POVNOMAD vs Airalo vs Holafly: Egypt eSIM Comparison

Last updated on 11 October 2026

For Egypt, POVNOMAD, Airalo, and Holafly each offer Unlimited eSIMs that differ quite a bit: POVNOMAD is the only provider with two networks in its portfolio (Etisalat and Orange), Airalo now names Vodafone, Holafly Orange. POVNOMAD and Airalo state both the daily high-speed threshold and the speed afterwards for their Unlimited plans, Holafly states neither. This comparison shows all Unlimited prices as of 31 August 2026, with Airalo prices and networks re-checked on 30 September 2026.

The comparison at a glance

Prices collected on 31 August 2026 from povnomad.com, airalo.com, and esim.holafly.com/de (Egypt product pages, EUR), re-checked on 30 September 2026: POVNOMAD and Holafly unchanged, Airalo higher. The Airalo column shows the prices of 30 September 2026; on 31 August 2026 it read €17.50, €25.50, €28.50, €31.00, €43.50 and €80.00. “—” = POVNOMAD Unlimited stops at 15 days; for stays beyond 15 days, POVNOMAD’s data packages are usually cheaper, for example 20 GB for 30 days from €28.90. High-speed data per day: POVNOMAD Smart 1 GB, POVNOMAD L 2 GB, then uninterrupted 1 Mbit/s in each case; Airalo states 3 GB of high-speed data per day followed by 1 Mbit/s in its package description (as of 30 September 2026); Holafly states neither a threshold nor a throttled speed. Prices are subject to change.

For context: in the POVNOMAD price study 2026 across 95 countries, the median for one week of unlimited data was €9.90 (as of 5 September 2026).

The network difference: one network or two

On 31 August 2026, Airalo named the Orange network for Egypt plus an “additional” carrier that Airalo did not name on its product page. When we checked again on 30 September 2026, Airalo named only Vodafone (4G). Holafly lists only Orange (MobiNil) for Egypt. Of the three providers, POVNOMAD is the only one whose Egypt packages name two networks: Etisalat and Orange, depending on the package chosen, both with 4G/5G. Having two networks in the portfolio means more choice if one of the two networks has weaker reception in a particular location. Which Egyptian network suits a local SIM card and what you need to buy one is covered in Egypt SIM Card for Tourists. Actual network coverage on the ground can be checked independently on the nPerf coverage map.

What “unlimited” means with each provider

The word “unlimited” says little on its own unless it’s clear when and how much throttling kicks in. For Unlimited Smart and Unlimited L, POVNOMAD states both figures: the daily high-speed threshold (1 GB or 2 GB) and the speed afterwards (uninterrupted 1 Mbit/s). On 31 August 2026, Airalo stated only the daily threshold of 3 GB of high-speed data; on 30 September 2026 its package description also names the speed afterwards, 1 Mbit/s. For Egypt, Holafly states neither a daily threshold nor a throttled speed, instead pointing generally to the carriers’ fair-usage policies, whose throttling, according to Holafly, lasts “at most one day”.

One example of how quickly such details can change: Holafly’s own German comparison page is dated 31 July 2026 and states there that Airalo doesn’t offer unlimited data for Egypt. When checked a month later, on 31 August 2026, Airalo’s own website demonstrably lists Unlimited packages for Egypt. Above all, that shows one thing: with provider comparisons, the date matters, not just the claim itself.

Which plan for which trip

For a one-week beach holiday in Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh with plenty of time on hotel Wi-Fi, Unlimited Smart for 7 days (€18.90) is usually enough; if you also stream or navigate a lot while out and about, go for Unlimited L for 7 days (€35.90). For a two-week tour, say with stops in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, Unlimited Smart for 15 days (€39.90) covers the whole trip without a gap; for more on the individual regions, see the Egypt regional guide. For longer stays beyond 15 days, for example on multi-week trips with moderate data needs, POVNOMAD’s data packages up to 20 GB for 30 days (€28.90) work out cheaper than a second Unlimited period — you find all packages on the Egypt eSIM page.

Staying two to four weeks on the Red Sea, for example over the winter? Our guide Winter on the Red Sea: eSIM for 2 to 4 Weeks works out 14, 21 and 28 days with a data plan, two unlimited eSIMs, Airalo and Holafly (as of 30 September 2026).

Frequently asked questions

We ran the same comparison for neighbouring Tunisia: Tunisia eSIM with unlimited data: POVNOMAD vs Airalo vs Holafly (as of 4 September 2026).

Prices as of 31 August 2026, Airalo prices and network as of 30 September 2026. On 30 September 2026 we re-checked the Egypt prices and networks of all three providers: POVNOMAD and Holafly unchanged, Airalo higher and now on Vodafone instead of Orange. Sources: povnomad.com, airalo.com, esim.holafly.com/de. Prices are subject to change.