Compare China Travel eSIMs

Stay Connected in China with Travel eSIMs from the Moment You Land

欢迎 – welcome to China! Get online with an eSIM as soon as you arrive in this ancient and rapidly modernizing nation.

Say goodbye to lengthy airport queues to buy a prepaid SIM card with hundreds of other sweaty, weary travellers, or trying to find a fast and secure WIFI connection to send that urgent WhatsApp message.

Quickly buy an eSIM before you fly, get instantly connected when you land, and book an Uber straight to the hotel as soon as you collect your bags!

Whether you’re marvelling at the Great Wall, exploring the Forbidden City in Beijing, or enjoying the skyline of Shanghai, you can now stay connected with an eSIM in China for a fraction of the cost of international roaming!

Compare the best eSIM plans for China below and learn more about coverage, network providers, how to choose the plan that best suits your needs, and how to set up your eSIM plan.

What is an eSIM vs a physical SIM?

An eSIM, which stands for embedded SIM, is a SIM card that’s built into mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops – and even wearable technology like smartwatches. This contrasts with the traditional physical SIM cards we’re accustomed to, which can be inserted and removed from devices at will.

While a physical SIM card is preloaded with the information, i.e., your SIM profile, required to connect to a network provider, the eSIM within a device is initially blank and requires you to download a profile onto it. However, while a physical SIM only holds one profile, an eSIM can store multiple profiles, allowing you to easily toggle between plans, e.g., eSIM data plans for different countries.

Check your device supports eSIMs before travelling to China

The first thing to determine before you seek out the best eSIM for your China trip is if your device is eSIM-compatible. As eSIMs are in-built, only devices manufactured in 2016 and onward feature them.

To check if your device is eSIM-ready, see our list of eSIM-compatible devices.

How to choose the best Travel eSIM for China

The good news is there are plenty of eSIM plans for China to choose from – but how do you go about selecting the one that suits your needs? Here are a few key considerations for finding the best eSIM for your China trip:

• Length of Plan: Choosing an eSIM plan that lasts the entire duration of your time abroad is essential. eSIM plans for China can last anywhere from 1 day, for quick visits, to a year, for extended stays! One thing to be mindful of is the validity period as some providers start the clock upon purchases, whereas with others the plan starts upon first initial contact with the local network in your destination.
• Data Limits: How much data will you need for your entire trip? This will be influenced by the length of your trip, as well as what you intend to use data for, e.g., social media, using map apps to make your way around, streaming video and music, etc. As a guide, Netflix uses about 1GB of data per hour for streaming a TV show or movie in standard definition and up to 3GB of data per hour when streaming HD video. Whereas streaming in high quality with Spotify, a full hour of streaming music can use up to 150MB of data. So, a single hour of streaming your favourite playlist per day can use up 6GB of mobile data over a month.
• Coverage: Does the eSIM plan offer reliable coverage in all your China destinations? Also, bear in mind that if you’re travelling to other destinations, like Taiwan or Hong Kong, you might want to consider a super-convenient regional plan for more than one country.

Our Favourite China Travel eSIMs

Here are some of the most prominent eSIM providers in China, as well as the networks they use and their available connection speeds:

Nomad (4G/5G, China Unicom, China Mobile)

 US provider with a comprehensive variety of eSIM plans to suit a range of trip lengths and data usage needs.

• • Nomad has a fantastic range of competitively priced prepaid China Travel eSIMs starting at less than a $1 per GB!
  • Their 90 Day 90 GB plan on China Unicom is a standout, and at only $90, exceptional value.
  • Super Users will be happy to know Nomad eSIM plans can be recharged.
  • They also offer unlimited plans for China starting at just $1.30 per day, which throttle down to 512Kbps after the daily quota has been used. However, these plans can’t be topped up.

Don’t forget to enter our exclusive 10% discount code (NOMADXESIMPOP) when buying your Nomad China eSIM on the provider’s site.

Airalo (4G/5G, China Unicom, China Mobile)

 Global eSIM pioneer offering a wide range of local and global prepaid eSIM plans.

• • Airalo’s China plans have no expiry and can be topped up online. 
  • The standout must be their “Asialink” 180 Day plan which features a hefty 100GB data allowance for only $1.85/GB. Perfect if you’re travelling across Asia and don’t want the hassle of downloading separate eSIMs for each country.
  • Otherwise, their local plans, which connect to the China Mobile    network, would be fine. These start at $5 for a 1GB, 7-Day plan. 

Enter our exclusive discount codes (AIRALOESIM10 and NEWTOAIRALO15) when buying your Airalo China eSIM for 10 – 15% off!

eSIMPlus (4G/5G, China Unicom, China Mobile, China Telecom)

Hong Kong eSIM Provider offering international travellers high-quality, low-cost internet services for 160+ countries worldwide.

• • We also really like eSIMPlus’ variety of China plans, which have no expiry and can be topped up online. 
  • If you’re also planning to visit Hong Kong and Macau, we’d recommend their China, Hong Kong & Macau 30 Day 30GB Plan for only $60. 
  • eSIMPlus claim comprehensive coverage across most mobile operators in countries they service (eg China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom in China; 1010, 3, SmarTone, and PCCS in Hong Kong; and CTM in Macau).
  • eSIMPlus offer 24/7 support via Whatsapp and you can also track your usage online.

Don’t forget to enter our exclusive discount code (esimpop) when buying your eSIMPlus cChina eSIM to get HKD5 discount off all plans.

Which Mobile Operator has the best coverage in China?

There are three main mobile operators in China that eSIM providers connect to: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. To view a coverage map of each network via the links below to help you choose the right provider:

• China Mobile coverage map
• China Unicom coverage map
• China Telecom coverage map

eSIM Pros and Cons

Let’s look at some pros and cons of purchasing an eSIM for China, compared to a physical SIM card:

eSim Pros

• Lower cost: using an eSIM in China can save you anywhere from 35% to 90% compared to international roaming fees.
• Convenience: you can arrange your eSIM plan before you board the plane – so you can skip having to seek out the prepaid SIM kiosks in arrivals and head straight to your hotel!
• Don’t need to swap out SIM cards: with no physical SIM card, you won’t need to remove your existing SIM to insert a new one – and potentially lose or damage it in the process.
• Security: greater security in eSIM devices.
• Flexibility: An eSIM-capable smartphone can accommodate up to 20 different mobile plans via eSIM!

eSim Cons

• Device must be eSIM-compatible: as touched on earlier, your mobile device must be recent enough to have an eSIM built into it.
• Harder to swap devices: despite being fiddly, physical SIM cards are easier to swap between devices if need be. With an eSIM, you’ll need to deactivate it on one device before activating it on another.
• Activation: Attempting to scan a QR code to activate your plan using the only device in your possession, i.e., your smartphone, can be a challenge. Although eSIM plans can be manually activated and new techniques are constantly being developed to improve the process.

When should you buy a China eSIM?

One of the key advantages of purchasing an eSIM for your China trip is that you can buy one before you set off. That way, your SIM card in China will be set up and you can get online as soon as you touch down on the tarmac. Ideally, you should buy your eSIM a week before your journey – to give you peace of mind that your data needs are handled and allow you to focus on the other preparations for your trip.

However, if you’re rushing around before your journey and don’t get a chance to buy an eSIM before you fly – don’t worry! You can also buy eSIMs in China at the airport when you arrive, as well as purchasing them online, just like you would at home.

Can China eSIMs be used across the country?

Your eSIM plan in China will generally cover you across the entire country – providing coverage across all regions. We recommend you check the coverage maps against the local networks used by your chosen provider to ensure you’ll have 100% coverage across your entire itinerary.

Don’t risk a data disaster while in China. Stay connected with an eSIM so you can share, post, and stream your cultural immersions in Xi’an, your nature tours in Guilin, or your tech explorations in Shenzhen.

How to Set up an eSIM?

Setting up an eSIM on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop is as easy as 123! You can check out our guides here:

• For iPhone
• For Android
• For Laptop or Tablet

Stay connected with esimpop

Here at esimpop, we’re constantly comparing Travel eSIMs for over 100 destinations globally, so you don’t have to. Our review of the best eSIM plans for China will be published shortly, so bookmark this page and check back often or join our community to be notified when we release our findings.

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