Airalo

Runs on the China Unicom network

Airalo's China eSIM runs on the China Unicom network, according to Airalo's own China eSIM plan page — worth knowing if a specific carrier's coverage was recommended to you, or if you want to check Unicom's network map for the regions on your itinerary.

OfficialAiralo — China eSIM plans (official page)

Install before you fly, not after you land

Airalo's own instructions say to install the eSIM "as soon as you'd like — just make sure you have stable internet connection." That means you need working WiFi (or another data connection) at the moment you install the profile. Unlike a physical SIM card, you can't just pop this in after landing with zero connectivity.

Workaround: Install it at home on WiFi before you fly, not after you touch down with no data yet.

OfficialAiralo — China eSIM plans (official page)

Priced by validity, not data cap

Airalo's unlimited-data China line is priced by validity, not by a data cap: 3 days US$11.50, 5 days US$19.00, 7 days US$27.00, 10 days US$35.00, 15 days US$49.00, 30 days US$69.00 (verified 2026-07-10). Airalo also sells a separate metered China line with fixed GB tiers at lower entry prices ("from ~US$4" marketing figures refer to that line) — check which line a plan belongs to before comparing prices.

OfficialAiralo — China eSIM plans (official page, live pricing table)

Data-only — no China phone number

None of the published China tiers list voice minutes or SMS — this is a data-only eSIM. It won't give you a China phone number for things like restaurant reservations, courier deliveries, or SMS verification codes. If a service you need (for example, signing up for Alipay or WeChat) requires a phone number, that has to come from somewhere else.

OfficialAiralo — China eSIM plans (official page, plan table)