Global Starlink vs Holafly: Unlimited or Fixed Data for Asia? (November 2026)

This is a price check, not a review. On 11 November 2026 we read the list prices for Asia travel eSIMs on Holafly's own website and on our own, in Australian dollars, as shown to a visitor before checkout. Any taxes or fees added at checkout were not verified. We are Global Starlink and we sell travel eSIMs, so read this knowing who wrote it. Prices change, sometimes without notice, so please check both websites before you buy.

Two different ways to sell data

Holafly and Global Starlink do not sell the same kind of plan, and that matters more than any single price.

Holafly sells unlimited data priced per day. You choose any trip length from 1 to 90 days and the price rises with the number of days. The plans are data only, with no phone number, and they cannot be topped up. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a supported network. Its website says a fair usage policy may apply "for no more than one (1) day", and it does not publish a gigabyte threshold or a reduced speed.

We sell fixed allowances. You choose a data size and a set length, usually 3, 7, 15 or 30 days. There are two exceptions in this article. For Thailand, two of our DTAC options are unlimited. For Vietnam, the Viettel option gives 5GB of data every day instead of one pool for the whole trip.

So the honest question is not "which provider costs less". It is: will you use more data than a fixed plan gives you? As a rough guide from our Japan page, heavy use of maps, translation and social apps averages about 1GB a day. Hotspotting a laptop or streaming video takes you well past that. If you know you stay under a fixed allowance, you are paying for unlimited data you will not use. If you do not know, or you know you go over, unlimited removes the guesswork.

Price tables: Holafly next to our plans

Each table shows Holafly's list price for 7, 15 and 30 days, next to every plan we sell of the same length, with its data allowance. These are not identical products. The Holafly column is unlimited data. Our column is a fixed allowance unless the cell says otherwise.

Japan

Our Japan eSIM runs on IIJmio with 5G/4G data. When the full-speed allowance is used you are not cut off: data continues at 256 kbps until the plan ends. Validity starts on the first network connection in Japan, and no ID is needed. See all Japan eSIM plans.

China

The prices in our column are for the mainland China eSIM, which connects to China Unicom, China Telecom or China Mobile and does not work in Hong Kong or Macau. After the high-speed allowance is used, data continues at 128 kbps. Validity starts on the first network connection at your destination, and no ID is needed. The combined mainland, Hong Kong and Macau plan is in our China eSIM collection.

Thailand

Thailand is the one destination here where both providers list an unlimited plan, so the 10-day and 15-day rows are the closest to a like-for-like comparison. We added a 10-day row because our Thailand eSIM has no 30-day option. Three details from our Thailand page are worth knowing. The DTAC 35GB (7 Days) and DTAC Unlimited (10 Days) allowances are a promotion for eSIMs activated by 31 December 2026, and revert to 15GB and 50GB after that date. Validity starts on the first QR code scan, even outside Thailand, so do not install it days ahead. And every option comes with a Thai (+66) number that receives SMS. Compare the options in our Thailand eSIM collection.

Vietnam

We do not sell a plan described as unlimited for Vietnam. The Viettel option gives a new 5GB each day, which is up to 35GB over 7 days, 75GB over 15 days and 150GB over 30 days. The Vinaphone plans are a single pool of data for 30 days. As with Thailand, validity starts when the QR code is first scanned, so install it shortly before you depart or when you arrive. Both options are in our Vietnam eSIM collection.

South Korea

Our South Korea eSIM runs on LG U+ with 5G and 4G LTE, and 30GB is the largest size we sell. The plan cannot be topped up or extended, so if you use the full allowance before it ends, you would need to buy another plan. Validity starts on the first network connection, and no ID is needed. See our South Korea eSIM plans.

Multi-country Asia plans

The two regional plans do not cover the same list of places. Holafly lists 16 destinations for its Asia plan. Our Asia Explorer eSIM covers 12: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. It does not include mainland China, and travellers using it in Hong Kong or Taiwan must complete real-name registration with a valid passport. Check each provider's destination list against your route before comparing prices. Single-country options are in our Asia eSIM collection.

Where Holafly is the better choice

There are real cases where the Holafly model fits a trip better than ours.

• You are a truly heavy data user. If you stream video for hours every day or simply never want to think about a data meter, an unlimited plan is built for that. On our largest fixed plans you would have to watch your usage.
• You want unlimited data in Japan, China or South Korea. Holafly sells it. We do not: our Japan and China plans slow down after the allowance, and our South Korea plans stop at 30GB.
• Your trip is an unusual length. Holafly sells any length from 1 to 90 days. For Japan, for example, it listed 5 days at A$31 and 10 days at A$57. Our plans come in set lengths, and the longest in this comparison is 30 days, so a longer trip with us means buying a second plan.
• You want support at any hour. Holafly states that its support is available 24/7 by live chat, WhatsApp and email. Ours is a Melbourne-based team available 16 hours a day by live chat and email.
• You want what its China page offers. Its China page says a VPN is included at no extra cost. Our China page says only that Google and WhatsApp currently work on all of our China eSIM plans, and that mobile payment with Alipay and WeChat Pay is supported.
• Your route needs a place our regional plan does not list. Holafly's Asia plan lists 16 destinations and ours lists 12.

Hotspot and tethering

Holafly's website describes hotspot on its plans as "1 GB of shareable data available per day".

On our plans, hotspot and tethering are supported on the Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea eSIMs and on the Asia Explorer eSIM. On the fixed plans, whatever you share comes out of the same allowance as your phone's own data, so there is no separate hotspot figure. A 20GB plan gives you 20GB to use on the phone, on a tethered laptop, or both. Choose a larger size if you will tether regularly.

Which should you choose?

• Light to moderate user on a one or two week holiday (maps, messaging, translation, social media, some photo uploads): a fixed plan of 10GB to 20GB usually covers this, and in the tables above those sizes are listed below the unlimited plan of the same length.
• Heavy user who streams on mobile data every day: look at unlimited. That means Holafly for Japan, China or South Korea, and either provider for Thailand.
• Remote worker who tethers a laptop: compare the hotspot terms first. Decide whether 1 GB of shareable data per day is enough, or whether you want a large fixed allowance such as 50GB that can all be shared.
• Traveller who needs a local number in Thailand: our Thailand eSIM includes one. Holafly's plans do not include a number.
• Trip of an odd length or longer than 30 days: Holafly's per-day pricing fits any length up to 90 days in one purchase.
• Several countries in one trip: start with the destination lists, then compare prices for the plan that covers your route.

If you want to see how we compare with other providers as well, our eSIM provider comparison page sets out more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Is Holafly or Global Starlink cheaper for an Asia trip?

It depends on how much data you use, because the two products are not the same. On 11 November 2026, Holafly listed 7 days of unlimited data in Japan at A$43. Our 7-day Japan plans were listed from 5GB at A$9.90 to 30GB at A$33.90. If a fixed allowance covers your use, the fixed plan has the lower list price. If you would run through the allowance, an unlimited plan may be the safer buy. Prices change, so check both websites.

Does Global Starlink sell unlimited data eSIMs for Asia?

Only for Thailand, where the DTAC Unlimited options were listed at A$22.90 for 10 days and A$35.90 for 15 days. The 10-day unlimited allowance is a promotion for eSIMs activated by 31 December 2026 and reverts to 50GB after that date. We do not sell an unlimited plan for Japan, China or South Korea. For Vietnam, the closest option is Viettel with 5GB per day.

Can I use my phone as a hotspot on these eSIMs?

Holafly's website describes hotspot as "1 GB of shareable data available per day". On our Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Asia Explorer eSIMs, hotspot and tethering are supported, and on the fixed plans the data you share comes out of your allowance.

What happens when a fixed data allowance runs out?

It depends on the plan. Our Japan eSIM continues with unlimited data at 256 kbps until the plan ends, and our China eSIM continues at 128 kbps. Our South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam plans cannot be recharged, so you would buy another plan, which is delivered by email. On the Vietnam Viettel option, the 5GB allowance renews the next day.

When were these prices checked, and in which currency?

All prices were read on 11 November 2026 from each provider's own website, as shown to a visitor in Australia. They are list prices in Australian dollars before checkout, and any taxes or fees added at checkout were not verified. Both providers can change prices at any time.

Holafly is a trademark of its owner, and Global Starlink is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Holafly.