Best eSIM for China Traveler: Comprehensive Provider Comparison

China is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. Nowadays, a lot of tourists would rather use an eSIM than a physical SIM card when traveling thanks to advanced technology. Although this technology is quite new, eSIM is already available in China. Because of this, purchasing an eSIM for your trip to China is a smart move that enables you to connect as soon as you step off the plane.

So, what is the best eSIM China for travel? In this article, we will give you the most information as well as compare options so that you can determine if it is an appropriate choice for you.

What is the best eSIM plan for China Travel?

Most eSIM providers in China currently offer similar eSIM packages in terms of speed, with the main difference being the number of packages and prices. Here we choose the top best eSIM packages for tourists in China.

The eSIM China 500MB – 2GB/days available on Gohub, is an excellent choice for tourists visiting Thailand.

This plan is particularly responsive for those engaging in activities such as sharing on social media, using maps, watching videos, or needing frequent connectivity for work.

While the eSIM China 500MB – 2GB/day is a suitable choice for many, it’s just one of the numerous options available. To ensure you make the best decision for your connectivity needs in China, it’s vital to compare leading eSIM China Providers and their Plans for you

Comparison of Top eSIM Singapore Providers

1. Gohub

Gohub is a relatively young provider of travel eSIMs, established in 2018. Gohub offers eSIMs that support in over 100 countries and regions worldwide.  Specifically, with their eSIM for China, they specialize in partnerships with renowned network providers like China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. This is the top three most popular network providers  in Japan with a good balance of price, capacity data, and coverage.

Gohub’s primary focus is to enhance the customer experience with their products. They prioritize selecting eSIMs from official network partners worldwide, ensuring a wide range of choices that cater to customers’ needs and budgets. Additionally, with a 24/7 technical support team, Gohub’s dedicated support is always available to assist customers throughout their journeys.

At Gohub, the best eSIM packages for China with phone local number and support hotspot or tethering features are:

• 500MB – 2GB/days, valid for 3 – 15 days, $5.89 – 68.69
• 12GB, valid for 30 days, $18.39

They also have eSIM packages available for any country in Asia, including China, with the following options:

• 5GB/10GB/20GB, valid for 3-30 days, 13.69$ – 60.59$ (Fixed Plan)
• 500MB – 3GB, valid for 2 – 30 days, 5.39$ – 81.69$ (Daily Plan)

At the time of writing this article, Gohub gets 4.6 stars on TrustPilot.

2. Holafly

Holafly is a well-known eSIM provider catering to tourists in China, with a global reach extending to over 190 countries and regions. They primarily utilize the China Mobile network  with a wide coverage throughout China, including in rural areas.

A key feature of Holafly’s service is their exclusive offering of Unlimited data packages. However, it’s important to note that despite the ‘unlimited’ label, high-speed data usage is cappaed, after which the speed reduces. Therefore, users should be mindful of their data consumption.

In terms of pricing, Holafly’s rates are higher compared to other providers offering similar plans. Additionally, their eSIM plans do not support hotspot or tethering features.

Holafly offers eight different eSIM packages for China, all with unlimited data but varying in duration and price:

• Unlimited data, valid for 5 days, $21.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 7 days, $29.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 10 days, $37.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 15 days, $51.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 20 days, $62.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 30 days, $75.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 60 days, $107.00
• Unlimited data, valid for 90 days, $139.00

As of the latest reports, Holafly has earned a 4.7-star rating on TrustPilot.

3. Airalo

Airalo, a pioneer in the eSIM market since 2019, offers eSIM services in over 200 countries and regions worldwide. They provide a dedicated app that enables customers to purchase, activate, and manage their eSIMs conveniently. In China, Airalo uses the China Unicom network, known for its fast and reliable connectivity.

Despite being a market leader, Airalo has faced criticism regarding its customer service, with issues such as slow response times and difficulties in reaching support during troubleshooting.

Regarding their China-specific eSIM packages, there are six options for China, while the remaining six cater to a broader regional market that includes China. They also offer long-day packages, which use 60 to 180 days with up to 100GB of capacity.

06 packages available for China:

• 1GB, valid for 7 days, $5
• 2GB, valid for 15 days, $8.5
• 3GB, valid for 30 days, $11.5
• 5GB, valid for 30 days, $16.5
• 10GB, valid for 30 days, $28
• 20GB, valid for 30 days, $49

06 plans for regions including China:

• 1GB, valid for 7 days, $5
• 3GB, valid for 30 days, $13
• 5GB, valid for 30 days, $20
• 10GB, valid for 30 days, $37
• 50GB, valid for 90 days, $100
• 100GB, valid for 180 days, $185

At the time of writing this article, Airalo gets 2.5 stars on TrustPilot.

4. Nomad

Nomad is one of the most expensive eSIM brands on the market. It’s particularly well-suited for short-term travelers, frequent globetrotters, and those who visit multiple countries in a single journey.

The brand offers a user-friendly app that simplifies the process of purchasing and installing eSIM cards directly on mobile phones. However, the app is currently only available for iOS users in specific countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus, Israel, India, UAE, and Morocco.

They offer many Regular Plans (from 3GB- 15GB) for China travelers but the price is not cheap compared to other providers.

• 1GB, valid for 7 days, $4
• 3GB, valid for 30 days, $9
• 5GB, valid for 30 days, $13
• 10GB, valid for 30 days, $22
• 15GB, valid for 30 days, $28

At the time of writing this article, Nomad gets 4.4 stars on TrustPilot.

5. Mobimatter

Mobimatter, founded in 2018 in the UAE, is a provider of mobile internet services. For your trip to China, you can buy Mobimatter’s eSIM packages specifically for China and nearby regions. They offer an app where you can control and recharge your eSIM.

However, Mobimatter offers fewer package choices compared to other providers. They mainly offer plans of 30 days or more. Short-day packages are not available yet.

Here is the only eSIM plan exclusively for China travel from Mobimatter:

• 15GB, valid for 30 days, $19.99
• 30GB, valid for 30 days, $29.99
• 30GB, valid for 90 days, $25.99
• 15GB, valid for 180 days, $13.99
• 45GB, valid for 365 days, $39.99

At the time of writing this article, Mobimatter gets 4.1 stars on TrustPilot.

Below, we will assess the advantages and disadvantages of various eSIM providers for travel in China, enabling you to select the most appropriate option.

eSIM provider	Pros	Cons
Gohub	Numerous choices are available, ranging from short-term to long-term options. Offers excellent and immediate 24/7 Multi-language support in case of troubleshooting issues. Sharing hotspot/ tethering Cheaper prices than other providers	Entered the eSIM market later than other providers.
Holafly	Unlimited data, but only a certain portion is available at high speed; once this is used up, the speed is used at slow speed A well-known provider with many years of experience on the market (since 2018)	Higher prices than other providers No hotspot/tethering and top-up Don’t mention about Throttle speed of Unlimited data
Airalo	A leading company in the market, established in 2019. An easy-to-use application for user convenience. Cheaper prices than other providers	Little options for China Tourist No top-up, no hotspot/tethering More bad review about Slow response and customer support
Nomad	Offering China tourists unlimited data eSIM packages, with a note that daily usage exceeding 2 GB will result in a reduced speed of 512 kbps. An application designed for ease of use and user convenience.	Higher price than other competitors For short-term travelers, there will be few options for regular Plans (Not Unlimited Data)
Mobimatter	An application that allows customers to purchase, utilize, and manage their plans Ideal for tourists staying long in China.	No plans for short trips.

In conclusion, for China travel, Gohub is better than Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, and Mobimatter. The reasons are:

• They offer a range of China eSIM packages tailored to various travel requirements.
• Their plans include a local phone number, a feature not commonly offered by competitors.
• They provide 24/7, multilingual support to address any issues you might face.
• Their website is user-friendly, allowing for quick and efficient eSIM purchases in just about 10 minutes.

Get more tips about traveling China:

• Does China Unicom support eSIM?
• Does China Telecom support eSIM?
• Is eSIM available in China?
• Does China Mobile support eSIM?