Cheapest eSIM for India
The cheapest eSIM for India right now is Tourist eSIM, 20 GB for 30 Days at $12.70. That is $0.64 per GB.
1391 plans from 58 providers, watched and re-ranked by the real price per gigabyte. Every one is a prepaid travel eSIM for India 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 |
20 GB | 7 Days | $38.99 | $1.95 | Sponsored | Get |
| 1 | Tourist eSIM | 20 GB | 30 Days | $12.70 | $0.64 | Best value | Get |
| 2 | Yatelo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
10 GB | 30 Days | $6.99 | $0.70 | Great | Get |
| 3 | Yatelo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $14.43 | $0.72 | Great | Get |
| 4 | CloudOn | 20 GB | 30 Days | $16.99 | $0.85 | Good | Get |
| 5 | AirPlans Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
10 GB | 30 Days | $8.63 | $0.86 | Good | Get |
| 6 | Tourist eSIM | 10 GB | 30 Days | $8.65 | $0.86 | Good | Get |
| 7 | Nomad | 50 GB | 30 Days | $43.00 | $0.86 | Good | Get |
| 8 | MobiMatter Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
30 GB | 30 Days | $26.99 | $0.90 | Good | Get |
| 9 | eSIMzio Coupon: WATCHDOG15 |
50 GB | 90 Days | $46.75 | $0.94 | Good | Get |
| 10 | CloudOn | 50 GB | 90 Days | $47.99 | $0.96 | Good | Get |
| 11 | MobiMatter Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $19.99 | $1.00 | Okay | Get |
| 12 | Horizon eSIM | 3 GB | 7 Days | $3.03 | $1.01 | Okay | Get |
| 13 | Wanderly Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOGWILDCARD |
30 GB | 10 Days | $30.99 | $1.03 | Okay | Get |
| 14 | Travel eSIM | 20 GB | 30 Days | $20.86 | $1.04 | Okay | Get |
| 15 | Wanderly Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOGWILDCARD |
20 GB | 10 Days | $20.99 | $1.05 | Okay | Get |
| 16 | AlpineSIM | 50 GB | 30 Days | $53.40 | $1.07 | Okay | Get |
| 17 | AlpineSIM | 10 GB | 30 Days | $10.77 | $1.08 | Okay | Get |
| 18 | Horizon eSIM | 50 GB | 30 Days | $54.57 | $1.09 | Okay | Get |
| 19 | Travel eSIM | 50 GB | 30 Days | $55.02 | $1.10 | Okay | Get |
| 20 | AirPlans Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $55.34 | $1.11 | Okay | Get |
| 21 | GigaPanda | 50 GB | 30 Days | $57.90 | $1.16 | Okay | Get |
| 22 | GigSky | 50 GB | 90 Days | $57.99 | $1.16 | Okay | Get |
| 23 | ASIMGO Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
30 GB | 30 Days | $35.03 | $1.17 | Okay | Get |
| 24 | Lempart Flex Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 20 Days | $58.99 | $1.18 | Okay | Get |
| 25 | Airalo | 50 GB | 30 Days | $59.00 | $1.18 | Okay | Get |
| 26 | AdventureSIMs Charged in AUD Coupon: WATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $59.43 | $1.19 | Okay | Get |
| 27 | ByteSIM | 30 GB | 10 Days | $35.90 | $1.20 | Okay | Get |
| 28 | RoameSIM Coupon: ESMWD10 |
20 GB | 30 Days | $24.38 | $1.22 | Okay | Get |
| 29 | Lempart Flex Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
30 GB | 10 Days | $36.49 | $1.22 | Okay | Get |
| 30 | ByteSIM | 50 GB | 15 Days | $54.90 | $1.22 | Okay | Get |
| 31 | ASIMGO Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
10 GB | 15 Days | $12.61 | $1.26 | Fair | Get |
| 32 | Telekonek Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 20 Days | $63.00 | $1.26 | Fair | Get |
| 33 | Yesim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
30 GB | 30 Days | $38.00 | $1.27 | Fair | Get |
| 34 | AdventureSIMs Charged in AUD Coupon: WATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $25.56 | $1.28 | Fair | Get |
| 35 | Telekonek Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $64.00 | $1.28 | Fair | Get |
| 36 | eSIM Hero | 50 GB | 30 Days | $65.00 | $1.30 | Fair | Get |
| 37 | eSIMzio Coupon: WATCHDOG15 |
20 GB | 30 Days | $26.75 | $1.34 | Fair | Get |
| 38 | Airalo | 50 GB | 90 Days | $69.00 | $1.38 | Fair | Get |
| 39 | eSIM Hero | 20 GB | 30 Days | $28.25 | $1.41 | Fair | Get |
| 40 | Simbye Coupon: DOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $29.74 | $1.49 | Fair | Get |
| 41 | Yesim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $29.80 | $1.49 | Fair | Get |
| 42 | GigaPanda | 20 GB | 30 Days | $29.90 | $1.49 | Fair | Get |
| 43 | HiRoaming Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG20FIRST |
10 GB | 30 Days | $15.18 | $1.52 | Fair | Get |
| 44 | HiRoaming Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG20FIRST |
20 GB | 30 Days | $31.20 | $1.56 | Fair | Get |
| 45 | Breeze | 50 GB | 30 Days | $78.99 | $1.58 | Fair | Get |
| 46 | RoameSIM Coupon: ESMWD10 |
10 GB | 30 Days | $15.94 | $1.59 | Fair | Get |
| 47 | Skyalo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 30 Days | $31.99 | $1.60 | Fair | Get |
| 48 | eSIMCard Coupon: eSbljricbt |
50 GB | 30 Days | $80.80 | $1.62 | Fair | Get |
| 49 | Lumbus Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG10 |
50 GB | 30 Days | $80.99 | $1.62 | Fair | Get |
| 50 | Nomad | 20 GB | 30 Days | $33.00 | $1.65 | Fair | Get |
| 51 | eSIMfly | 50 GB | 30 Days | $83.47 | $1.67 | Expensive | Get |
| 52 | FlyEsim Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
20 GB | 15 Days | $33.63 | $1.68 | Expensive | Get |
| 53 | CocoRoam | 50 GB | 30 Days | $84.00 | $1.68 | Expensive | Get |
| 54 | esim0 Coupon: WATCHDOG |
10 GB | 30 Days | $16.99 | $1.70 | Expensive | Get |
| 55 | MyTravel eSIM | 10 GB | 30 Days | $17.01 | $1.70 | Expensive | Get |
| 56 | nadanada | 20 GB | 30 Days | $33.99 | $1.70 | Expensive | Get |
| 57 | nadanada | 50 GB | 30 Days | $84.99 | $1.70 | Expensive | Get |
| 58 | Skyalo Coupon: ESIMWATCHDOG |
50 GB | 30 Days | $85.99 | $1.72 | Expensive | Get |
| 59 | Govora | 50 GB | 30 Days | $86.49 | $1.73 | Expensive | Get |
| 60 | eSIMCard Coupon: eSbljricbt |
20 GB | 15 Days | $34.71 | $1.74 | Expensive | Get |
610 of these 1391 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 1391 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 India: the numbers
As of 16 October 2026, 06:08 GMT, the cheapest eSIM for India is Tourist eSIM with 20 GB for 30 Days at $12.70. That is $0.64 per GB, the best rate of the 1391 plans we compare from 58 providers. 779 plans include 5G. 536 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 India?
There is no single best eSIM for India, because the right plan depends on how long you stay and how much data you use. What we can do is rank the 1391 plans on the numbers, as they stand on 16 October 2026:
- Best value overall Tourist eSIM, 20 GB for 30 Days at $12.70. That is $0.64 per GB, the lowest real rate of every India plan we track.
- Best for a short trip Horizon eSIM, 1 GB for 7 Days at $1.28. The cheapest ticket that still gives you at least 1 GB for a week or less.
- Highest daily cap on an unlimited plan Roamix, 365 Days at $4,547.40, 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 Tourist eSIM did not pay to be named here.
Which mobile networks does India have?
5G now reaches 99.6 percent of Indian districts through more than 486,000 base stations, and the country has over 1.17 billion wireless subscribers.
- Jio: Jio is the market leader with about 477 million subscribers and a 41 percent share, runs a nationwide standalone 5G network, and its users see 5G more than 70 percent of the time.
- Airtel: Airtel is second with about 391 million subscribers and posts the fastest 5G speeds in India, averaging around 212 Mbps downloads.
- Vi (Vodafone Idea): Vi is the distant third, still losing subscribers, but has now brought commercial 5G to a growing list of cities.
- BSNL: BSNL is the state owned budget option whose 4G rollout is finally nearing completion, though its network still trails the private carriers.
India has no real MVNO scene for visitors. Travel eSIMs that roam internationally skip the local KYC paperwork entirely, which saves hours at the airport.
The eSIM plans we compare on this page connect to:
The list above is India'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 India?
Jio and Airtel blanket urban India with 5G, with Jio running standalone 5G nationwide and Airtel leading on speed. Vi's 5G is newer and city by city.
How much data do you need in India?
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 India right now:
Are unlimited eSIMs for India really unlimited?
Not always. 542 of the 1391 plans above are sold as unlimited, and most of them carry a daily fair use cap. A further 29 plans are unlimited in a different way: one capped speed for the whole plan, shown next to the word Unlimited in the table. For India 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 $0.64 per GB from Tourist eSIM, 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 India?
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 India starts at $0.30 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 India eSIM
Pick the plan, not the brandThe cheapest rate in India today is $0.64 per GB from Tourist eSIM, against a median of $2.40. 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 India 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 AirTel, IDEA, Jio, Reliance Jio India Andhra Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Assam, Reliance Jio India Bihar, Reliance Jio India Delhi, Reliance Jio India Gujarat, Reliance Jio India Haryana, Reliance Jio India Himachal Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Karnataka, Reliance Jio India Kerala, Reliance Jio India Kolkata, Reliance Jio India Madhya Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Maharashtra, Reliance Jio India North East, Reliance Jio India Orissa, Reliance Jio India Punjab, Reliance Jio India Rajasthan, Reliance Jio India Tamil Nadu, Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (East), Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (West), Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Reliance Jio West Bengal, VI India, VI-India, Vodafone. Expect 5G where the network reaches, 4G everywhere else.
Know what happens when it runs out536 of the 1391 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 Yatelo at $5.23.
Good to know before you land in India
Full KYC is mandatory: passport, valid visa, sometimes photos and a local address such as your hotel booking. Since stricter 2024 rules, some airport vendors also demand a local reference before selling to foreigners, so a roaming eSIM is the low friction backup.
Delhi and Mumbai airports have Airtel, Jio and Vi counters in and around arrivals, but activation takes 2 to 24 hours after document checks. Bring your passport, visa and a couple of passport photos, and note that some Delhi vendors refuse tourists who cannot name a local reference contact.
Jio gives the broadest 5G availability while Airtel is the speed leader, and either works well in cities. Expect the SIM to go live hours after purchase rather than instantly, so plan your airport transfer without local data.
India Travel eSIM FAQ
Everything you need to know about using an eSIM in India
What is the cheapest eSIM for India?
Right now the cheapest option ranked by price per GB is Tourist eSIM with 20 GB for 30 Days at $12.70. That works out to $0.64 per GB. Prices change often, so the table above is re-sorted at every price check.
Which is the best eSIM for India?
It depends on the trip, so we rank rather than pick a favourite. On today's prices the best value for India is Tourist eSIM at $0.64 per GB, the lowest real rate of the 1391 plans we compare. For heavy daily use there are 542 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 India?
Yes. We track 1391 prepaid travel eSIM plans from 58 providers that work in India, roaming onto AirTel, IDEA, Jio, Reliance Jio India Andhra Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Assam, Reliance Jio India Bihar, Reliance Jio India Delhi, Reliance Jio India Gujarat, Reliance Jio India Haryana, Reliance Jio India Himachal Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Karnataka, Reliance Jio India Kerala, Reliance Jio India Kolkata, Reliance Jio India Madhya Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Maharashtra, Reliance Jio India North East, Reliance Jio India Orissa, Reliance Jio India Punjab, Reliance Jio India Rajasthan, Reliance Jio India Tamil Nadu, Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (East), Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (West), Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Reliance Jio West Bengal, VI India, VI-India, Vodafone. 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 India?
The plans we compare connect to AirTel, IDEA, Jio, Reliance Jio India Andhra Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Assam, Reliance Jio India Bihar, Reliance Jio India Delhi, Reliance Jio India Gujarat, Reliance Jio India Haryana, Reliance Jio India Himachal Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Karnataka, Reliance Jio India Kerala, Reliance Jio India Kolkata, Reliance Jio India Madhya Pradesh, Reliance Jio India Maharashtra, Reliance Jio India North East, Reliance Jio India Orissa, Reliance Jio India Punjab, Reliance Jio India Rajasthan, Reliance Jio India Tamil Nadu, Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (East), Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (West), Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Reliance Jio West Bengal, VI India, VI-India, Vodafone. The exact network depends on the plan you pick. Check the plan details before you buy if one network matters to you.
Do India eSIMs support 5G?
779 of the 1391 plans we track for India 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 an India 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 India. The validity clock on most plans only starts when the eSIM first connects.
Can I top up my India eSIM if I run out?
Yes. 536 of the 1391 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 India?
For a trip of days or weeks, usually yes. Data for India starts at $0.30 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 an India 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 India?
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 Yatelo at $5.23.
Which India eSIM gives the most data per day?
Of the plans sold as unlimited here, esim0 allows the most at full speed, 10 GB a day from $14.99. 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
MalaysiaFrom$0.29/GB
IndonesiaFrom$0.41/GB
ThailandFrom$0.37/GB
JapanFrom$0.40/GB
South KoreaFrom$0.41/GB
Hong KongFrom$0.33/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 1391 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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