Best eSIM for Vietnam (Plus Which Ones to Avoid)
If you're only here for a few weeks, land with data already on your phone. A local SIM starts to make sense once the stay runs past a month.
Hey friends, we're Liam and Sarah from Two Peas Abroad 👋.
We've been in Vietnam since 2023. We first had our apartment in Hanoi when Sarah was teaching English, but now we move around the country sharing the best things to see and do in Vietnam, and we've learned from personal experience that short trips are a very different need when it comes to data and SIM cards than long stays and living here.
Should you get an eSIM or a local SIM?
We used to have an apartment in Hanoi when we first moved to Vietnam. During that time, we used Viettel, one of Vietnam's largest networks, where we paid a monthly subscription for a local SIM card and a local Vietnamese number.
Now we move around every few weeks, sharing the best things to see and do throughout the country, so a local SIM is not worth it for us, and we don't need a local Vietnamese number to use any of our day-to-day apps like Maps, Grab, and WhatsApp.
A local SIM, like the Viettel one, costs about $5 just to buy the SIM card, and that includes no data, no calls, and no plan. After you've bought the SIM card, you buy a plan on top, however much data you need. The hassle isn't worth it under a month. A local SIM only starts to make sense when you're staying for longer than a month, and you can take advantage of the cheaper monthly plans.
| eSIM | Local SIM | |
|---|---|---|
| When it fits | Phone supports it, stay under a month, you want to land connected | Staying longer than a month, and you don't mind a store visit |
| What you pay | A travel eSIM for that trip | About $5 for the SIM with no data, then a plan on top. |
| Where you get it | Install before you fly, you land in Vietnam already connected. | An official carrier store, not the airport. |
We have a longer, more detailed version of the eSIM versus local SIM comparison in this guide if you need it.
What eSIM to buy for a Vietnam trip
Over the years, we've tested so many different eSIMs and local SIMs across Vietnam. We've shared all of our favorites below, but if we had to pick just one to recommend, it'd be Sim Local. It's about a two-minute install, it switches on the moment you land, and it's been fast everywhere we've used it. We've never had an issue. It's the one on our phones right now for Grab, Maps, a hotel message, or posting a photo.
Our favorite eSIMs we've tested in Vietnam
eSIMs vary a lot in Vietnam, both in price and in how they actually perform once you're out of the main cities. A lot of ones that sound great on a comparison chart just stop working the moment you get outside Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and that's exactly when you need them most.
We put each of these through both the big cities and the harder stretches, Ha Giang up north and the Mekong Delta down south. The coverage held up everywhere we took them, which is exactly why they made this list.
Sim Local
- 3GB price: $8.25
- Setup: instant
- Speed: excellent
Airalo
- 3GB price: $8.50
- Setup: instant
- Speed: excellent
Saily
- 3GB price: $8.99
- Setup: instant
- Speed: excellent
Which ones would we skip?
Yesim's 3GB is $12, but we found it throttled hard once we were outside the cities, and the paid plans cost more than what we were getting on better networks. So paying more doesn't necessarily mean a better experience.
Nomad eSIM is $8 for 3GB. While the price is one of the cheaper ones, you can definitely notice it in the speed. We tried taking it to more rural areas like Ha Giang, and it didn't work very well for us. We weren't able to upload our videos.
Should you buy a SIM card at the airport in Vietnam?
Please don't. Airport SIMs are tourist priced, often just marked up local versions. Sometimes they're partly used or close to expiry, and if something's wrong, they know you're not heading back to the airport to complain. If you want a local SIM, skip the terminal and go to an official Viettel or Vinaphone store in the city. If you'd rather have an eSIM, grab one of our favorites above before you land.
Frequently asked questions
- Should you get an eSIM or a local SIM? Under a month, an eSIM, so you land with data already on the phone. A local SIM only makes sense past a month for the cheaper monthly plans. The SIM itself is about $5 with no data, no calls, and no plan, then a plan on top.
- Should you buy a SIM card at the airport? No. Overpriced and often unreliable. Official Viettel or Vinaphone store only for a local card, or pre-install an eSIM before you arrive.
- Does your phone support an eSIM? Most modern phones do, but it's worth a two-minute check in your settings before you buy, since not every handset has the option.
