Asia

Best eSIM for Vietnam

Vietnam has cheap, fast 4G in every major city and reasonable rural coverage. Viettel and Vinaphone dominate; whichever your eSIM resells, expect strong performance in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and along the coast.

Updated

At a glance

  • Budget pick: Talisim — $13.76 for 10 GB / 30 days on Viettel, Vinaphone and MobiFone. The cheapest plans route through Hong Kong; the “Avoids Hong Kong IP” version is $21.46
  • Best for SE Asia multi-country trips: Airalo — $18 for its Vietnam plan on Vinaphone, plus Asialink
  • Also on Vinaphone: Nomad Vietnam — $17
  • Best for unlimited streaming: Holafly Vietnam — from $27.50 for 7 days, but hotspot is capped at about 500 MB–1 GB a day
  • For travellers paying in EUR/GBP/JPY or carrying a US-bank Visa: GigSky — rare multi-currency checkout, complimentary data on eligible cards

Prices we checked

10 GB of data for 30 days, from each provider’s own website on 17 October 2026.

Provider Price Networks
Talisim $13.76 Viettel, Vinaphone, MobiFone
Nomad $17.00 Vinaphone
Airalo $18.00 Vinaphone

Holafly sells unlimited data instead: $27.50 for 7 days or $51.50 for 15 days.

Network notes

Viettel is the dominant carrier and has the best rural coverage, including Sapa, Ha Giang loop, the Central Highlands and Phu Quoc. Vinaphone (VNPT) and Mobifone are competitive in cities. Nomad’s and Airalo’s plans run on Vinaphone, and Talisim’s can use all three. Both Viettel and Vinaphone are fine in tourist areas.

Practical connectivity tips

  • Install before landing. Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) and Noi Bai (Hanoi) airport Wi-Fi is OK but slow at peak arrival times. Grab is the default airport ride and wants active data.
  • Apps you’ll want online: Grab (rides, food, payments), Be (local Grab alternative), Google Maps, Google Translate (camera mode is essential for menus), VietnamGo for trains.
  • Motorbike taxis (XanhSM, Be Bike) are routed via app — having data from arrival matters.
  • Ha Giang loop and Sapa: signal drops to 3G or none in mountain passes. Download offline maps and any audio you’ll want.
  • Sleeper buses and trains: patchy signal at night. Download entertainment.

Watch out for

  • Banking 2FA from Vietnamese fintechs (MoMo, ZaloPay) requires a Vietnamese number — travel eSIMs don’t help. Use cash or international cards.
  • Some hotel Wi-Fi captive portals require a Vietnamese phone number to verify. Your eSIM bypasses that.
  • Phu Quoc and remote islands: coverage is fine in town but degrades on jungle treks and remote beaches. Plan accordingly.

Recommended providers

Airalo

The supermarket of eSIMs: plans for almost everywhere, just rarely the cheapest thing on the shelf.

4.1 / 5
From
$4.50
Countries
200+
Hotspot
Yes

Nomad

Like Airalo, but almost always a bit cheaper. Worth a look before you buy anything.

4.1 / 5
From
$3.50
Countries
200+
Hotspot
Yes

Holafly

Unlimited data, so no more doing maths. Hotspot taps out at about 500 MB–1 GB a day, though.

4.0 / 5
From
$6.90
Countries
170+
Hotspot
Yes

GigSky

Works at sea as well as in 175+ countries, which is handy if your hotel floats. Some Visa cards get free data.

3.8 / 5
From
$3.99
Countries
175+
Hotspot
Yes

Talisim

Usually the cheapest plan we can find, and buying one takes less time than finding your passport.

Editor's pick
4.4 / 5
From
$0.60
Countries
202+
Hotspot
Yes

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