On October 18, 2026, Airalo’s unlimited Colombia plans cost less than Holafly’s at every length from 3 to 30 days. At Colombia Desk, we help foreigners plan trips and moves to Medellín and Bogotá, and getting a phone connected on arrival is part of that.
Pick Holafly instead if you want refunds paid back to your card, and pick Airalo if you need to share more than 1GB a day over hotspot.
Which eSIM to Buy for Colombia
Airalo is the better buy for most short-term visitors because its plans cost less at every length and allow more hotspot data by default. The table below lists both sets of prices as seen on October 18, 2026 on Airalo’s Colombia eSIM page and the Holafly Colombia eSIM page. Airalo’s fair use policy gives 3GB a day at full speed by default, and you can share that data by hotspot. A package can state a different threshold in its details. Holafly caps hotspot sharing at 1GB a day.
Holafly’s Colombia plans include no Colombian phone number, and every Airalo Colombia plan shown on October 18, 2026 was data-only. You call over WhatsApp or FaceTime instead of making a standard call or sending an SMS.
| Feature or Plan Term | Airalo (Colombia) | Holafly (Colombia) |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Type | Unlimited data | Unlimited data |
| 3-Day Price (USD) | $12.50 | $13.50 |
| 5-Day Price (USD) | $19.50 | $20.90 |
| 7-Day Price (USD) | $27.50 | $28.50 |
| 10-Day Price (USD) | $34.50 | $37.50 |
| 15-Day Price (USD) | $48.50 | $51.50 |
| 30-Day Price (USD) | $92.00 | $100.50 |
| High-Speed Allowance | 3GB per day default | Unspecified by GB (operator-dependent) |
| Throttle Speed | 1 Mbps after daily allowance | Not published (slowdown lasts up to 1 day) |
| Hotspot Capability | Allowed from daily allowance (no stated device cap) | Capped at 1GB per day |
| Local Partner Network | Not named on Airalo’s Colombia page | Listed as “Telefonica” |
| Local Phone Number | None shown (all listed plans data-only) | None (Data only) |
| In-Plan Top-Ups | Available when listed for your eSIM | No top-ups; must purchase new profile |
| Refund Window | Until the eSIM expires or its data is used up (request in app) | Up to 6 months from purchase date |
| Refund Payment Type | Airmoney credit (or original method for defects) | Original payment method |
| Profile Installation | App direct install, QR code, or manual code | App auto-install (iOS), QR code, manual |
Holafly suits you if your plans might change and you want money back on your card instead of store credit. Holafly’s refund page gives you up to 6 months from purchase to ask, and the money goes back to your original payment method. Airalo pays change-of-plans refunds only as Airmoney credit.
Neither eSIM is the right buy if you will spend several months in Colombia as a resident or digital nomad. For a long stay, our guide on how to get a Colombian phone number covers buying a local SIM, and the best eSIM for Colombia guide compares more eSIMs.
The pick flips to Holafly if your Airalo package details show a full-speed threshold below 3GB a day, or if you expect to cancel and want the money back on your card.
Airalo vs Holafly Price by Trip Length
These prices were listed on October 18, 2026, and travel eSIM prices change often, so check Airalo’s Colombia page and Holafly’s Colombia page before you buy.
Holafly costs $1.00 to $8.50 more at every length:
- 3 Days: Airalo charges $12.50; Holafly charges $13.50 ($1.00 difference).
- 5 Days: Airalo charges $19.50; Holafly charges $20.90 ($1.40 difference).
- 7 Days: Airalo charges $27.50; Holafly charges $28.50 ($1.00 difference).
- 10 Days: Airalo charges $34.50; Holafly charges $37.50 ($3.00 difference).
- 15 Days: Airalo charges $48.50; Holafly charges $51.50 ($3.00 difference).
- 30 Days: Airalo charges $92.00; Holafly charges $100.50 ($8.50 difference).
Holafly’s selector also showed a 1-day plan at €5.90 (priced in euros only), so a one-day stopover does not need a 3-day plan. Holafly’s Colombia page FAQ says plans run from 1 to 90 days. Airalo’s Colombia page also showed regional plans from $7.00 (Latin America) and $8.50 (Global). The page did not show the data amount or validity of those regional plans, so open each regional plan on Airalo’s Colombia page before comparing it with Airalo’s Colombia-only plans.
For stays longer than 15 days, a 30-day plan costs $92.00 on Airalo or $100.50 on Holafly. At that length, price a local Claro, Movistar or Tigo SIM first; our guide on how to get a Colombian phone number covers the steps.
Airalo vs Holafly Speed Limits and Hotspot Caps
According to the Airalo Unlimited Data Plans Fair Use Policy, unlimited plans get 3GB of high-speed data every 24 hours by default. A package with a different threshold states it in its package details. Once you use that daily allowance, speeds drop to 1 Mbps until the 24-hour cycle resets, counted from the time you activated your eSIM. The fair use terms prohibit commercial reselling, SIM farms, and peer-to-peer (P2P) or server hosting. If Airalo reasonably believes you have broken the fair use terms, it can restrict, suspend, or terminate the package without a refund.
Holafly’s FAQ on unlimited data policies does not give an exact daily gigabyte threshold. Holafly says a local operator may slow your speed after heavy use, and that the slowdown lasts no more than one day. The operator sets that limit and Holafly does not publish it, so you get no daily figure to plan around. If you need a published daily figure, Airalo’s fair use policy gives 3GB a day by default.
Airalo and Holafly set different hotspot limits:
- Airalo Hotspot: Airalo’s fair use policy allows hotspot use and does not state a cap on tethering or on the number of devices. All tethered data counts toward your daily high-speed allowance (3GB by default).
- Holafly Hotspot: Tethering is capped at 1GB of shareable data per day while the phone itself keeps unlimited data, so a 7-day plan gives a laptop up to 7GB in total.
Partner Networks in Colombia
On its Colombia page, Holafly lists its network provider as “Telefonica”. Holafly’s page does not name Movistar, but Telefónica is the company behind the Movistar brand in Colombia, so our reading is that Holafly uses the Movistar network. Holafly’s Colombia page says its eSIM connects to 5G where available as well as 4G and LTE. Holafly does not confirm 5G in Colombia, so plan on 4G and LTE speeds.
In our October 18, 2026 check, Airalo’s Colombia page did not name its local network and showed only a field for the primary network the eSIM uses. Open the package details on Airalo’s Colombia page and read the Network line before you buy.
Before you buy either eSIM, check whether your phone will work in Colombia.
Phone Numbers and Calls
The Airalo Help Center guidance on calls and texts says only some Airalo eSIMs include calls and texts, and many are data-only. Check the Plan Type field (“Data Only” vs “Data, Voice & Text”) on Airalo’s Colombia page before checkout. Airalo’s help center adds that local packages with calls and texts do not support international calls or texts, so you could not call home on one.
Holafly’s Colombia page says the plan “does not include a local phone number for traditional phone calls or text messages”, and Holafly’s calling FAQ says calls go through WhatsApp or FaceTime instead.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal calls still work on Airalo’s data-only eSIMs. Delivery services may ask for a local Colombian number, which neither eSIM provided in our check.
If you need local calls or a +57 number for banking and deliveries, see our detailed walkthrough on how to get a Colombian phone number.
Plan Terms Beyond Price
Plan Top-Ups
Airalo sells top-ups, and Holafly does not:
- Airalo: Airalo’s Colombia page says “When available, you’ll find top-up packages for your eSIM before and after purchase”, so you can add data to the same eSIM instead of buying a new one.
- Holafly: The Holafly FAQ on eSIM top-ups confirms that standard reloads are no longer supported. To keep data going, buy a new Holafly eSIM about 24 hours before your current plan expires.
Unlocked Phone Requirement
Airalo requires a network-unlocked phone: its carrier-locked troubleshooting guide says “eSIMs can only be installed on network unlocked devices”. A carrier that just unlocked your phone may disable eSIM support for a while, so get your phone unlocked well before your flight.
Holafly’s Colombia page does not state an unlocked requirement, but it offers a full refund if your phone turns out to be incompatible or locked.
Installation and Activation Timing
Airalo’s iOS installation guide says you can install the eSIM in the Airalo app (My eSIMs > Install), or by QR code or manual entry from “Share and more”. Choose “Connect Later” if you are not in Colombia yet. Most Airalo validity periods start only when the eSIM connects to a network in coverage. In rare cases validity starts at installation, so read the package details on Airalo’s Colombia page before you install early.
Holafly sends its profile QR code by email, while iOS devices running version 17.4 or newer can run automatic profile setup. Per Holafly’s activation timing terms, package validity starts when data roaming connects in your arrival country. On iOS 16.4 and later, installing the Holafly eSIM may also activate it, so on those iPhones wait to install it until you reach Colombia. Holafly’s Colombia page states profiles cannot be reinstalled once installed, so do not delete the eSIM from your phone mid-trip.
Refund Policies
Airalo and Holafly pay refunds in different forms:
- Airalo Policies: According to the Airalo refund terms, refunds for a wrong purchase or changed plans are paid only as Airmoney credit. For installation problems or an eSIM that does not work, you can choose Airmoney or your original payment method, which takes 7 to 10 business days and can take up to 30 days. An Airalo eSIM you have not installed yet is transferable, so a cancelled trip need not waste it.
- Holafly Policies: Holafly accepts refund requests up to 6 months from the purchase date. Refunds can be total or partial depending on usage, and they go back to your original payment method within 5 to 10 business days.
Nomad and Ubigi for Colombia
Nomad sells only fixed-data packages for Colombia, with no unlimited plan. On October 18, 2026, Nomad’s Colombia eSIM page listed these packages:
- 1GB valid for 7 days: $4.00
- 3GB valid for 30 days: $9.50
- 5GB valid for 30 days: $15.00
- 10GB valid for 30 days: $25.00
- 20GB valid for 30 days: $39.00
Nomad lists its partner network as Movistar and says its eSIMs support personal hotspot. Profiles must be activated within 60 days of purchase, so buy a Nomad eSIM no more than 60 days before your trip. If 3GB a month covers your use, Nomad’s $9.50 3GB, 30-day package costs about a tenth of a 30-day unlimited plan from Airalo ($92.00) or Holafly ($100.50).
Ubigi sells both fixed-GB and unlimited Colombia plans, and its Unlimited 7-day plan runs on Movistar and Tigo. On October 18, 2026, the Ubigi Colombia 1GB plan cost $6.00 for 7 days. The 1GB plan can be topped up in the Ubigi app. The Ubigi Colombia Unlimited 7-day plan costs $29.00 and gives 20GB at full speed, then slows to 2 Mbps. Ubigi requires an unlocked device, and the 1GB plan expires if not activated within 6 months. The Unlimited 7-day plan costs $1.50 more than Airalo’s 7-day plan, and its 2 Mbps slowdown speed is double Airalo’s 1 Mbps.
When a Local Physical SIM Card Beats Both Options
For a trip of a week or two, either eSIM covers you: a 7-day plan costs $27.50 on Airalo or $28.50 on Holafly.
If you are staying for months, or need a +57 number for WhatsApp, banking and deliveries, get a local Claro, Movistar or Tigo SIM instead. Our guide on how to get a Colombian phone number covers the steps, and the best eSIM for Colombia guide compares the wider field.
If you are moving to Medellín or Bogotá and want help getting your phone line and the rest of your move set up, contact us or see how the relocation concierge works.