India eSIM plans compared: 5 providers, 3 trip lengths
Set your trip length with the buttons. Ubigi sits on top; under it, four other eSIMs and the kind of traveler each one fits.
UbigiBest overall
My pickPlan10 GB, 30 dayson Jio
Price$15.00
Per day$1.50
The one for most trips, from a week on the Golden Triangle to a month between Mumbai, Goa and Kerala. For one week only, 10 GB for 7 days costs $13.00.
What you actually get with Ubigi network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed, no daily cap
- Hotspot
- Allowed, with no restriction stated
- When the days start
- When you switch to the Ubigi line in India, not when you buy
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Ubigi
- Network
- Reliance Jio
- 5G
- Not listed. Jio is listed as 4G
From Ubigi's India plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 3, 2026.
NomadOn Airtel
Plan10 GB, 30 dayson Airtel
Price$21.00
Per day$2.10
The Airtel choice, and the cheapest unlimited plan here. Its fixed 10 GB costs $21.00; if you'd rather not count, 10 days of unlimited data cost $33.00, with 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps.
What you actually get with Nomad network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Allowed
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Nomad
- Network
- Airtel
- 5G
- Not listed. Airtel is listed as 4G
From Nomad's India plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 3, 2026.
AiraloOn Vi
Plan10 GB, 15 dayson Vi
Price$23.00
Per day$2.30
Worth it mainly if Airalo is already on your phone. It runs on Vi, India's third network after Jio and Airtel, and 10 GB for 15 days comes to $23.00, $8.00 above Ubigi with half the time.
What you actually get with Airalo network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Airalo
- If your trip changes
- Airmoney, Airalo's in-app credit, not cash. A faulty eSIM is refunded in Airmoney or to your card in 7 to 10 business days.
- Network
- Vi (Vodafone Idea)
- 5G
- Not listed. Vi is listed as 4G
From Airalo's India plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 3, 2026.
SailyEasiest app
Plan10 GB, 30 daysnetwork not published
Price$23.99
Per day$2.40
For a first eSIM, its app walks you through the install. You pay $8.99 extra for that over Ubigi, $23.99 for 10 GB, and Saily publishes no Indian network name.
What you actually get with Saily network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the "unlimited" plans, 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Saily
- If your trip changes
- Full refund within 30 days if the plan is not activated.
- Network
- Not stated by Saily
- 5G
- Not stated by Saily
From Saily's India plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 3, 2026.
HolaflyJio and Airtel
PlanUnlimited, 10 dayson Airtel, Jio
Price$46.90
Per day$4.69
Two networks and no daily limit, for travelers heading off the main routes. Holafly is the only one of the five that names both Airtel and Jio. The price is high, and a laptop gets 1 GB a day of it at most.
What you actually get with Holafly network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- No published daily cap
- Hotspot
- 1 GB a day
- If your trip changes
- Refund to your card within 6 months, in full if never activated, in 5 to 10 business days.
- Network
- Airtel and Reliance Jio
- 5G
- Listed where available
From Holafly's India page and refund policy, Nov 3, 2026.
Prices checked Nov 3, 2026, in US dollars. The provider's checkout shows today's price before you pay.
How much data do you need in India?
Most of a trip's data goes on ride apps and maps between sights, which use little. Video is what eats a plan, so 10 GB lasts two weeks unless you stream. For your own numbers, try the data calculator.
Getting around Delhi by Uber and Google Maps all day
about 0.2 GBSharing photos and stories from the Taj Mahal and Jaipur
up to about 1 GBAn HD movie on an overnight sleeper train
about 6 GBBest eSIM for India with unlimited data
Ubigi sells no unlimited plan in India. Of the other four, compare how much you get at full speed each day: past that, the plan slows down until the next day.
| Plan | Full speed a day | Price | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad | 2 GBthen 1 Mbps | $33.0010 days | Allowed |
| Saily | 3 GBthen 1 Mbps | $44.9910 days | Not stated |
| Airalo | 3 GBthen 1 Mbps | $46.0010 days | Not stated |
| Holafly | No cap | $46.9010 days | 1 GB a day |
Over 10 days, Nomad costs $33.00, Saily $44.99, Airalo $46.00 and Holafly $46.90. Nomad is the clear buy unless you need more than 2 GB a day, where Saily and Airalo give 3 GB and Holafly publishes no limit.
A month of remote work from Goa or Bangalore fits in Ubigi's 25 GB plan, $25.00 for 30 days, and Ubigi states no restriction on sharing it with a laptop. If you need even more, its 50 GB costs $49.00.
Jio, Airtel or Vi: which network your India eSIM uses
Jio and Airtel are India's two big networks, each with close to four in ten of the country's mobile lines in September 2026, according to the telecom regulator TRAI. Vi comes a distant third.
| eSIM | Network in India | 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | Jio | Not listed |
| Nomad | Airtel | Not listed |
| Holafly | Airtel, Jio | Where available |
| Airalo | Vi | Not listed |
| Saily | Not stated by Saily | Not stated by Saily |
Between Jio and Airtel, the price decides, and Ubigi's Jio plan is the cheaper one. Holafly's own India page warns that coverage can be limited in mountains, deserts and parks. If your trip heads that way, Holafly's two networks are worth paying for.
Set up your India eSIM from the USA
Two of the three steps happen at home, before the overnight flight to Delhi or Mumbai. The last one takes a minute once the wheels are down.
1A week before
Make sure your phone takes an eSIM and is unlocked
An Indian eSIM only loads on a phone your carrier has unlocked, and only your carrier can unlock it, so call them while you're still in the US. Phones bought on a payment plan are the usual problem. Check your model if you're not sure it has eSIM.
2The evening before you fly
Install the eSIM on your home Wi-Fi
Add Ubigi through its app, label the new line "India", and leave it off. Ubigi counts the 30 days from the moment you switch to it in India, which leaves room for a side trip at the end.
3Once you land
Turn the India line on for data
Pick the India line under Cellular Data in Settings > Cellular and turn on its Data Roaming. Once Jio shows in the status bar, you can book a ride before you reach the taxi queue. Keep the US line on for texts only.
Switch off roaming on your US line before the overnight flight. If it's still on when you wake up on the ground, the first app that updates can start a $12 day pass, and ten days of those cost $120.
Every screen, step by step: set up an eSIM on iPhone or on Android.
Before you go to India
Get a UPI One World wallet to pay by QR code
Many shops in India take payment by scanning a UPI QR code, which a US card can't do. Since July 2024, says NPCI, which runs UPI, visitors from any country can open a UPI One World wallet with their passport and visa, through approved issuers at airports, hotels and exchange counters, and top it up from a card.
Save offline maps for the long rides
Download the areas you'll visit in Google Maps before you leave Wi-Fi. On a train between cities or a drive into the hills, the signal can drop for long stretches, and an offline map keeps working with no data at all.
India eSIM for calls and data
All five are data plans, with no Indian number attached. Calls and messages go through WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage over your data. Your US number still gets texts, like bank codes, while its line stays on with roaming off.
India eSIM questions
Is eSIM good in India?
Yes, for a visitor it's the simplest way to get online. You install it before you fly, your phone joins an Indian network like a local line, and you pay in dollars with no Indian contract. Ubigi's 10 GB at about $15.00 covers most trips.
Can I use Airalo in India?
Yes. Airalo sells India plans on Vi, the country's third network. Its 10 GB for 15 days costs about $23.00, against about $15.00 for 30 days with Ubigi on Jio.
Which eSIM is better, Airtel or Jio?
Both are national networks, and together they carry most of India's mobile lines. Ubigi runs on Jio and Nomad on Airtel. If you can't decide, Holafly names both, at a higher price: about $46.90 for 10 days of unlimited data.
Is there a cheap unlimited eSIM for India?
Nomad's, at about $33.00 for 10 days on Airtel, with 2 GB a day at full speed and hotspot allowed. Nomad sells unlimited for 5 or 10 days only. For a longer trip, a fixed plan costs much less: Ubigi's 25 GB is about $25.00 for 30 days.