Best eSIM for the Philippines

Prices in the Philippines

Saily and Airalo are a cent apart on the plan most people buy; Holafly’s only plans are unlimited. How the three providers compare across all fifteen destinations is in our main eSIM comparison.

Which network you get

The two big Philippine networks are split between the providers:

• Airalo shows Smart as its network. It does not state 5G or hotspot terms on the page.
• Holafly runs on Globe, with 5G where available and hotspot sharing capped at 1 GB a day. Its page warns about inland Palawan, Banaue and Batad, parts of Siargao and inter-island boats.
• Saily does not name its network; it states 5G depending on the local provider and hotspot use with no restrictions.

Buying a local SIM instead

The SIM Registration Act (Republic Act 11934) applies to tourists, and it is the reason a local SIM is a short-term option.

• Globe’s Prepaid Traveler SIM is sold “at the arrival area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminals 1 and 3, Clark International Airport, and Mactan-Cebu International Airport”: 30 GB for ₱750 over 15 days, 80 GB for ₱1,500 over 30 days, with calls and texts to all networks; add ₱99 for an eSIM. A Traveler eSIM is also sold in the GlobeOne app (80 GB, ₱1,750, 30 days) and registered on arrival.
• Under the Act, a foreign tourist registers with passport, proof of a Philippine address and a return or departure ticket, and the SIM “shall only be valid temporarily for thirty (30) days”, deactivating automatically unless a visa extension is presented. Globe’s own blog repeats the 30-day limit.
• Smart’s traveller product page was not available when we checked; its registration portal is simreg.smart.com.ph.

Before you land

For a stay under a month either route works; for longer, the travel eSIM avoids the 30-day deactivation.

• Install on Wi-Fi at home; Airalo allows 365 days from purchase to start, Saily 180.
• These are data-only plans. Keep your home SIM active for the text messages your bank and your airline send, with data roaming switched off on it.
• Airalo’s page says its Philippines eSIM “covers the main islands, including Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Boracay”.
• Carry your onward reservation in a form that opens without a connection: the check-in desk asks for it before the eSIM is on. The Philippines’s onward-ticket rules are on their own page, and the free checker covers your passport.