Airalo vs Ubigi vs Saily for Japan: Which eSIM Is Best?

The Top 3, Head to Head

These are the three providers we recommend most often — and for good reason. Each wins in a different category. Here's how they compare across everything that matters.

---

At a Glance

| | Airalo | Ubigi | Saily |

|---|---|---|---|

| Network | KDDI au + SoftBank | NTT Docomo | KDDI au |

| Best for | All-rounder | Rural Japan | City speed |

| Avg speed | 71 Mbps | 82 Mbps | 147 Mbps |

| Peak speed | 88 Mbps | 95 Mbps | 295 Mbps |

| App rating | 4.7/5 | 3.5/5 | 4.5/5 |

| Cheapest plan | ~$4.50 (1GB/7d) | ~$9 (3GB/30d) | ~$4 (1GB/7d) |

| 5GB/30d price | ~$16 | ~$13 (3GB) | ~$13 |

| Unlimited | Yes (~$18/wk) | Via app | No |

| Top-up | Yes | Yes | No |

| Setup | App (no QR needed) | QR code + APN | QR code |

| Hotspot | Most plans | Most plans | Most plans |

---

Speed: Saily Dominates in Cities

From our speed tests across 6 locations:

| Location | Airalo | Ubigi | Saily |

|----------|--------|-------|-------|

| Shibuya (street) | 88 Mbps | 95 Mbps | 295 Mbps |

| Shinjuku Station (underground) | 35 Mbps | 62 Mbps | 45 Mbps |

| Shinkansen (Tokyo→Osaka) | 35 Mbps | 48 Mbps | 42 Mbps |

| Osaka Dotonbori | 72 Mbps | 78 Mbps | 125 Mbps |

| Hakone (rural) | 18 Mbps | 35 Mbps | 22 Mbps |

| Hokkaido (deep rural) | 5 Mbps | 22 Mbps | 8 Mbps |

Winner: Depends on where you're going.

• Cities → Saily (KDDI au 5G crushes it)
• Underground/trains → Ubigi (Docomo infrastructure)
• Rural → Ubigi by a wide margin

---

Coverage: Ubigi's Docomo Advantage

If your Japan trip stays in Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto, all three providers work perfectly. The difference shows when you leave major cities.

NTT Docomo (Ubigi) has:

• The most cell towers in Japan
• Best mountain/rural coverage
• Strongest Shinkansen signal (fewest drops)
• Reliable in Hokkaido, Okinawa outer islands, remote onsen towns

KDDI au (Saily, Airalo) has:

• Excellent city coverage + good suburbs
• Strong 5G in urban areas
• Good but not Docomo-level in deep rural

Bottom line: If you're going to Hokkaido, Tohoku, Shikoku, or any rural area: Ubigi. Otherwise: any of the three.

---

Pricing: Saily Wins on Value

For the most common trip lengths:

7-Day Trip

| Provider | 3GB | 5GB | Unlimited |

|----------|-----|-----|-----------|

| Airalo | $11 | $16 | $18/wk |

| Ubigi | $9 (3GB/30d) | — | — |

| Saily | $8.50 | $13 | — |

14-30 Day Trip

| Provider | 10GB | 20GB |

|----------|------|------|

| Airalo | $26 | $42 |

| Ubigi | $19 | — |

| Saily | $22 | $36 |

Saily is cheapest for mid-range plans (3-5GB). Ubigi is cheapest for 10GB. Airalo is the only one with renewable unlimited plans.

---

App Experience: Airalo Is the Gold Standard

Airalo (5/5)

The app is genuinely great. Browse plans, purchase, and install — all without leaving the app. On newer iPhones, the eSIM installs directly without even scanning a QR code. Top-up is one tap. 10M+ users means the app is polished and bug-free.

Saily (4.5/5)

Clean and minimal — no bloat. Two taps to install. Feels like a premium product. Built by the NordVPN team, so the UX is solid. But no top-up support means you buy a new plan if you run out.

Ubigi (3/5)

Functional but dated. Requires QR code scanning and sometimes manual APN configuration. It works, but it's not as smooth as Airalo or Saily. The trade-off for Docomo's superior coverage.

---

Who Should Choose What

| Your Situation | Choose | Why |

|---|---|---|

| First time in Japan, want easy setup | Airalo → | Best app, most beginner-friendly |

| Tokyo/Osaka city trip, want speed | Saily → | 295 Mbps on au 5G |

| Budget trip, best price per GB | Saily → | Cheapest at 3-5GB tier |

| Rural Japan (Hokkaido, Shikoku) | Ubigi → | Docomo = only reliable option |

| Heavy data user, need unlimited | Airalo → | Only one with unlimited plans |

| Long stay (30 days), need 10GB+ | Ubigi → | $19 for 10GB/30 days |

| Business traveler, need reliability | Ubigi → | Docomo network, fewer drops |

| Privacy-conscious | Saily → | Built by NordVPN team |

| Multi-country Asia trip | Airalo → | Regional plans cover 30+ countries |

---

Our Bottom Line

There's no single "best" provider. Each one wins in a specific scenario:

• Airalo = best app + unlimited option + global coverage. The safe default.
• Ubigi = best coverage + best on trains. Choose this if going beyond cities.
• Saily = fastest + cheapest mid-range. Choose this for city-focused trips.

If you genuinely can't decide: Airalo. It's the all-rounder that never disappoints.

---

Full Reviews

• Airalo Review for Japan 2026 — 7-day Tokyo-Osaka trip scenario
• Ubigi Review for Japan 2026 — 10-day Hokkaido road trip scenario
• Saily Review for Japan 2026 — 5-day Tokyo business trip scenario
• Speed Test: Full Data — All 6 providers, 6 locations

Compare all plans side by side →