I tested 4 eSIMs for China. Only 1 worked without a VPN.

ChinaTravelMemo

My friend from London is a digital nomad. She needs reliable internet in China. Not just for maps — for work. Zoom calls. Slack. Google Docs.

She tested four eSIM providers before her trip. Here's what actually happened.

The contenders:

1. Trip.com eSIM ($0.49/day, Hong Kong exit)
2. Airalo ($11 for 1GB/7 days, Hong Kong exit)
3. Holafly "unlimited" ($42.70/week)
4. Nomad ($8 for 3GB/7 days)

The test:

She installed all four before flying. Activated each for 24 hours in Shanghai.

Test 1: Can I open Google?
• Trip.com HK exit: YES. Google, Gmail, WhatsApp worked instantly. No VPN.
• Airalo HK exit: YES. Same. Everything worked.
• Holafly: YES for 2GB. Then throttled to 128Kbps. WhatsApp messages barely sent.
• Nomad mainland exit: NO. Google blocked. Needed a separate VPN.

Test 2: Zoom call quality
• Trip.com: 45-minute call. One brief freeze.
• Airalo: Perfect.
• Holafly (before throttle): Good. After throttle: Impossible.
• Nomad: Good only with VPN on.

Test 3: Speedtest
• Trip.com: 85 Mbps down / 32 Mbps up
• Airalo: 78 Mbps down / 28 Mbps up
• Holafly: 92 Mbps down / 35 Mbps up (day 1). 0.5 Mbps down / 0.1 Mbps up (day 3).
• Nomad: 110 Mbps down / 40 Mbps up (but only for China-local sites without VPN)

The critical difference: Hong Kong exit vs Mainland exit

Hong Kong exit eSIMs route your data through Hong Kong servers. China's firewall doesn't apply. Google, WhatsApp, Instagram work instantly. No VPN needed.

Mainland exit eSIMs use local Chinese carriers. They're faster for Chinese apps (WeChat, Baidu, Douyin) but Google and Western apps are blocked. You need a VPN.

The real cost:

Provider	7-Day Price	Data	Google Works?	Hotspot?	Best For
Trip.com	$3.43	3.5GB	Yes	Yes	Budget travelers
Airalo	$11	1GB	Yes	Yes	Light users
Holafly	$42.70	"Unlimited"	Yes	No	Heavy users (day 1-2)
Nomad	$8	3GB	No	Yes	China-only users

Important: Holafly's "unlimited" has a Fair Usage Policy. After ~2GB/day, speeds drop to 128Kbps — barely enough for WhatsApp text. For the price, a 10GB fixed plan from Airalo is more honest.

My friend's verdict:

She used Trip.com for the whole 3-week trip. Topped up twice. Total cost: ~$15.

"I came prepared with four eSIMs and a VPN subscription. I ended up using Trip.com exclusively and never opened my VPN once. The $0.05/day difference between mainland and Hong Kong exit saved me from buying a separate VPN."

Pro tip: Install the eSIM before you fly. Activate it when you land. Have a backup plan — sometimes one provider's network is down while another works fine.

Anyone else tested eSIMs in China? Which one worked for you?