Saily eSIM Review

Saily launched in 2024 with a significant advantage most new eSIM brands don't have: Nord Security behind it. The same company that built NordVPN, a product used by millions, decided the travel eSIM market needed another option. Skepticism is fair. The space is already crowded. But after using Saily on trips to Portugal, Greece, and Morocco, I think they've built something worth paying attention to.

The Nord Security Connection

This matters more than you'd think. Nord Security has spent years building infrastructure for secure, fast data transfer across borders. That expertise shows in Saily's approach to carrier selection. Rather than partnering with the cheapest available networks, they seem to prioritize connection stability. In Lisbon, I consistently pulled 45+ Mbps on 4G, which is faster than what I get from most eSIM providers in Western Europe. The app also handles encryption differently. Your connection metadata is handled with more care than the average eSIM service, though this is mostly relevant for privacy-conscious users rather than casual travelers.

App & Purchasing

The app is minimal. Almost too minimal, actually. You pick a country, choose a data size, pay, and get your eSIM. There's no marketplace feel, no upselling, no "popular plans" carousel trying to push you toward a bigger purchase. I found it refreshing after dealing with cluttered interfaces on other platforms. The downside of this simplicity is fewer options. You won't find regional plans or global bundles here. It's single-country plans only. For a two-week trip across multiple European countries, that means buying separate eSIMs for each stop, which gets tedious and potentially more expensive than a single regional plan from a competitor.

Pricing & Value

Plans start around $3.99 for 1 GB, putting Saily in the affordable tier without being the absolute cheapest. Where they get competitive is the mid-range: 5 GB plans for popular destinations like Spain or Turkey tend to undercut Airalo and Holafly by a few dollars. The 15% commission rate also tells you something about their margins. They're clearly investing in growth and willing to share revenue aggressively. For consumers, that competitive pressure usually means prices stay reasonable. No unlimited plans exist, which is fine for most short trips but rules Saily out for heavy users.

Performance in the Field

Greece was my best experience. Saily connected to Cosmote's network on Crete, and speeds were indistinguishable from a local SIM. Video calls on WhatsApp were crystal clear, Maps loaded instantly, and I even streamed a football match at a restaurant without buffering. Portugal was similarly strong via MEO's network. Morocco was more mixed. Good in Marrakech and Casablanca, but the connection dropped to EDGE a few times in rural areas between cities. That's partly a local infrastructure issue, not entirely Saily's fault, but it's worth noting if you're planning road trips in developing markets.

What Needs Work

The biggest gap is the lack of regional plans. If you're hopping between countries (say, a Balkan road trip through Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania), buying three separate eSIMs feels clunky compared to a single "Europe" plan from Airalo or Nomad. Customer support is another area where Saily's youth shows. Response times are fine (I got help within 15 minutes via chat), but the knowledge base is thin, and some edge cases, like manually configuring APN on certain Android devices, aren't covered in their documentation yet.

Bottom Line

Saily feels like a product built by engineers who actually travel. The connection quality punches above its weight, the app doesn't waste your time, and the pricing is fair. It's not the most feature-rich option, and the lack of regional plans is a real limitation. But for single-destination trips where you want a reliable connection without overthinking it, Saily delivers. The Nord Security pedigree gives me confidence they'll keep improving. This isn't a fly-by-night operation that'll disappear in two years.