Airalo vs The SIM Shop: the plans and prices are closer than they first look

What Airalo does well, and it is a real list

They are the biggest catalogue in the category. If you are going somewhere unusual, they will probably have it and we may not. That is a genuine advantage and it is the main reason to use them.

They name networks. On their Japan page they name SoftBank as the primary network with an indication of at least one other. On Indonesia they name a Hutchison network with the same indication. Plenty of providers never tell you whose network you are on, so this is worth crediting.

Their unlimited plans have a published fair use policy. Their policy states there is “no limit on tethering or the number of devices you connect”, and that once more than 3GB is used in a 24 hour period, speed reduces to 1 Mbps for the remainder of that period before resetting. Both numbers published, plainly. That tethering line in particular is unusually generous and is worth money if you run a laptop off your phone.

They run a real loyalty programme. Airmoney is tiered by lifetime spend from 5% to 10%, with a localised A$5 referral for Australia.

And on price, they do beat us on some rows. Their Europe Standard plan with 10GB over 30 days was A$44.50. Our closest broad-footprint fixed plan, EU-42, was A$49.95. Our smaller options were A$24.95 without France and A$29.95 with France and Turkey. On Japan and Indonesia, our 10GB plans were cheaper. The useful answer changes by destination.

The 35-area plan does not include France. If Paris or anywhere else in France is on your itinerary, take Europe 30+ Areas instead: it covers 34 destinations including France and Turkey, and 10GB over 30 days is A$29.95. The 35-area list also leaves out Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands.

What the Australian pages actually showed

We check competitors by loading their public pages and reading what is on them. The first capture came from outside Australia and showed US dollars. We checked again from an Australian browser before publishing, and Airalo served Australian dollars. These are the fixed-data prices we could verify directly.

Japan and Indonesia were cheaper with us. In Europe, Airalo beat our closest broad-footprint plan, while both of our smaller-footprint plans cost less. Airalo’s Unlimited plans are a different product again, starting at A$16.50 for three days in Japan and Europe and A$16.00 in Indonesia when checked. If that is the shape you want, compare the fair use rule as well as the headline price.

We have set out why this matters more than people expect in travel eSIMs priced in Australian dollars.

Our prices, in full, in the currency you pay in

No conversion, no selector, no ambiguity. Checked 1 September 2026.

The SIM Shop is not registered for GST, so GST is not charged, and the checkout total is the amount we charge you.

Being straight about the bottom of that table. Our Asia 20 Areas plan at A$59.95 and our EU-42 plan at A$49.95 are not our most competitive rows. If a wide regional plan is what you need, compare carefully rather than taking our word for it.

Where the two products actually differ

On loyalty, a fair comparison rather than a flattering one

Airalo’s Airmoney is tiered from 5% at entry to 10% at Platinum by lifetime spend, with a localised A$5 referral for Australian customers. That is a well-built programme and at high spend it pays more than ours.

SIM Shop Credit is store credit in Australian dollars, earned at 5% of eligible spend after discounts, capped at A$10 on an ordinary order or A$15 where the order has at least three eSIMs, and it expires twelve months after it is created.

Both expire and we are not going to imply otherwise. The difference that is actually true is the currency: ours is in Australian dollars, so it is worth the same when you spend it as when you earned it. That is a narrow advantage, and narrow is what it is.

Where we think we are genuinely better

Our catalogue is Australian dollars throughout. Airalo also served Australian dollars to our Australian browser, so there was no currency disadvantage in this check. With us there is no selector to manage and the number on the page is the number at checkout.

You are dealing with an Australian business. The SIM Shop Pty Ltd, ABN 50 699 035 704 and ACN 699 035 704, in Brisbane, under Australian law. Airalo’s terms place disputes under the courts of England and Wales. Australian Consumer Law protects you either way; the difference is how hard those rights are to exercise.

The plan detail is on the page. Data, validity, hotspot support, when the plan starts and the supported networks, before you pay rather than after.

Support is email, answered by me. For a business this size that is an advantage, not a limitation.

Public policies. Our refund policy and Credit terms are pages you can read before buying.

Where Airalo is genuinely better

Catalogue. If you are going somewhere we do not cover, this is not a close call.

Unlimited, if that is what you want. We do not sell it in that shape.

Tethering in writing. Their fair use policy states no limit on tethering or device count. Ours is supported on compatible devices and draws on the plan’s data, which is a different and less generous position for someone running a laptop all day.

Independent review presence. They are a global brand with years of trading. We are not listed on ProductReview.com.au, and our Trustpilot profile at au.trustpilot.com/review/thesimshop.com.au, claimed in June 2026, had no reviews when we checked on 27 August 2026. Those are two different platforms and we would rather state each accurately than blur them.

Which should you buy

Buy Airalo if you are going somewhere we do not cover, you want unlimited rather than a fixed amount, you will be tethering heavily, or their matching fixed plan is cheaper for your trip.

Buy from us if your data use is ordinary, you want the number on the page to be the number on your statement, you want an Australian company on the contract, or you want to see the whole plan before paying.

Either way, check the exact plan and final checkout total. Airalo’s site can localise, and both companies can change prices after the date above.

Questions people actually ask

Does Airalo charge in Australian dollars?

Yes. Their Japan, Indonesia and Europe pages served Australian dollars to our Australian browser on 1 September 2026. The site can localise, so still check the currency at checkout.

Is Airalo cheaper than The SIM Shop?

It depends on the destination and plan. At 10GB over 30 days we were cheaper for Japan and Indonesia when checked, while Airalo was cheaper than our closest broad-footprint Europe plan.

Does Airalo still sell fixed data plans?

Yes. Unlimited is the first tab, but Standard fixed-data plans were available on the Japan, Indonesia and Europe pages when we checked from Australia.

Which one names the network?

Both, in different ways. Airalo names a primary network with an indication of others. We publish supported networks on the plan itself where our supplier evidence supports it, and they vary by plan.

What happens when Airalo’s unlimited runs out?

It does not run out, but after more than 3GB in a 24 hour period the speed reduces to 1 Mbps for the rest of that period, then resets. Their fair use policy publishes both figures.

Can I get a refund from either?

Both publish refund policies. Airalo’s process and its self-service limits are set out in how an Airalo refund works. Ours is at our refund policy.

Do I keep my Australian number with either?

Yes. A travel eSIM installs as a second line, so your Australian SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts. Turn data roaming off on that line before you go.

Sources

Airalo plan structure, Australian-dollar prices, network naming and country footprint from their own live pages in an Australian browser, checked 1 September 2026: Japan, Indonesia and Europe. Fixed-data prices were read from the Standard tab, not converted. Fair use, tethering wording and the 3GB and 1 Mbps figures from Airalo’s unlimited data fair use policy, checked 1 September 2026. Governing law from Airalo’s Terms of Use. Airmoney tiers and the A$5 Australian referral from Airalo’s published loyalty and referral pages. The SIM Shop prices from our own live product catalogue, checked 1 September 2026, with methodology in travel eSIM prices in Australia. GST position per the Australian Business Register, checked 1 September 2026. SIM Shop Credit terms from our published terms. Review positions from ProductReview.com.au and our Trustpilot profile, checked 27 August 2026.

Written by Lachlan, who runs The SIM Shop from Brisbane and answers the support email himself.