Our pick for Albania (November 2026): Simbye. We compared it with Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Holafly and Ubigi. Every Simbye data and unlimited plan for Albania runs on both Albanian networks, One and Vodafone, so your phone can use either one. In our check on 10 November 2026, Simbye was the cheapest of the six compared on every data-only plan from 1 GB to 20 GB, and it had the longest Albania plan, 50 GB for 180 days. Prices start at 1,95€. Where one of the other five is the better buy, we say so below.
Albania eSIM comparison 2026: Simbye vs Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Holafly and Ubigi
The table shows each provider's cheapest comparable plan per tier, in your currency.
| Criterion |  Airalo |
 Saily |
 Nomad |
 Holafly |
 Ubigi |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Networks in Albania | One, Vodafone (all data & unlimited plans) | One Albania (4G) | Not named on its Albania page | One (data plans), Vodafone (unlimited) | One, Vodafone | One Albania |
| 1 GB · 7 days | 1,95€ | $9.003 GB plan | $3.99 | $4.00 | — | $5.00 |
| 3 GB · 30 days | 4,95€ | $13.005 GB plan | $8.99 | $8.00 | — | $16.0010 GB plan |
| 5 GB · 30 days | 6,95€ | $13.00 | $12.99 | $12.00 | — | $16.0010 GB plan |
| 10 GB · 30 days | 11,95€ | $22.00 | $21.99 | $21.00 | — | $16.00 |
| 20 GB · 30 days | 19,95€ | $30.00 | $29.99 | $33.00 | — | $29.0025 GB plan |
| 50 GB · 180 days | 43,95€ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Unlimited · 7 days | 24,95€ | $35.50 | $35.99 | $25.00 | $36.50 | $28.00 |
| Unlimited · 15 days | 33,95€ | $57.50 | $57.99 | — | $63.50 | $49.00 |
| Unlimited · 30 days | 48,95€ | $98.00 | $98.99 | — | $125.90 | — |
| 100 GB · 30 dayswith +33 number, calls and texts | 57,95€ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Unlimited: full speed per day | 2 GB* | 3 GB/day full speed, then 1 Mbps | 3 GB/day full speed, then about 1 Mbps | 2 GB/day full speed, then 1 Mbps | No cap stated; may be slowed up to 1 day | 20 GB (7 d) or 30 GB (15 d) in total, then 2 Mbps |
| Longest Albania plan | 180 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Phone number | Separate plan: +33 number, calls & texts | Albania plan: no; +1 on global Discover+ | Optional +1 add-on with ID check | No, data only | No, data only | No, data-only service |
| Hotspot | Allowed | Allowed if device and network support it | Allowed; fair use policy applies | Allowed | Allowed, 1 GB/day of shared data | Allowed (data sharing) |
| Top-up | Yes, same eSIM (not the +33 plan) | Yes, online top-ups | Yes, top up in the Saily app | Add-on data only while plan is active | No top-ups; extra days on same eSIM | Yes, recharge in the app |
Simbye* Simbye unlimited: 2 GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps, then 1 Mbps, and 128 kbps after 8 GB in a day; the allowance renews every day.
— = no comparable plan (same type, at least as much data and as many days). Prices without discount codes or cashback, checked 10 Nov 2026; Simbye prices are live.
Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Holafly and Ubigi are trademarks of their owners; the logos only identify the providers, with no affiliation or endorsement.
Our picks for Albania by trip
| Your trip | Our pick | Next-cheapest of the other five |
|---|---|---|
| A weekend or one week, mostly messages and maps (1 GB, 7 days) | Simbye Albania eSIM, 1 GB for 7 days, 1,95€ | Saily, 1 GB for 7 days, $3.99 |
| A longer stay with light use (3 GB, 30 days) | Simbye Albania eSIM, 3 GB for 30 days, 4,95€ | Nomad, 3 GB for 30 days, $8.00 |
| An ordinary holiday (5 GB, 30 days) | Simbye Albania eSIM, 5 GB for 30 days, 6,95€ | Nomad, 5 GB for 30 days, $12.00 |
| Social media, photos and some video (10 GB, 30 days) | Simbye Albania eSIM, 10 GB for 30 days, 11,95€ | Ubigi, 10 GB for 30 days, $16.00 |
| A laptop or a travel companion on your hotspot (20 GB, 30 days) | Simbye Albania eSIM, 20 GB for 30 days, 19,95€ | Saily, 20 GB for 30 days, $29.99, or Ubigi, 25 GB for 30 days, $29.00, depending on your currency |
| Several months in Albania (50 GB, 180 days) | Simbye Albania eSIM, 50 GB for 180 days, 43,95€ | In our check on 10 November 2026, none of the other five sold a 180-day Albania plan. Nomad's largest fixed plan is 50 GB for 30 days at $49.00 |
| Unlimited for two weeks | Simbye Albania eSIM (Unlimited), 15 days, 33,95€, with 2 GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps, then 1 Mbps, and 128 kbps after 8 GB in a day | Ubigi, unlimited for 15 days, $49.00, with 30 GB at full speed in total, then 2 Mbps |
| Unlimited for a month | Simbye Albania eSIM (Unlimited), 30 days, 48,95€, with 2 GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps, then 1 Mbps, and 128 kbps after 8 GB in a day | Airalo at $98.00 or Saily at $98.99, depending on your currency, both for 30 days with 3 GB a day at full speed, then about 1 Mbps |
| You want both One and Vodafone on a fixed data plan | Simbye, all data and unlimited plans | In our check on 10 November 2026, Holafly also listed both networks but sold unlimited plans only. Saily's Albania page named no network when we checked on 11 November 2026 |
| You need a phone number for calls and texts | Simbye Albania eSIM with Calls & Phone Number: a French +33 number with 15, 30 or 60 international minutes and 20, 50 or 100 GB for 30 days, from 30,95€. It cannot be topped up, and calls to Albanian numbers are not confirmed | In our check on 10 November 2026, Saily offered an optional US +1 number with an identity check, Airalo had a +1 number only on its global Discover+ plan, and Nomad, Holafly and Ubigi were data only for Albania |
| You need a local +355 number | In our check on 10 November 2026, none of the six eSIMs gave you one | A local SIM card, or Vodafone Albania's own tourist eSIM with a bundle that includes calls (checked 11 November 2026), registered to you before it is activated |
When another eSIM is the better choice
- Unlimited for 7 days, in euros or pounds. With 2 GB a day at full speed on both, Nomad's 7-day plan cost 22,40€ in euros, £18.69 in pounds and $25.00 in US dollars in our check on 10 November 2026, and Simbye's costs 23,95€, £20.00 and $24.99 on 11 November 2026. Nomad's runs on Vodafone only and slows to 1 Mbps after the 2 GB (checked 10 November 2026); after the 2 GB, Simbye's slows to 2 Mbps, then 1 Mbps, and to 128 kbps after 8 GB in a day.
- More full-speed data. Airalo's 7-day unlimited plan at $35.50 and Saily's at $35.99 give 3 GB a day at full speed, then about 1 Mbps. Ubigi's at $28.00 gives 20 GB at full speed in total, then 2 Mbps, on One only (checked 10 November 2026). Simbye's 7-day plan costs less than these three and gives 2 GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps, then 1 Mbps, and 128 kbps after 8 GB in a day.
- Unlimited for other trip lengths. Simbye's unlimited plans run 7, 15 or 30 days. Nomad also sells 3, 5 and 10 days, each with 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps. Saily sells any length from 1 to 30 days, each with 3 GB a day at full speed, then up to 1 Mbps (Albania page, checked 11 November 2026). Airalo also sells 3, 5 and 10 days, and Holafly 1 to 30 days.
- No stated daily cap. Holafly states no daily cap or speed steps for its unlimited plans, though speed may be reduced for up to one day; its 7-day plan costs $36.50, with no daily cap stated. Simbye's unlimited plans drop to 128 kbps after 8 GB in a day.
- You do not need the phone number. Then a data-only plan costs less than Simbye's Albania eSIM with Calls & Phone Number, which costs 30,95€ for 20 GB and 48,95€ for 50 GB. For 30 days, Saily's 20 GB plan costs $29.99, Airalo's $30.00, Ubigi's 25 GB plan $29.00 and Nomad's 50 GB plan $49.00. Simbye's own Albania eSIM costs 19,95€ for 20 GB and 43,95€ for 50 GB over 180 days.
- A year-long global plan. Airalo's global Discover plans list Albania and run for up to 365 days with 20 GB. They are not Albania plans, so we did not compare their price.
Why Simbye is our pick for Albania
It uses both Albanian networks on every data and unlimited plan. According to the regulator AKEP, One Albania and Vodafone Albania each serve about half of all active mobile users. In our check on 10 November 2026, Airalo and the Ubigi plan pages we read listed One only, Nomad used One for data plans and Vodafone for unlimited plans, and Holafly listed both but sold unlimited plans only. Saily's Albania page named no network on 11 November 2026. Where one network is weak, your phone can use the other.
It is the cheapest of the six compared on every data-only plan from 1 GB to 20 GB. At 1 GB for 7 days Simbye costs 1,95€, about 50 % less than Saily in US dollars. At 5 GB for 30 days it costs 6,95€, about 42 % less than Nomad, and at 10 GB for 30 days 11,95€, about 25 % less than Ubigi, both in US dollars. In our check on 10 November 2026 the lead held in euros and pounds too.
It has the longest Albania plan and a separate plan with a phone number. The 50 GB plan runs for 180 days, while in our check on 10 November 2026 the longest Albania plans of the other five ran for 30 days. A separate plan, Albania eSIM with Calls & Phone Number, comes with a French +33 number; we explain its limits below.
The other five eSIMs for Albania
Airalo for Albania
Best for 3 GB a day at full speed on unlimited plans. Airalo sells Albania plans from 1 GB for 3 days to 20 GB for 30 days, and unlimited for 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 or 30 days with 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps. A 5 GB plan for 30 days costs $13.00. According to Airalo, in our check on 10 November 2026 the plans ran on One Albania only, were data only and lasted at most 30 days.
Saily for Albania
Best for an optional US +1 phone number and for unlimited plans of any length from 1 to 30 days, from $5.99 for 1 day, each with 3 GB a day at full speed, then up to 1 Mbps (Albania page, checked 11 November 2026). Its 20 GB plan for 30 days costs $29.99, more than Simbye's. According to Saily's help centre (checked 10 November 2026), the +1 number needs an identity check and its call plans cover local calls only, with Albania on its list. The Albania page names no network.
Nomad for Albania
Best for 7-day unlimited in euros or pounds, and for unlimited trips of 3, 5 or 10 days. Its 3-day plan costs $11.00, with 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps. In our check on 10 November 2026, its plan details listed One for data plans and Vodafone for unlimited plans, though its country page named both. The same details say the eSIM installs only once and data cannot be added after the plan expires or runs out.
Holafly for Albania
Best for unlimited data with no daily cap stated, from 1 to 30 days. In our check on 10 November 2026, Holafly sold unlimited plans only and listed One and Vodafone. A 7-day plan costs $36.50 and a 30-day plan $125.90, with no daily cap stated, though Holafly says speed may be reduced for up to one day. Hotspot is limited to 1 GB a day, and instead of top-ups you add days to the same eSIM.
Ubigi for Albania
Best for a one-week trip with a lot of full-speed data. Ubigi sells fixed plans from 1 GB for 7 days to 25 GB for 30 days, and unlimited for 7 or 15 days; the 7-day plan gives 20 GB at full speed in total, then 2 Mbps. Its 10 GB plan for 30 days costs $16.00. In our check on 10 November 2026, the Ubigi plan pages we read listed One Albania only, and Ubigi was data only. Its Europe Extended plan includes Albania and Kosovo.
Which network works best in Albania: One or Vodafone?
You do not have to choose if your eSIM uses both. According to AKEP's annual report for 2025, Vodafone's 4G reached about 97 % of Albania's territory and One's about 96 %, and both reached 99 % or more of the population. Holafly warns that coverage may be limited in parts of the Albanian Alps, between Theth and Valbona, around Lake Koman and in parts of Llogara National Park.
Which eSIMs use Vodafone? Simbye's data and unlimited plans and Holafly's plans use both networks, and Nomad's unlimited plans use Vodafone; Airalo and the Ubigi plans we read listed One only (checked 10 November 2026), and Saily's Albania page named no network (11 November 2026). According to AKEP, 5G reached over 60 or 70 % of the population, depending on the network, but at most about 36 % of the territory, so plan around 4G; we do not promise 5G on any eSIM here. See the AKEP annual report 2025.
Landing in Tirana and setting up your eSIM
Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, before you fly. For Simbye's data and unlimited plans, the validity starts the first time your phone connects to a network in Albania, so installing early does not use up days. If you fly in, you will most likely land at Tirana International Airport, which passed 10 million passengers in 2024.
After landing, switch on data roaming for the eSIM line. If nothing happens after a few minutes, toggle airplane mode or choose the network by hand. Near Sarandë and Ksamil, your phone may pick up a Greek signal from Corfu, and an Albania-only plan has no data on a Greek network. For prices, food and transport, read our Albania travel costs guide.
Albania eSIM with a phone number, or a local SIM?
In our check on 10 November 2026, none of the six eSIMs gave you a local +355 number. Simbye's separate Albania eSIM with Calls & Phone Number has a French +33 number with calls and texts, 20, 50 or 100 GB for 30 days and 15, 30 or 60 international minutes. It cannot be topped up, and we could not confirm calls to Albanian numbers, so do not rely on it for local calls.
A local SIM card gives you a +355 number and is priced in lek, Albania's currency. Vodafone Albania also sells its own tourist eSIM online; according to Vodafone, some bundles include minutes for calls within Albania, and you sign the contract online with a code sent by text (checked 11 November 2026). Albanian law requires operators to register every user, including prepaid users, before activation (Law 54/2024, Article 155). We found no official list of what a tourist must show; expect to show your passport. A Simbye eSIM is bought online and needs no registration, because you use the Albanian networks as a guest.
Trips beyond Albania: Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Greece
The Simbye Albania eSIM data and unlimited plans work in Albania only and stop at the border. Simbye also sells a Balkan eSIM; check its country list before you buy. In our check on 10 November 2026, Nomad's Balkans plan covered 11 countries, including Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Greece but not Kosovo, and Holafly's Balkans plan covered Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Holafly's Europe plan did not include Albania; Airalo's Eurolink and Ubigi's Europe Extended did, and Ubigi's also included Kosovo.
Since 1 July 2021, customers of mobile operators in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia roam between those six at home prices. That does not cover visitors on a foreign contract or on a travel eSIM.
How we compared
- Simbye prices are live, in your currency. Prices of the other five were read on their own pages on 10 November 2026, without discount codes or cashback.
- For each tier we took the cheapest plan of the same type, data or unlimited, with at least as much data and at least as many days.
- For unlimited plans we compared full speed per day and name each speed step.
- Networks and features come from each provider's own pages and help centres, read on 10 November 2026; we read Saily's Albania page again on 11 November 2026. Where we could not confirm something, we say so.
- We did not buy the other eSIMs or measure their speed.
- Send corrections to support@simbye.com.
- Airalo: airalo.com/albania-esim, checked 10 Nov 2026
- Saily: saily.com/esim-albania, checked 10 Nov 2026
- Nomad: nomadesim.com/albania-eSIM, checked 10 Nov 2026
- Holafly: esim.holafly.com/esim-albania, checked 10 Nov 2026
- Ubigi: cellulardata.ubigi.com/data-plans-and-coverage/ubigi-esim-data-plans, checked 10 Nov 2026
- Airalo: airalo.com/global-esim
- Airalo: airalo.com/help/using-managing-esims/ZSEEHBT5HW6F/can-i-use-tethering-personal-hotspot/5XTAX1X7HR0B
- Airalo: airalo.com/europe-esim
- Airalo: airalo.com/m/resources/unlimited-data-plans-fair-use-policy
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/27948598334620-What-is-a-Saily-phone-number
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/12822169782812-How-to-set-up-a-hotspot-with-Saily-eSIM
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/12823216658204-Can-I-top-up-an-eSIM
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/31092295169948-How-Saily-data-plans-work-total-vs-daily-data-Unlimited-plans-and-speed-limits
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/21484628749084-Saily-data-plan-management
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/27948695958684-Which-countries-support-Saily-phone-number-calls
- Saily: support.saily.com/hc/en-us/articles/29288111980060-What-are-the-types-of-documents-Saily-accepts-for-the-Phone-Numbers-KYC-verification
- Nomad: nomadesim.com/en/documents/data-plan-detail-brown
- Nomad: nomadesim.com/en/documents/data-plan-detail-neon
- Nomad: nomadesim.com/balkans-eSIM
- Holafly: esim.holafly.com/faq/how-to-use-an-esim/top-up-data-holafly-esim
- Holafly: esim.holafly.com/esim-europe
- Holafly: esim.holafly.com/esim-balkans
- Ubigi: cellulardata.ubigi.com/rates-and-coverage/albania-data-plans/albania-10gb-30-days
- Ubigi: cellulardata.ubigi.com/rates-and-coverage/albania-data-plans/albania-unlimited-7-days
- Ubigi: cellulardata.ubigi.com/rates-and-coverage/albania-data-plans/albania-unlimited-15-days
- Ubigi: cellulardata.ubigi.com/rates-and-coverage/europe-extended-data-plans/europe-extended-unlimited-30-days
- Albania background: akep.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ligj-2024-05-30-54.pdf
- Albania background: akep.al/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Raporti-Vjetor-2025-AKEP-final.pdf
- Albania background: rcc.int
- Albania background: tirana-airport.com/en/article/1122/10-Million-Passengers,-Tirana-International-Airport-reaches-the-record-number-before-the-end-of-2024
- Albania background: bankofalbania.org/About_the_Bank/Core_functions/Currency_issue.html
- Albania background: home.vodafone.al/esim/en
Frequently asked questions
Simbye vs Airalo for Albania: which is better?
Simbye is our pick for most trips to Albania. Its data and unlimited plans use both Albanian networks, while Airalo listed One only in our check on 10 November 2026, and Simbye costs less on every data-only plan from 1 GB to 20 GB. Choose Airalo for 3 GB a day at full speed on unlimited, or for unlimited trips of 3, 5 or 10 days.
What is the cheapest eSIM for Albania for 10 GB?
Simbye's 10 GB plan for 30 days at 11,95€ is the cheapest of the six compared. Smaller sellers outside these six may charge less; we did not compare them. The next-cheapest of the six is Ubigi's 10 GB plan for 30 days at $16.00, which ran on One only in our check on 10 November 2026; Ubigi's 10 GB plan for 7 days costs $14.00.
Which Albania eSIMs include a phone number?
Three of the six offer a number: Simbye's Albania eSIM with Calls & Phone Number (a French +33 number), Saily's optional US +1 number and Airalo's global Discover+ plan (+1). Simbye's plan has 15, 30 or 60 international minutes and cannot be topped up, and calls to Albanian numbers are not confirmed. In our check on 10 November 2026, none of the six gave you a +355 number; for that, use a local SIM card or Vodafone Albania's own tourist eSIM with a bundle that includes calls.
Is hotspot allowed on an Albania eSIM?
Yes, on all six, with different rules. Simbye states no separate hotspot limit, and Airalo allows it if your device and the network support it. Saily's Albania page states no hotspot restrictions, though its help centre says its fair use policy applies. Nomad and Ubigi allow it, and Holafly limits shared data to 1 GB a day.
Does a Europe eSIM cover Albania?
Not always. In our check on 10 November 2026, Holafly's Europe plan did not include Albania, while Airalo's Eurolink and Ubigi's Europe Extended did. Check the country list before you buy.
When does the validity of an Albania eSIM start?
For Simbye's Albania data and unlimited plans, when the phone first connects to a network in Albania. Airalo, Nomad and Holafly also start at the first connection, Saily and Ubigi on arrival. An unused plan starts anyway after 180 days at Saily and after 60 days at Nomad, and a Ubigi plan not activated within 6 months expires.
Can I use my Albania eSIM in Kosovo or Greece?
No, not with the Simbye Albania eSIM data and unlimited plans: they stop at the border. Use a regional plan and check its country list. For Kosovo, in our check on 10 November 2026, Ubigi's Europe Extended plan listed it, while Nomad's Balkans plan and Airalo's Eurolink did not.
Verdict
Simbye is our pick for Albania in November 2026: both networks on every data and unlimited plan, the lowest price of the six compared on data-only plans from 1 GB to 20 GB, and the longest Albania plan at 180 days. Choose Nomad for 7-day unlimited in euros or pounds or for 3, 5 or 10 days, Airalo or Saily for 3 GB a day at full speed, Ubigi for a big full-speed block in one week, and Holafly for unlimited data with no daily cap stated.
View Simbye Albania eSIM Need a number? See the Albania eSIM with Calls & Phone Number, or read our general comparison of Simbye, Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad and Yesim.
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