Best eSIM for United States (2026): 21 plans compared in £

Quick answers

The cheapest data plan here is £3.01.
Best value for a longer stay: Ubigi 10GB for 30 days, £10.56.
Unlimited data from Airalo: £51.31 for 30 days.
United States is outside the EU, so the big UK networks charge about £7 to £8 a day here.
No restrictions: WhatsApp, FaceTime and other app calls work normally over US mobile data and Wi-Fi.

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Prices

United States eSIM prices compared

All 21 plans we track, cheapest first within each length.

Provider	Data	Lasts	Price (approx. in £)
Saily	1GB	7 days	£3.01US$3.99 · £3.01/GB	Go to Saily Provider link
UbigiT-Mobile	1GB	7 days	£3.02US$4.00 · £3.02/GB	Go to Ubigi Provider link
NomadT-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon	1GB	7 days	£3.77US$5.00 · £3.77/GB	Go to Nomad Provider link
Sim Local	3GB	7 days	£5.66US$7.50 · £1.89/GB	Go to Sim Local Provider link
Sim Local	5GB	30 days	£7.36US$9.75 · £1.47/GB	Go to Sim Local Provider link
Saily	5GB	30 days	£10.56US$13.99 · £2.11/GB	Go to Saily Provider link
UbigiBest value 10GB+T-Mobile	10GB	30 days	£10.56US$14.00 · £1.06/GB	Go to Ubigi Provider link
NomadT-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon	5GB	30 days	£12.07US$16.00 · £2.41/GB	Go to Nomad Provider link

Show all 21 United States tariffs

Provider	Data	Lasts	Price (approx. in £)
Sim Local	10GB	30 days	£13.21US$17.50 · £1.32/GB	Go to Sim Local Provider link
Saily	10GB	30 days	£17.35US$22.99 · £1.73/GB	Go to Saily Provider link
NomadT-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon	10GB	30 days	£18.86US$25.00 · £1.89/GB	Go to Nomad Provider link
AiraloT-Mobile	Unlimited	3 days	£8.68US$11.50	Go to Airalo Provider link
HolaflyAT&T, T-Mobile	Unlimited	3 days	£8.98US$11.90	Go to Holafly Provider link
NomadT-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon	Unlimited	7 days	£17.36US$23.00	Go to Nomad Provider link
AiraloT-Mobile	Unlimited	7 days	£18.86US$25.00	Go to Airalo Provider link
UbigiT-Mobile	Unlimited	7 days	£18.86US$25.00	Go to Ubigi Provider link
Sim Local	Unlimited	7 days	£20.19US$26.75	Go to Sim Local Provider link
HolaflyAT&T, T-Mobile	Unlimited	7 days	£20.75US$27.50	Go to Holafly Provider link
Saily	Unlimited	15 days	£34.70US$45.99	Go to Saily Provider link
AiraloT-Mobile	Unlimited	30 days	£51.31US$68.00	Go to Airalo Provider link
HolaflyAT&T, T-Mobile	Unlimited	30 days	£55.76US$73.90	Go to Holafly Provider link

Prices checked 25 September 2026. Most travel eSIM companies charge in US dollars, even to UK customers, so your bank converts the price when you pay. We show pounds at that day's rate (US$1 = £0.75458) with the dollar price underneath.

Price per GB in United States

Each provider's best-value 30-day plan of 5GB or more, as a price per GB. Lower is better; orange = cheapest.

Ubigi£1.06

Sim Local£1.32

Saily£1.73

Nomad£1.89

Roaming

What UK networks charge in United States

A week in United States: what it costs

7 days of data on each UK network's roaming (where there's a daily price) against the cheapest 5GB+ eSIM (Sim Local). Orange bar = eSIM.

Vodafone£56

Three£56

O2£49

EE£42

iD Mobile£35

Sky Mobile£14

Cheapest eSIM£7.36

Your network	Per day	A week	Details
EE	£6 a day	£42	Zone 1 24h pass £6, buy on arrival Check with your network
O2	£7 a day	£49	O2 Travel bolt-on £7/day (Ultimate plans include some destinations) Check with your network
Vodafone	£8 a day	£56	Global Roam Zone C/D, approx £8/day Check with your network
Three	£8 a day	£56	Go Roam Around the World Extra £8/day (£7 on older plans), 12GB
giffgaff	Add-ons only	–	no daily pass; travel data add-on 1GB/5GB/10GB, 30 days, approx £6-£15 per GB tier
SMARTY	Add-ons only	–	PAYG by band (Roaming 1 e.g. US/TR 10p/MB, higher bands up to £5/MB) Check with your network
iD Mobile	£5 a day	£35	Roam Beyond add-on from £5 (2GB, 1 day) Check with your network
VOXI	Add-ons only	–	ROW1 PAYG: 12p/MB, 60p/min
Lebara	Add-ons only	–	add-on 1GB/8 days £5 or 3GB/15 days £15 Check with your network
Tesco Mobile	Add-ons only	–	not Home From Home; data 1p/MB
Sky Mobile	£2 a day	£14	Roaming Passport £2/day (£10 for 5 days), 25GB fair use
Lyca Mobile	Add-ons only	–	PAYG rates / country bundles, not checked Check with your network

Checked 25 September 2026. Roaming prices depend on your exact plan and when you joined, so check with your network before you travel.

Local know-how

Mobile in United States: what to know

Mobile networks

VerizonBest coverage experience in Opensignal's July 2026 report; the pick for road trips and national parks.

T-MobileWon 12 of 16 Opensignal awards in July 2026, with the fastest speeds and best 5G, especially in cities.

AT&THighest time on network in Opensignal's tests; a reliable all-rounder.

Coverage

Cities have fast 5G, but signal thins out in remote areas and national parks, where Verizon generally does best; your phone must support 4G calling (VoLTE) because all US 3G networks closed in 2022.

Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is widely available at major airports, most hotels, Starbucks, McDonald's and public libraries, though it can be slow at peak times and unreliable in rural areas.

WhatsApp and FaceTime calls

No restrictions: WhatsApp, FaceTime and other app calls work normally over US mobile data and Wi-Fi.

Buying a local SIM

Easy: prepaid SIMs usually don't need ID. Buy from carrier stores, Walmart, Target, Best Buy or online (airport kiosks are overpriced). Monthly prepaid plans are about $45 to $60 before taxes and fees. T-Mobile's Prepaid US Pass eSIM costs $25 for 7 days, $30 for 10 days or $35 for 14 days, plus taxes, but must be bought and activated in the US.

Emergency number

911

Tips for UK travellers

Choose Verizon for road trips and national parks, and T-Mobile if you're mostly in cities.
Advertised US prices usually exclude taxes and fees, so the first month can come to $50 to $75 rather than $45 to $60.
UK networks usually charge more per day in the USA than in Europe, so compare your roaming add-on with a travel eSIM before you fly.
'Unlimited' prepaid plans slow down after a set amount of high-speed data, and some budget plans are capped at 3Mbps.

FAQ