Shopping for the perfect Hawaii eSIM? Perhaps you’re planning a trip to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, Molokai, or Lanai?
eSIMs for Hawaii are an excellent choice for anyone ready to explore the islands with instant data on your phone.
At A Glance: Our Top eSIMs For Hawaii
I use them all the time when I’m island hopping to make sure I don’t have to use roaming on my home plan and save some Aloha Dollars in the process. Imagine browsing the web while enjoying a luau, or finding the best snorkeling spots in real-time!
Below, we’ll explore the best eSIMs online from the finest providers in the Aloha State to the most budget-friendly for that unforgettable Hawaiian experience.
Cheapest Hawaii eSIMs
| SEE ON MAYA → | |
Good for small packages
| SEE ON AIRALO → | |
Best eSim unlimited data
| SEE ON HOLAFLY → | |
Very Affordable Plans
| SEE ON NOMAD → | |
| SEE ON T MOBILE → |
When considering eSIMs for Hawaii, you must check out the Maya Mobile offers. They are more of a new kid on the eSIM block, but they have a great range of offers, including a mix of GB and unlimited plans.
They only offer unlimited data for up to 180 days, but you can share and hotspot as much as you like. They also partner with some of the best networks in the USA – AT&T and T-Mobile, so you know you will have a great connection too.
Here are their eSim packages for Hawaii:
Just be aware that Maya works with unlimited in the following way:
So, its unlimited, but not great for gamers, or anyone who watches a lot of video
Airalo has you covered for eSIMS in Hawaii. They are one of the world’s best eSIM providers and have a range of plans from 1-20 GB to keep you connected on the islands..
Below are the Airalo eSIM plans you have to choose from:
Unfortunately, they do not offer unlimited data plans (scroll down for others that ) or longer-term options. But if you have wifi in the hotel air Airbnb, then 20 GB should be plenty.
Holafly is the Hawaii eSIM provider you go to if you want unlimited data during your island adventure. They have a huge range of plans from 5 days to 3 months, and you can use as much data as you like during this time.
Here are their prices for Hawaii:
There is one downside of course, Holafly don’t allow much data for hotspots (up to 500 MB per day), so you can only use the eSIM with others for a limited amount of time per day. So, if you are going to be working or sharing your data, then scroll down and check out Maya’s unlimited data plans.
Nomad is another great eSIM provider worth checking out for Hawaii.
Nomad offers excellent coverage and fast connection speeds, along with a hassle-free setup and activation process. They simplify things further by offering 30-day prepaid eSim plans in the majority of instances, with the shortest option lasting 3 days and the longest extending up to 60 days.
Here are their data plans:
Nomad also uses AT&T and T-Mobile which is great news, and they have been at this for a while, so you know they won’t disappear on you when you need help.
Unfortunately, there is no unlimited data option available, but you can get 20GB for $40.
T-Mobile, a local carrier in the USA, provides eSims, giving them an advantage in coverage and speeds compared to other providers, as they utilize their own network and have prioritization.
They offer just three eSim plans, with the unlimited ones being reasonably priced and the smaller ones a bit more expensive. However, all the plans are straightforward to purchase and activate.
You can opt for the minimum plan of 10 GB for 30 days at $40, which includes voice and SMS, or choose the unlimited data option for 30 days at $60, also with voice and SMS.
These plans are excellent options if you’re staying in the US for some time or need unlimited data.
There are a huge list of positives about getting an eSIM while you are in Hawaii:
An eSim is an embedded sim card inside of your phone, meaning it has to be built-in. This means that not all phones and tablets come with an eSim, as eSim technology-enabled devices are rather new.
Below you will find a list of all devices that work with an eSim.
There are dozens of phones and tablets that allow eSIMs today. It is rare to find a phone from the last 5 year that won’t support eSIM.
iPhone: 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 13 Mini, 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, XS, XS Max, XR, SE (2020), SE (2022).
iPad Air: (3rd generation), (4th generation)
iPad Pro 11‑inch: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd generation)
iPad Pro 12.9‑inch: 3rd, 4th, & 5th generation)
iPad: 7th, 8th, & 9th generation
iPad Mini: 5th & 6th generation
Samsung Galaxy: S22 Ultra 5G, S22+ 5G, S22 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S20, S20+, Z Flip, Z Flip3 5G, Z Fold3, Z Fold2, Fold, Note 20 Ultra, Note 20+, Note 20
Google Pixel: 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, 4a, 4 XL, 5, 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro
HAMMER: Explorer PRO, Blade 3, Blade 5G, myPhone NOW eSIM
Motorola: Razr 2019, Razr 5G
Huawei: P40, P40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro
OPPO: Find X3 Pro, Find X5 Pro, Find X5
Sony Xperia: 10 III Lite, 10 IV, 1 IV
ACER: Swift 3, Swift 7
ASUS: Mini Transformer T103HAF, NovaGo TP370QL, Vivobook Flip 14 TP401NA
Dell Latitude: 9510, 7410, 7310, 9410, 7210 2-in-1
HP: Elitebook G5, Probook G5, Zbook G5, Spectre Folio 13
Lenovo: Yoga C630, Miix 630, Yoga 520, Yoga 720 convertible laptops
Surface: Go 3, Pro X, Duo 2, Duo
Others: Nuu Mobile X5, Gemini PDA 4G+Wi-Fi, Xiaomi 12T Pro, Windows 10*/ Windows 11
The amount of data needed during travel in Hawaii varies depending on individual data usage habits. If you constantly use Instagram for business purposes or enjoy streaming movies on Netflix while on the move, you will consume a substantial amount of data.
Typically, people use approximately 5 GB of data per week. Heavy users may reach up to 15 GB per week, while light users usually use around 2 GB per week.
It’s advisable to purchase a data plan that aligns with your usage to avoid the additional costs of buying another plan if you run out of data. Finding the right plan from the beginning is much more cost-effective.
Before you do anything, make sure your phone or tablet works with eSims and it is unlocked from your provider. Locked devices will not work with eSims.
They are easy to unlock, just call your provider and it will be unlocked in seconds.
If you are using an iPhone, use iMessage and Facetime to avoid calling or texting
Most people in the USA communicate over iMessage and Facetime, whereas the rest of the world uses Whatsapp. This means you only need data to communicate with everyone.
To manage data consumption effectively, consider downloading the specific areas you plan to navigate on Google Maps while connected to WiFi. This way, you can use the downloaded maps offline in airplane mode during your travels in the country, without utilizing any data. This method ensures you can still navigate and access maps without incurring additional data charges.
Here is how to download Google Maps for offline use.
To minimize data usage, avoid using data-intensive apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Netflix when you’re not connected to WiFi. These apps, especially when downloading photos and videos, consume a significant amount of data and will blow your data budget in no time.
Thankfully, in the USA, many places such as your hotel, cafes and restaurants provide free WiFi, making it relatively easy to stay connected without relying on your mobile data. By waiting to use these data-hungry apps until you’re on WiFi, you can save your data and avoid excessive charges.
Activating airplane mode on your phone disables all wireless connections, including mobile data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. By using airplane mode, you can ensure that no apps consume data in the background without your knowledge.
This way, you can still utilize GPS for navigation and take photos without worrying about any data usage or unexpected charges. It’s a useful trick for conserving data while traveling or when you want to stay disconnected from the internet temporarily.
If you go into settings, you can control which apps are allowed to use mobile data roaming and WiFi. Go and turn off mobile data for all the apps you don’t want chewing up your data plans. You can still use them on WiFi, and turn mobile data back on for them if you want to.