Cheapest eSIM for China
The cheapest eSIM for China right now is Yatelo, 50 GB for 30 Days at $21.93. That is $0.44 per GB.
1714 plans from 58 providers, watched and re-ranked by the real price per gigabyte. Every one is a prepaid travel eSIM for China that you buy online and install before you fly, so it works the moment you land.
Swipe the table for price and verdict →
| Rank | Provider | Data | Validity | Price (USD) | Price per GB | Verdict | Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid placement. It sits above the ranking and does not change it. Advertise here | SponsoredPaid placement. It sits above the ranking and does not change it. Advertise hereMegaEsim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $35.00 | $0.70 | Sponsored | Get |
| 1 | Yatelo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $21.93 | $0.44 | Best value | Get |
| 2 | ASIMGO Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
10 GB | 5 Days | $5.00 | $0.50 | Great | Get |
| 3 | Yatelo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $9.95 | $0.50 | Great | Get |
| 4 | ASIMGO Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
20 GB | 7 Days | $10.01 | $0.50 | Great | Get |
| 5 | SparkRoam Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG5 |
50 GB | 30 Days | $25.56 | $0.51 | Great | Get |
| 6 | AirPlans Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 15 Days | $24.15 | $0.54 | Great | Get |
| 7 | SparkRoam Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG5 |
20 GB | 30 Days | $10.95 | $0.55 | Great | Get |
| 8 | Wanderly Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOGWILDCARD |
30 GB | 10 Days | $16.99 | $0.57 | Good | Get |
| 9 | Wanderly Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOGWILDCARD |
50 GB | 30 Days | $28.99 | $0.58 | Good | Get |
| 10 | MobiMatter Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $29.99 | $0.60 | Good | Get |
| 11 | SimSmash | 20 GB | 30 Days | $12.39 | $0.62 | Good | Get |
| 12 | SimSmash | 50 GB | 30 Days | $30.99 | $0.62 | Good | Get |
| 13 | Tourist eSIM | 20 GB | 30 Days | $12.70 | $0.64 | Good | Get |
| 14 | CocoRoam | 30 GB | 10 Days | $19.20 | $0.64 | Good | Get |
| 15 | CocoRoam | 10 GB | 5 Days | $6.50 | $0.65 | Good | Get |
| 16 | Travel eSIM | 50 GB | 30 Days | $33.20 | $0.66 | Good | Get |
| 17 | MobiMatter Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
30 GB | 30 Days | $19.99 | $0.67 | Good | Get |
| 18 | AdventureSIMs Charged in AUD Coupon: WATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $34.55 | $0.69 | Okay | Get |
| 19 | eSIM4Travel | 20 GB | 30 Days | $13.95 | $0.70 | Okay | Get |
| 20 | GigaPanda | 50 GB | 30 Days | $34.90 | $0.70 | Okay | Get |
| 21 | MegaEsim Coupon: SUMMER10 |
50 GB | 30 Days | $35.00 | $0.70 | Okay | Get |
| 22 | Travel eSIM | 20 GB | 30 Days | $14.22 | $0.71 | Okay | Get |
| 23 | MegaEsim Coupon: SUMMER10 |
20 GB | 30 Days | $14.35 | $0.72 | Okay | Get |
| 24 | AlpineSIM | 50 GB | 30 Days | $35.93 | $0.72 | Okay | Get |
| 25 | eSIM4Travel | 10 GB | 30 Days | $7.38 | $0.74 | Okay | Get |
| 26 | AlpineSIM | 20 GB | 30 Days | $14.73 | $0.74 | Okay | Get |
| 27 | Nomad | 50 GB | 45 Days | $37.00 | $0.74 | Okay | Get |
| 28 | Tourist eSIM | 30 GB | 30 Days | $22.90 | $0.76 | Okay | Get |
| 29 | Connect Me Guru Coupon: hello-saun |
50 GB | 30 Days | $37.90 | $0.76 | Okay | Get |
| 30 | eSIM Hero | 50 GB | 30 Days | $38.00 | $0.76 | Okay | Get |
| 31 | Connect Me Guru Coupon: hello-saun |
20 GB | 30 Days | $15.78 | $0.79 | Okay | Get |
| 32 | eSIM Hero | 20 GB | 30 Days | $16.00 | $0.80 | Okay | Get |
| 33 | Lempart Flex Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $39.99 | $0.80 | Okay | Get |
| 34 | CloudOn | 50 GB | 30 Days | $39.99 | $0.80 | Okay | Get |
| 35 | eSIMfly | 50 GB | 30 Days | $41.25 | $0.82 | Okay | Get |
| 36 | ByteSIM | 20 GB | 7 Days | $16.90 | $0.84 | Okay | Get |
| 37 | ByteSIM | 10 GB | 5 Days | $8.50 | $0.85 | Okay | Get |
| 38 | eSIMfly | 20 GB | 30 Days | $16.91 | $0.85 | Okay | Get |
| 39 | Lempart Flex Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $16.99 | $0.85 | Okay | Get |
| 40 | CloudOn | 20 GB | 30 Days | $16.99 | $0.85 | Okay | Get |
| 41 | Simbye Coupon: DOG |
50 GB | 180 Days | $42.49 | $0.85 | Okay | Get |
| 42 | AdventureSIMs Charged in AUD Coupon: WATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $17.27 | $0.86 | Fair | Get |
| 43 | GigaPanda | 30 GB | 30 Days | $26.90 | $0.90 | Fair | Get |
| 44 | MyEsimGlobal Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $44.85 | $0.90 | Fair | Get |
| 45 | MyTravel eSIM | 50 GB | 30 Days | $45.50 | $0.91 | Fair | Get |
| 46 | Textr | 10 GB | 30 Days | $9.22 | $0.92 | Fair | Get |
| 47 | Textr | 20 GB | 30 Days | $18.78 | $0.94 | Fair | Get |
| 48 | eSIMzio Coupon: WATCHDOG15 |
50 GB | 90 Days | $46.75 | $0.94 | Fair | Get |
| 49 | FlyEsim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $48.21 | $0.96 | Fair | Get |
| 50 | eSIModo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
30 GB | 10 Days | $28.98 | $0.97 | Fair | Get |
| 51 | Airalo | 50 GB | 30 Days | $49.00 | $0.98 | Fair | Get |
| 52 | Lumbus Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
2 GB | 1 Day | $1.99 | $0.99 | Fair | Get |
| 53 | eSIModo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
30 GB | 15 Days | $29.60 | $0.99 | Fair | Get |
| 54 | Earth Esim Coupon: ESIMWD5 |
20 GB | 30 Days | $20.00 | $1.00 | Fair | Get |
| 55 | FlyEsim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 15 Days | $44.85 | $1.00 | Fair | Get |
| 56 | Skyalo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $49.99 | $1.00 | Fair | Get |
| 57 | Lumbus Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
50 GB | 30 Days | $49.99 | $1.00 | Fair | Get |
| 58 | Earth Esim Coupon: ESIMWD5 |
50 GB | 30 Days | $50.00 | $1.00 | Fair | Get |
| 59 | Cellesim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $50.00 | $1.00 | Fair | Get |
| 60 | AirPlans Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $51.00 | $1.02 | Fair | Get |
940 of these 1714 plans were checked against the seller's own shop on 16 October 2026. The rest come from the seller's own feed or plan pages and are not yet independently checked.
The Watchdog Pick is chosen automatically: the lowest real price per GB of the 1714 plans in this view. Bulk data pools above 50 GB cannot win it, because their per GB rate only exists if you use data no traveller uses. Providers cannot pay for it, and a commission never changes the ranking. Prices are shown in USD and can change at checkout.
Price per GB counts only data you can use inside the validity, at most 3 GB a day, so a big pool on a short validity cannot buy the top spot. Every provider's best two plans come first, then the rest. A plan marked Unverified price undercuts every other provider here by more than half and waits at the end until we have checked it on the seller's site. How we rank
Unlimited rows show the daily amount at full speed. Some rows also show the speed after that amount. A row with no speed does not mean the plan stays fast, so check the plan on the seller's site.
Some links here earn us a commission. It never changes the order. How we make money The row marked Sponsored is a paid placement shown above the ranking, not part of it. Advertise here.
Crossing borders on this trip? Compare multi country Asia eSIM plans that keep one line working across several destinations.
Cheapest eSIM for China: the numbers
As of 16 October 2026, 06:08 GMT, the cheapest eSIM for China is Yatelo with 50 GB for 30 Days at $21.93. That is $0.44 per GB, the best rate of the 1714 plans we compare from 58 providers. 1124 plans include 5G. 590 support top ups. That timestamp is the exact moment of our latest price check, and the table above always shows the live order.
Which is the best eSIM for China?
There is no single best eSIM for China, because the right plan depends on how long you stay and how much data you use. What we can do is rank the 1714 plans on the numbers, as they stand on 16 October 2026:
- Best value overall Yatelo, 50 GB for 30 Days at $21.93. That is $0.44 per GB, the lowest real rate of every China plan we track.
- Best for a short trip eSIM4Travel, 1 GB for 7 Days at $0.77. The cheapest ticket that still gives you at least 1 GB for a week or less.
- Highest daily cap on an unlimited plan SimSmash, 1 Day at $6.00, full speed up to 10 GB a day. Set that daily cap against the fixed plan above before you pay for the word unlimited.
None of these picks is chosen by a person. Each one is the first row of a sort on live prices, so it changes whenever a provider moves a price, and Yatelo did not pay to be named here.
Which mobile networks does China have?
China had about 1.2 billion 5G subscribers by end 2025, 65.9 percent of all mobile users, served by 4.84 million 5G base stations, the largest 5G network on earth.
- China Mobile: China Mobile is the world's biggest carrier and holds about 53 percent of China's 1.2 billion 5G subscriptions.
- China Telecom: China Telecom is the second largest 5G operator with about 24 percent of 5G subscriptions and strong coverage in southern China.
- China Unicom: China Unicom holds about 20 percent of 5G subscriptions and is pushing 5G Advanced service across 300 cities.
There is no useful MVNO route for tourists. Travel eSIMs that roam on the three networks skip both the registration process and the internet blocks, which is why most visitors use them.
The eSIM plans we compare on this page connect to:
The list above is China's operator market. The badges are the networks our tracked plans actually roam onto, which can be a subset of it, and the same network is sometimes sold to roaming partners under a different brand name. So a guide praising an operator you do not see badged here is describing a local SIM, not the travel eSIMs compared above.
Is 5G available in China?
5G is everywhere in Chinese cities and along high speed rail lines, with all three carriers now rolling out 5G Advanced in about 300 cities.
How much data do you need in China?
Light use is about 500 MB a day. That covers maps, messages, and some browsing. Normal use with photos, social apps, and short videos runs 1 to 1.5 GB a day. Streaming and hotspot use can eat 2 to 3 GB a day. Here is what each size costs in China right now:
Are unlimited eSIMs for China really unlimited?
Not always. 646 of the 1714 plans above are sold as unlimited, and most of them carry a daily fair use cap. A further 40 plans are unlimited in a different way: one capped speed for the whole plan, shown next to the word Unlimited in the table. For China the caps we can see published are 0.5 to 10 GB a day: past that the speed drops, often to 1 Mbps or less, until the clock resets. That is fine for messages and maps, slow for video. At $0.44 per GB from Yatelo, a fixed plan often works out cheaper than unlimited unless you genuinely burn several GB a day. That is why we rank by price per GB and not by the word on the label.
Here is what each seller on this page actually allows per day before it slows you down. No seller publishes this next to its rivals, which is exactly why it is worth showing.
Every seller that publishes a daily allowance is listed on our daily data caps page, with the cheapest plan at each one. The gap between the top and bottom of that table is the whole point. Two plans both sold as unlimited can differ several times over in what you actually get at full speed, and the cheaper one is not always the smaller allowance.
eSIM or a local SIM card at the airport in China?
An eSIM is ready before you land. No queue, no shop, no handing over your passport at a counter for a tourist SIM card. Data for China starts at $0.28 on this page, which is hard for airport kiosks to beat. A local SIM still makes sense if you need a local phone number or plan to stay for months. For a normal trip, the eSIM wins on price and effort.
Setting up your China eSIM
Pick the plan, not the brandThe cheapest rate in China today is $0.44 per GB from Yatelo, against a median of $1.80. The QR code arrives by email within minutes of paying.
Install before you flyScan the QR code on wifi at home. Installation needs a connection, and the one thing you will not have when you land in China is a working connection.
Turn it on when you landEnable the eSIM and turn on data roaming for it, then give it a minute to attach to China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom. Expect 5G where the network reaches, 4G everywhere else.
Know what happens when it runs out590 of the 1714 plans here can be topped up, so running out is not the end of the trip. If you would rather over buy than top up, the cheapest plan with at least 5 GB is ASIMGO at $2.82.
Good to know before you land in China
Real name registration with passport and facial recognition is mandatory for every local SIM. The Great Firewall blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube on local SIMs and hotel Wi-Fi unless you have a working VPN, while roaming travel eSIMs bypass the blocks. Local eSIM for phones only launched in October 2025 and is still a limited trial service aimed at residents.
Tourist SIM kiosks operate in arrivals at major airports, but buying one means real name registration: staff scan your passport and run a live facial recognition check against your passport photo before activation.
Sort your connectivity before you land. A roaming travel eSIM keeps Google Maps, WhatsApp and Gmail working without a VPN, and download offline maps and a translation app since app stores can be slow to reach once inside the firewall.
China Travel eSIM FAQ
Everything you need to know about using an eSIM in China
What is the cheapest eSIM for China?
Right now the cheapest option ranked by price per GB is Yatelo with 50 GB for 30 Days at $21.93. That works out to $0.44 per GB. Prices change often, so the table above is re-sorted at every price check.
Which is the best eSIM for China?
It depends on the trip, so we rank rather than pick a favourite. On today's prices the best value for China is Yatelo at $0.44 per GB, the lowest real rate of the 1714 plans we compare. For heavy daily use there are 646 unlimited plans, most with a daily fair use cap, and they only win if you genuinely burn several GB a day. Every pick on this page is the first row of a sort on live prices. No provider can pay to be named best.
Is eSIM available in China?
Yes. We track 1714 prepaid travel eSIM plans from 58 providers that work in China, roaming onto China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom. You need a phone that supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier; most iPhones from the XS onward and most flagship Android phones from 2019 on qualify.
Which networks will my eSIM connect to in China?
The plans we compare connect to China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom. The exact network depends on the plan you pick. Check the plan details before you buy if one network matters to you.
Do China eSIMs support 5G?
1124 of the 1714 plans we track for China include 5G where the local network offers it. The rest run on 4G, which is still fine for maps, calls over apps, and video.
Can I buy a China eSIM online before I travel?
Yes, and you should. Every plan on this page is sold online and delivered by email as a QR code within minutes. Install it on wifi at home, leave the line switched off, and turn on data roaming for it when you land in China. The validity clock on most plans only starts when the eSIM first connects.
Can I top up my China eSIM if I run out?
Yes. 590 of the 1714 plans here support top ups, so you can add data without buying a new eSIM. The rest need a fresh plan once the data ends.
Is an eSIM cheaper than a local SIM card in China?
For a trip of days or weeks, usually yes. Data for China starts at $0.28 for 100 MB on this page, with no queue, no shop and no passport handed over at a counter. A local SIM card can still win if you stay for months or need a local phone number.
Will I still receive bank SMS and OTP codes?
Yes, if you keep your home SIM active. Travel eSIMs are data only. Your phone can hold both at once, so leave your normal SIM on for SMS and use the eSIM for data. Turn off roaming data on the home SIM to avoid charges.
Do these eSIMs include a phone number or calls?
The plans we compare are data only, so there is no local number. Calls work fine over WhatsApp, FaceTime, or any app that uses data. If you need a real local number, a local SIM is the better tool.
Does a China eSIM work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, on any carrier unlocked phone with eSIM support: iPhone XS or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer and most recent flagships. The plans are identical on both; only the install steps differ, and both take about a minute on wifi.
How many GB do I need for a week in China?
Around 3 to 5 GB covers a week of maps, messaging, and normal browsing. Heavy video or hotspot use needs 1 to 2 GB per day. Today the cheapest plan with at least 5 GB is ASIMGO at $2.82.
Which China eSIM gives the most data per day?
Of the plans sold as unlimited here, SimSmash allows the most at full speed, 10 GB a day from $6.00. The smallest allowance on this page is 500 MB a day, from 9 sellers. Every one of them is advertised as unlimited, and past the daily allowance the speed drops, often to 1 Mbps or less, until the next day. Check the allowance, not the word.
Travelling further? Compare nearby destinations
Hong KongFrom$0.33/GB
JapanFrom$0.40/GB
South KoreaFrom$0.41/GB
MacauFrom$0.33/GB
ThailandFrom$0.37/GB
MalaysiaFrom$0.29/GB
Or see every country on the cheapest eSIM index and track weekly movement on the eSIM Price Index.
How we rank
Prices last checked on 16 October 2026, 06:08 GMT across 1714 plans. Every plan is ranked by the true cost per gigabyte, not marketing claims. We do not take money for rankings, and providers cannot pay for a higher position. Read the full method on our how we rank page.
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