Vietnam eSIM providers at a glance

ProviderDataDurationPriceHotspot
Airalo Top pick1 – 20 GB7 – 30 days$4.50 – $24YesDetails →
Yesim Unlimited1 – Unlimited3 – 30 days$1.50 – $55YesDetails →
Saily1 – 20 GB7 – 30 days$3.49 – $22YesDetails →
DrimsimPay-as-you-goNo expiry~$3.50/GBYesDetails →

Entry tiers shown; the full plan tree (including unlimited and longer durations) is exclusive to provider checkout.

Detailed provider reviews for Vietnam

Airalo

Recommended

Airalo's Vietnam plan ('Xin Chao') runs on Viettel, which has the widest coverage including rural Sapa, the Mekong Delta, and central coast towns. Activation works from the arrivals hall at Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat — you'll have Grab working before you clear customs. The Asia regional plan covers Vietnam + Thailand + Cambodia + Laos for broader Southeast Asia trips.

1 GB
$4.50 · 7 days
3 GB
$8.50 · 15 days
5 GB
$11.50 · 30 days
10 GB
$16.00 · 30 days
20 GB
$26.00 · 30 days
Pros
  • Runs on Viettel — widest rural coverage including Sapa and Mekong
  • Asia regional plan for Vietnam + Thailand + Cambodia combos
  • Bypasses airport SIM kiosk queues after overnight flights
  • Pre-install and ready before clearing customs
  • Hotspot enabled on every tier
Cons
  • Local Vietnamese SIMs are genuinely cheaper per GB
  • Saily is $1 cheaper on 1 GB entry
  • No unlimited plan for extended Hanoi digital nomad stays
  • 3 GB / 15-day window tight for 2-week Vietnam tours
Visit Airalo →

Yesim

Best price

Yesim's $12 / 10 GB plan is the right value for a 2-week Vietnam trip covering Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, and HCMC. The unlimited plan is practical for digital nomads staying in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for 3+ weeks. SwitchLess fallback between Viettel, Vinaphone, and Mobifone provides modest benefit in the rare spots where Viettel is weaker.

1 GB
$1.50 · 3 days
5 GB
$7.50 · 14 days
10 GB
$12.00 · 30 days
Unlimited
$27.60 · 7 days
Pros
  • $12 / 10 GB / 30 days is best value for 2-week Vietnam trips
  • Unlimited plan practical for long Hanoi or HCMC stays
  • SwitchLess fallback across Vietnamese operators
  • $1.50 / 3-day plan for a quick HCMC stopover
Cons
  • iOS-only VPN feature
  • Unlimited soft caps at ~70 GB
  • Local Vietnamese SIMs still cheaper per GB
  • Smaller support team for Vietnam-specific issues
Visit Yesim →

Saily

Privacy-focused

Saily runs on Viettel in Vietnam at the cheapest entry price. The built-in VPN is actually useful here because of Vietnam's intermittent internet restrictions. The ad blocker saves data on Vietnamese news sites (VnExpress, Tuoi Tre, Thanh Nien) which run heavy advertising. Good all-around pick for 1-week Vietnam trips.

1 GB
$3.49 · 7 days
3 GB
$7.99 · 30 days
5 GB
$11.99 · 30 days
20 GB
$22.99 · 30 days
Pros
  • Same Viettel coverage as Airalo for $1 less on 1 GB
  • Built-in VPN useful for Vietnam internet restrictions
  • Ad blocker saves data on Vietnamese news sites
  • 30-day window on 3 GB fits standard trip lengths
Cons
  • No regional Asia plan
  • Plan gap between 5 GB and 20 GB
  • Ad blocker sometimes breaks Vietcombank and Techcombank apps
  • Less suitable for multi-country SEA loops
Visit Saily →

Drimsim

Backup only

Drimsim makes sense for multi-country SEA trips — a single eSIM covering Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Bali for one profile-less itinerary. For Vietnam alone at $3.50/GB, it's significantly overpriced compared to the other three (and compared to local Vietnamese SIMs, which are among the cheapest on earth). Backup use only.

Pay-as-you-go
~$3.50/GB
No expiry
Balance never expires
Pros
  • One eSIM for Vietnam + Cambodia + Laos + Thailand + Bali
  • Balance never expires between trips
  • Works in 197 countries globally
  • Reliable backup if primary fails on arrival
Cons
  • Triple Saily's per-GB cost for Vietnam
  • Vietnamese local SIMs are ~5x cheaper per GB
  • No volume discount
  • Not recommended as primary plan for Vietnam
Visit Drimsim →

How much data do you need in Vietnam?

Vietnam is a high-data destination mostly because of Grab and navigation. Hanoi's Old Quarter and Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 are navigation nightmares on foot — the street grids are organic, street names change every few blocks, and Google Maps routes you through alleys that are sometimes closed. Grab (motorbike taxis specifically — GrabBike) is the default way to get around both cities, and its constant use of Maps adds up fast.

Beyond the cities, data usage drops. Ha Long Bay cruises typically include some Wi-Fi but it's often slow satellite-based. Hoi An has excellent café Wi-Fi but you'll still use cellular for Grab between the Old Town and the beach. Sapa and the northern mountains have patchy signal in the terraced rice valleys. The Hoi An-to-Hue Hai Van Pass motorbike trip or the Phong Nha caves both have meaningful signal gaps.

Our recommendation: 3 GB for a classic 1-week Hanoi + HCMC + Ha Long Bay trip. 5 GB for adding Hoi An and central Vietnam. 10 GB for a full 2-week north-to-south Vietnam tour.

Network coverage in Vietnam

Vietnam has three main carriers: Viettel (military-owned, market leader, and by far the widest coverage), Vinaphone (state-owned, second largest), and Mobifone (also state-owned). Viettel has the strongest rural penetration — meaningful if you're going to Sapa, the Mekong Delta, or any of the smaller central coast towns. Vinaphone and Mobifone are competitive in the main cities.

5G is limited in Vietnam. It was officially launched in 2024 by Viettel, but coverage is restricted to central Hanoi and central Ho Chi Minh City only. Everywhere else is 4G LTE, which is fast enough for all tourist needs. Dead zones exist in the deeper sections of Ha Long Bay (the boat tours pass through some gaps), the Hai Van Pass tunnel sections, and mountain areas around Sapa. Airalo routes through Viettel. Saily and Yesim also use Viettel. All three are the safe choice for Vietnam.

Tips for using an eSIM in Vietnam

Vietnamese local SIMs are the best per-GB value in Southeast Asia. Viettel tourist SIMs at Noi Bai or Tan Son Nhat airports are around 200,000-300,000 VND for 30 days of 4-10 GB — that's roughly $8-12 for a month of data. On pure cost, they beat eSIMs easily. The eSIM case is about queue time and passport hassle at the airport after an overnight flight.

Grab works as both car and motorbike in Vietnam. GrabBike (motorbike taxi) is significantly cheaper and faster in Hanoi and HCMC traffic, and it's the local norm for short trips. GrabCar is available for longer trips or when you have luggage. Both need constant data for pickup. Download the Grab app before you fly.

Ha Long Bay cruises — don't rely on the ship Wi-Fi. Most Ha Long Bay overnight cruises advertise Wi-Fi but it's either slow satellite-based or only works when docked. Viettel cellular reaches most of the outer bay area (Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay have weaker signal). Your eSIM will work better than the ship's Wi-Fi in most of the standard tour routes.

Vietnam uses a strict internet firewall. Facebook and most Western platforms work fine in Vietnam, but some specific sites are blocked intermittently. If your eSIM plan includes a VPN (like Yesim or Saily), you may want to use it — otherwise a standalone VPN is useful for Vietnam travel.

Why eSIM is the best choice in Vietnam

Vietnamese local SIMs are the cheapest in Southeast Asia on a per-GB basis, so the financial case for eSIM isn't as strong as in countries like Japan or the USA. The eSIM case here is about time: airport queues at Noi Bai (Hanoi) and Tan Son Nhat (HCMC) can be 30-60 minutes during evening arrivals, passport registration is required, and SIM activation occasionally has delays. An eSIM activated before flying lets you Grab a ride the moment you exit customs.

The other strong case is multi-country Southeast Asia trips. Vietnam plus Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap) or Vietnam plus Thailand or Laos is a standard itinerary. Regional Asia plans or Drimsim cover the whole loop cleanly.

Frequently asked questions

Viettel is clearly the widest Vietnamese network, with the strongest coverage in rural areas including Sapa, the Mekong Delta, and central coast towns. Vinaphone and Mobifone are competitive in the main cities but have more rural gaps. Airalo, Saily, and Yesim all route through Viettel, which is the safest choice for any Vietnam trip.
Yes but very limited. Viettel launched commercial 5G in 2024 but coverage is restricted to central Hanoi and central Ho Chi Minh City only. Everywhere else in Vietnam — including Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Ha Long City, and all rural areas — is 4G LTE, which is fast enough for all tourist needs including Grab, video calls, and streaming.
Partially. Viettel coverage reaches most of the main Ha Long Bay tour route but has weaker signal in Lan Ha Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, which are the areas the less-crowded cruises visit. Most cruise ships have their own Wi-Fi but it's slow satellite-based. Download offline maps of your cruise area and screenshot important documents before boarding.
Yes, significantly. Viettel tourist SIMs at Vietnamese airports cost 200,000-300,000 VND ($8-12) for 30 days of 4-10 GB, which is cheaper than any eSIM on a per-GB basis. The eSIM advantage is time: you avoid the airport queue, skip passport registration, and have Grab working before you leave customs. For trips under 2 weeks, that time saving is often worth the price difference.
A Vietnam-only plan will not work in Cambodia or Laos — you'd be roaming and either blocked or charged heavily. If your trip includes Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, or Luang Prabang, buy a regional Asia plan instead. Airalo's Asia plan covers Vietnam + Thailand + Cambodia + Laos. Drimsim also covers all Southeast Asian countries on one profile.