Best eSIM Providers for USA Travel (With Real Speed Tests)

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 nomads, Airalo gets the job done. But there are other solid options depending on your needs. Let’s break them down.

Best eSIMs for USA: Our Top Picks

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

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Airalo: Best All-Around Choice

If you just want something that works for your US trip, Airalo is your safest bet. We’ve tested a bunch of eSIMs in the U.S., and this one consistently came out on top for both price and performance, making it one of the best eSIMs for international travel.

It’s super easy to install, works pretty much everywhere, and even gives you a free 500MB trial to try it out before committing. It’s the only option on this list that also gives you voice and SMS options, which is great if you need to call someone or get texts while you’re traveling.

Plans start at $4.50 for 1 GB (valid 7 days) and go up to around $42 for 20 GB (valid 30 days), which makes Airalo cheaper than most other eSIM providers out there. They also offer a North America plan if you're heading to Canada or Mexico.

The only catch is... there’s no unlimited plan. The biggest one caps at 20 GB, which is fine for most people, but might be tight if you’re on video calls all day or constantly tethering.

Still, if you’re looking for something reliable, affordable, and easy to set up, Airalo’s the one we’d recommend 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.

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.

Saily: Best for Privacy-Conscious Users

Saily is one of the newer names in the eSIM game, but it’s backed by the same team behind NordVPN. So naturally, it puts privacy front and center. Every plan comes with built-in VPN, ad-blocking, and web protection, which is a nice bonus if you’re the type who avoids public Wi-Fi like the plague.

We tested it across a few cities in the U.S., and coverage was generally solid. Setup was smooth, and the app is super easy to use. They also offer live chat directly in the app, which actually responded in under a minute.

Plans start at $3.99 for 1 GB (7 days), and go up to around $35 for 20 GB (30 days). Pretty competitive compared to Airalo, but with more security baked in. No voice or SMS, though, and because it’s still fairly new, there are a few mixed reviews floating around online.

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:

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

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