Best eSIM for China: 6 Providers Compared (Real Prices)

Landing in Beijing or Shanghai and expecting your phone to just work? It won't — China's Great Firewall blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, and most of the apps you rely on for maps, messaging, and translation, and it blocks them at the network level, not just on Chinese SIMs. An eSIM bought before you fly is the easiest way to sidestep that: you land already connected through a foreign network, with no censorship and no hunting for a VPN on day one.

I get asked constantly which eSIM is actually worth buying for China, so I checked live pricing across 122 providers we track for China and compared them properly instead of just repeating whichever one has the best affiliate deal. The honest answer has changed since I first wrote this: eSIMCard now undercuts the "big name" providers by a wide margin on unlimited data.

Quick answer

• Short trip (3–5 days)? eSIMCard's 3-day Unlimited at $6.31 is the cheapest unlimited option under a week — well ahead of Maya Mobile's $9.99.
• One week, need real data, don't want to overpay? 4S eSIM's 7-day Unlimited at $7.84 narrowly beats eSIMCard's $13.21 here, and both are dramatically cheaper than Maya Mobile's $19.99.
• A full month, unlimited? eSIMCard again, at $39.66 — meaningfully cheaper than Maya Mobile's $49.99, and far below Airalo, Saily, and Ubigi's 30-day unlimited tiers.
• Just need a fixed data allowance and want to spend as little as possible? 4S eSIM's 20GB/30-day plan at $13.84 is the real value pick right now — even cheaper than Ubigi's well-known 20GB/30-day deal at $16.00.

China price comparison

Full comparison →

eSIMCard $2.06 4S eSIM $1.63 Cheapest Ubigi $2.00 Maya Mobile $9.99

Comparison by eSIMKart

Live China deals right now

Public promo codes from providers selling China eSIMs — pulled live from our deals list, so this section updates itself and disappears when nothing is running.

Jetpac

China Deal! 12% discount for purchase above $10

-12%

"Flying to China soon? Don’t leave connectivity to chance. Set up a Jetpac eSIM before takeoff and get 12% off with code CHINA12 on purchases above $10."

Public promo Ends Apr 30, 2027 Min. spend $10.00

Get this deal

Telekonek

15% off your first order — WELCOME15

-15%

Stay connected in 200+ countries the moment you land — skip the roaming bills and SIM swaps on your very first trip.

Public promo Ends Oct 21, 2026

WELCOME15 Get this deal

Airalo

15% off your first Airalo eSIM with NEWTOAIRALO15

-15%

New customers only, first order; the discount is capped at $3 per Airalo's terms.

Public promo Ends Dec 31, 2026

NEWTOAIRALO15 Get this deal

Why prices vary so much for the same country

All these providers are reselling capacity on the same handful of underlying Chinese mobile networks — the differences you're seeing aren't about coverage quality, they're about business model. Ubigi and 4S eSIM compete hardest on small, specific data allowances and short-duration unlimited, which is why their fixed-GB pricing is so aggressive. Maya Mobile runs a flat global rate — the same prices apply in every country it covers, China included — which used to make it the unlimited winner here, but two providers with China-specific pricing (eSIMCard, 4S eSIM) now undercut that flat rate at nearly every duration. Airalo and Saily sit in the middle: real, usable options, just not the cheapest for either unlimited or bulk fixed-data anymore.

Per-provider breakdown

eSIMCard

The unlimited-data winner across almost every duration we checked — $6.31 for 3 days, $13.21 for 7 days, $22.80 for 15 days, and $39.66 for a full month. The only spot it doesn't win outright is the 7-day mark, where 4S eSIM edges it out slightly. Real discount code active:

eSIMCard -10% ESIMKART

10% off

View plans

4S eSIM

The value pick for fixed-data and the 7-day unlimited winner: its 20GB/30-day plan at $13.84 beats even Ubigi's well-regarded fixed-GB pricing, and its 7-day Unlimited at $7.84 is the single cheapest full week of unlimited data we found for China. Its own 30-day unlimited tier isn't competitive, though — stick with eSIMCard once you're past two weeks and want unlimited.

Ubigi

Still a real value play for anyone who wants a specific, generous data allowance rather than unlimited, even though 4S eSIM now undercuts its headline 20GB/30-day tier: 1GB/7 days is $2.50, 20GB/30 days is $16.00. Ubigi runs a real discount code too:

Ubigi -10% ESIMKART10 First payment only

10% off for new customers on first purchase

View plans

Maya Mobile

Just four durations, all unlimited, same price in China as everywhere else Maya operates: $9.99 for 3 days, $19.99 for 7 days, $27.99 for 14 days, $49.99 for 30 days. No longer the cheapest option at any duration, but its flat global rate and brand recognition still make it a reasonable pick if simplicity matters more than shaving off a few dollars. Real discount code active:

Maya Mobile -10% ESIMKART10

10% off.

View plans

Airalo

Airalo has one of the widest ranges of tiers of any provider here, which makes it a solid default if you're not sure exactly how much data you'll use — 1GB/3 days at $4.00 up through Unlimited/30 days at $69.00. It doesn't win outright on price at any duration we checked, but the sheer number of tiers is useful if your trip length doesn't line up with anyone else's exact windows. Real discount code active:

Saily

Saily's pricing sits close to Airalo across most tiers, with a duration selector on its unlimited plan going all the way to 25 days — useful if your trip length doesn't fit a standard 7/15/30-day box. Its 1GB/7-day at $4.49 is a reasonable light-use entry point. Real discount code active:

Saily -10% ESIMKART

10% off.

View plans

Pick by trip type

Business trip, 3–5 days, need maps + messaging + video calls to work reliably: eSIMCard's 3-day Unlimited at $6.31 — cheapest unlimited on the list, no data anxiety.

One-week tourist trip: 4S eSIM's 7-day Unlimited at $7.84, with eSIMCard's $13.21 a very close second and a slightly bigger, better-known provider.

Two-to-three week trip where you mostly need maps and messaging, not streaming: 4S eSIM's 20GB/30-day at $13.84 renewed as needed, or Ubigi's equivalent at $16.00 if you'd rather stick with a more established name.

Digital nomad or long-stay, month or more, heavy data user: eSIMCard's 30-day Unlimited at $39.66 — no other provider we track gets close for a full month of unlimited data in China right now.

Practical caveats

• VPN apps are also blocked or heavily restricted inside China — download whatever VPN you plan to use before you land, since app stores and VPN provider websites are often unreachable once you're on a Chinese network, eSIM or not. An international eSIM helps you reach the open internet, but a VPN is still the more reliable way to reach specific blocked services.
• Hong Kong and Macau are usually excluded from "China" eSIM coverage — check the provider's coverage map if your trip includes them, since they're sold as separate destinations in most cases.
• eSIM-compatible phone required — most phones from the last 4–5 years support eSIM, but check before you buy. See our eSIM compatibility guide if you're not sure.

New to eSIMs generally? Start with our beginner's guide to how eSIMs work, then browse the full, filterable China eSIM plan comparison to see every current plan side by side.