Compare the Best Travel eSIMs for Canada
Prepaid data eSIMs for visitors to Canada, every plan ranked by real price per GB. This is not a Canada contract or a local SIM. Updated daily.
The 3 best Canada eSIMs right now
Sim Local✓ Verified partner
GigSky✓ Verified partner
Ubigi✓ Verified partner
What Canada data actually costs
Canada travel eSIM prices look random until you convert every plan to one number: the real cost per gigabyte. Here is what that reveals right now.
The cheapest plan at each size, 30 days
| Data | Cheapest provider | Total | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | Ubigi | $59 | $1.18/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 25 GB | Ubigi | $39 | $1.56/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 20 GB | Nomad | $31 | $1.55/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 10 GB | Nomad | $17 | $1.70/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 5 GB | Nomad | $13 | $2.60/GB | Get plan ↗ |
| 1 GB | Yesim | $6.94 | $6.94/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
Cost per GB rises from $1.18/GB at 50 GB to $6.94/GB at 1 GB. Buying a little more data than you expect to use is almost always cheaper per gigabyte than buying exactly what you need.
The "unlimited" trap
The same words, unlimited for 30 days, cover a wide price range, and most plans slow down after a daily threshold that the label hides.
| Provider | Unlimited, 30 days | Fair-use cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya | $49.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Ubigi | $69 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| Yesim | $83.12 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
| Airalo | $86 | Confirming | Get plan ↗ |
| GigSky | $89.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
| Saily | $89.99 | Confirming | Get plan ↗ |
Unlimited 30 day plans run from $49.99 to $89.99, a spread of about 80 percent, for a label that means the same thing on paper. Check the daily cap before you buy, especially if you plan to tether a laptop.
Do not overpay for coverage you will not use
If your whole trip is in Canada, a Canada only plan is far cheaper per gigabyte than a North America or global plan carrying the same data. Same provider (GigSky), same 50 GB, 30 days:
| GigSky plan | Price | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada only | $59.99 | $1.20/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
| North America | $59.99 | $1.20/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
| Global | $109.99 | $2.20/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
A Canada only plan costs much less per gigabyte than a regional or global plan with the same data. Only pay for the wider plan if you are actually crossing borders on this trip.
Which network does your Canada eSIM use?
This is the question that decides your real signal, and almost no comparison site answers it. Your travel eSIM connects to one or more local networks as a visitor, and that choice matters the moment you leave the big cities, because rural coverage varies a lot between them.
| Provider | Host network | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Bell | Confirmed |
| GigSky | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Ubigi | Bell, Telus and Videotron | Confirmed |
| Nomad | Bell and Telus | Confirmed |
| Saily | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Yesim | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
Airalo lists Bell, Nomad uses Bell and Telus, and Ubigi connects to Bell, Telus and Videotron, so the disclosed providers all sit on the two carriers with the widest reach; GigSky, Saily and Yesim do not publish their Canadian host carrier.
Coverage by where you are going
- Bell, Rogers and Telus cover the populated south and the Trans-Canada Highway corridor well, and Bell and Telus share much of their radio infrastructure.
- Vast northern and remote areas, including much of Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northern Quebec, have large coverage gaps with little or no cellular service on any network.
- Telus has the widest rural and regional reach of the three national carriers, which matters most once you leave the cities.
- 5G launched in Canada in 2020 and is available across the major cities, with 4G/LTE the norm elsewhere.
- The Toronto TTC subway completed its underground cellular rollout and the Montreal metro also carries mobile signal, so transit riders stay connected between stations.
- A Canada-only plan does not roam into the United States, so cross-border travelers need a North America regional plan.
Travel eSIM vs a local Canada SIM
A travel eSIM is the simplest way to get online in Canada. You install it before you fly, land connected, and pay flat prepaid rates that sit well below carrier roaming, which typically runs $10 to $15 per day. Most travel eSIMs here ride on Bell or Telus, so coverage in cities and along main routes matches what a local prepaid SIM would give you.
A local prepaid SIM from Bell, Rogers or Telus, or from a budget brand such as Public Mobile, Fizz or Freedom Mobile, can work out cheaper for longer stays and usually includes a Canadian phone number for calls and texts. The trade-off is buying in store or online with Canadian payment details, and Canadian prepaid data is historically expensive by global standards.
Quick rule: Trips under about three weeks favor a travel eSIM, while stays of a month or more where you need a local number favor a prepaid SIM.
Canada's networks are Bell, Rogers and Telus, budget brand Fizz runs on the Videotron network mainly in Quebec and Ontario, and Public Mobile is Telus's online-only prepaid brand.
How a Canada travel eSIM works
A travel eSIM replaces expensive roaming with a cheap local data plan you activate in seconds. There is no plastic SIM and no airport queue. Roaming with your home carrier can run 6 to 12 dollars a day, so a week easily tops 50 to 80 dollars for service you already pay for at home.
Three things to get right:
- Check your phone supports eSIM before you buy.
- Install the eSIM at home over WiFi, but wait to activate it until you land, because the validity period usually starts on activation.
- Keep your physical SIM in the phone for calls and texts on your normal number.
How we rank Canada eSIMs
Every plan on this page is sorted by real price per GB (total price divided by included data, normalised to USD), so a cheap-looking 1 GB plan cannot outrank a better-value 10 GB one. We refresh prices daily and only list providers with a track record of activating on arrival. We earn a small affiliate commission when you buy through our links. It funds the price tracking and never changes the order you see.
Canada travel eSIM FAQ
Which networks do these eSIMs use in Canada?
Airalo's Canada eSIM lists Bell as its network, Nomad uses Bell and Telus, and Ubigi connects to Bell, Telus and Videotron. GigSky, Saily and Yesim do not publish which Canadian carrier they use. Bell and Telus share much of their radio network, and Telus has the widest rural reach of the three national carriers.
Will a Canada eSIM work in the United States?
No. A plan sold for Canada only will not connect once you cross into the US. If your trip covers both countries, buy a North America regional plan that lists both Canada and the United States, which every provider here offers.
Is there mobile coverage in northern and remote Canada?
Coverage is concentrated in the populated south and along the Trans-Canada Highway. Large parts of Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northern Quebec have little or no cellular signal on any network. Plan for offline maps and satellite messaging if you travel well off the main routes.
Do these unlimited plans have a daily limit?
Yes, the unlimited plans use fair-use daily caps. Nomad gives 2 GB per day before throttling, while Airalo and Saily allow 3 GB per day, after which speeds drop to around 1 Mbps for the rest of the day. GigSky, Ubigi and Yesim do not publish a daily figure for Canada, so confirm before buying if you need heavy data.
Can I get 5G with a travel eSIM in Canada?
Yes. Canada's carriers launched 5G in 2020 and it is available across the major cities. Most of these eSIMs are marked 5G-ready, though your real-world speed depends on your device and the local network. Outside cities you will more often see 4G/LTE.
Will my eSIM work on the Toronto and Montreal subways?
Yes. The Toronto TTC completed its underground cellular rollout, and the Montreal metro also carries mobile signal. Any eSIM running on Bell or Telus should stay connected on those systems, so you can navigate and message between stations.