Sim Local vs. Airalo 2025: Voice Plans vs Data-Only for Europe
Sim Local sells real carrier profiles with voice/text. Airalo sells data-only plans. We tested both across Europe to find which communication style wins.
⚡ Quick Answer
✅ Sim Local
Need phone number, making calls/texts, Europe focus
✅ Airalo
Data-only needs, global coverage, budget priority
Sim Local vs Airalo: The Voice Difference
For Europe travel, Sim Local offers features Airalo simply doesn't: real phone numbers with calls and texts.
| Feature | Sim Local | Airalo | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice Number | Included (Select Plans) | No (Data Only) | Sim Local |
| Europe Plans | Premium Carrier Bundles | Standard Data Roaming | Sim Local |
| Global Coverage | ~100 Countries | 200+ Countries | Airalo |
| Price (Data Only) | Average | Competitive | Airalo |
Deep Dive: The Voice Advantage
Sim Local partners with carriers like Orange (France) and Vodafone (UK) to resell their actual prepaid plans. This means you often get a local phone number with minutes and texts. This is crucial if you need to call a restaurant for a reservation, verify your Uber account via SMS, or receive an SMS 2FA code from your bank.
Deep Dive: Airalo's Convenience
Airalo is purely digital and data-focused. If you rely on WhatsApp and FaceTime, you don't need a real number. Airalo's app is easier to use, and their coverage extends to far more countries than Sim Local. For simple data needs, Airalo is often cheaper and faster to set up.
The Final Verdict
Choose Sim Local if...
You are traveling to Europe and want a real phone number for calls and texts.
Choose Airalo if...
You just want cheap data and don't care about old-school phone calls.