VPNs With an eSIM in the Plan: Data, Tiers and Limits
Eight of the 377 services in VPNRadarLab's main ranking offer an eSIM in the plan or as an add-on, and where data is bundled it is a starter pack of 1–5 GB without a phone number. Two of the eight even sell the eSIM as a separate product. If you want a bundle, the honest answer is: at PureVPN and ExpressVPN the entry plan has no eSIM, so compare the tier that does. Read more
Sorted by this page’s weighting: Network and streaming weighs 40% on this page. Each row also shows the overall score.
Ready-made lists
- Works under heavy blocking
- Anonymous
- Honest free
- Trial without a card
- No price rise at renewal
- Netflix and streaming
- Gaming
- For business
All filters by topic: Price and payment · Anonymity and privacy · VPN security · VPN protocols · VPNs by platform · VPNs by use case · Travel and restrictions · VPN jurisdictions · VPN servers by country · VPN customer support · VPN segments
| # | Service | Page score | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PureVPN | 6.05overall 5.30 | €1.85per month |
| 2 | ExpressVPN | 4.71overall 4.77 | €2.57per month |
| 3 | VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy (VPN Super Inc / Mobile Jump) | 3.46overall 3.12 | €5.15per month |
| 4 | IPVanish | 3.41overall 4.10 | €2.06per month |
| 5 | StrongVPN | 2.46overall 2.15 | €3.41per month |
| 6 | 12VPX | 2.09overall 2.55 | €9.68per month |
| 7 | nadanada (ex-LNVPN) | 1.82overall 2.18 | €2.58per month |
| 8 | FlowVPN | 1.78overall 2.02 | €2.86per month |
Why an eSIM and a VPN make a good pair on a trip
An eSIM is a downloadable SIM profile you install by QR code or app before departure, provided your phone is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked. Once it's on, you get mobile data from the moment the plane lands, no SIM shop, no airport Wi-Fi gamble. For maps, messaging and taxi apps, that data replaces hotel Wi-Fi for most daily tasks.
The VPN rides on top of whatever connection you have, including eSIM data, home SIM roaming and hotel networks. A server in your home country gives banking and streaming apps a home address, which is what they expect, and the VPN is what you'll want on lobby Wi-Fi anyway, because a laptop has no SIM slot.
What each service bundles: data, validity and plan
| # | Service | eSIM offer | Plan that carries it | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PureVPN | free 3 GB, 30 days | Max only | $3.55/mo for 27 months ($95.85), renews $84.95/yr; monthly $19.95 |
| 2 | ExpressVPN | 3 GB via holiday.com | Advanced and Pro | $4.49/mo for 28 months ($125.72), renews $119.95/yr |
| 3 | VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy | 1, 3 or 5 GB by plan length | Premium | $10.99/mo or $5.99/mo yearly ($71.88); no renewal refund |
| 4 | IPVanish | 3 GB on every plan, 5 GB on Advanced | all plans | $2.39/mo for 2 years ($57.36), renews $99.99/yr |
| 5 | StrongVPN | free 3 GB, global | its single plan | $3.97/mo annually ($47.69 first year) |
| 6 | 12VPX | free eSIM page, no published details | not stated | from $11.25/mo |
| 7 | nadanada (ex-LNVPN) | sold separately, from $0.99 | none, bought on top | pay-as-you-go from $3/mo, no subscription |
| 8 | FlowVPN | separate eSIM product | none, bought on top | from $3.33/mo annually, $6.99 monthly |
The pattern is mixed rather than uniform: PureVPN reserves its eSIM for Max and ExpressVPN for Advanced and Pro, while IPVanish puts eSIM data on every plan and StrongVPN sells just one plan that carries it. PureVPN Standard at €1.85 a month (the cheapest on the page, median €2.86) has no eSIM at all. Refund windows are narrow, too: PureVPN gives 31 days from first purchase excluding renewals, ExpressVPN 30 days for new subscribers only, IPVanish only on yearly and 2-year plans, StrongVPN only on the annual plan.
Bundled data or a separate travel eSIM
A 3 GB allowance covers maps, ride-hailing, messaging and some uploads for the first days of a trip, not weeks of video or laptop hotspotting. Only StrongVPN's eSIM is described as global in the site data; the others don't publish a country list, which is a real gap if your route includes less-covered regions. Nadanada and FlowVPN make you buy the eSIM on top of the VPN, and 12VPX links an eSIM page without details, so read "included with the plan" differently row by row.
What an eSIM does not replace: your phone number
Bundled eSIMs are data-only. No number means the one-time SMS your bank sends on a foreign login has nowhere to land; codes go to the home SIM the bank has on file. Keep that SIM alive in a second slot (Apple's Dual SIM help page covers one number for home and one for travel), or move two-factor codes to an authenticator app before leaving. The VPNRadarLab guide to bank and tax logins from abroad walks through this setup.
What to check before you pay
- Phone supports eSIM and is unlocked; install the profile and VPN app at home.
- Which tier carries the eSIM, and its renewal price after the intro deal.
- Refund rules: several services exclude renewals, some refund only long plans, and nadanada offers no refund once a config is generated.
- Independent audit of the no-logs claim: only 3 of the 8 (PureVPN, ExpressVPN, IPVanish) have one.
- Data allowance against trip length, and whether top-ups exist.
VPN and eSIM questions
Does NordVPN include an eSIM?
No. NordVPN isn't on this page, and its eSIM brand Saily is sold as a separate product rather than coming with the subscription.
Do I still need a VPN in China if I have a roaming eSIM?
Travellers report that roaming eSIM data often passes through a partner network abroad, so blocked apps open on mobile data while hotel and café Wi-Fi stays filtered. That's no guarantee, and VPNRadarLab's China ranking covers providers built for exactly that case; set your VPN up before departure either way.
Can I run the VPN over eSIM data?
Yes. The VPN runs over any connection, so eSIM mobile data works the same as Wi-Fi.
The short version
A bundled eSIM means 1–5 GB of data-only mobile data on a specific tier: PureVPN Max, ExpressVPN Advanced or Pro, IPVanish on any plan, or StrongVPN's global eSIM on its single plan. Nadanada and FlowVPN sell theirs separately. Check the renewal price (intro deals jump to $84.95–$119.95 a year), the refund exclusions, whether the provider has an independent no-logs audit, and keep your home SIM for bank SMS codes. A bundle beats buying a VPN and a separate travel eSIM only when the tier's total price is close to what you'd pay anyway; the data is a bonus, not the product.