China eSIM: Daily Data Plans vs Total-Data Plans

China eSIM daily plans compared with total-data plans

We sell two kinds of China plan, and the names do not make the difference obvious. One gives you a daily allowance that resets every morning. The other gives you a single pool of data to spend over the whole validity period.

Picking the wrong one is the most common way travellers either run out of data or pay for data they never use. Here is the comparison, with real prices.

See all China plans & live prices →Every active plan, priced in USD, delivered by email.

Rule of thumb

Under 10 days: daily plan. You cannot be stranded mid-trip, and the price gap is small.

10 days or more: total-data plan. 10 GB over 30 days is $10.01; 1 GB/day over 30 days is $21.34 for the same 30 GB ceiling — but only if you actually use it every day.

Both plan families, side by side

Daily data plans (data resets every day)

Data 3 days 5 days 7 days 10 days 15 days 30 days
500MB/day $2.66
$0.89/day 		$4.00
$0.80/day 		$5.61
$0.80/day 		$6.84
$0.68/day 		$9.02
$0.60/day 		$16.00
$0.53/day
1GB/day $3.55
$1.18/day 		$5.34
$1.07/day 		$6.88
$0.98/day 		$9.25
$0.93/day 		$11.91
$0.79/day 		$21.34
$0.71/day
2GB/day $5.79
$1.93/day 		$9.34
$1.87/day 		$12.06
$1.72/day 		$16.12
$1.61/day 		$21.29
$1.42/day 		$38.22
$1.27/day
3GB/day $7.55
$2.52/day 		$12.45
$2.49/day 		$16.37
$2.34/day 		$21.75
$2.17/day 		$28.89
$1.93/day 		$50.78
$1.69/day

Total-data plans (one fixed pool of data)

Data 7 days 15 days 30 days
10GB total $10.32
$1.47/day 		$10.50
$0.70/day 		$10.01
$0.33/day
20GB total — $19.49
$1.30/day 		$18.34
$0.61/day
30GB total — — $25.34
$0.84/day

Prices are in USD and reflect the live catalog at the time of writing. The product page is always the source of truth. Plans activate when you first connect, not when you buy.

How each type behaves

  • Daily plan, 500 MB/day — Enough for maps, messaging and light browsing. It will not carry video calls or cloud photo backup. Cheapest way to stay connected on a short trip.
  • Daily plan, 1–3 GB/day — 1 GB/day suits normal tourist use. 2 GB/day covers social posting and short video. 3 GB/day is for people who work from the road or stream daily.
  • Total-data plan, 10–30 GB — One pool, no daily reset. Buy 10 GB for a two-week trip with moderate use; 20–30 GB if you tether a laptop occasionally. Check the validity — a 10 GB pool is sold with 7, 15 or 30 days.
  • The trap to avoid — A total-data plan with a short validity is not a cheap long-stay plan. If your 10 GB pool is only valid for 7 days, it expires on day 7 whether you used it or not.

Before you buy

  • Daily allowances reset at midnight local time; unused data from one day is not added to the next.
  • Total-data pools end when either the data or the validity runs out, whichever comes first.
  • Both families are data-only: your own number stays active for calls and SMS.

Frequently asked questions

Is a daily plan cheaper than a total-data plan?
For short trips, often yes: 1 GB/day for 3 days is $3.55, while the smallest total-data plan is $10.32 for 7 days. For trips of two weeks or more the total-data plans win on price per gigabyte.
What happens if I use all my daily data before the day ends?
The connection stops until the next daily reset. If you expect that to be a problem, choose a larger daily allowance or a total-data plan instead.
Can I switch from a daily plan to a total-data plan mid-trip?
A plan is a standalone product, so the practical route is to buy a second plan when you need one. Contact us before your data runs low and we will tell you what is available for your remaining days.
Do total-data plans work the same way on arrival?
Yes. Both families are installed the same way and both start on first connection in China, not at purchase.

Keep reading

Ready when you are

Order online, get your QR code by email, and connect when you land.

Browse all China plans · How activation works