Find the best eSIM for China
Compare 20300+ plans from over 240+ eSIM brands
BEST15. Limited time only.
ESIMDB15 for 15% discount. Limited time only.
Customer Reviews
See what travelers are saying about their China eSIM experience. Real feedback from real users to help you pick the best plan for your trip.
“I bought a 48 GB eSIM, at first it was okay, the speed wasn't very fast but I could browse websites, YouTube was difficult. Once I had used half of the data, it became unusable, nothing would load, not even a webpage. It's really cheap but the service keeps cutting out and I tested it in several cities in China, same problem.”
“Watch out for FRAUDULENT practices:
When you buy an eSIM, they just add an antivirus subscription to your order! That means: long after you’re done using the eSIM, you’ll still be paying for that antivirus subscription!!
At checkout, they add that subscription which you obviously didn’t want, and even if you notice it and click that “No thanks”-button, they’ll still add it and it will appear on your order.
So, if you never spot that €0.99 charge every week on your credit card bill, you’ll be paying it for years and years…”
“I noticed that the pay-as-you-go option does not appear in the plan listings on esimdb, which caught my attention a little. After actually using it, I personally feel this is the most convenient option.
Because it is fully usage based, you can keep using it seamlessly even when moving between countries, which is incredibly convenient. With cheaper flight tickets, long layovers at airports in China are common, and sometimes you may want to head into the city for a short while. In those situations, it feels a bit wasteful to purchase a one day plan or a large data package, so this option fits perfectly.
Airport WiFi is available, of course, but connections can be unstable, and SMS verification is sometimes required, which often makes it more troublesome than expected. That is why having the reassurance of being able to connect immediately on your own mobile line, even during immigration, feels very valuable.
Overseas roaming is also available with ahamo and Rakuten Mobile, but there are still countries that are not covered. Having this set up as a dual SIM feels like something that could really help in an emergency. I also appreciate that LINE and WhatsApp continue to work even after the main data allowance has been used up. It is a small detail, but genuinely useful.”
“I do not recommend this site for purchase. Before purchasing, I came across a number of negative reviews, but I decided to try my luck anyway. Here's my experience: In Uzbekistan, everything worked perfectly for one day, but the speed was terrible on the second day. In South Korea, everything worked well, but in China, everything worked well for two days, and then the internet simply disappeared, even though I still had plenty of data and time left. There is no support, and the AI agent responds by saying that I am doing something wrong.”
“No way to use after activation in china”
“I can confirm the network throttling for China mainland.”
“Used Micro-Esim for the first time, went great.
Bought online, got sent a QR code by email, downloaded it to my android and installed it, had it off as second SIM until landed in China and then turned it on, worked great for the time I was in China.
Could not get Instagram or TikTok to work but that will be due to country rules and not the SIM.”
“Pre-installed Nomad eSIM on a 10GB/30day plan. Activation at the Guangzhou airport after a 15 hr flight was bit challenging. I used the combination of Airport Wi-Fi & Firsty Tier 1 Free Basic to bootstrap start Nomad. Provisioning and activatin took less than 5 minutes max. Nomad has implied VPN features, so to really use the cellular connection service provided by partner China Telecom, under Settings I disabled wi-fi in my iPhone 16 and primary SIM. I was able to access 90% of my Apps (normally blocked: YT, FB, WhatsApp, Outlook emails, Gmails, etc.). Some locations even with signals at 4-bars, both eSIMs appeared not working, that is the network connection issues and not the eSIM's fault. Overall very satisfied with Nomad (paid) DL upto 90Mbs and Firsty (free) 230Kbs as backup.”
“Easy to purchase and setup, had a full day layover in Shanghai and I got the 1GB 1 Day plan, speeds were very good and had no troubles connecting and using the data”
“Good ”
“لاباس”
“Eskimo has a two-year date plan and is a really great operator。”
“I ordered a 3 day unlimited package which didn't work. Requested for a refund twice and was promised I'd get it in a few days. I still haven't been refunded for almost a month now.👎”
“eSIM i ordered was not what I expected. Support was fast in answering and helpfull. In the end they give me a refund.
Can't say anything about internet speed or anything, but will use them again for their support team”
“get all kinds of plans quickly”
“Works but extremely slow”
“I’ve used Billion Connect for multiple eSims abroad now, and I’ve found them great every time. Their customer service responds pretty quickly to any issues, and the sims are cheap and work well. Be aware the sims are mostly based in Hong Kong so if you’re geographically far from there the latency might be a little high, and you may need a VPN for things like TikTok to work, but I’ve had very few issues.”
“網絡快又不貴，總之我覺得不錯哦，不過用完的時候，無限的流量有點慢，不過無限的流量不要錢也不錯啦”
“technically functional but extremely slow speed”
“nice”
“Not working with phones in China: only tablets and routers.”
“Super good connectivity and no Chinese firewall!”
“Dude, if you're headed to China or Hong Kong, you gotta check out Textr eSIM's data plan. I used it on a work trip recently and it was freakin' awesome. The network was super fast and reliable, even in the middle of nowhere. Setting it up was a breeze, and the pricing was totally reasonable. Plus, their customer support was super helpful whenever I had a question or needed assistance. Overall, if you want to stay connected and get stuff done on your trip, Textr eSIM's China and Hong Kong Data Plan is the way to go. Highly recommend.”
“Bypassed the Great Firewall. I used MySim eSIM in both Shanghai and Beijing as well as a high speed train between the two destinations. Here's my experience on my iPhone X:
It's a pretty straightforward installation once I scanned the QR code and turned on Data Roaming (which you need to do).
I was able to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Google, Whatsapp, YouTube, and Gmail with no issues or a VPN.
I had great reception pretty much everywhere as well as the subway and I did use the phone extensively even making a view Facetime calls as well using Google Maps a lot to find my way.
Having a SIM card that bypassed the Chinese national firewall was essential and made the trip way safer.”
“It was so practical to travel with MySIM in China! I had access to all the social networks that I need (Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram...). I also have to say the connection was perfect and in 4G! Really good experience overall, convenient and easy to use.”
“Bought this eSIM for a round trip in China, after download on arrival I just have to select China Mobile network and I have a full access to internet without restriction (google, whatsapp, gmail, facebook) and very good speed in 4G”
China Travel eSIM FAQ
Everything you need to know about using eSIMs in China
How many travel eSIM brands (providers) are available for use in China, and how many prepaid data plans are there?
Over 220 travel eSIM brands and more than 16, 800 prepaid data plans are available for use in China, providing a wide variety of options that make it easy for travelers to find an eSIM that meets their specific data needs.
Are there any unlimited data eSIM plans available for China?
Unlimited data eSIM plans for China are offered by several providers, including ASIMGO, abesteSIM, MicroEsim, Earth Esim, Yesim, Roamify, and esimzon. These plans vary in validity from one to fifteen days and are priced between roughly $1.87 and $19.99 USD. Most of the unlimited packages allow tethering, but the speeds may be throttled; typical speed limits range from 1 Mbps up to 10 Mbps depending on the provider and plan specifics. When choosing an unlimited data plan for China, consider the duration of your stay, the need for consistent speed, and your budget, keeping in mind the upper price floor is near $20 while the lowest starts just under $2.
What are the major mobile networks available for a travel eSIM in China?
China Mobile: The largest mobile operator in China, offering extensive nationwide coverage and a wide range of services, including voice, data, and multimedia.
China Unicom: A major state-owned operator providing mobile and fixed-line services, known for its strong presence in northern China and compatibility with international devices.
China Telecom: Another leading state-owned operator offering mobile, fixed-line, and broadband services, with robust coverage in southern China.
In addition to these major operators, China has Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that lease access from the primary carriers to offer mobile services. Examples include China Broadcasting Network (CBN), a state-owned entity providing mobile, broadband, and broadcasting services. However, most travel eSIMs rely on the infrastructure of the major Mobile Network Operators rather than MVNOs.
Can I get a travel eSIM with a phone number and SMS for China?
Yes, you can purchase a travel eSIM that provides a phone number and SMS capability for China. The RedEx eSIM offers a local China number with dialing code +86, inbound and outbound voice calls, and inbound and outbound SMS. Plans are available for 20 GB of data over 30 days at about $35.89 USD.
Other providers in the directory supply travel eSIMs for China, but they use foreign dialing codes such as +1 or +33, so the phone number is not local to China. These plans still allow voice and SMS, but the number will appear as a foreign number when used in China.
Summarized by AI, Last updated:
All Travel eSIM Providers for China
Browse a list of eSIM providers offering data plans for China
Nearby Destinations
Explore eSIM plans for other popular destinations near China