match. At 25% off, GigSky drops to $56.24, an $18.66 gap per month for noticeably better performance.

What Makes GigSky Different

Speed and reliability aside, there are a few things about GigSky that I genuinely haven't seen from other providers. These are worth knowing before you buy.

Free Trial (100 MB, No Card Required)

GigSky offers a free trial: 100 MB for 7 days, with no credit card required. Airalo doesn't have this. Holafly doesn't have it. None of the other major eSIM providers I've used offer anything like it.

This is particularly useful if you're landing in the US and just need enough data to get through the airport, book a car, and test the connection before committing to a paid plan. It's also a completely no-stakes way to confirm GigSky works on your device before spending anything.

This isn't available for every country, so make sure to check the site and app (under 'Fixed Data Plans')

Visa Partnership: Free Data and Discounts

This is the feature that surprised me most. If you have a Visa card, check whether you qualify before buying anything.

GigSky has a partnership with Visa that gives eligible cardholders either free data (up to 7 days) in select countries, or a standing discount on all eSIM purchases. The specifics depend on your card type and issuing bank.

My Visa Infinite card (issued by a bank in Germany) gave me 3 days of unlimited data in several regions, including North America, plus 20% off all plans going forward. For a short trip, that's potentially free connectivity from day one. For a longer trip, 20% off is a meaningful saving.

The North America package is especially timely right now. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico this summer, with host cities including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and more. If you're traveling to any of those countries for the World Cup and you have a qualifying Visa card, you may be eligible for free data just to get started, with no purchase necessary. Check your Visa benefits in the GigSky app before you buy a single plan.

GigSky One: The Subscription eSIM

This is where things get interesting for frequent international travelers. Most eSIM providers sell you a one-off plan, you use it, then buy another. GigSky One is a monthly subscription starting at $17/month for 25 GB, usable across 120+ countries with no plan-swapping between borders.

You pay monthly and your data works wherever you are. Going from New York to Toronto to Mexico City for the World Cup? One plan covers all three. I've never seen another major eSIM brand do this. Pangea is exploring a similar model, but GigSky has been at it longer and the country coverage is broader.

For anyone moving between countries frequently, this is clearly where eSIMs are heading.

Niche Plans for Cruises, Ferries, and Flights

Beyond country and regional plans, GigSky offers purpose-built plans for use on cruise ships, ferries, and in-flight. If you're doing an Alaska cruise, a Caribbean sailing trip, or transatlantic long-haul, there are dedicated plans for those scenarios.

It's niche. But when you need it, nothing else comes close.

Add Plans to Your Existing eSIM

A small but useful detail. When your GigSky plan expires, you can add a new plan directly to the same eSIM without purchasing a new one. A lot of eSIM providers make you buy an entirely new eSIM, which adds a step and wastes time. GigSky keeps everything under one profile.

GigSky USA Pricing: How It Compares

Unlimited Plans (30 Days)

At base prices, GigSky ($74.99) sits nearly level with Holafly ($74.90), with Airalo slightly cheaper at $69. But GigSky regularly runs discounts of 15–25% on all plans. At 25% off, the unlimited plan drops to $56.24... cheaper than both. At 15% off, it's $63.74, still cheaper than both. Airalo and Holafly don't discount like that. Check the app before you buy; the gap can be meaningful.

On performance, GigSky won every environment we tested. Airalo's slightly higher daily full-speed cap (3 GB vs 2.5 GB) sounds better on paper, but the actual network quality in Brooklyn and suburban NJ didn't hold up to that promise. Holafly's 500 MB–1 GB/day hotspot cap (if they enact their fair use policy) is a genuine dealbreaker for remote workers.

Fixed Data Plans: GigSky vs Airalo

Holafly doesn't offer fixed data plans for the US, so this comparison is GigSky vs Airalo only.

A few honest takeaways. At base prices, Airalo is cheaper on mid-range and large fixed plans (5 GB, 10 GB, and especially 50 GB). If the absolute lowest sticker price on fixed data is your priority, Airalo is the budget option.

Where GigSky holds its own or wins:

• Free 100 MB trial: no equivalent anywhere else
• Longer validity per tier: GigSky's 1 GB plan gives you 7 days versus Airalo's 3 days. The 3 GB plan gives 15 days versus 7. That means a lower cost-per-day on small plans, even at a higher total price. If you're stretching limited data across a longer stay, GigSky works out cheaper per day.
• 100 GB option: Airalo doesn't offer it. If you need a lot of data spread over 6 months, GigSky is the only option here.
• Unlimited plans with discounts: GigSky's base unlimited ($74.99) is only slightly pricier than Airalo ($69). But with GigSky's regular 15–25% discounts applied, it can drop to $56.24 at 25% off... $12.76/month cheaper than Airalo and $18.66 cheaper than Holafly. Airalo and Holafly don't often run comparable deals.
• Discounts scale with data: The more you buy on GigSky, the bigger the discount. That matters on larger plans and longer stays.
• Throttle and low-data notifications: GigSky alerts you when you're approaching 0 MB on a fixed plan, and when your unlimited plan hits the daily throttle threshold. It sounds minor until you're in the middle of something and your data just stops.

GigSky vs Airalo vs Holafly: The Full Comparison

GigSky wins on almost every dimension that matters for USA travel. Airalo is competitive on some fixed-data pricing and has a slightly broader global country count. Holafly's fair-use unlimited can work fine for lighter city use. But for reliability across varied environments, unique features, and value on unlimited plans, GigSky is the one to get.

Customer Support

All three brands offer live chat with real agents during business hours. Outside those windows, you'll be talking to a bot or browsing the help center. GigSky's hours are the most generous, only closed from 1 AM to 8 AM UTC, which covers most of the world during waking hours.

I tested the chat experience recently across all three. The flow was roughly the same: automated bot first, then handoff to a human agent with a reasonably quick turnaround. No dramatic differences in response quality on a routine inquiry.

The bigger picture, though: Airalo's support failed us badly during our Armenia trip a few years back. The eSIM didn't connect at all, we reached out multiple times, and got no meaningful help and no refund. That kind of experience stays in the memory longer than a routine chat interaction. GigSky and Holafly haven't done anything like that to us.

App Experience

GigSky's app is well-organized. Your active plan shows up immediately on the home screen. If you're on a fixed-data plan, it shows exactly how much data you have remaining in real time. Customer support is one tap away. The Visa benefits section is accessible directly in the app without needing to go anywhere else.

Airalo's app is equally polished and arguably has a slight edge for browsing and discovering plans. Day-to-day usage differences are minimal between the two.

Holafly manages things primarily via their website rather than a dedicated management app, which works but feels less seamless than GigSky or Airalo when you need to check something quickly.

Pros and Cons

Who Should (and Shouldn't) Use GigSky for the USA

GigSky is for you if:

• You're visiting the US and want a reliable connection from the moment you land (start with the free 100 MB trial, no card needed)
• You're a digital nomad or remote worker who needs hotspot for a laptop
• You're traveling to the US, Canada, or Mexico for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and want one North America plan covering all three countries
• You have a Visa card and want to check whether you qualify for free data or a discount before buying anything
• You need unlimited data for a month and want the best value: GigSky's base price ($74.99) is competitive, and with regular 15–25% discounts it typically undercuts both Airalo and Holafly
• You'll be moving between varied environments: dense city, suburban areas, ferries, or anywhere coverage tends to get patchy
• You want a subscription-style eSIM that works across 120+ countries without swapping plans (GigSky One)

GigSky probably isn't the pick if:

• You only need 5–50 GB of data and cost per GB is your absolute top priority (Airalo is slightly cheaper on those specific tiers)
• You already have a local US SIM that's working well
• You're doing a very short, single-city trip and the free trial covers everything you need

FAQ

Final Verdict

GigSky is the best eSIM card for USA travel in 2026. It's not just the cheapest unlimited option of the three we tested. It's the most reliable connection we had across every environment: Brooklyn's dense urban grid, a ferry between Manhattan and New Jersey, and genuinely rural/suburban NJ where Airalo dropped to unusable 3G.

The extras matter too. A free 100 MB trial with no card required is genuinely rare and useful for anyone just landing. The Visa partnership, especially the North America package ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer, is something no other major eSIM brand is offering. And GigSky One, for travelers constantly crossing borders, is ahead of where the rest of the industry currently sits.

If you want something simple: the 30-day unlimited is $74.99 at base, but GigSky regularly runs 15–25% discounts. Check the app before you buy... if a discount is active, it can drop as low as $56. If you have a Visa card: check your benefits first in the app. You might not need to pay anything at all for a short visit.

Tested in Brooklyn, NY; Belford, NJ; and suburban New Jersey. Holafly also tested in Los Angeles and Orange County in January 2026. Prices shown are base rates as of May 2026. GigSky regularly offers 15–25% discounts (more data = bigger discount); always check the app for current pricing before buying.