eSIM providers have taken off over recent years – supplanting the need for people to queue up on arrival in a new destination. Ohayu reached out to me to review their offering. Here’s what you need to know.

I have spent the last few years testing travel eSIMs across Europe and Asia, and the category has a clear problem. Most providers sell the same underlying idea, then compete on increasingly confusing plan structures. Ohayu is no exception, but it does a few things differently, and those differences are worth understanding before you buy.

What does an Ohayu eSIM actually cost?

The pricing is where Ohayu makes its strongest case. Single-country plans start from around $1.99 for the smallest data bundles, with the five day price for my most recent trip to Germany costing £11.79 for five days. This is competitive, especially against the cost of roaming for many UK operators.

The global plans are more interesting. A 2GB monthly plan costs $9.99 and covers 120+ countries. The 7GB tier is $24.99, the 15GB plan is $39.99, and the 25GB option is $49.49. Unused data rolls over to the next billing period, which is a useful feature if you travel sporadically rather than continuously.

Ohayu also offers unlimited plans in 82 countries. I do have a problem with this phrasing though. The catch, which Ohayu itself documents clearly, is that these plans throttle to around 1 Mbps after 3GB of high-speed data per day. That is a reasonable limit for browsing and messaging, but not for streaming or heavy uploads. I would prefer if Ohayu didn’t use the infinity gigabyte for allowance at the top of the page, however at least the provider lists the 3GB fair use cap further down the page and not buried in the terms and conditions.

Where does Ohayu eSIM work?

Coverage spans over 190 countries according to the company, with access to more than 600 local operators. The global plan connects to 229 networks across 112 countries. That is broad enough to cover almost any typical travel itinerary.

Installation happens through the Ohayu app, which is available for both iOS and Android. You buy a plan, follow the guided setup, and the eSIM activates when you reach your destination. The app also handles top-ups, data tracking, and reinstallation if you accidentally remove the profile. Reinstallation is permitted up to five times on the same device, which is a small but practical detail that many providers overlook.

One limitation is that Ohayu eSIMs are data-only. There is no local phone number attached, so you cannot make traditional calls or send SMS through the Ohayu plan itself. You can keep your home SIM active for calls and messages while routing data through the Ohayu eSIM, which is the standard approach for this category. If you need a local number for banking or accommodation verification, this will not solve that problem.

How does Ohayu compare with Airalo and Holafly?

Airalo and Holafly are the two names most travellers encounter first. Airalo offers a similarly fragmented set of country and regional plans, while Holafly leans heavily into unlimited data propositions. Ohayu sits somewhere between them, with more generous global plans than Airalo and a more explicit throttling policy than Holafly.

The unlimited comparison is the most revealing. Ohayu caps high-speed data at 3GB per day before throttling to roughly 1 Mbps. Airalo’s unlimited offering uses a similar daily threshold. Holafly markets unlimited data more aggressively but has faced criticism for speed reductions that are less clearly disclosed. I am not suggesting Ohayu is uniquely honest, but its published limits are easier to find and understand.

For travellers visiting a single country for a short trip, a local Ohayu plan is often the cheapest option. For multi-country itineraries, the global plan is more practical because it eliminates the need to buy and install a new eSIM at every border. That convenience has real value, even if the per-gigabyte cost is higher than the best local deals.

How was Ohayu during a trip to Germany?

In short, it was seamless. Set-up took less than forty seconds from browsing the app to having the eSIM installed to my iPhone. I installed the eSIM prior to departure which meant I had access to the internet as soon as I landed in Berlin which is appreciated. 5G network connectivity was from the three major networks, O2, T Mobile and Vodafone with the phone jumping between them. I will say that the underlying network infrastructure in Germany did struggle at times resulting in slow speeds or downgrading to 4G and even EDGE.

Is Ohayu eSIM worth buying?

Much like other eSIM providers, this experience was seamless. I have seen negative reviews on Reddit however these seem to be more to do with user error, such as not installing the eSIM correctly.

My view is that Ohayu works best as a secondary data source. Buy a global plan for a multi-country trip, keep your home SIM active for calls, and treat the Ohayu eSIM as a data pipe. If you need guaranteed high speeds for video calls or large uploads, the throttled unlimited plans will disappoint. If you need reliable maps and messaging at a low cost, the fixed-data plans deliver.

The eSIM market is crowded, and most providers are chasing the same customers with similar technology. Ohayu’s advantage is not technical superiority. It is the combination of a broad global plan, honest throttling disclosure, and pricing that undercuts roaming by a comfortable margin. That is enough to make it worth considering, provided you read the plan limits before you buy. For my money, the global 15GB monthly plan is the sweet spot: enough data for a two-week multi-country trip, no per-country hassle, and a price that does not feel like a penalty for staying connected.

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