The big China eSIM comparison: Unlimited, no VPN app needed and on the China Mobile network

In short: You are flying to China and want to be online from the very first moment: open Google Maps, send a WhatsApp home, share photos on Instagram and maybe work on your laptop. An eSIM is the easiest way to do that. But almost every China eSIM promises “5G” and “unlimited”, and almost every one means something different.

In this comparison we show you what really matters with an eSIM for China: what is behind daily data allowances, what throttling means in everyday life, how to use Google, WhatsApp and Instagram without a VPN app and why the network and the route your data takes to the internet matter more than the number on the box. And we show you how BuddySIM China Unlimited compares.

The key facts at a glance

• Unlimited data with a fair daily limit: far more high speed data per day than typical China eSIMs. Details below under fair use.
• China Mobile network, the largest mobile operator in China, with 4G and 5G.
• Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and more without a VPN app, because your connection reaches the internet via Hong Kong.
• Hotspot allowed, also for laptop and tablet.
• Data only, no Chinese phone number.
• A day is a calendar day in China time. If you arrive late, it is worth starting the next morning.

The comparison table: BuddySIM vs. the typical China eSIM

The table compares BuddySIM China Unlimited with what you typically get from the usual China eSIMs on the market. Individual providers may differ. So always read the small print before you buy.

Swipe the table sideways

“Unlimited” is not always unlimited: how daily allowances work

When you search for an eSIM for China, you read “unlimited” everywhere. In most cases there is a daily allowance behind it. It works like this:

1. Every day you get a fixed amount at full speed, typically 1, 2, 3 or 5 GB.
2. Once it is used up, your connection is throttled until the end of the day.
3. At midnight (usually China time) a new day starts with a new allowance.

So “unlimited” often only means that the connection does not drop completely after the daily allowance. What matters is how big the allowance is and how hard you are throttled afterwards.

Fair use with BuddySIM China Unlimited

We also have a fair daily limit, and we tell you openly: you get up to 10 GB per day at full speed. After that you continue at 128 kbit/s until the day changes at 00:00 China time, and the next day you are back at full speed. That is many times what typical China eSIMs offer per day at high speed. For navigation, social media, video calls and working via hotspot, it is easily enough on almost every travel day.

What throttling in China means in practice

“After that you continue at reduced speed” sounds harmless. In everyday life it feels like this:

At full speed

• Video calls via WhatsApp, FaceTime, Teams or Zoom run smoothly.
• You upload photos and videos without long waits.
• Google Maps loads maps and routes instantly, even when you change plans.
• Translator apps with camera work without delay.

At 1 Mbit/s

• Messages and navigation usually still work.
• Video calls stutter, the picture freezes or the call drops.
• Uploading a photo takes noticeably longer, a video a very long time.
• A laptop on the hotspot is barely usable.

At 384 or 128 kbit/s

• An Instagram feed takes ages, images appear bit by bit.
• Maps loads map tiles piece by piece.
• A modern website can take half a minute or longer. It is enough for text messages, not much more.

So the question is not whether you get throttled, but when. The bigger the daily allowance at full speed, the less often you notice throttling at all.

The daily allowance trap: how fast a few GB are gone

A daily limit of 1, 3 or 5 GB sounds like a lot at first. In practice it is gone faster than you think. A few rough guide values (they vary by app and quality):

• Video call, one hour: roughly 0.5 to 1.5 GB
• Streaming HD video, one hour: roughly 1 to 3 GB
• Scrolling Instagram or TikTok, one hour: roughly 0.5 to 1 GB
• Uploading photos to the cloud: a few hundred holiday photos can quickly be 1 GB or more, videos many times that
• Laptop on the hotspot: system updates, cloud sync and mailboxes often pull several GB unnoticed

Typical scenario: your phone backs up all of the day’s photos to the cloud in the evening, apps update in the background or the laptop on your hotspot downloads a big update. With 1 to 5 GB per day you are then stuck in the slow lane, often exactly when you finally have time in the hotel in the evening. With up to 10 GB per day at full speed with BuddySIM China Unlimited you have much more room and do not have to keep counting.

Great Firewall: Google, WhatsApp and Instagram without a VPN app

China filters the internet with a system often called the “Great Firewall”. On the local Chinese network many services we use every day in Europe are blocked, including:

• Google with Search, Maps, Gmail, Drive and YouTube
• WhatsApp
• Instagram and Facebook
• many news sites and some cloud services

With a Chinese prepaid SIM from the airport you can only reach these services with a VPN. And that is where it gets tricky: VPN apps often can no longer be downloaded in China, and VPN connections there are frequently unstable. Many travellers only notice after landing.

How it works with BuddySIM China Unlimited

Your connection reaches the internet via Hong Kong. Hong Kong has its own open internet. To your apps it looks as if you were in Hong Kong. That is why Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube and more work just like at home. Access is already built in, you do not need to install your own VPN app.

• No VPN subscription and no app in advance: you do not need to buy or set up anything extra.
• No constant reconnecting: the connection is there as soon as your phone is on the network.
• Also via hotspot: laptop and tablet on your hotspot use the same route.
• You can still use your company VPN if your employer requires it.

Typical China eSIMs solve this in different ways: some also route via a node outside mainland China, others recommend an additional VPN app, and some have restrictions on individual services. Check this carefully before you buy.

A detail that surprises many people: because your connection reaches the internet in Hong Kong, some websites and apps show you content for Hong Kong, for example Google in English or Chinese or prices in Hong Kong dollars. That is normal and can be changed in the settings of the respective app.

Hong Kong instead of Singapore: why your data’s route matters

To make blocked services reachable, the data traffic of a travel eSIM for China is routed via a hub outside mainland China. With many offers this is Singapore, with us it is Hong Kong.

Every request from your phone first travels to this hub and from there on to the internet. Hong Kong sits right on the border with Shenzhen and only around 130 kilometres from Guangzhou. From Shanghai and Beijing, too, Hong Kong is much closer than Singapore. Shorter routes usually mean less delay. You notice this especially with video calls, voice messages, banking apps and when routes are recalculated.

China Mobile: the largest network in China

China has three big mobile operators: China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. China Mobile is by far the largest. That applies to metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but also to smaller cities and railway lines.

Many standard China eSIMs run on China Telecom or China Unicom instead. Both networks are also good in the big cities. To be honest: where there is no 4G or 5G, for example in very remote mountain regions or in tunnels, the connection is slower or briefly gone. That applies to every SIM in China.

Hotspot and laptop: working at trade fairs and on business trips

At trade fairs such as the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, in Shanghai or in Shenzhen, your phone is often the only reliable internet access for your laptop. The fair Wi-Fi is overloaded, the hotel Wi-Fi blocks Google, and company tools need stable uploads.

With BuddySIM China Unlimited you share your hotspot with laptop and tablet. With a typical China eSIM with 3 GB per day, that is used up after a few hours of laptop work with cloud sync, Teams calls and large presentations. With up to 10 GB per day at full speed you usually get through the whole fair day.

Hotspot tips

• Set the connection on your laptop as “metered”. That way Windows or macOS holds back large updates.
• Pause large cloud backups and do them on hotel Wi-Fi.
• Download presentations and large files before your trip if possible.
• Keep your phone on a charger or power bank: a hotspot drains the battery quickly.

A day is a calendar day in China time

This point is often overlooked with China eSIMs: a day counts as a calendar day from 00:00 to 24:00 China time (UTC+8). In Germany that is 17:00 in winter and 18:00 in summer. Every calendar day you start counts as a full day.

• If you go online for the first time at 23:00 China time, that day is over after one hour and still counts as a full day.
• If you land in the morning, the first day is fully usable.

Our tip: if you land late, use the airport or hotel Wi-Fi for the first few hours and only switch on the eSIM’s mobile data the next morning. Your new daily allowance at full speed also starts at 00:00 China time.

Data only, no Chinese number

BuddySIM China Unlimited is a data-only eSIM. You do not get a Chinese phone number and cannot receive SMS via the eSIM. That is the case with most travel eSIMs for China.

• Your home SIM stays active in parallel. So you remain reachable for calls and SMS, for example for your bank’s verification codes. Keep an eye on your home provider’s roaming costs.
• Calls work via WhatsApp, FaceTime or other apps.
• Some Chinese services require a Chinese number. Ideally set up payment apps such as Alipay or WeChat Pay before your trip and check what the app requires from you.

Hong Kong and Macau: what applies there?

Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions with their own mobile networks and their own open internet. There you do not need a VPN for Google and WhatsApp, but you do need an eSIM that works there.

Important: BuddySIM China Unlimited only covers mainland China. For Hong Kong and Macau there are separate eSIMs: eSIM Hong Kong and eSIM Macau. If, for example, you travel to the Canton Fair in Guangzhou via Hong Kong, combine a Hong Kong eSIM for your arrival and departure days with China Unlimited for your days on the mainland. You can store both eSIMs on your phone at the same time and switch depending on where you are.

Three practical examples: Canton Fair, round trip, business trip

Example 1: five days at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou

Julia is a buyer heading to the Canton Fair. Emails on the laptop in the hotel in the morning, talks with suppliers during the day, photos and videos of samples that she sends straight to her team at home. A short Teams call at lunchtime, comparing offers and uploading presentations in the evening.

• With a typical China eSIM (3 GB per day): by the afternoon the 3 GB are gone on sample photos, videos and the laptop on the hotspot. For the rest of the day Julia works in the slow lane, and uploading the presentation in the evening fails.
• With BuddySIM China Unlimited for 7 days: up to 10 GB per day at full speed is enough for photos, videos, calls and the laptop on the hotspot. Gmail and Google Drive work without a VPN app.

Example 2: a two-week round trip through Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin and Shanghai

Markus and Lena travel through China for two weeks, by high-speed train and domestic flights. They navigate with Google Maps, translate menus with the camera, share their photos in the family group every evening and video call the grandparents at the weekend.

• With a typical China eSIM (1 GB per day): on normal days it just about works. On days with lots of photos or a video call they slip into the slow lane.
• With BuddySIM China Unlimited for 15 days: navigation, translator and photos run without counting. Tip: one eSIM per phone is more convenient, because you are not always together.

Example 3: a three-day business trip to Shanghai

Thomas flies to Shanghai for client meetings. Above all he needs reliability: Teams calls, company email, CRM in the browser and the ride-hailing app to the next meeting.

• With a typical China eSIM: every video call costs data, and when the laptop on the hotspot pulls an update, the daily allowance is gone quickly.
• With BuddySIM China Unlimited for 3 days: Thomas installs the eSIM before his flight, lands in the morning and is online immediately. He can use his company VPN as usual, but does not have to in order to reach Google.

Activation step by step

1. Buy: on eSIM China, choose the right duration in the “Unlimited” tab, from 3 to 30 days.
2. Get your QR code: you receive the QR code instantly by email.
3. Install at home: install the eSIM before you leave, on Wi-Fi. Check beforehand that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier.
4. Switch on after landing: select the eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for this eSIM. Your phone normally sets the access point (APN) automatically.
5. Mind the deadline: start your plan within 90 days of purchase.

The plan cannot be topped up. If you stay longer, simply buy a second plan. China Unlimited is available exclusively in our online shop, not in the app. If something does not work, our support team will help you personally.

Checklist before your trip

• Phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked?
• Right duration chosen? Remember the calendar day in China time.
• eSIM installed at home on Wi-Fi, but data roaming for the eSIM still off?
• QR code saved as a screenshot or printout?
• Home SIM left active, but data roaming for the home SIM off?
• Google Maps offline maps downloaded for your cities (as a backup in tunnels and mountain regions)?
• Translator app with Chinese offline pack installed?
• Payment app (Alipay or WeChat Pay) set up before the trip?
• Hong Kong or Macau on your route: matching eSIM bought as well?
• Laptop: automatic updates and large cloud backups paused for the hotspot?
• Power bank packed if you want to use the hotspot?

Honestly: when a fixed plan is enough

Not every trip needs an unlimited plan. You are only in Shanghai for two days, mostly use WhatsApp and Maps and do not need a hotspot? Then one of our fixed plans with a set GB allowance from €4.99 on eSIM China will do.

But if you share photos, make video calls, work on your laptop or simply do not want to keep an eye on your data all the time, China Unlimited is the more relaxed choice.

FAQ: the most common questions about eSIMs for China

Is BuddySIM China Unlimited really unlimited?

Yes, your data is not capped. To keep the network fast for everyone, a fair use policy applies: you get up to 10 GB per day at full speed. After that you continue at 128 kbit/s until the day changes at 00:00 China time, and the next day you are back at full speed. For comparison: many China eSIMs throttle after just 1 to 5 GB per day.

Do I need a VPN in China for Google, WhatsApp and Instagram?

No, you do not need your own VPN app. Your connection reaches the internet via Hong Kong, so Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and more work just like at home.

What happens with other China eSIMs after the daily allowance?

Many China eSIMs throttle after 1 to 5 GB per day, usually to 1 Mbit/s, with some plans to 384 or 128 kbit/s. Full speed only returns at midnight China time.

Does the hotspot work with my laptop?

Yes, hotspot is allowed. You can share your connection with your laptop and tablet, and Google services work there without a VPN app too.

Which network will I use in China?

The China Mobile network with 4G and 5G. China Mobile is the largest mobile operator in China.

When does a new day start?

A day is a calendar day in China time (00:00 to 24:00, UTC+8). In Germany the day changes at 17:00 in winter and 18:00 in summer. Every calendar day you start counts as a full day.

Does the eSIM also work in Hong Kong and Macau?

No, BuddySIM China Unlimited only covers mainland China. For Hong Kong and Macau we offer separate eSIMs that you can store on your phone in addition.

Will I get a Chinese phone number?

No, it is a data-only eSIM. Your home number stays reachable via your regular SIM. You can make calls via WhatsApp, FaceTime and other apps.

When should I install the eSIM?

Ideally at home on Wi-Fi, a few days before your flight. In China you then only switch on mobile data and data roaming for the eSIM. Start the plan within 90 days of purchase.

Can I extend the plan?

The plan cannot be topped up. If you stay longer, simply buy another plan.

Can I buy China Unlimited in the BuddySIM app?

No, China Unlimited is available exclusively in our online shop on the eSIM China page in the “Unlimited” tab.

Travel to China stress-free

Whether it is the Canton Fair, a round trip or a client meeting in Shanghai: with BuddySIM China Unlimited you are online from the moment you land, on the China Mobile network, with unlimited data and without a VPN app for Google, WhatsApp and Instagram.