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Best North America eSIM For Travel

Traveling across North America is exciting… until you land, switch off airplane mode, and your phone immediately tries to ruin your trip with roaming charges that look like they were calculated by a casino. If you’re planning a trip to the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, an eSIM is the easiest way to stay online without paying tourist tax on mobile data.

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And the good news? North America is one of the best regions for eSIM coverage. You’ve got multiple strong networks, plenty of competition, and some genuinely good deals—if you pick the right provider.

If you want a simple, stress-free way to stay online from the moment you land, this guide walks you through the best eSIMs for travel across North America, why they stand out, and how to choose the one that actually fits your trip.

Let’s get into it.

North America is a different connectivity planet

Before we compare the best eSIMs, here’s the quick reality check: mobile connectivity in North America doesn’t follow the same rules as Europe. Not even close.

Prices are higher. Coverage varies dramatically between cities and rural areas. And in the U.S., carriers love locking people into plans or making tourists pay inflated rates. That’s exactly why eSIMs became the go-to hack for travelers. You skip the lines, skip the paperwork, skip the roaming charges, and just scan a QR code.

For the U.S., Canada, Mexico—or a mix of all three—an eSIM is not just convenient. It can save serious money.

Below are the best options right now, depending on how and where you’re traveling.

Airhub: A strong, reliable option with transparent regional plans

Airhub has been building a reputation for stable performance, especially in North America, where its plans make smart use of top partners like AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. and major carriers in Canada and Mexico.

What people love about Airhub’s North America eSIMs is reliability. Speeds tend to be consistent, especially in the U.S., and the pricing is extremely reasonable for the coverage you get. Airhub offers voice services and local number for some plans as well.

If you want something that just works—no random throttling, no sudden slowdowns—Airhub is a great pick.

Best for: Travelers who value stability and solid network partnerships.

Airalo: The traveler favorite for simple coverage across the US, Canada, and Mexico

Airalo is popular for a reason: it’s dead simple. If you want a plug-and-play option that covers all of North America, their Discover+ and regional North America packages are very easy to set up.

The flexibility is great if you’re mixing destinations—say, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and then down to Cancun. Airalo handles that in one shot.

Speeds are generally solid in cities, although like most marketplace providers, it depends on the local partner network. The only downside? Airalo’s plans often prioritize affordability over top-tier speeds, so if you’re doing heavy work or lots of uploads, you might want something faster.

Best for: Travelers who want an easy, no-thinking setup at a fair price.

aloSIM: Great for casual travelers who just want affordable data

If you’re traveling mainly for leisure and don’t need heavy-duty data, aloSIM is one of the best value options. Their U.S., Canada, and Mexico plans are inexpensive, very straightforward, and perfect for things like maps, calls over apps, and staying connected on social media.

aloSIM often has promotions too—like discounted travel credits—so it’s a good pick if you enjoy getting more data for less. Setup is beginner-friendly, making it ideal for first-time eSIM users.

Best for: Budget-minded travelers and light-to-moderate data users.

Nomad: Super fast data for work, uploads, and streaming

Nomad tends to stand out for speed. If your trip includes video calls, business travel, uploading content, or using your phone as a hotspot, Nomad’s North America plans really deliver.

They partner with high-quality networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, depending on the country. The performance is noticeably faster compared to ultra-budget eSIMs.

Nomad also has generous data options, including large packages that work well for longer trips.

Best for: Digital nomads, business travelers, and anyone who needs consistently fast data.

GigSky: Great coverage when you’re jumping between countries

GigSky is a long-time player in the global roaming space, and their North America plans are very traveler-friendly. If your itinerary is basically “multiple flights, multiple borders, and I don’t want to think about SIM cards,” GigSky makes it simple.

Plans tend to be slightly higher priced than Airalo or aloSIM, but you’re paying for extremely wide coverage and solid carrier partnerships.

Best for: Multi-country trips with lots of hopping around.

Yesim: A flexible, traveler-friendly option with strong North America coverage

Yesim has become a popular choice among frequent travelers thanks to its simplicity and reliable performance across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. What people appreciate most is how easy it is to activate a plan, manage data, and top up directly through the Yesim app—ideal if you want something frictionless while you’re on the move.

Speeds are consistently good in major U.S. cities, and coverage in Canada is strong thanks to solid carrier partnerships. Mexico support has also improved, making Yesim a well-rounded option for North America trips. Pricing is fair, and the app experience is one of the cleanest in the eSIM space, which is a big plus if you don’t want to deal with technical setups.

If you prefer a modern, polished, app-first eSIM experience with responsive support, Yesim fits that perfectly.

Best for: Travelers who want an easy app-based setup, good speeds, and straightforward top-ups across North America.

Which eSIM is best for the US, Canada, and Mexico?

Here’s the quick summary so you don’t have to scroll back:

Region Best eSIM Options
All of North America Airhub, Yesim, Airalo
United States Nomad (speed), Yesim (coverage & reliability), Airhub (value)
Canada aloSIM, Airalo, Airhub
Mexico Airalo, Nomad, Airhub

If you’re doing all three countries on one trip, go for a regional plan. If you’re sticking to one country, pick a country-specific plan—it’s usually cheaper and faster.

How to choose the best North America eSIM for your trip

Picking an eSIM shouldn’t feel like shopping for insurance. Here’s the quick way to choose:

How long are you staying?
Short trips = small, cheap packages (aloSIM, Airalo)
Longer stays = bigger plans (Nomad, Gigsky, Airhub)

Do you need fast data?
If yes, choose Nomad or Airhub

Are you crossing borders?
Regional plans (Yesim, Airhub, GigSky)

Do you want the cheapest possible option?
Airhub or Airalo

Do you prefer the smoothest experience?
Yesim or Nomad

Once you’ve got your answer, it takes about 60 seconds to install the eSIM and activate it when you land.

Final thoughts

North America is one of those places where you absolutely want to sort your mobile data before you get on the plane. Between high operator fees, unpredictable roaming costs, and the sheer size of the region, an eSIM makes your life infinitely easier.

Whether you’re walking through Times Square, hiking Banff, or chilling on a beach in Tulum, you’ll want the internet to work when you need it—and not cost more than your Airbnb.

With Airalo, Airhub, Nomad, aloSIM, GigSky, and Yesim, you have plenty of genuinely good choices. Pick one that matches your travel style, scan the QR code, and enjoy your trip without worrying about mobile surprises.

Driven by wanderlust and a passion for tech, Sandra is the creative force behind Alertify. Love for exploration and discovery is what sparked the idea for Alertify, a product that likely combines Sandra’s technological expertise with the desire to simplify or enhance travel experiences in some way.