Best eSIM for China: What Works in 2026

Landing in China without the right setup is a shock. Google won’t load, WhatsApp goes dark, and Instagram is gone. The Great Firewall blocks them all, and a regular SIM card won’t get you around it. The best eSIM for China will. It routes your data through servers outside mainland China, so you get the open internet the moment your plane touches down.

No fiddling with physical SIMs, no surprise roaming bills, no messing with VPN apps before you fly. We retested the top contenders across coverage, speed, and day-to-day reliability, and Saily was the one that kept working when others dropped out. Here are the best eSIMs for China in July 2026.

Best China eSIM: Detailed Comparison of Our Top 5

With the important notices out of the way, here’s why these five stood out across our 14-day retests in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai in 2026. We compared them on network partners, price, data, tethering and extras.

	Saily 🥇	Ubigi 🥈	Airalo 🥉	Holafly	Jetpac
Network Partners	China Unicom, China Mobile	China Telecom	China Unicom	China Mobile	China Mobile, China Unicom
Start Price	$3.82 (with GIZMODO)	$4	$4	$3.90	$4
Data Options	1 GB to unlimited	1 GB to unlimited	1 GB to unlimited	Unlimited only	1 GB to unlimited
Unlimited Fine Print	5 GB/day, then 1 Mbps	No speed cap	No speed cap	No speed cap	No speed cap
Tethering	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	1 GB/day limit	Unlimited
Extras	Virtual locations, ad blocker, web protection, lounge access	Windows compatibility, 24/7 support	No	1 GB backup data	Lounge access, VPN, free data

1. Saily: Best Overall

We tested Saily on landing in Beijing, our first stop. It activated immediately, though we’d bought it a week earlier, with 5G data and consistent speeds for Netflix. Our plan was unlimited for 15 days at $49.99, which the GIZMODO code brings down to $42.49. Budget travelers can start at 1 GB for 7 days at $4.49, or $3.82 with the code.

Saily held 5G consistently across all three cities, with only a few drops to LTE. Its network isn’t censored, so we chatted on WhatsApp, searched on Google, and streamed Netflix and Hulu without touching a VPN app. Tethering is unlimited, so one China eSIM covered the group.

The extras are genuinely useful. There’s an ad blocker (a data saver in practice), a malicious URL blocker, and a virtual location tool with over 115 locations that behaves much like a VPN. NordVPN proper comes with the Ultra plan. We used the first two and never needed the third, and the ad blocker alone cut our data use by about 10%.

One thing to know before buying unlimited: you get 5 GB per day at full speed, then stay connected at 1 Mbps. That’s plenty for maps and messaging, less so for a full evening of streaming. In 2026 Saily also added airport lounge access and fast-track security passes at checkout, and it was named “Rising Star” at the MVNOs World Congress in Amsterdam in June.

Saily’s low starting price gets lower with the GIZMODO code for 15% off, and our Saily coupon page lists the current offers. It’s the #1 eSIM for China, and our favorite eSIM provider overall, with plans in 200+ locations.

Visit Saily

2. Ubigi: Best for Strong Coverage

Testing Ubigi in China, we got solid 4G and 5G coverage, though it ran mostly on 4G (5G only about 30% of the time). That barely dented the experience: speeds stayed fast and stable thanks to Ubigi’s partnership with China Telecom. Its China plans are flexible, starting at $4 for 1 GB over 7 days.

For our two-week trip we took the unlimited plan for 15 days at $49. Ubigi let us share data without limits, so one eSIM covered all three of us. On metered plans it also allows top-ups with no internet connection, which is a rare and genuinely useful trick when you’re stranded with an empty allowance. And every app works without a VPN.

Activation is a QR code, and the plan switches on the moment you land. Support runs 24/7. The one gap is telephony: Ubigi is a data-only eSIM for China, with no SMS or calls.

Visit Ubigi

3. Airalo: Affordable eSIM for China

Most cheap eSIMs for China stick to LTE. Airalo doesn’t, delivering solid 5G coverage from China Unicom at a low price. It works without a VPN, and every app and site loads normally. We took the 10 GB plan for 15 days at $23, though budget users can start at $4 for 1 GB over 3 days.

Airalo also sells unlimited plans, and 15 days would have cost $43.50. Prices climb steeply on longer stays, so we’d recommend Airalo for trips of a week or less. It sells calls and SMS plans in other countries but not in China. To compensate, the eSIM activates automatically when you land.

Tethering is unlimited, so a group travels on one eSIM. If you can live with support that’s slower to answer than anyone else’s, this budget travel eSIM for China is close to flawless, and it replaces a VPN in China for most purposes.

4. Holafly: Unlimited Data in China

Holafly is the no-compromise eSIM for China: limitless data at a flat $3.90 per day, with the effective rate falling the longer you stay. We stayed two weeks and paid $50.90 for 15 days, about $3.40 a day. It was fast and reliable on 4G and 5G from China Mobile, though mostly 4G, and stable throughout for streaming and browsing.

The real distinction is the fine print, or rather its absence. Holafly’s unlimited data has no daily allowance and no speed cap, unlike Saily, which throttles to 1 Mbps after 5 GB a day. If you plan to stream a lot, that’s the reason to pick it.

We bought a week in advance and the plan started the moment we reached Beijing Capital International Airport. The catch is sharing: Holafly caps tethering at 1 GB per day, so we bought two eSIMs for three people. That’s still more generous than the 500 MB it allows in most other countries.

Its 24/7 live chat replied within seconds every time we used it, which remains one of the best support experiences in the category.

5. Jetpac: Best for Lounge Access

Jetpac is a trusted eSIM for China with travel perks bolted on, including lounge access if your flight slips (thankfully, we never had to test that). Across our two-week trip it switched between 4G and 5G on China Unicom, roughly 50/50 by our reckoning, with speeds holding up throughout.

Every plan includes free data, throttled but functional, for Google Maps, Uber, Grab and WhatsApp chat. Exclusive to its China eSIM is a built-in VPN, included on all plans, which helps bypass geo-blocks and reach more content. We used the unlimited 15-day plan at $41.99, which is fair.

Shorter trips cost less: $4 for 1 GB over 4 days, or $7 for 3 GB over 7 days. Jetpac is data-only in China, with no SMS or calls, and its support took minutes rather than seconds to answer basic questions. We never really needed it.

Summary: What is the Best eSIM in China in 2026?

Getting online in China shouldn’t be the hardest part of your trip. The right eSIM saves you from hunting for SIM cards at the airport, dodging roaming bills, and staring at apps that won’t load. Any of these five will get you connected. It comes down to how you travel. On a budget? Take Airalo. Heavy streamer? Holafly, since its unlimited data never throttles. Want the strongest native coverage? Ubigi, on China Telecom. Travel perks bundled in? Jetpac.

For most travelers, Saily is the one to beat. It gave us the most consistent speeds, kept blocked apps working with no extra setup, and its plans stretch from a weekend in Shanghai to a month across the country. Install it before you fly and enjoy the trip.

Try Saily at 15% Off Now

See Ubigi’s China plans

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best eSIM for China?

Saily is the best eSIM for China overall. Its network routes around the Great Firewall, so Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Netflix all work with no VPN app needed. Plans start at $4.49, or $3.82 with the GIZMODO code, and unlimited data for 15 days costs $49.99, or $42.49 discounted. Every plan includes an ad blocker, web protection and 115+ virtual locations.

Do I need a VPN in China if I have an eSIM?

No. A travel eSIM routes your data through servers outside mainland China, which puts you outside the Great Firewall’s reach. Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Netflix and the rest load normally. What matters is buying and installing the eSIM before you arrive, since app stores in China restrict VPN downloads and most VPN websites are blocked.

Does WhatsApp work in China with an eSIM?

Yes. WhatsApp, Google, Instagram, Facebook and Netflix are all blocked on Chinese networks, but a travel eSIM does not route through them in the same way, so these apps keep working. We used WhatsApp, Google Search and Netflix throughout our tests in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai without touching a VPN.

Which eSIM has truly unlimited data in China?

Holafly. Its unlimited plans have no daily allowance and no speed cap, which makes it the pick for heavy streamers. Saily’s unlimited plans give you 5 GB per day at full speed and then throttle to 1 Mbps, which is fine for maps and messaging but not for a long evening of video.

Which networks do China eSIMs use?

Saily connects to China Unicom and China Mobile, Ubigi to China Telecom, Airalo to China Unicom, Holafly to China Mobile, and Jetpac to both China Mobile and China Unicom. Airalo delivers the most consistent 5G, while Ubigi and Holafly ran mostly on 4G in our tests, which was still fast enough for everything.

Can I call and text with an eSIM in China?

Not with any of the five. Saily, Ubigi, Airalo, Holafly and Jetpac all sell data-only plans for China. Calls and texts go through WhatsApp, FaceTime or another VoIP app over your eSIM data, which works normally since the eSIM sits outside the Great Firewall.