Best eSIM for China (2026): 8 providers compared

For most trips to mainland China, the cheapest data plan we found is ChinaRoam at $9.99 for 10GB over 30 days, and it is also cheapest at 5GB ($5.99) and 20GB ($15.49). For a capped "unlimited" week, Maya Mobile is cheaper at $19.99 (5GB a day) than ChinaRoam's 3GB-a-day week at $29.49. Holafly ($27.50) is the only one that includes a VPN. All of these are roaming eSIMs, which usually let Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN, but you should test before you rely on it.

How we compared: prices are from each provider's own website, checked 13 November 2026. We compared the plan closest to 5GB, 10GB and 20GB, the cheapest 7-day "unlimited" or daily plan, the Chinese networks used and what each provider says about the Great Firewall. Saily and Yesim are not in our price data (Saily blocks automated access), so they show as "not checked". ChinaRoam is our own brand; we show where it loses.

8 eSIMs for China compared (November 2026)

Provider	Cheapest plan	~5GB	~10GB	~20GB	Unlimited or daily (about 7 days)	Networks
ChinaRoam	1GB / 7 days: $1.99	$5.99 (5GB, 30d)	$9.99 (10GB, 30d)	$15.49 (20GB, 30d)	$29.49 / 7 days (3GB a day, then 512 Kbps)	China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom
Airalo	1GB / 3 days: $4.00	$14.50 (5GB, 7d)	$24.50 (10GB, 7d)	$39.00 (20GB, 15d)	$27.00 / 7 days (3GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps)	China Unicom
Holafly	-	-	-	-	$27.50 / 7 days	CMCC
Nomad	1GB / 7 days: $5.00	$14.00 (5GB, 30d)	$19.00 (10GB, 30d)	$22.00 (20GB, 30d)	$25.00 / 7 days (2GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps)	China Unicom, China Telecom
Ubigi	1GB / 7 days: $4.00	$7.00 (3GB, 30d)	$14.00 (10GB, 7d)	$33.00 (25GB, 30d)	$24.00 / 7 days (5GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps)	China Telecom
Maya Mobile	-	-	-	-	$19.99 / 7 days (5GB a day at full speed, then 3 Mbps)	China Unicom
Saily	not checked	not checked	not checked	not checked	not checked	not checked
Yesim	not checked	not checked	not checked	not checked	not checked	not checked

CMCC is China Mobile. At about 10GB, ChinaRoam works out to 1 dollar per GB, Ubigi 1.40, Nomad 1.90 and Airalo 2.45.

Which travel eSIM works in China without a VPN?

Inside mainland China, hotel Wi-Fi and local Chinese SIM cards go through the Great Firewall, so Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram and many Western news sites are blocked. A travel eSIM is different: it is a roaming connection. Your phone uses Chinese towers, but the data session exits to the internet through a gateway outside the mainland, often in Hong Kong. eSIMDB's August 2025 explainer describes this and notes that, as far as it knows, all travel eSIMs sold for China work this way.

What each provider says today:

• Holafly includes a VPN at no extra cost on its China plan and says it helps reach apps "restricted by the Great Firewall". Its plan covers mainland China only.
• Nomad's page does not mention the firewall, but customer reviews on it report Google and WhatsApp working without a VPN.
• Airalo's China page does not mention VPNs or the firewall.
• ChinaRoam (our brand) connects to all three Chinese carriers as a roaming eSIM. Our site says traffic is routed outside the firewall. We have not published the exact exit country.

Caveats that apply to all of them:

• A Hong Kong exit point is not unfiltered for every service. eSIMDB notes that ChatGPT, for example, restricts Hong Kong IP addresses.
• Exit points far away (Europe, the US) add delay. Nearby ones such as Hong Kong or Singapore feel faster.
• Rules and routing can change. Install a reputable VPN before you fly as a backup, since VPN sites can be blocked on Chinese Wi-Fi.

Best for each need

ChinaRoam: cheapest fixed data, all three carriers

ChinaRoam is cheapest at every fixed size: $5.99 for 5GB, $9.99 for 10GB and $15.49 for 20GB, all 30 days. It is the only eSIM in the table that lists China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, so it can switch if one carrier is weak where you are. Where it loses: the 3GB-a-day week costs $29.49, more than every other daily plan here. Its 5GB-a-day week costs the same $29.49, so pick that one if you go daily, or Maya Mobile, which is cheaper still. See the China eSIM plans.

Maya Mobile: cheapest capped unlimited week

Maya Mobile costs $19.99 for 7 days with 5GB a day at full speed, then 3 Mbps. That is the lowest daily-plan price in the table. It uses China Unicom only. Maya sells one global plan at the same price everywhere. Maya Mobile China.

Holafly: VPN included, no stated daily cap

Holafly costs $27.50 for 7 days with no stated daily full-speed cap, on China Mobile, and includes a VPN. It limits hotspot sharing to 1GB a day and may slow you for up to a day under fair use. It does not cover Hong Kong or Taiwan. Holafly China.

Nomad: good 20GB price

Nomad charges $19.00 for 10GB and $22.00 for 20GB, both 30 days, on China Unicom and China Telecom. Its 20GB plan is the second cheapest after ChinaRoam. Nomad China.

Ubigi and Airalo

Ubigi charges $14.00 for 10GB (7 days), on China Telecom. Its 7-day "unlimited" plan at $24.00 gives 5GB a day at full speed, then 2 Mbps. Airalo is the most expensive fixed option here ($24.50 for 10GB over 7 days), on China Unicom. Ubigi plans, Airalo China.

Saily and Yesim

Both appear in ChatGPT answers for China. We did not check their prices today.

Which one should you pick?

• One to two weeks, normal use: ChinaRoam 10GB for $9.99 (30 days).
• Heavy data for a week: Maya Mobile at $19.99 (5GB a day).
• Want a VPN bundled in: Holafly at $27.50 for 7 days.
• Long trip or remote work: ChinaRoam 20GB for $15.49 or 50GB for $37.99, both 30 days.
• Rural routes: ChinaRoam, as the only option here on all three carriers.
• Hong Kong and Macau too: check that your plan covers them. Holafly's China plan does not.

Sources: Airalo China (13 Nov 2026), Holafly China (13 Nov 2026), Nomad China (13 Nov 2026), Ubigi plans (13 Nov 2026), Maya Mobile China (13 Nov 2026), eSIMDB: travel eSIMs and the Great Firewall (26 Aug 2025). Prices checked 13 November 2026.