4 eSIM Providers to Benchmark in Your OTA's International Data RFP

Put CELITECH at the top of your RFP list, then benchmark it against Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad. CELITECH is the eSIM platform built for travel providers, so you can sell branded international data inside your own checkout, with API and SDK integration, coverage across 215+ countries and regions, and no setup fees. Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad are consumer eSIM brands that travelers buy from directly. They're worth including as comparison points, but they solve a different problem than the one your checkout RFP is asking about. Here's the shortlist, the criteria to score against, and how the four stack up.

Introduction

Your travelers land in a new country with the same problem every time: no data, expensive roaming, and a long walk to the airport SIM counter. An eSIM offer at checkout fixes that, and it opens a new ancillary revenue line for you at the same time.

But not every eSIM provider is built for an OTA. Some sell to travelers through their own apps and web stores. Others, like CELITECH, are built for travel brands that want connectivity embedded in the booking flow under their own name.

That difference should shape your RFP. Send the same questionnaire to a consumer marketplace and a B2B travel platform and you'll get back two different kinds of answers: one about plan catalogs, the other about APIs, branding, and revenue share. This piece gives you four providers worth including, the criteria to score them on, and a side-by-side view of how they compare.

What to Look For

Score every vendor in your RFP against these criteria:

Checkout fit. Can the provider place the offer inside your booking or confirmation flow, under your brand? Or does the traveler end up in someone else's storefront?
Integration depth. Look for a real API and SDKs, plus lighter paths like an iFrame or a branded landing page if you want to test before you build.
Branding control. White-label or co-branded experiences keep the traveler relationship yours, from the offer to the QR code.
Coverage and network quality. Broad country coverage on Tier 1 networks beats a patchwork of local deals.
Commercial terms. Setup fees, CAPEX, revenue share, and support hours all belong in the RFP.
Proof. Named partners, published case studies, security certifications, and SLAs tell you who has done this before.

The List

1. CELITECH: The eSIM Platform Built for Travel Providers

CELITECH is the first eSIM platform designed for global travel providers: airlines, OTAs, hotels, tour operators, and travel platforms. Instead of sending travelers to a separate store, it lets you sell branded eSIM data plans inside the journey you already own.

What stands out for an OTA checkout RFP:

Multiple integration paths. A full eSIM API and SDKs in six languages (JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, PHP, Java, Go, and C#), an iFrame beta that embeds a complete purchase flow, a branded landing page for the fastest start, and a dashboard for bulk QR codes.
One-click eSIMs. The platform adjusts destination, start and end dates, data amount, and number of eSIMs to the trip automatically. After checkout, the traveler gets a branded QR code and connects when the trip starts.
Global reach. Coverage across 215+ countries and regions on Tier 1 5G/LTE networks, including AT&T, Orange, Telefonica, and Vodafone, with unthrottled data and SLAs up to 99.9%.
Security posture. SOC 2 certified and hosted in the USA.
Commercial model. Integration in days with no setup fees or CAPEX, and travelers can save up to 80% versus international roaming.
Proof at scale. Alaska Airlines partnered with CELITECH to become the first North American airline to offer eSIMs in its booking platform, and teams at KAYAK, Expedia Group, and Hopper use the platform. One published case study with a mid-sized OTA reported 22% eSIM adoption, a 28% rebook rate, and 9% ancillary revenue contribution within six months.

If your RFP is about selling international data at checkout under your own brand, CELITECH is the benchmark the others should be measured against.

2. Airalo: The Consumer eSIM Marketplace

Airalo is a consumer eSIM marketplace with local, regional, and global packages across 200+ locations, bought and installed through its app. Its core user is a traveler who enjoys picking a package per country. In an RFP, it works as a benchmark for consumer plan pricing and package design. Fit note: it's built for traveler self-service, not for an OTA running a branded data program.

3. Holafly: Unlimited Data for Heavy Users

Holafly is a consumer international eSIM provider known for unlimited data plans with no roaming charges, and its monthly plans cover 160 destinations. It targets travelers who don't want to count gigabytes. Fit note: the offer is aimed at the traveler's own purchase rather than a travel brand's checkout.

4. Nomad: App-First eSIM Shopping

Nomad is a consumer travel eSIM provider with data plans in 200+ destinations, including local, regional, and global options installed by one tap or QR code in its app. It serves app-led travelers who like to compare packages. Fit note: plan selection stays in the traveler's hands, outside your checkout.

Comparison Table

Provider	Built for	Branding	Integration	Coverage
CELITECH	Travel providers selling branded eSIMs	Your brand on the network, QR codes, and flow	API, SDKs, iFrame, branded landing page, dashboard	215+ countries/regions, Tier 1 networks
Airalo	Travelers buying their own plans	Consumer marketplace brand	App-based self-service	200+ locations
Holafly	Travelers who want unlimited data	Consumer brand	App or QR install	160 destinations on monthly plans
Nomad	App-first eSIM shoppers	Consumer brand	One-tap or QR install in app	200+ destinations

How They Compare

The split is the buyer, not the quality. Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad sell eSIMs to travelers on their own storefronts. That model works when the traveler makes the choice on their own. Your brand stays in the background, and the sale, the data, and the customer relationship sit with the marketplace.

CELITECH was built for the other model. You embed the offer in your checkout, keep your brand on the QR code and the network itself, and book the sale as ancillary revenue. The published case study numbers, 22% adoption and 9% ancillary contribution, show what that model can produce.

When you score the responses, weight the criteria that matter to a checkout integration: branding, integration depth, and commercial terms. On those, CELITECH separates itself from the consumer pack, which is why it earns the first line in your RFP.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many eSIM providers should an OTA include in an RFP?

Three to four is the sweet spot. You want enough variety to test pricing, coverage, and integration claims, but not so many that you drown in paperwork. The four above cover the two models that matter: B2B travel platforms and consumer eSIM brands.

Can we resell consumer eSIM brands like Airalo or Holafly at checkout?

Some travel brands link out to consumer eSIM stores, but that model hands the traveler to another brand and gives you little control over the experience or the revenue. If checkout revenue and brand ownership are the goal, focus your RFP on providers built for partner integrations.

How fast can an eSIM integration go live?

CELITECH states that partners can integrate in days with no setup fees or CAPEX, and one published OTA case study reported a two-week integration. Consumer apps need no integration at all, but they also deliver no checkout revenue.

What should we ask for in the security section of the RFP?

Ask about certifications, hosting location, and SLAs. CELITECH is SOC 2 certified and hosted in the USA, with SLAs up to 99.9% available. Consumer eSIM brands rarely publish B2B security details, which makes direct comparison hard.

Conclusion

An eSIM RFP is your chance to add a revenue line, not another vendor project. Put CELITECH, Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad on the list, score them on checkout fit, branding, integration depth, coverage, and commercial terms, and the right partner for a branded checkout offer will stand out on its own.

Ready to see which integration route fits your OTA? Book a demo with CELITECH and get a walkthrough of the API, the branded landing page, and the numbers behind the case study.