Best eSIM for India (2026): 6 providers compared

For a trip to India, Ubigi has the cheapest 10GB plan at $13.00 (7 days) and the most data per dollar at 25GB for $25.00 (30 days). Our own YatraSim is cheapest at 5GB ($9.49) and for 10GB that lasts 30 days ($15.99), on both Airtel and Jio. For a capped "unlimited" week, Maya Mobile is cheapest at $19.99 with 5GB a day; YatraSim's 3GB-a-day week costs much more at $44.49. Pick an eSIM that uses Jio or Airtel: they led Opensignal's latest India results.

How we compared: prices are from each provider's own website, checked 13 November 2026. We compared the plan closest to 5GB, 10GB and 20GB, the cheapest 7-day "unlimited" or daily plan, and which Indian network each eSIM uses. YatraSim is our own brand. In this comparison it wins on some sizes and loses on others, and we say which.

6 eSIMs for India compared (November 2026)

Provider	Cheapest plan	~5GB	~10GB	~20GB	Unlimited or daily (about 7 days)	Networks
YatraSim	1GB / 7 days: $2.49	$9.49 (5GB, 30d)	$15.99 (10GB, 30d)	$27.99 (20GB, 30d)	$44.49 / 7 days (3GB a day, then 1 Mbps)	AirTel, Jio
Airalo	1GB / 3 days: $4.00	$13.00 (5GB, 7d)	$22.50 (10GB, 7d)	$36.50 (20GB, 15d)	$39.50 / 7 days (3GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps)	VI India
Holafly	-	-	-	-	$39.50 / 7 days	Airtel India, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited
Nomad	1GB / 7 days: $4.00	$13.00 (5GB, 30d)	$21.00 (10GB, 30d)	$33.00 (20GB, 30d)	$18.00 / 5 days (2GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps)	Airtel
Ubigi	1GB / 7 days: $3.50	$7.00 (3GB, 30d)	$13.00 (10GB, 7d)	$25.00 (25GB, 30d)	$24.00 / 7 days (25GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps)	Reliance Jio
Maya Mobile	-	-	-	-	$19.99 / 7 days (5GB a day at full speed, then 3 Mbps)	Jio

At about 10GB: Ubigi 1.30 dollars per GB, YatraSim 1.60, Nomad 2.10 and Airalo 2.25. Nomad's daily plan in our data is 5 days, not 7.

Best for each need

Ubigi: cheapest 10GB for a week, and the most data per dollar

Ubigi's 10GB plan costs $13.00 but lasts only 7 days. Its 25GB plan costs $25.00 for 30 days, which beats YatraSim's 20GB at $27.99 on both price and data. Its 7-day "unlimited" plan gives 25GB at full speed for $24.00, then 2 Mbps. It uses Jio. Ubigi plans.

Maya Mobile: cheapest capped unlimited week

Maya Mobile costs $19.99 for 7 days with 5GB a day at full speed, then 3 Mbps, on Jio. That is about half of Airalo's and Holafly's $39.50. Maya sells one global plan at the same price in every country. Maya Mobile India.

YatraSim: Airtel plus Jio, and 30-day validity

YatraSim is cheapest at 5GB ($9.49) and its 10GB plan ($15.99) is the cheapest 10GB that lasts 30 days; Ubigi's cheaper 10GB lasts 7. It is one of two eSIMs here that list both Airtel and Jio (Holafly is the other), which helps when one network is weak in a hill station or small town. Where it loses: Ubigi's 25GB for $25.00 beats our 20GB at $27.99, and our 3GB-a-day week at $44.49 costs more than any other daily plan in the table. Our 1GB-a-day week is $13.49 if you use little. See the India eSIM plans.

Nomad: 30-day plans on Airtel

Nomad charges $13.00 for 5GB, $21.00 for 10GB and $33.00 for 20GB, all 30 days, on Airtel. Its 5-day daily plan is $18.00 with 2GB a day. Nomad India.

Holafly: Airtel and Jio without a daily cap

Holafly costs $39.50 for 7 days with no stated daily cap, on Airtel and Jio. It limits hotspot sharing to 1GB a day and may slow you for up to a day under fair use. Holafly India.

Airalo: on Vi

Airalo charges $22.50 for 10GB (7 days) and $39.50 for a 3GB-a-day week. It is the only eSIM here on Vi (Vodafone Idea), which India Someday describes as good in cities and weaker in remote areas. Airalo India.

India specifics: Jio, Airtel and Vi

Networks. India has three private networks that matter to travelers.

• Jio was named India's Best Network in Opensignal's report for October to December 2025, with nine awards, and had the fastest 5G download speed (107.3 Mbps), as reported by TelecomLead in February 2026.
• Airtel won five awards in that report, including Games, Voice App and Upload Speed.
• Vi won three 5G experience awards for the first time, but its 5G download speed (25.1 Mbps) trailed far behind, and travel guides describe its coverage as good in cities and weaker in remote areas.

In Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Goa and the Golden Triangle all three work. In Ladakh, the Himalayan hill stations, the Northeast and rural Kerala, signal is less certain, so an eSIM that can use both Jio and Airtel (YatraSim or Holafly) gives you the best chance of signal.

Local SIM vs eSIM. A local Indian SIM is cheap, but foreigners need a passport, a visa and a photo, and activation can take up to 24 hours after a KYC check, according to India Someday's guide for foreigners. A travel eSIM avoids that paperwork and works from landing, at a higher price per GB.

Which one should you pick?

• One-week trip, normal use: Ubigi 10GB for $13.00.
• Two to four weeks: YatraSim 10GB for $15.99 (30 days), or Ubigi 25GB for $25.00 for heavier use.
• Heavy data for a week: Maya Mobile at $19.99 (5GB a day) or Ubigi 25GB at $24.00 for 7 days.
• Himalayas and rural areas: YatraSim or Holafly, the two with both Airtel and Jio.
• Hotspot for a laptop: a fixed plan such as Ubigi's 25GB. Holafly limits hotspot to 1GB a day.
• Need an Indian number: none of these data eSIMs gives one. You would need a local SIM with KYC.

Sources: Airalo India (13 Nov 2026), Holafly India (13 Nov 2026), Nomad India (13 Nov 2026), Ubigi plans (13 Nov 2026), Maya Mobile India (13 Nov 2026), TelecomLead: Opensignal India report (5 Feb 2026), India Someday: best mobile networks for foreigners (updated 21 May 2025). Prices checked 13 November 2026.