ChinaPrepaid travel eSIMBuyer’s guide · 2026
Our verdict
For most travellers to China, a mid-size Simzora data plan is the best balance of price and coverage: it roams on local partner networks, prices data honestly per GB, and because it routes through an international gateway it usually reaches Google, Gmail and WhatsApp without a separate VPN.
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Weighing up brands? See how Simzora compares to Holafly, Airalo and Nomad.
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Find your way wherever you go.Local partner network. Your eSIM connects automatically and can switch to another available network if one has no service. Install it before you leave home and the plan activates on its first connection in China.
Pick the band that matches your trip. Top-up is available on most plans if you run low.
A 1 to 3 GB plan covers a short city break where you mainly use maps, WeChat and a translation app with a bit of browsing over a few days. Payments through Alipay and WeChat Pay use very little data, so a small plan stretches further than you might expect.
5 to 10 GB suits a week or two of everyday travel: daily navigation, WhatsApp and WeChat, social apps and uploading photos with the odd video. This is the sweet spot for most visitors, and where the per-GB price starts to drop.
For streaming, video calls home or tethering a laptop, choose 20 GB or more, or an unlimited plan. Hotspot is allowed, and remember an unlimited plan runs at full speed up to a daily allowance and then eases off, so a large fixed-data plan is often steadier for heavy tethering.
Every Simzora plan is a plain data amount at an honest per-GB price. Here is the full standard range for China, with what each size actually suits.
| Data | Validity | Price | Per GB | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | $3.49 | $3.49/GB | Light: maps & messaging |
| 3 GB | 15 days | $5.99 | $2.00/GB | Light: maps & messaging |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $8.49 | $1.70/GB | Typical: a week of everyday use |
| 10 GBSweet spot | 30 days | $13.99 | $1.40/GB | Typical: a week of everyday use |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $20.99 | $1.05/GB | Heavy: video, hotspot, remote work |
| 50 GB | 30 days | $39.49 | $0.79/GB | Heavy: video, hotspot, remote work |
Tax-inclusive, one-time. Top-up available on most plans.
Buy a China plan
Pick your China plan by selecting the GB you need, and pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or crypto.
Compare plan sizes
Install your eSIM with the method you like: scan the QR from the email, or use the one-tap install link.
See how it works
Turn on data roaming at arrival and get online. Your plan starts on its first connection in China, not at purchase.
No hype, just how the service actually behaves once you land.
Your data roams on local partner networks, so you get strong 5G and LTE across Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and along the high-speed rail lines between them. Coverage naturally thins in the far west, on the Tibetan plateau and across the deserts of Xinjiang.
Because a roaming eSIM sends your data through an international gateway rather than a local Chinese SIM, apps like Google, Gmail, Instagram and WhatsApp frequently load without a separate VPN. This is a side effect of how roaming is routed, not something we can guarantee, and China's rules can change.
Every plan is a plain amount of data at a visible per-GB price that gets cheaper as the plan grows, delivered by QR code within minutes. It is data-only with no Chinese number, so keep your own SIM in the phone for bank OTP codes while WhatsApp works over the data on your existing number.
Straight answers to the questions travellers ask most.
China eSIM
Instant QR delivery, honest per-GB pricing, cards or crypto. No physical SIM and no roaming bills.
Still comparing brands? Read Simzora vs Holafly, Simzora vs Airalo or Simzora vs Nomad.