Airalo vs Orange: Which eSIM provider is better?

If you’re looking for the best eSIM service, two names you’re likely to come across are Airalo and Orange. Launched in 2019, Airalo is one of the most popular eSIM providers today. It stands out for its affordability and global coverage.

On the other hand, Orange is one of the world’s top telecom companies and was one of the first network operators to launch an eSIM service.

So, which is the better service, Airalo or Orange? We’ve conducted extensive tests on both, and in this article, we’ll compare the Airalo vs Orange eSIM services to help you decide which eSIM to get.

Airalo vs Orange: Overall comparison

Airalo and Orange have some similar features, but they have key differences. The table below shows a side-by-side comparison of both services.

While there are many similarities between these two eSIM providers, Airalo excels in many ways over Orange. For example, its coverage stretches over 200 countries and regions, while Orange’s eSIM only works in 100+ countries. And, despite having a more extensive network, Airalo is also way cheaper than Orange.

Airalo offers more flexible plans compared to Orange. In most countries, Orange offers only one eSIM plan — usually a 14-day plan — and it only has a regional plan for travelers visiting Europe. In contrast, Airalo has multiple plans (with different durations) for every country in which it operates and regional plans for every part of the world. Airalo even has multiple global plans.

Both providers support calls and texts. Airalo supports calling and texting on its Discover+ Global plan, while Orange supports calls and texts on its all-inclusive plans (primarily available in Europe).

However, because of Airalo’s affordability and wide network coverage, including 24/7 customer support, it is the overall winner.

Winner

Get Airalo from $4.50/month

Airalo vs Orange: Data plans and pricing

Airalo is far more affordable than Orange, according to our Airalo review. Hence, it’s a better option if you’re on a budget. The table below shows Airalo vs Orange prices for some of the most popular travel destinations.

The price difference between Airalo vs Orange is staggering. Orange is more than thrice as expensive as Airalo in some locations, although Airalo’s plan is a day longer.

Now, let’s compare the payment methods these eSIM providers accept:

Orange’s payment options are limited compared to Airalo, which is much more flexible. Besides the aforementioned payment methods, Airalo also accepts AliPay (via the mobile app) and Airmoney (Airalo’s reward currency). Plus, you can buy an Airalo plan with crypto using third-party services.

The clear winner in this category is Airalo because of its wider range of payment options and the good prices it offers for its plans in most-visited countries.

Winner

Get Airalo

Airalo vs Orange: Speed & coverage

Browsing the internet at slow speeds can be frustrating, especially when you’re traveling and need to get in touch with someone quickly or access translation services. Network coverage is another thing to consider when choosing the best eSIM provider. It can be equally frustrating to find yourself in parts of a country where your eSIM service doesn’t work or is unstable. Hence, we took a deep dive into Airalo’s and Orange’s average speeds and network coverage.

Average speed

The average speed of an eSIM service may vary from country to country, depending on the local carrier and network quality. Generally, 5G and 4G are much faster than 3G and LTE. But, even with a 5G connection, network congestion may result in slower speeds.

Airalo and Orange both support 5G and 4G, so their speeds are comparable. Airalo partners with top carriers across the world, ensuring users enjoy high-speed internet at all times.

As one of the leading telecom companies in the world, Orange’s huge network is an advantage; the company operates in several countries. Orange also partners with reputable carriers in countries it doesn’t officially operate to provide connectivity to eSIM users.

Coverage

Airalo is available in more than 200 countries and regions spread over five continents. Orange offers local eSIM plans for half as many countries. This comprehensive global coverage sets Airalo apart from Orange.

If you’re visiting popular travel destinations like Italy, Japan, France, Spain, and the USA, you won’t have a problem finding eSIM plans from both Airalo and Orange. However, if you’re visiting less popular destinations like Belarus or Cuba, there’s a higher chance Airalo will have a plan for you and Orange won’t.

Plus, Airalo has regional plans for Africa, the Caribbean Islands, Latin America, North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa, while Orange only offers regional coverage in Europe.

Even though Airalo and Orange offer similar speeds, Airalo will be the winning eSIM in this category as it offers wider coverage.

Winner

Get Airalo

Airalo vs Orange: User experience & customer support

Airalo and Orange are equally easy to use; purchasing a plan and activating your eSIM is relatively straightforward. Both eSIM services have user-friendly apps with a similar outline. Let’s take a closer look at the user experience of Orange and Airalo.

User experience

Like most eSIMs, you can purchase an Airalo or Orange eSIM plan from their respective websites and apps. You’ll receive a QR code in your email. Scanning this QR code initiates the eSIM profile installation. Both eSIM providers do a good job of detailing the steps users need to go through to install and activate their eSIMs.

While you can purchase an eSIM plan and top-up via the Airalo and Orange app, Airalo shows your data consumption and sends a notification when your data is running low. Orange doesn’t do this. This is one of the things we didn’t like with the Orange Travel app.

Customer service

Airalo offers 24/7 customer support. You can reach Airalo’s customer support staff directly through the app. You can either opt for live chat or send an email explaining the issue you’re experiencing. Airalo’s customer support team has a reputation for attending to users’ issues quickly.

Orange customer service staff are only available via email from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. CET daily. Orange also has a live chat feature on its app. However, we didn’t get a response while testing the service for this review. We also found complaints about slow response times and unclear instructions from Orange’s customer service team.

Thankfully, Airalo and Orange have a rich knowledge base and FAQ pages on their sites, with answers to questions most users are likely to encounter.

Because of Airalo’s option for 24/7 customer support and data notification alerts in its app, Airalo takes the win in this category too.

Winner

Get Airalo

Airalo vs Orange: Additional features

Airalo and Orange have many additional features compared to many eSIM services available today. Both Airalo and Orange allow users to share their connection with others via Wi-Fi hotspots. This can be handy when you’re traveling with a group. These two eSIM services also support voice calls and text messaging.

You can easily top up your eSIM if you run out of data via the Airalo and Orange app. While the Airalo app shows your data consumption, Orange doesn’t, so it can be tricky to know when to top up.

Another way Airalo stands out is its offline mode feature, which allows users to use the Airalo app without any internet connection and access information about how to set up and activate their eSIMs.

Winner

Get Airalo

Conclusion: Which eSIM is better?

Based on our in-depth guide above, Airalo is the clear winner in the battle of Airalo vs Orange. However, both Airalo and Orange are excellent eSIM services.

While Airalo is more affordable, has a wider network coverage, and comes with a few key features (like offline mode and data consumption tracking) that the Orange app is missing, Orange is a trusted name in the telecom industry. It also offers many of the same features as Airalo, like easy top-up, support for calls and texts, and data sharing.

Ultimately, your preferred eSIM comes down to your specific needs and budget. We recommend looking at which eSIM is best suited to meet your needs and opting for it.

Winner

Get Airalo

FAQ