Evidence-led guide

China eSIM: what providers publish, and what they leave out

Last reviewed 26 August 2026 · every figure links to the provider page it came from

For most destinations the interesting questions are price and allowance. For mainland China the decisive question is how the service behaves on the network — and that is the question providers are least likely to answer in writing. This page records what each provider publishes and, just as importantly, what it does not.

How NexKit checked this

Every figure below was read from the provider’s own terms, help centre or product page on the date shown, and links back to that page. Each fact also states its reach, so a policy read from one product family is never presented as covering everything a provider sells. Where a provider states a policy but publishes no number in the pages we checked, this page says so and lists what we checked. NexKit is not affiliated with any provider named here and earns nothing from these links.

What actually decides this for China

Which network operator the plan names for mainland China
Whether the provider publishes any statement about where your traffic reaches the internet
The fair use limit that applies once you are connected
Whether tethering is permitted, and on what allowance

Provider by provider

Each cell is what the provider publishes, linked to the page it came from. Empty cells would be dishonest here, so a gap is labelled as a gap.

Published provider policy for China
What the provider publishes	AiraloUnlimited data packages	HolaflyUnlimited data eSIMs
Network operator named for China	China Unicom Applies to: Airalo's China product page only Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “China Unicom”	Unknown NexKit has not verified any China network detail for this provider. Applies to: Holafly in China Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source.
Network generation stated	Not stated in the pages we checked The China product page does not state the network generation. Applies to: Airalo's China product page only Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source. Pages we checked (1) Airalo China eSIM product page	Unknown Not verified by NexKit. Applies to: Holafly in China Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source.
Where traffic reaches the internet	Not stated in the pages we checked The China product page does not state where traffic reaches the internet, or whether any additional software is needed for services that are restricted inside mainland China. Applies to: Airalo's China product page only Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source. Pages we checked (1) Airalo China eSIM product page	Unknown Not verified by NexKit. Applies to: Holafly in China Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source.
Fair use on unlimited plans	3 GB/day at full speed Then up to 1 Mbps Resets daily The daily allowance resets 24 hours from the time the eSIM was activated, not at local midnight. Applies to: Airalo unlimited data packages only — not Airalo's fixed-data packages Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “when you use more than 3GB in a day, we'll slow down (or “throttle”) your internet speed to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day”	Not stated in the pages we checked Holafly states that a fair use policy may apply and that any speed reduction lasts no more than one day, but none of the three pages NexKit checked states a high-speed threshold or a throttled speed. Holafly directs users to per-destination Technical Specs, which NexKit has not audited destination by destination. Applies to: Holafly unlimited data esims only — not Holafly's fixed-data packages Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “Some operators have a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) that may reduce speeds after you reach a certain high-speed data limit, particularly during periods of high network traffic.” Pages we checked (3) Unlimited data FAQ What happens when you use all your data FAQ Terms and Conditions
Tethering	Tethering allowed Shares the main allowance rather than a separate cap Hotspot traffic counts against the same daily high-speed allowance. No separate tethering cap and no stated device limit. Applies to: Airalo unlimited data packages only — not Airalo's fixed-data packages Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “There is no limit on tethering or the number of devices you connect.”	Not stated in the pages we checked Holafly states that hotspot use is limited but publishes no allowance on the three pages NexKit checked. It directs users to a per-destination Technical Specs section instead. Applies to: Holafly unlimited data esims only — not Holafly's fixed-data packages Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “the hotspot feature is not unlimited to preserve network integrity. We recommend checking the available GB for hotspot use in the Technical Specs section for your destination.” Pages we checked (3) Unlimited data FAQ What happens when you use all your data FAQ Terms and Conditions
When validity starts	Depends on the package. Most start when the eSIM first connects to a supported network in its coverage area; some start at installation. Airalo publishes the policy per package before purchase. Applies to: Airalo eSIM packages generally; the exact policy is stated per package Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “The validity period begins when an eSIM connects to a supported network in its coverage area.”	Unknown NexKit has not checked Holafly's activation policy. Applies to: Holafly unlimited data esims only — not Holafly's fixed-data packages Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source.
Calls and SMS	Data-only packages cannot send SMS or place calls. Airalo also sells packages that include calls and texts; the package type is shown before purchase. Applies to: Airalo data-only packages; Airalo also sells packages that include calls and texts Verified Aug 25, 2026. Verified Aug 25, 2026 against a provider source. Never a live price.Source “Telephony services like Texts(SMS) and calls are not possible using a Data-only eSIM”	Unknown NexKit has not checked Holafly's calls and SMS behaviour. Applies to: Holafly unlimited data esims only — not Holafly's fixed-data packages Not verified. NexKit has not verified this against a provider source.

Providers we could not verify

These are recorded rather than quietly omitted, so their absence is visible.

Saily
saily.com and support.saily.com returned HTTP 403 to NexKit's verification request, so no policy fact could be read from an official source. Third-party figures exist but are not an acceptable source under the editorial policy.

See what each provider publishes about China, then confirm details with the provider before you travel.

NexKit has not yet verified purchasable plans or prices for China, so this page does not list any. It compares published policy only, and earns nothing from the source links above.

Next step

See what each provider publishes about China, then confirm details with the provider before you travel.

Narrow it down by tripDestination, trip length, data need and hotspot need, with the reasoning shown. Runs on demonstration data while real plans are verified.See a destination in detailWhich network a provider actually names for Japan, and the same policy facts applied to one country.