eSIMs have become more popular with travelers because of their ubiquitousness and convenience. Gone are the days of paying expensive roaming fees or getting new physical SIM cards whenever you visit another country. Instead, you can activate an eSIM and access cellular networks in multiple countries.
Asia is the second-most visited continent, with hundreds of millions of tourists visiting everywhere from China to Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, India, and many others. As a visitor, you’ll likely need an eSIM, and we’ve created this guide to help you pick the best one. We tested many eSIM providers and chose the few that provide the best service across Asia.
The best eSIMs for Asia in 2024 in full:
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Best eSIM overall
Airalo is an eSIM provider with excellent network coverage. Its widespread coverage, exceptional customer service, and reasonably priced data plans have helped Airalo amass 10 million+ users worldwide.
This eSIM provider offers an Asialink package that works in 18 Asian countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. You can travel to these countries with your Asialink eSIM and enjoy a superfast internet connection.
Airalo offers different pricing plans, including $5 for 1 GB for 7 days, $13 for 3 GB for 30 days, $20 for 5 GB for 30 days, $37 for 10 GB for 30 days, $100 for 50 GB for 90 days; and $185 for 100 GB for 180 days. The main drawback is that none of these plans include a phone number to make calls and receive SMS. However, you can still call via VoIP apps like WhatsApp and Line.
Read our full Airalo review.
Best eSIM for unlimited data
Holafly is an eSIM provider that offers excellent network coverage in supported countries, which include South Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Laos. You can observe that Holafly offers coverage in 12 Asian countries, compared to Airalo’s 18 countries. However, Holafly shines above Airalo by offering unlimited data to its customers.
Flexible pricing is a major advantage of choosing Holafly. There are no standard data fees– it depends on how many days you select. For example, unlimited data for 7 days costs 34 euros ($37), and 30 days costs 83 euros ($90). Holafly is undoubtedly expensive, but the tradeoff is enjoying unlimited data, unlike most other eSIM packages with capped data plans.
Holafly offers data-only plans without phone numbers for calling. Most eSIM providers don’t offer phone numbers because of the complicated regulations and infrastructure required to do so. The exception is when your eSIM is from a telecoms firm that has already laid the groundwork for issuing phone numbers.
Purchasing a Holafly plan is easy. After payment, you'll receive a QR code in your email. Scan this code to activate your plan and enjoy unlimited data. Use code TECHRADAR to get 5% off.
Read our full Holafly review.
Best eSIM for Asian network coverage
Yesim offers affordable plans and robust network coverage. It offers sub-regional plans for Southeast Asia (Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam); Asia Pacific (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam); and Central Asia (Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Uzbekistan).
This eSIM provider offers different data plans, ranging from 1 GB to 20 GB, valid for 30 days. We like that all its plans are valid for 30 days, unlike some rivals, which have plans valid for as low as 7 days.
Like the other eSIM providers mentioned so far, Yesim requires no documentation. You can purchase a package online and activate your eSIM immediately after payment. All it takes is scanning the QR code sent to your email address.
Best eSIM for pay-as-you-go
The BNE eSIM is an excellent option for Asian travelers. It notably offers pay-as-you-go plans, i.e., data plans that don’t have a fixed expiring date. This pay-as-you-go option makes BNE eSIM suitable for people who expect to spend a long time in Asia. You can also buy 30-day plans if you plan to stay in Asia for a short time.
BNE offers data plans between 1 GB and 20 GB. The pay-as-you-go option costs slightly more than the fixed 30-day option. For instance, the 10 GB plan costs $26 for 30 days but $40 for the pay-as-you-go option.
You don't need documentation to buy an eSIM from BNE; you can activate your eSIM immediately after payment. BNE's data plans cover 17 Asian countries: Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Best eSIM for Southeast Asia
Maya Mobile is a U.S.-based eSIM provider that offers global network coverage. You can buy a Maya eSIM and enjoy superfast internet access across Asia. Maya has network-sharing agreements with at least 2 domestic networks in most Southeast Asian nations.
You can buy a Maya eSIM without documentation. After payment, you'll scan the QR code sent to your email address to activate the eSIM. Alternatively, you can reserve a data plan for a future date, which will be activated automatically.
Maya offers unlimited data plans but with a catch. There's a daily limit to how much data you can use with 4G or 5G (up to 5 GB). Once you reach that limit, you can only browse at LTE speeds. Another drawback is that Maya’s most affordable plan doesn’t support Wi-Fi hotspot sharing.
This eSIM provider works in the following Asian countries: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Best eSIMs for Asia FAQs
What is an eSIM?
eSIM is an abbreviation for embedded SIM. It is a digital version of a SIM card embedded directly into your smartphone, rather than the physical SIM cards you can remove or replace anytime. An eSIM allows you to activate a cellular connection from a carrier without swapping any physical SIM. All the configurations take place on your phone, so you can connect to new networks without hassles.
eSIMs offer many advantages, including storing multiple network profiles on a single device and seamlessly switching between cellular networks when you travel. An eSIM is also more secure than traditional SIM cards; the eSIM remains embedded in the phone if it gets missing, making tracking the location more feasible. In contrast, someone can remove a physical SIM from a stolen or missing phone, making it almost impossible to track.
Why do I need an eSIM when visiting Asia?
Asia has 48 countries with over 4.8 billion people between them. Each country has its mobile carriers, and a standard SIM card that works in one country won’t work in another except you’re a roaming package. The issue is that roaming packages have steep costs, which leaves eSIMs as the cost-effective solution.
You can buy and activate an eSIM outside of the country you want to visit. Once you reach your desired country, you can use the activated eSIM to surf the web.
eSIM providers don’t usually own telecom networks. Instead, they tap into the infrastructure of existing mobile carriers across different countries. They’ve negotiated network-sharing agreements that allow eSIM owners to tap into domestic networks when they visit new countries.
For instance, you live in Denmark and want to visit Thailand. You can buy an eSIM and activate it while in Denmark. When you get to Thailand, you can use the eSIM to surf the web or make calls (if your eSIM provider offers this option). An eSIM is much more convenient than going to a physical outlet in Thailand to get a new SIM card to access a cellular connection.
Is my phone eSIM-compatible?
eSIMs became popular in 2018 after Apple released the first eSIM-only iPhone to U.S. customers. Since then, many other smartphone makers have joined the train, and virtually all new high-end smartphones now have eSIMs. All iPhones XR and above are eSIM-compatible, and the same applies to Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Galaxy S20 and above.
Follow these steps to check if your smartphone has an eSIM slot:
For iPhones
- Open Settings > Cellular.
- Look for the Add eSIM button. This button’s presence means your iPhone is eSIM-compatible. If you can’t find this button, the iPhone is incompatible with eSIMs.
For Android phones
- Launch the Settings app.
- Select About Phone.
- Look for SIM Status or something similar (it varies depending on your smartphone).
- Look for any mention of eSIM or Embedded SIM. If you find it, your Android device is compatible. Otherwise, it is not compatible.
If you're unsure about compatibility, check your smartphone manufacturer’s website. eSIM compatibility will likely be mentioned in your smartphone’s technical specifications.
Considerations for choosing an eSIM
1. Location
eSIM providers offer different plans for different countries. The provider you’ll choose depends on the countries in Asia you want to visit. For example, if you plan to visit China, India, Thailand, and Singapore, look for an eSIM provider that offers network coverage in these four countries. The good news is that you can find an eSIM plan covering Asia.
2. Validity
How long will your data subscription last? eSIM providers offer plans lasting 7 days, 13 days, 20 days, 30 days, etc. Some even provide annual or non-expiring data plans. The plan to choose depends on the duration of your trip. If you expect to stay in Asia for a long time, it’s advisable to select a plan that’s valid for as long as possible.
3. Data usage
You must consider browsing habits when choosing an eSIM plan. If you’re a heavy internet user who streams movies or plays games online, you should be eyeing the largest data plans from your eSIM provider. But if you just need data for mundane tasks like texting and audio calling, you can pick a smaller data plan.
If the large data plans seem too costly, you can pick a smaller one and restrict heavy internet tasks to Wi-Fi when you reach your destination.
4. Customer service
Can you contact customer support if you have any eSIM issues? Ideally, the eSIM provider should have a support team you can contact via email, phone, or live chat to lodge complaints. Excellent customer service gives you peace of mind, knowing you can always get help when required.
5. Cost
Of course, it’s essential to choose a plan you can afford. Compare similar data or phone plans from different eSIM providers for a fair price. The idea is to purchase a plan that gives a good bang for your buck.
6. Coverage
Research what networks your eSIM provider uses in each country you plan to visit. It’s better to choose an eSIM provider compatible with multiple networks instead of one. This way, you’re assured of getting coverage even in less populated areas.
