The best eSIM for the USA, and how to choose yours

Picture a normal day on your trip. As a rough weekly guide:

• Light use (1–2 GB a week): maps, WhatsApp, email, bookings and the odd search. Enough for a city break if you lean on hotel Wi-Fi.
• Moderate use (3–5 GB a week): all of that plus social media, ride-hailing apps, the occasional video call and some music streaming.
• Heavy use (10 GB a week or more): video, daily video calls, uploading content or sharing your connection with a laptop or everyone in the car on a road trip.

On a road trip, navigation itself uses little data if you download offline maps, but music, last-minute motel searches and a hotspot for passengers add up quickly. In that case it pays to size up.

Total-data plans give you a bundle of gigabytes for a set period: for the US, 0.5–100 GB with validity of 1–90 days. You use it at your own pace, which is handy if you alternate city days with days in the wilderness and no signal.

Daily plans give you a high-speed allowance each day; once it is used up you stay connected at a reduced speed (fine for messages and maps, not for video) until the next day. They suit steady usage and travellers who would rather not watch a counter.

Startia's USA plans connect to the Verizon and AT&T networks, with 5G where your phone and the area support it. Coverage is good in cities and along the main interstates, but the country is vast: in deserts, on mountain back roads and inside many national parks there are long stretches with no signal on any network. Download offline maps before heading for Death Valley, Yellowstone or the Utah parks, and do not rely on data to find your way on a remote track.

Startia's Premium plans for the USA go online with a US IP address. According to our supplier's data, the basic single-country plans also route through the US; even so, if a US IP is essential for you, Premium is the option designed specifically for it.

When does it matter? For banking or payment apps that check where you connect from, streaming services with country-specific catalogues and some ticketing sites. For maps and messaging, it makes no difference.

One thing to watch with the regional plans: USA and Canada and North America go online through a hub in Europe, so services that look at your IP will see you connecting from Europe.

If your route crosses a border, a regional plan saves you buying two eSIMs:

• USA and Canada (USCA-2): Verizon and T-Mobile in the US, Rogers in Canada. A good fit for New York with a side trip to Toronto, or a Pacific coast drive up to Vancouver.
• North America (NA-3): the US (Verizon and AT&T), Canada (Rogers) and Mexico (Movistar, on 4G). Useful if you combine, say, California with Baja California, or Texas with northern Mexico.

If you are only visiting the US, the single-country plan gives you more sizes to choose from and the US IP option.

• It is data only. You will not get a US number or be able to make ordinary calls. WhatsApp and FaceTime work over data, but to ring a restaurant or motel landline you will need an internet calling app that dials landlines, or your home SIM at your provider's rates.
• Keep your physical SIM. That way your bank's text messages still reach you. Turn data roaming off on it to avoid charges, and turn it on for the eSIM line, which needs it because it connects to partner networks.
• Install before you fly. Validity starts on the first connection to a network at your destination, not when you install it.
• Rename the line. The profile appears as "Carrier"; change it to "Startia".

• Price per GB. For total-data plans, divide price by gigabytes. Startia starts from €1.26/GB.
• Validity. How many days, and when the count starts.
• Hotspot. If you will share your connection in the car, check that the plan allows it.
• Top-ups. Many Startia plans can be topped up from your customer account.
• Networks, IP and regional cover. Which operators are used, which country your traffic exits from and whether Canada or Mexico are included.
• Support. Startia answers in English and Spanish at esim-contact@startia.es or via a ticket from your order.
• Refunds. If you have not installed the eSIM, you get your money back.

The USA page lists every plan, from €4.99 including VAT. For one or two weeks of moderate use, the 5 GB USA plan is a sensible starting point; for long road trips or hotspot use, look at the 10 GB and 20 GB plans on the same page. Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal, and the QR code arrives by email and on your order page. On iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later it installs with a single tap.

If you would like to compare us with other brands, our comparisons with Airalo and Holafly show their public prices with the date and source.

Will my phone work with an eSIM in the USA?

If it supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked, yes. Dial *#06# and check that an EID appears.

Will I get a US phone number?

No. The eSIM is data-only; you can use WhatsApp, FaceTime and other internet calling apps.

Is there coverage in national parks?

In many parks, deserts and mountain areas there is no signal on any network. Download offline maps before you go.

Which plan should I choose if I am also visiting Canada or Mexico?

For Canada, the USA and Canada plan; if Mexico is on the route, the North America plan.

Can I install the eSIM before I travel?

Yes. Validity starts on the first connection to a network at your destination.