The best eSIM for the USA is a data plan that matches your trip, installed on your phone before you fly. You buy it online, you don't need any local ID, and it connects when you land. Need a US phone number too? Then you'll want a US carrier's visitor eSIM instead, which you buy once you're there. This guide helps you choose between them and pick the right plan size.
Looking for a "prepaid eSIM" for the USA? A travel eSIM is prepaid: you pay up front for a set amount of data and days, with no contract and no monthly bill. Our USA plans are data only, run on AT&T and can be topped up if you need more.
United States 10GB (7 days) · 20GB (15 days) · 50GB (30 days) · data only, USA · See all USA eSIM plans or browse all destinations.
What makes a good eSIM for the USA?
The USA is huge, so a few details matter more than the brand name. Check these before you buy.
1. The network and your route
Coverage in the USA depends on the network behind the eSIM and on where you travel. Our USA plans run on AT&T at 4G/LTE speed, according to the plan details on our USA eSIM page. AT&T has an online coverage map where you can check your route and says actual coverage may vary. If you head to remote areas, look closer (more on that below).
2. Enough data and enough days
Pick data for how you use your phone and days for how long you stay. Our USA plans go from 1 GB for 3 days up to 100 GB for 180 days. If you're unsure about the size, our guide to choosing an eSIM data plan helps, and the cheapest eSIM for the USA guide shows how to compare the cost per GB.
3. Hotspot and top-ups
All our USA plans allow hotspot sharing, so you can connect a laptop or a travel partner's phone. You can also top up the same eSIM if you run low, so you don't have to buy for the worst case.
4. A plan you can install before you fly
You get a QR code by email and install it at home on Wi-Fi. The eSIM activates automatically when it connects in the USA, so your days only start when you land. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
5. Whether you need a phone number
Our USA plans have no phone number and no calls or SMS. See the next sections if you need a US number.
Which USA eSIM plan fits your trip?
Here is a simple way to match a plan to your trip, using the plans on our USA page:
- A weekend or a stopover (3 days): United States 1GB or 3GB. Enough for maps, messages and ride apps between the airport and your hotel.
- One week: United States 5GB or 10GB for 7 days. Pick 10 GB if you post photos or make video calls.
- Two weeks or a road trip: United States 20GB for 15 days. Maps and music streaming on long drives use more data, so go bigger. Downloading offline maps and playlists on Wi-Fi first helps a lot.
- A month: United States 50GB for 30 days.
- A semester, a long visit or a work stay: USA 60GB lasts 90 days and USA 100GB lasts 180 days.
Want to keep it cheap? Our cheapest eSIM for the USA guide goes through the costs in detail.
Do you need a US phone number?
Most visitors manage fine without one. Maps, ride apps, hotel bookings and messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage all work over data. You keep your home SIM in your phone for calls, texts and bank codes. Our guide on how to call with a data-only eSIM explains how.
A US number is useful if a local business needs to call you back or a service only texts US numbers. In that case, US carriers sell visitor eSIMs, but you have to buy them once you're in the USA:
- T-Mobile U.S. Pass eSIM: T-Mobile says you must complete your purchase while in the United States, with no contract and no ID. Its page shows 7, 10 and 14-day plans, and you need Wi-Fi to finish the setup (T-Mobile: U.S. Pass eSIM).
- eSIM by AT&T: plans of 1 to 180 days, as data only or with U.S. talk and text (AT&T: eSIM by AT&T).
We compare these and a few more in our guide to eSIM providers in the USA. A common mix is a travel eSIM for data from the moment you land, and a local plan only if you really need the number.
Coverage in national parks and rural areas
No eSIM can create signal where there are no towers. Many national parks have patchy or no coverage. For example, Joshua Tree National Park says very few areas in the park have cell coverage, and that you shouldn't plan on your phone for directions or emergency help (NPS: Joshua Tree, Goods & Services).
Before a trip to a park or a remote road, do this:
- Check your route on the AT&T coverage map, since our USA plans run on AT&T.
- Read the park's own page on the National Park Service site for phone coverage and safety advice.
- Download offline maps and tell someone your plan before you head out.
Visiting Canada or Mexico too?
Our USA eSIM works in the USA only. If your trip crosses a border, a North America eSIM covers the USA, Canada and Mexico on one plan. You can also pair a USA plan with a small Canada or Mexico plan. These guides compare the options:
Is an eSIM better than roaming in the USA?
Often it's a lot simpler, but check your own plan first. If you live in the EU, "roam like at home" doesn't cover the USA, and the EU says roaming outside the EU and EEA, especially data, can be expensive (Your Europe: roaming costs). From the UK, Canada, Australia or elsewhere, ask your carrier for its USA daily fee or travel pass and multiply it by your days. With a travel eSIM you know the price before you go, and your home SIM can stay on for calls and texts. Just turn off data roaming on your home line, as our guide on how to avoid roaming charges explains.
How to set up your USA eSIM
- Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, Apple lists the models in Using Dual SIM with an eSIM, and our eSIM compatible devices list covers Android too.
- Buy your plan. Your QR code arrives by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi. On iPhone, scan the code with the Camera app, or on iOS 17.4 and later press and hold the code and choose Add eSIM (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone). For iPhone and Android step by step, see how to install an eSIM.
- When you land, choose the USA eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. The plan starts when it connects.
No signal after you land? See what to do when your eSIM is not activating.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for the USA?
The best one is the plan that fits your trip: enough data, enough days and a network that covers your route. For most visitors that's a data-only travel eSIM installed before the flight. If you need a US phone number, use a US carrier's visitor eSIM instead.
Is there a prepaid eSIM for the USA?
Yes. Travel eSIMs are prepaid by nature: you pay once for fixed data and days, with no contract. US carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T also sell prepaid visitor eSIMs, which you buy once you're in the USA.
Does a USA eSIM come with a US phone number?
Not ours. SimOptions USA plans are data only, with no calls or SMS. Use WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage over data, and keep your home SIM for regular calls and texts.
Which network do the SimOptions USA plans use?
Our USA eSIM page says the plans run on AT&T at 4G/LTE speed.
Can I use my phone as a hotspot?
Yes. Hotspot sharing is allowed on all our USA plans.
Can I buy the eSIM after I land?
You can buy ours any time, but it's best to buy and install it at home on Wi-Fi so you're online when you land. T-Mobile and AT&T visitor eSIMs work the other way round: you buy them once you're in the USA.
Does a USA eSIM work in Canada or Mexico?
Not ours. For a trip that includes Canada or Mexico, pick a North America eSIM or add a separate Canada or Mexico plan.
Will it work on a phone bought in China?
Only if the phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. Apple says only a few iPhone models sold in mainland China support eSIM, so check the list on Apple's eSIM page before you buy. For other brands, check with the phone maker or our compatible devices list.
Does "roam like at home" cover the USA?
No. The EU's roam like at home rules cover EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine, but not the USA.