Mexico is a huge country with a wide variety of landscapes and monuments that will leave you speechless. Beautiful colonial cities, Aztec ruins, lush forests and paradisiacal beaches are just some of the attractions that draw thousands of tourists every year to discover the secrets of the New World. But in this case we are not here to talk about the country, but instead about the benefits of eSIM cards in Mexico, the best way to connect to the Internet instantly without paying excessive bills with roaming, or compromising your data on public wifi networks.
In this article we will tell you how to find the best eSIM for Mexico, comparing the main brands on the market such as Holafly, Airalo or Maya Mobile. When it comes to choosing the eSIM that best suits your trip, you should take into account criteria such as speed, data limit, technical support, price and duration of the plans. We can already tell you that eSIM cards with no data limit, such as those of Holafly, are a safe option with no extra charges and a 24/7 support.
Comparison of eSIM for a trip to Mexico
When you compare different eSIM brands, you should take into account all the characteristics that determine whether the card fits your travel needs. That’s why we have prepared this table with all the essential information about each brand to help you choose. Later on we will go deeper into each eSIM brand so you won’t miss any information.
| Brand | Plan duration | Data Sharing | Unlimited Data | App | GB per plan | Support | Price | Trustpilot | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holafly | 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 and 90 days | No | Yes | Yes | Unlimited data included in all plans | In Spanish, instant chat and WhatsApp | 19€ -99€ | 4,6 | 4,3 |
| Airalo | 7, 15 y 30 days | Yes | No | Yes | 1GB, 2GB, 3GB and 5GB | In English, via a bot | 8€ – 33€ | 3,9 | 3,8 |
| Maya Mobile | 30 days | Yes | Yes | No | 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB and unlimited | In English, via a bot | 8€ – 122€ | 4,5 | 3,2 |
| Truephone | 1 and 30 days | Sometimes | No | Yes | 1GB, 2GB, 5GB | In English, by email or through the App | 7€ – 30€ | 3,1 | 3,6 |
| Ubigi | 30 days | Yes | No | Yes | 1GB and 2GB | In English by email | 19€- 39€ | 4,2 | 4,1 |
1. Holafly, eSIM for Mexico with Unlimited Data and multilingual customer support
| Advantages | All of their eSIM plans offer unlimited data. They offer data packages by continent and by country. Holafly’s eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install with QR code or manually. They offer a wide variety of eSIM cards with different prices and contract durations. They have eSIM cards for 160 destinations. Most of their eSIM plans have unlimited data. 24/7 customer support in Spanish, English, German, French and Japanese. Very flexible pricing. They offer eSIM cards for all of North America: Canada, Mexico and USA. You can pay in euros, dollars and Mexican pesos. It has an App where you can check the consumption and the remaining days of the contract. |
| Inconveniences | Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. Holafly’s eSIM card for Mexico does not allow data sharing. Installation cannot be done through their App. |
The Spanish company Holafly is one of the best options to buy eSIM cards and travel with peace of mind since the brand offers unlimited data plans for Mexico and a 24-hour customer service in Spanish, English, German, French, Italian and Japanese that responds in less than a minute by chat or WhatsApp. The company has offices in several countries around the world with more than 100 workers and currently has the best customer rating on Trustpilot with a score of 4.6.
On the website of Holafly you can find 7 unlimited data plans with a duration of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 30, 60 and 90 days. The price ranges from €19 to €99. The brand also offers its customers an eSIM card for all of North America (Canada, Mexico and the US), so you can move from one country to another without having to change eSIMs.
| Data plan | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars | Price in Mexican Pesos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days – unlimited data | 19€ | 19$ | $339 |
| 10 days – unlimited data | 34€ | 34$ | $699 |
| 15 days – unlimited data | 47€ | 47$ | $899 |
| 20 days – unlimited data | 57€ | 57$ | $1199 |
| 30 days – unlimited data | 69€ | 69$ | $1399 |
| 60 days – unlimited data | 87€ | 87$ | $1699 |
| 90 days – unlimited data | 99€ | 99$ | $1999 |
The Holafly eSIM cards can be easily installed by scanning the QR code that will be sent to your email once you have completed the purchase. The installation can also be done manually without a computer, simply writing the code in the settings of your mobile that you can consult in the mail or in your App. It is very convenient to control the duration of the data plan this way.
After having tested the eSIM cards from Holafly, we can say that they are one of the most expensive options on the market, but that in the end they are profitable since you will be able to travel worry-free thanks to their technical service, which is the most efficient of all the eSIM cards we have tested. The following ranking is based on our experience, where we evaluate from 1 to 5 all the features of Holafly’s eSIM cards for Mexico.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data Sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 4,8 | 3,5 | 3,5 | 4,8 | 3,5 | 4,5 | 4,3 |
In this post you can read about our experience with Holafly eSIM cards and some users’ opinions: Our review of Holafly eSIM: is it worth it?
2. Maya Mobile, data packages with the GBs you need
| Advantages | They offer data packages by continents and countries. Maya Mobile eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install with a QR code or manually. They have eSIM cards for 194 destinations. Data plans limited to 1GB, 3GB, 4GB, 10GB, and 30 GB which can run out quickly. Flexible pricing. They have unlimited data plans. Possibility of internet sharing. Rechargeable after 30 days. |
| Inconveniences | Their eSIM cards do not include calls or sms. They do not have an App. Their unlimited data plans have a speed of 1Mbps after the first 30GB. Customer support only in English via a bot. They only have data plans for 30 days. |
Maya Mobile only offers eSIM cards for 30 days in Mexico. In this case, the price of the data packages varies depending on the gigabytes. In total it has 5 packages of 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB and another unlimited data package. In the unlimited data plan it is recommended to read the fine print as the speed is limited to 2Mbps, and when you have exceeded the 30GB of the plan, the speed drops to half. The price ranges from €8 to €122.
In their online store you’ll also find an unlimited data plan for Latin America that includes 16 countries. It’s perfect if you’re traveling to more than one country.
Like Holafly, Maya Mobile is characterized by the speed and simplicity of the sign-up and installation process. In addition, they have a 100% refund policy in the event that the data does not work, which is not common as they have at least two data providers in each country where they offer their services.
| Data plan | Price in Euros |
|---|---|
| 30 days – 1 GB | 8€ |
| 30 days – 3 GB | 17€ |
| 30 days – 4 GB | 26€ |
| 30 days – 10 GB | 51€ |
| 30 days – unlimited data* | 122€ |
In the case of Maya Mobile we found certain drawbacks in their eSIM cards, such as, for example, that their plans are very inflexible and only last for 30 days. In addition, they do not offer plans with real unlimited data like other brands such as Holafly, which means that you can run out of data in the middle of your trip or have a very slow connection. Here we’ll share this table with the score for each of the features of their eSIM cards.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data Sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4,5 | 4,5 | 3 | 3,2 |
3. Truphone and their App
| Advantages | They offer regional, country or global data packages. Truphone eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install in your App. They have eSIM cards for 188 countries. 24/7 customer support both in the app and on the web. Very affordable prices. You can recharge data from the App. No need to scan QR code. Data sharing is only available on some devices. They offer data plans for Apple Watch. They offer 100 MB free trial for 1 day. |
| Inconveniences | Gigabytes are limited to 5GB, they do not have unlimited data cards. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes (1GB). Cannot be purchased on the web, only from mobile phone. The duration of data plans is limited to 1 or 30 days. Their services and customer support are exclusively in English. |
Truphone is a UK company that offers eSIM cards to connect to the internet in over 160 countries. It was a pioneer in the industry and the first global operator to launch eSIM for iPad, Apple Watch and Google Pixel devices. In addition, it has been a technology partner of Apple since 2016, which gives it a great competitive advantage and makes it easier to install eSIMs on their devices.
For Mexico the brand offers 2 plans with a duration of one day and 100MB or 1GB, and two other 30-day plans with 2GB and 5GB. Prices range from 10€ to 35€. The 100MB plan is available for free for one day so you can test their product. The problem with this brand is that their data plans have very few gigabytes (maximum 5GB) and this means that you can run out of internet in the middle of your trip.
| Data plan | Price in Euros | Price in Dollars | Price in Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day – 100 MB | 0€ | 0$ | 0£ |
| 1 day – 1 GB | 7€ | 7$ | 7£ |
| 30 days – 2 GB | 15€ | 15$ | 14£ |
| 30 days – 5 GB | 30€ | 30$ | 27£ |
Although on the website you can check the data plans and all the details about their eSIMs, to buy the eSIM card you will need to download the mobile application. Once downloaded, you will need to create an account filling in your details directly or through Google or Facebook. You can then choose the country and data plan you need for your trip and pay securely. A great advantage of the App is that it detects if your phone is compatible with the eSIM before allowing you to complete the purchase.
The installation and activation processes are done through the App, so you won’t need to scan any QR codes. Just keep in mind that you will need internet to perform the operation.
If you go to Trustpilot you can see that Truphone has over 100 reviews and a score of 1.9, one of the lowest among eSIM card providers. We have also rated the Truphone eSIM card based on our experience and these are our conclusions.
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data Sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,5 | 3,5 | 4 | 3,5 | 4,5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3,8 |
If you want to know more about our experience with Truphone eSIM cards and the opinions of other users visit this post: Our review of Truphone eSIM: is it worth it?
4. Ubigi and their eSIM cards for smart cars
| Andvantages | They offer regional, country or global data packages. Ubigi eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install via the web or App. Ubigi’s eSIM is installed for free from the App. They have eSIM cards for 190 destinations. 24/7 real time technical support. They offer eSIM cards for smart cars. Their eSIM cards allow data sharing. You can recharge the eSIM card from the App. |
| Inconveniences | The gigabytes are limited to 3GB or less and do not have unlimited data plans. Their eSIMs do not include calls or SMS. They only have 2 plans of 30 days. Their support service is exclusively in English. |
Ubigi is a provider of eSIM cards a bit different than the rest of the data plan companies for traveling abroad. While with other brands you have to choose and buy the plan and then proceed to install the eSIM, with Ubigi it’s the other way around. First you can install the eSIM for free and then add credit depending on the gigabytes you are going to use. You can pay in dollars, euros, pounds and yen.
On their website and App you will see only 2 data plans of 1 GB and 3 GB with a duration of 30 days. This feature is quite limiting if you want to take a short trip. Also, the data is really limited and you will most likely run out and you will have to recharge the eSIM again.
They also offer global and North America-wide data plans.
| Data plan | Price in U.S. Dollars | Price in Euros | Price in Pounds | Price in Yens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days – 1 GB | 19$ | 19€ | 17£ | 2700¥ |
| 30 days – 3 GB | 39$ | 39€ | 35£ | 5500¥ |
Luckily, their App works very welland in addition to buying the eSIM from there, you can install and recharge it if necessary. Also, Ubigi’s eSIMs allow for data sharing with other devices
A curious thing about Ubigi eSIM cards is that they also work in cars with internet. Some models of Jaguar, Fiat, Land Rover, Alfa Romeo or Jeep already incorporate this technology.
In this table you can see how we evaluate each feature of Ubigi’s eSIM cards. And if you want to know our opinion about Ubigi eSIMs, check out this post: Our review of Ubigi eSIM: is it worth it?
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data Sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3,5 | 4 | 4 | 4,5 | 4 | 4,5 | 4,8 | 4,1 |
5. Airalo, the cheapest eSIM brand on the market
| Advantages | They offer regional, country or global data packages. Airalo eSIM cards are easy to purchase and install. It is one of the cheapest brands in the market. They offer a wide variety of eSIM cards with different duration, price and gigabytes. They have eSIM cards for 190 countries. Their eSIM card allows you to share data with other devices. They allow you to recharge the eSIM. They have an App and you can buy and install the eSIM from it. |
| Inconveniences | Gigabytes are limited to 5GB or less and do not have unlimited data cards. Short-term plans have very limited gigabytes. Their eSIM cards do not include calls and sms. The duration of the data plans is limited to 7, 15 and 30 days. Their services and technical support is exclusively in English and takes a long time to respond. |
Airalo is along with Holafly one of the most well-known brands in the world to buy an international travel eSIM. The company, founded in Singapore in 2019 by Turkish entrepreneurs Abraham Burak and Ahmet Bahadir Özdemir, was one of the first to offer such services, and has a wide coverage of countries where they offer eSIM cards.
Airalo’s eSIM card data plans for Mexico have a duration of 7, 15 and 30 days, and prices range from $8 to $32.5. Airalo is known for being one of the cheapest brands on the market, however, their customer service leaves much to be desired and takes a long time to respond. In addition, their data plans have very limited gigabytes and you will most likely run out of data in the middle of your trip and have to recharge. This means that in the end the costs will increase and what seemed cheap will be expensive in the end.
| Data plan | Price in U.S. Dollars |
|---|---|
| 7 days – 1 GB | 8$ |
| 15 days – 2 GB | 15$ |
| 30 days – 3 GB | 21$ |
| 30 days – 5 GB | 32,5$ |
Although Airalo is cheap and offers a wide variety of eSIM cards that can be controlled in their App, the truth is that it is not one of the best options because of what we mentioned above about their customer service, as you can see on Trustpilot in the user reviews and ratings. Airalo has one of the lowest scores at 3.7. Here you have the ranking of each aspect of Airalo and in this post you can also read our opinion of the brand: Our review of Airalo eSIM: is it worth it?
| Data | Duration | Support | Price | App | Speed | Data Sharing | Currencies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 4,5 | 3 | 3,8 |
Conclusion: what is the best eSIM for Mexico
In this post we have seen that there are many important factors to take into account when comparing eSIM cards because for each type of travel you will have different connection needs. That’s why we have prepared this section where we share our experience which eSIM card is best for each type of travel.
When we travel we don’t want to run out of data in the middle of our vacation, that’s why eSIM cards with unlimited data are the best option if we want to travel without worries. In this case, the only brands that offer unlimited eSIM data are Holafly and Maya Mobile, but remember that Maya Mobile’s unlimited data plans are not real, since after using 30GB the browsing speed will drop to 50%. With some companies like Ubigi or Airalo you will be able to recharge the eSIM already installed through their website or App, but the best thing is not having to pay again if you run out of data.
We know it can be tricky to estimate the gigabytes you’ll need during your trip, so we’ve created this table to help you estimate if you end up choosing an eSIM card with a data limit, which we don’t recommend.
| Plataform | Gigabyte consumption per hour |
| 0,12GB – 0,18 GB | |
| 0,12GB – 0,18 GB | |
| 0,06 GB | |
| Tiktok | 0,18 GB – 0,8 GB |
| Netflix | 0,3GB – 7GB |
| Youtube | 0,14GB – 1,7 GB |
| Amazon Prime | 0,8GB – 6GB |
The installation process of eSIM cards is always simple and fast, but it is true that there are some companies that make it even easier. The first thing is to check if your smartphone is compatible with the eSIM of the brand. This information you can check on the website of each provider. In the case of Truphone, the App itself will tell you if your phone is compatible when you download it.
Purchasing the eSIM for Mexico can be done online with some brands such as Holafly or Maya Mobile or through the app like Truphone, Airalo or Ubigi.
The only brands that allow you to do the installation through the App are Airalo and Truphone, and in the case of Holafly, in the App you can get the code to install the eSIM manually without using a computer. You can also do the installation scanning a QR code that you will receive by email as soon as you complete the purchase with Holafly, Airalo or Maya Mobile.
On the other hand, it is very important to consider the customer service to help you in the installation process and solve any doubt or problem. Most brands such as Maya Mobile or Airalo have a chat bot that takes a long time to respond and only does so in English. In this aspect Holafly tech support is the best as it responds in less than 1 minute in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Japanese via web chat or WhatsApp.
Many times when we travel we want toshare data with other devices and only some providers like Airalo or Ubigi make it possible. Just keep in mind that the eSIM data of these brands is very limited, and if you share it will run out sooner.
The cheapest brands are Airalo and Maya Mobile, however, their data plans are very limited and will most likely run out and you will have to pay again with the top-up. That’s why it’s sometimes advisable to pay a little more and get an eSIM card with a higher data limit like Holafly’s to get peace of mind and not have to recharge again.
In short, Holafly’s eSIM cards are the best option for traveling to Mexico for their unlimited data and multilingual technical support that responds in less than a minute. With Holafly you will never run out of data on your trip.
Other options to have internet in Mexico?
There is no doubt that travel eSIM cards are the best option to have internet when traveling abroad because of the security, convenience and peace of mind they provide to the traveler.
| Convenience | Immediate delivery and activation upon purchase. Purchase prior to travel. Easy installation; unlike SIM cards, there is no need to remove the original card. You’ll be connected as soon as you land, no need to find a store first. You’ll find tailor-made plans to suit the duration and needs of your trip. No need to rely on batteries, as with Pocket wifi. You won’t have to carry an extra device during your trip, like the Pocket Wifi. |
| Peace of mind | You will have 24/7 technical support in English, unlike with a SIM or Pocket Wifi. You will not have to worry about forgetting or losing any device other than your cell phone. |
| Security | You will avoid using public wifi networks vulnerable to hacking. You will avoid entering personal data in endless forms to get Wifi. No need to open or manipulate your mobile phone like with SIM cards. |
We will discuss what other options are available to you to have internet on your trips.
1. Buy SIM Card from Telcel, AT&T and Movistar Mexico
In Mexico you can find SIM cards in official Telcel, AT&T and Movistar shops in international airports, commercial areas of the cities and in large chain stores such as Oxxo or Walmart. These are the features of each brand:
- Telcel: they offer prepaid SIM cards in their Amigo plans with capacities between 20 MB and 1.5 GB. They are easy to purchase in shopping malls, airports, transport terminals or on third-party websites, such as Amazon and Habla Mexico.
- AT&T Mexico: you can find their SIMs in official shops, supermarkets and other authorized online retailers. The plans have data limits ranging from 10 MB to 7 GB.
- Movistar Mexico: the great advantage of their SIMs is that they can be purchased for short trips of 1,2,3 or 7 days.
SIM cards are easy to use, but they also have some disadvantages, as we’ll tell you below:
| Advantages | There are a variety of brands and data plans to choose from. Installation is quick. You can make calls and send messages with a local number. They can be purchased online or in physical shops. |
| Inconveniences | You have to exchange it for your regular SIM card, which can be lost or damaged. During the installation process, you have to open and handle the mobile phone. You have to travel to buy it or wait for the card to arrive at home. When your travel SIM contract runs out, you have to replace it with another one. You will not be able to keep your regular phone number. |
2. Renting a Pocket WiFi for Mexico
Pocket WiFi are small portable routers that allow you to have internet wherever you go. WiFi Travelers and Travel WiFi are some companies where you can hire the service, which usually costs about 10€ per day plus insurance against theft or loss, and shipping.
| Advantages | Can be used by several devices at the same time. You can choose the gigabyte package that suits you best. No need to install anything on our cell phones. |
| Inconveniences | It is one of the most expensive options. There are few brands to choose from. Contracts are usually of long duration. In addition to the data plan, you have to pay for rental, insurance and shipping costs. The battery lasts 6 hours maximum. If you use it with more people you have to be in the same room. You have to carry it with you wherever you go and you run the risk of losing it. |
This option is interesting when you only need internet in a very specific space or for a long period of time. They are often recommended for business trips.
3. Search for free WiFi networks in Mexico
Although it is becoming increasingly easy to access public Wi-Fi networks in museums, hotels, cafés and on transport, the truth is that this option should be used with great caution. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are very vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks, through which your private data can be accessed. It is therefore recommended to spend as little time as possible connected, to use it for specific queries and not to expose personal data.
| Advantages | It is free of charge. There is nothing to install on our cell phones. |
| Inconveniences | It is difficult to find free access wifi networks. Public wifi networks are often slow or give connection problems. You often have to fill in forms and share your personal data. Some free wifi networks have limited time. You have to be near the router to connect. These networks are vulnerable to hacking. |
4. Activate Roaming for Mexico
International roaming is a service offered by mobile operators that allows users to connect to the internet and make calls from abroad. In Spain, some of the companies that offer this service are Movistar, Vodafone and Orange.
| Advantages | There is no need to install anything on our cell phone. There is no need to contract any extra service. You can receive calls, send messages and connect to the internet immediately. |
| Inconveniences | This is the most expensive option. Sometimes it is activated without us realizing it. Not all telephone companies offer this service. |
Frequently asked questions about how to get internet in Mexico
Most models of popular brands such as Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Huawei or Google are compatible as long as they are recent models. Several iPads are also compatible. However, it is best to consult the website of each provider, where they will indicate all the compatible models.
eSIM cards allow you to have internet on your cell phone when you travel abroad without having to remove your regular SIM card, as is the case with SIM cards. This is possible thanks to a chip that is incorporated in the latest generation of cell phones.
The purchase of the eSIM data plan can be done through the web or the App of some brands. Choose your destination, the duration and the gigabytes of the data plan and pay securely.
The installation and activation of the eSIM is a really easy procedure that will only take a few minutes.
Once you have verified that your cell phone is compatible with the product and chosen the data plan that best suits your needs, go to the mobile data settings on your smartphone and select “add data plan”. Then the camera will open so you can scan the QR code that you will have received in the mail after the purchase. The installation and activation of your card will then begin.
This process must be carried out with an internet connection, so it is recommended to do it before starting the trip or as soon as you arrive at the hotel.
SIM cards can be purchased in physical shops or online, with delivery times ranging from 48 to 72 hours. There are also companies that offer same-day express delivery.
Most companies offer packages with data caps. Holafly, unlike the others, offers a wide variety of unlimited data packages.
It is best to activate it just before your trip as you will need an internet connection.
Data packages usually last for 30 days, however, there are providers such as Holafly that offer more flexible packages between 5 days and 3 months.
Unlimited data plans do not normally allow data sharing, but plans with a specific number of GBs included do.
The data on unlimited plans is really unlimited. Please note, however, that local mobile operators may temporarily reduce the speed if you use applications such as Netflix or YouTube very intensively. These limits are more intended to avoid network saturation by a few users.
Holafly is a Spanish company launched in 2018 that you can trust, it has been tested by more than 400,000 customers, travel blogs and Youtubers. Holafly has been marketing eSIMs since 2019.
Holafly has over 10,000 positive experiences posted on Trustpilot, with an “Excellent” rating and 4.6 average score.
SIM Options has both positive and negative reviews, and a lower average Trustpilot score than Holafly of 3.8. SIM Options is a Hong Kong based company.
Maya is owned by a US company, Maya Virtual Inc. Reviews of Maya on Trustpilot are good, with an average rating of 4.5.
Airalo reviews on Trustpilot are good, with an average score of 3.9.
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