Traviva’s pick for China is Nomad: 10GB for 30 days at US$17 (a sale price, normally US$22), because it states plainly that it routes you around the Great Firewall at network level, so Google, WhatsApp and Gmail should work without a VPN. Ubigi matches the price but makes no firewall claim, and Airalo, which also says no VPN is needed, charges US$26.50. It suits anyone with an unlocked, eSIM-capable phone who needs their usual apps in mainland China.
Updated · Prices in US dollars unless marked A$; figures marked “checked October 2026” were read off each provider’s own site on 8 October 2026.
China eSIMs at a glance
The 10GB, 30-day plan from each provider, or its unlimited plan where it sells no fixed data. Hotspot rules come from each provider’s own terms.
| Provider | Plan / data | Validity | Price | Hotspot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 days | US$17 (sale; normally US$22) | Yes | China Unicom and China Telecom. Says it bypasses the firewall. Price checked October 2026. |
| Ubigi | 10GB | 30 days | US$17 | Yes | China Telecom. Makes no firewall claim. Unlimited: US$69 for 30 days (5GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps). Price checked October 2026. |
| Airalo | 10GB | 30 days | US$26.50 | Yes | China Unicom. Says no VPN is needed. Price checked October 2026. |
| Saily | 10GB | 30 days | US$26.99 | Yes | Network not disclosed. Hedges on the firewall. Price checked October 2026. |
| Holafly | Unlimited | 30 days | US$76.50 | 1GB a day | China Mobile, with a VPN built in. No fixed-data plans. Price checked October 2026. |
| Maya Mobile | Unlimited | 30 days | US$49.99 | Allowed, with guidance | China Unicom. 3GB a day, then 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps. Price checked October 2026. |
| Simify | 10GB | 30 days | A$49 | Allowed | One plan for China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Billed in A$. Price checked October 2026. |
Will Google and WhatsApp actually work?
China blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Gmail. Some travel eSIMs route your traffic out of mainland China so those apps work with no VPN; others just put you on a domestic network, where they don’t. This is the single biggest thing to get right, and it is the reason a cheap plan can be the wrong plan.
| Provider | Works without a VPN? | What the provider itself says |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Yes — stated plainly | “A VPN is NOT required… your traffic is routed through secure gateways outside mainland China.” |
| Nomad | Yes — stated plainly | “Bypasses the Great Firewall automatically — no VPN installation… at network level, not through software.” |
| Holafly | Yes, but via a bundled VPN | “You don’t need to activate a VPN, as it is integrated into your eSIM.” Note its China network is China Mobile, a domestic connection — so the unblocking comes from the bundled VPN rather than from routing you offshore. |
| Saily | Hedged — no promise | Says traffic “may avoid some of the restrictions” and suggests pairing an eSIM with a VPN. Its own China page also warns the Saily app itself may not work there. |
| Ubigi | Makes no claim at all | We found no statement about the firewall, VPNs or blocked sites on any Ubigi page. Its China plans run on China Telecom, a domestic connection. Treat as no bypass. |
None of these were speed-tested by us in China — this table reports what each provider commits to in writing. “Makes no claim” is not the same as “fails”, but on a trip where it matters, an explicit promise is worth paying for.
What a 10GB month costs in China
Same plan, same duration, four sellers. Prices in US dollars, checked 8 October 2026.
Holafly sells no fixed-data plans anywhere — its 30-day unlimited plan is $76.50, which is a different product and so is not plotted on the same scale.
Nomad
Nomad is the pick: $17 for a 10GB month on sale (normally $22), and it states plainly that it routes you around the firewall at network level. Ubigi matches the price but makes no firewall claim at all — cheap is the wrong thing to optimise for on this trip.
See Nomad China plans →Every verified plan
Prices in US dollars, read off each provider’s own page. Where we could not confirm a price, we say so rather than estimate.
| Provider | Fixed data plans | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Saily | 1GB/7d $4.49 · 3GB/30d $10.99 · 5GB/30d $15.99 · 10GB/30d $26.99 · 20GB/30d $39.99 | Not verified in October 2026 |
| Airalo | 1GB/3d $4 · 3GB/3d $9.50 · 3GB/7d $10.50 · 5GB/7d $14.50 · 10GB/7d $24.50 · 5GB/15d $15 · 10GB/15d $25.50 · 20GB/15d $39 · 5GB/30d $15.50 · 10GB/30d $26.50 · 20GB/30d $40 · 50GB/30d $49 | 3d $11.50 · 5d $19 · 7d $27 · 10d $35 · 15d $49 · 30d $69 |
| Nomad | 1GB/7d $4 · 3GB/30d $9 · 5GB/30d $13.50 · 10GB/30d $17 · 20GB/30d $25 · 50GB/45d $35 The 10GB and 20GB prices were sale prices (normally $22 and $30). | 3d $12 · 5d $18 · 7d $25 · 10d $33 |
| Ubigi | 1GB/7d $4 · 3GB/30d $7 · 10GB/7d $14 · 10GB/30d $17 · 25GB/30d $33 Ubigi also sells a recurring 20GB plan in China at $16/month. | 7d $24 · 15d $48 · 30d $69 In China the full-speed allowance is only 5GB, then 2 Mbps — far less than the 60GB Ubigi allows on 30-day plans elsewhere. |
| Holafly | No fixed-data plans — unlimited only | 3d $11.90 · 5d $20.50 · 7d $27.50 · 10d $37.50 · 15d $51.50 · 30d $76.50 |
| Maya Mobile | No fixed-data plans — unlimited only Maya sells no fixed-data plans anywhere; its product is one global unlimited plan. | 3d $9.99 · 7d $19.99 · 14d $27.99 · 30d $49.99 The same four prices apply in every country Maya covers. |
| Simify | 5GB/7d A$29 · 10GB/30d A$49 · 20GB/30d A$75 · 30GB/30d A$99 · 45GB/45d A$135 · 60GB/60d A$159 · 100GB/90d A$219 One plan covering China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. | Not verified in October 2026 |
Provider names link to their own site. Some of those links earn us a commission — the disclosure page says exactly which, and it plays no part in which plan we call cheapest.
Every price on this page is in US dollars except Simify’s, which are in Australian dollars because it bills in A$. An Australian card adds a foreign transaction fee of around 3% to the rest, which none of them mention at checkout — what that actually costs you →
Before you choose on price
Every unlimited plan sold in China slows down at some point, so none of them is truly unlimited. Airalo gives you 3GB a day before dropping to 1 Mbps; Nomad gives you 2GB a day before dropping to 512 kbps; Ubigi sets no daily cap, but in China its unlimited plans run at full speed for only 5GB, then 2 Mbps; Holafly publishes no figure at all, though third-party analysis puts it near 2–3GB a day; Maya Mobile gives you 3GB a day before dropping to 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps; Simify, where it sells unlimited, publishes no firm figure at all — only an approximate 1–1.5GB, and only in a troubleshooting article rather than on any plan page.
The cap matters less than what happens after it, and it decides whether a cheaper fixed-data plan would serve you better. Every provider’s daily cap and throttled speed, in one table →
Which network you actually roam onto
An eSIM is a roaming agreement with a local carrier. In China, that means:
| Provider | Local network |
|---|---|
| Airalo | China Unicom |
| Nomad | China Unicom and China Telecom |
| Ubigi | China Telecom |
| Holafly | China Mobile (CMCC) |
| Saily | Not disclosed |
| Maya Mobile | China Unicom |
| Simify | Not disclosed |
When Australians go to China
The fifth-biggest destination for Australians and one of the most seasonal: 120,490 trips in January against 55,410 in June, roughly double, tracking the Australian summer holidays and Lunar New Year together.
China eSIM questions travellers ask
What is the best eSIM for China?
Traviva’s pick is Nomad: 10GB for 30 days at US$17 in October 2026 (a sale price, normally US$22). It says it routes your traffic around the Great Firewall, so Google, WhatsApp and Gmail should work without a VPN.
Will Google and WhatsApp work with a China eSIM?
Only if the eSIM routes your traffic outside mainland China or includes a VPN. Airalo and Nomad say no VPN is needed, Holafly says a VPN is built into its eSIM, Saily hedges, and Ubigi makes no claim at all.
How much does a China eSIM cost?
In October 2026 a 10GB, 30-day plan cost US$17 from Nomad (on sale) and Ubigi, US$26.50 from Airalo and US$26.99 from Saily. Simify charges A$49 for a plan that also covers Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and Holafly sells only unlimited plans, at US$76.50 for 30 days.
Is there an unlimited eSIM for China?
Yes, but each one slows down. Airalo drops to 1 Mbps after 3GB a day and Nomad to 512 kbps after 2GB a day; Ubigi’s China plans run at full speed for only 5GB in total, then 2 Mbps. Airalo and Ubigi both charge US$69 for 30 days; Nomad’s unlimited plans run up to 10 days, at US$33.
Can I use my China eSIM as a hotspot?
Yes with Nomad, Airalo and Ubigi, which allow tethering, and Saily allows it too. Holafly limits hotspot sharing to 1GB a day. Tethering uses the same data allowance as your phone.
Which Chinese network will my eSIM use?
Airalo and Maya Mobile use China Unicom, Nomad uses China Unicom and China Telecom, Ubigi uses China Telecom and Holafly uses China Mobile. Saily and Simify do not disclose their network.
Related
- Nomad ties with Ubigi as the cheapest 10GB month in China, and it is the provider we have looked at hardest — our full Nomad review, including what it will not tell you →
- Airalo and Holafly both sell China plans and are the two most-searched eSIM brands, but they work in completely different ways — we put them side by side →
- Stopping in Hong Kong on the way? The best eSIM for Hong Kong, compared →