Best eSIM Providers for USA Travel

Last time I was in New York, I made a huge mistake: I didn’t sort out mobile data before landing.

I thought I’d just find a physical SIM card once I arrived. Bad idea.

Within hours, I was running around trying to get online, struggling with Starbucks Wi-Fi, and missing client messages. As a digital nomad, not having data is like not having your passport: both need to be ready to go!

Getting a local SIM in the U.S. isn’t always easy. Some don’t let you hotspot, others have weird activation steps. I learned that the hard way.

If you're heading to the U.S., get an eSIM before you go. It activates instantly, so you’re connected the moment you land.

We tested the best eSIMs for U.S. travel to save you the hassle. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know: affordability, coverage, speeds, ease of use, and more.

Spoiler: For most travelers today, Saily offers the best balance of price, performance, and built-in security. But depending on how you use data, other providers might suit you better. Let’s break them down.

Best eSIMs for USA: Our Top Picks

1. Saily: Best all-around choice
2. Holafly: Best for unlimited data
3. Airalo: Best for simplicity
4. Nomad: Best for hotspot and tethering
5. Jetpac: Best for budget travelers

Saily: Best All-Around Choice

If you want one eSIM that balances price, performance, security, and flexibility, Saily is currently the most complete option for U.S. travel.

It’s backed by the team behind NordVPN, and it shows: it’s one of the few eSIMs that combines solid coverage, smooth performance, hotspot support, and built-in privacy tools in a single app. During our tests across multiple U.S. cities, setup took under two minutes, speeds were stable, and the connection felt reliable even when working remotely.

What really makes Saily stand out is the extra layer of security. Every plan includes built-in VPN, ad-blocking, and web protection, which is genuinely useful when you’re constantly connecting to public Wi-Fi in airports, cafés, and coworking spaces.

Plans start at $3.99 for 1 GB (7 days) and go up to around $35 for 20 GB (30 days). So it stays competitively priced while offering more features than most providers in this list.

It’s not perfect. There’s no voice or SMS, but overall, if you want the best balance of modern features, reliability, and value, Saily is the one we’d pick first.

Holafly: Best for Unlimited Data

Some trips demand more than just a few gigabytes. Holafly offers one of the best international eSIMs with unlimited data, and during our travels across the U.S., we never once ran out. We wrote a whole article about our experience with Holalfy USA eSIM.

Plans start at $27 for 5 days and go up to $99 for 90 days. You just choose how long you need, and you’re instantly connected at 5G speeds. No top-ups, no data caps. It’s definitely more expensive than most options, but if you rely on your connection all day, it’s worth every penny.

One thing to know: hotspotting isn’t allowed, so you won’t be able to share your connection with your laptop or other devices. And while speeds were solid for us, you might notice some throttling if you’re really pushing it.

Airalo: Best for Simplicity

If you want something simple and proven, Airalo is still a solid pick for U.S. travel.

It’s easy to install, works across most of the U.S., and remains one of the more budget-friendly options for short trips. Plans start at $4.50 for 1 GB (7 days) and go up to around $42 for 20 GB (30 days).

Airalo is also one of the few providers here offering optional voice and SMS, which can be handy for verification texts or the occasional call while you’re on the move. They also offer a North America plan if you're heading to Canada or Mexico.

That said, compared to newer providers like Saily, Airalo feels more “no-frills.” There’s no unlimited plan, no built-in security features, and support is mostly handled via email. Still, Airalo gets the job done if you just want connection without overthinking it.

Nomad: Best for Hotspot and Tethering

Hotspot support is where Nomad really shines. Unlike many other eSIM providers, it lets you share your data freely with your laptop or tablet... no weird restrictions!

The app is simple to use: choose a plan, scan a QR code, and you’re connected. During our trip through the U.S., the coverage was consistently solid, thanks to its connection with both AT&T and Verizon.

Nomad gives you a bit more flexibility than most. You can pick daily plans (like 1 GB/day for around $7 for 3 days) or go with bulk data packages (like 50 GB for $49 over 30 days). No unlimited options, but plenty of choice depending on how you use data.

Pricing lands somewhere between Airalo and Holafly, and if you rely on tethering to get work done, it’s money well spent.

Jetpac: Best for Budget Travelers

Jetpac surprised us. We used it while traveling through Texas, just needing basic stuff like WhatsApp, maps, checking emails, and it worked great. No fancy features, just solid data at a price that’s hard to beat.

The $1 trial (1 GB for 7 days) is honestly a great deal, especially if you just want to get online right after landing. After that, regular plans are still super affordable (around $4 per GB), and you can build your own depending on how much data you need.

No voice, no SMS, and definitely not made for heavy usage. But if you're just trying to stay connected without spending much, this is probably the cheapest decent option out there.

Bonus: you get a free VPN, lounge delay coverage, and their WhatsApp support actually replies fast, which is more than we can say for some of the pricier options.

eSIMs vs SIM Cards in USA: What We Learned

We’ve used both. And honestly? eSIMs win. Every time.

During our last road trip in the U.S., we figured we’d try both options to see what actually works best. So, we picked up a physical SIM from Verizon just to compare.

While it technically worked, the setup was... challenging. It took nearly an hour to activate, didn’t support hotspotting on our plan, and required way more effort than it should’ve.

On the other hand, every eSIM we tested was up and running within minutes. Just scan a QR code and you’re online.

Speed-wise, they were all pretty similar. We didn’t notice much difference between the providers in everyday use: browsing, hotspotting, Zoom calls, uploading content. It all worked.

Here’s what we averaged across the trip:

• Saily – ~60 Mbps down / 18 Mbps up
• Airalo – ~80 Mbps down / 22 Mbps up
• Holafly – ~80 Mbps down / 22 Mbps up
• Nomad – ~60 Mbps down / 22 Mbps up
• Jetpac – ~40 Mbps down / 18 Mbps up

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