Best eSIM for China: five brands compared
For most trips to mainland China the best eSIM is a fixed data plan that sends your data out of the country, and when we checked on 3 November 2026 RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac. For unlimited data at 3GB a day, Airalo, Jetpac and Holafly cost less than our Endless plan.
10GB for 30 days: RoamMore US$14.50, Airalo US$26.50, Nomad US$19, Jetpac US$16. 5GB for 30 days: RoamMore US$8.40, Airalo US$15.50, Nomad US$14, Jetpac US$12.
RoamMore wrote this page and sells eSIMs for China, so read it with that in mind. Every fixed plan price below was read on the brand's own China page on 3 November 2026, in US dollars, and links back to that page. The unlimited prices were read on 15 October 2026 for our guide to the best unlimited eSIM for China, and link back the same way. Our prices come from our live catalogue and change when it does. If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] and we will fix it.
How do the China eSIMs compare on price?
Fixed data plans
| Brand | 5GB, 30 days | 10GB, 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| RoamMore with HOLIDAYS25 | ||
| Airalo | US$15.50 | US$26.50 |
| Nomad | US$14 | US$19, a sale price |
| Jetpac | US$12 | US$16, a sale price |
All of these are data only. Holafly does not sell fixed data plans for China. Our prices in this table are for the plans that come out in Hong Kong; the versions that come out in Singapore cost a little more, which matters for ChatGPT (below).
Unlimited plans
| Brand | Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited, about two weeks | Full speed a day on unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoamMore with HOLIDAYS25 | Endless: | 15 days: | You choose. At 1GB to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps |
| Airalo | US$27 | 15 days: US$49 | 3GB, then 1 Mbps |
| Holafly | US$27.50 | 15 days: US$51.50 | No daily amount stated |
| Nomad | US$25 | Not sold. 10 days: US$33 | 2GB, then 1 Mbps |
| Jetpac | US$25.99, a sale price | 15 days: US$41.99, a sale price | 3GB, then up to 1 Mbps |
The fixed plans are like for like: the same amount of data for the same 30 days. The unlimited plans are not. Each brand gives a different amount of full speed data a day, so compare the price at the daily amount you will really use, not the word unlimited. A sale price can end at any time.
Do you need a VPN in China with a travel eSIM?
Generally no, on our plans. Every RoamMore China plan sends your data out to the internet in Hong Kong or Singapore, outside mainland China's filtering, so Google, Gmail, WhatsApp and Instagram usually load on mobile data with no VPN to install. That works on mobile data only: hotel, airport and cafe wifi in mainland China goes through the local internet, where those apps are blocked. Our guide to eSIMs and VPNs in China covers what we cannot promise.
Other brands' China plans also roam, but each one decides where its data comes out, so check that before you buy if a VPN is what you want to avoid.
Does ChatGPT work in China on a travel eSIM?
On mobile data, yes, on a plan that comes out in Singapore. ChatGPT is blocked in mainland China, and OpenAI does not offer it in Hong Kong either, so ChatGPT can refuse a connection that comes out in Hong Kong even when Google and WhatsApp load on it.
Most sizes of our China plan come in two versions: one that comes out in Hong Kong, and one marked IP SG on the China page that comes out in Singapore. 10GB for 30 days is US$14.50 through Hong Kong and US$16.50 through Singapore, and 5GB for 30 days US$8.40 and US$9.60. If you want ChatGPT on the trip, buy the IP SG version. Other AI apps that are not offered in Hong Kong behave the same way.
Which network will you use in China, and is there 5G?
Our China plans run on China Mobile with 5G, the country's largest network. The China page lists every plan with its network, its internet exit and its speed. 5G needs a phone that supports it. Where there is no 5G, the eSIM uses 4G.
How much data do you need for a week in China?
These are the daily amounts our plan finder uses. Not sure? Most people are Standard.
| Your use | A day | One week | Two weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | 300MB | 2.1GB | 4.2GB |
| Standard | 1GB | 7GB | 14GB |
| Heavy | 2GB | 14GB | 28GB |
So a 10GB plan covers a week of Standard use in China with room to spare, and a fortnight at that rate needs a bigger plan or a top up. If you would normally lean on hotel wifi for video calls and photo uploads, those come out of your eSIM's data in China, so buy a little more than you would elsewhere. Our cost and data guide breaks the figures down by app.
Should you get unlimited data or a fixed plan in China?
A fixed plan is usually the cheaper buy if you know roughly how much you use. Unlimited is the simpler buy if you stream, make long video calls or would rather not watch a meter.
If you do want unlimited, compare plans at the same daily amount. For China:
- At 1GB a day, Endless is US$13.40 for a week, less than any unlimited week in the table, though each of those gives you more full speed data a day.
- At 2GB a day, Endless is US$24.30 for a week, less than Nomad's US$25 at the same daily amount, and US$32.90 for 10 days against Nomad's US$33.
- At 3GB a day, Endless is US$35.30 for a week, more than Airalo's US$27, Holafly's US$27.50 and Jetpac's US$25.99 at a sale price, so one of those is the better buy at that daily amount.
Endless charges one price for the exact number of days you pick, so a 12 day trip is priced for 12 days, not the nearest pack. Our guide to the best unlimited eSIM for China compares every daily amount in more detail.
When do the days start?
Our China plans start when the eSIM first connects to a network in China, so you can install it at home and it waits. The one exception is a 100MB trial, which starts when you install it, and the China page marks it. Endless also starts on first connection there, and its full speed amount refills every 24 hours from that moment.
Can you use a China eSIM as a hotspot?
On every RoamMore plan, yes: sharing your connection works, and a laptop on your hotspot gets the same internet exit as your phone. What you share counts toward the plan's data, and on the daily plans and Endless toward the day's full speed amount. If you plan to work from a laptop on another brand's plan, check its hotspot rules before you buy.
What should you do before you fly from New Zealand or Australia?
Install the eSIM at home on wifi a few days before you leave, and leave it switched off. Download anything you will need offline, and sign in to the apps you use, while everything still works normally. When you land, switch the eSIM on, set it as your data line and turn on data roaming for it. Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts such as bank codes, with its own data roaming off. Our landing day checklist walks through each step.
Our eSIMs are data only, with no Chinese phone number, so apps that ask for a Chinese number to sign up will not take one from us. Our prices are in US dollars, so your bank converts the payment.
When is another brand the better choice?
- You want 3GB a day of unlimited data. Airalo, Holafly and Jetpac cost less for a week than Endless at 3GB a day.
- You want minutes and texts on the eSIM. Ours are data only; check the other brands' China pages for plans that include them.
- You want 2GB a day for just 3 days. Nomad's 3 day unlimited plan at US$12 costs less than Endless at 2GB a day for 3 days, US$12.50.
Choose RoamMore if you want a fixed plan at the lowest price we found, data that comes out in Hong Kong or Singapore with no VPN to set up, a Singapore version for ChatGPT, no app to install, and a real person who answers by email or WhatsApp.
How did we check these prices?
We read every fixed plan price on 3 November 2026 on the brand's own China page, in US dollars (Airalo with its own currency setting), with no codes, credits or memberships, and the unlimited prices the same way on 15 October 2026. We did not go through any checkout. Prices change, so each one links to the page it came from, and we check them again each month. To compare RoamMore with Airalo and Holafly on support, refunds and apps, see our honest comparison.
Prices for popular trips
Cheapest plan with 1GB or more, in US dollars from our catalogue, updated 3 Nov 2026.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best eSIM for China?
For most trips, a fixed data plan whose data comes out outside mainland China. On 3 November 2026, RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac, and Holafly sold unlimited plans only. For unlimited data at 3GB a day, Airalo, Jetpac and Holafly cost less than ours. RoamMore wrote this answer, and every rival price on the page links to the store it came from.
Do I need a VPN with a China eSIM?
Generally no, on our plans. Every RoamMore China plan sends your data out to the internet in Hong Kong or Singapore, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram usually load on mobile data. Hotel and cafe wifi in mainland China goes through the local internet, so use the eSIM's data for those apps.
Does ChatGPT work in China on a travel eSIM?
On mobile data, yes, on a plan that comes out in Singapore, marked IP SG on our China page. OpenAI does not offer ChatGPT in mainland China or Hong Kong, so a plan that comes out in Hong Kong can be refused by it.
Is 10GB enough for a week in China?
For most people, yes. At Standard use, about 1GB a day, a week comes to about 7GB, so a 10GB plan leaves room to spare, and more so if hotel wifi cannot carry the apps you use. Two weeks at that rate needs more than 10GB, so pick a bigger plan or top up.