Updated October 2026. The cheapest paid eSIM for France is Saily's 1 GB at €3.67, and the cheapest 10 GB plan is Ubigi at €9.20 for 30 days. Holafly unlimited runs from €25.50 for 7 days to €128.90 for 90 days. For a real +33 number without a French bank, Orange Holiday costs €24.99. A RED by SFR forfait at €8.99 a month beats monthly travel buckets after about 29 days, but Ubigi's €8.28 monthly plan stays cheaper still.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest paid entry: Saily 1 GB for €3.67 (7 days); cheapest 10 GB: Ubigi €9.20 (30 days).
- Cheapest per GB without a French bank: Ubigi 20 GB monthly at €8.28, or €0.41 per GB.
- Holafly unlimited: €25.50 (7 days), €46.90 (15 days), €68.90 (30 days) and €128.90 (90 days), hotspot capped at 1 GB a day.
- Over 12 months at 20 GB a month, RED by SFR costs €117.88 and monthly Nomad buckets €231.84; Ubigi monthly costs €99.36.
- Ranking uses after-promo prices: Orange Holiday 100 GB counts at €68.99, not its €47.99 promotion.
How much does an eSIM for France cost?
Answer: October 2026 prices run from €0 (Firsty Free, ads) and €3.67 (Saily 1 GB) to €128.90 (Holafly unlimited for 90 days). A 10 GB, 30-day plan costs €9.20 at Ubigi and €13.80 at Airalo. Native French forfaits start at €8.99 a month (RED by SFR) plus a €10 eSIM fee.
The table below lists 39 eSIM plans for France, each checked on 13 October 2026 on the provider page or a named price tracker. Eleven travel brands bill in US dollars, so their euro prices are indicative. Two figures stay unverified because sources disagree: Airalo's 1 GB (one tracker shows a cheaper 3-day pack at about €3.22) and Nomad's 5 GB (about €8.28 or €8.74). Prices are after-promo unless the row says otherwise, and French operators answer to ARCEP.
Firsty Firsty Free (ad-supported)
€0- Data
- Up to 300 MB a day
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- No expiry
Saily France 1 GB
€3.67*- Data
- 1 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 7 days
Orange Travel France data 1 GB
€3.99- Data
- 1 GB
- Type
- Operator prepaid, data-only
- Duration
- 7 days
Airalo France 1 GB
about €4.14* (unverified)- Data
- 1 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 7 days
Nomad France 5 GB
about €8.28* (unverified)- Data
- 5 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Ubigi France 20 GB monthly
€8.28/mo*- Data
- 20 GB a month
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- Recurring, 3-month minimum
Ubigi France 10 GB
€9.20*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
GigSky France 5 GB
€9.47*- Data
- 5 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Instabridge France 10 GB
€11.04*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
aloSIM France 5 GB + Hushed VoIP number
€11.04*- Data
- 5 GB
- Type
- Travel, non-French VoIP number
- Duration
- 30 days
Jetpac France 10 GB
€12.88*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Airalo France 10 GB
€13.80*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Yesim France 10 GB
€16.00- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Nomad France 20 GB
€19.32*- Data
- 20 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Jetpac France 40 GB (promo inversion)
€27.59*- Data
- 40 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Saily France 20 GB
€29.43*- Data
- 20 GB
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Roamless France pay as you go
€2.25/GB*- Data
- Per GB used
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- Balance never expires
BNESIM France pay as you go
€2.52/GB*- Data
- Per GB used
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- No expiry
Jetpac Europe unlimited (3 GB a day)
€22.99*- Data
- Unlimited, 3 GB a day full speed
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 7 days
Yesim France unlimited
€24.50- Data
- Unlimited, threshold unpublished
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 7 days
Holafly France unlimited
€25.50- Data
- Unlimited, hotspot 1 GB a day
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 7 days
Maya France unlimited
€25.75*- Data
- Unlimited (no-throttling claim weakly verified)
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 14 days
Saily France unlimited (5 GB a day)
€45.07*- Data
- Unlimited, 5 GB a day full speed
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 15 days
Holafly France unlimited
€46.90- Data
- Unlimited, hotspot 1 GB a day
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 15 days
Holafly France unlimited
€68.90- Data
- Unlimited, hotspot 1 GB a day
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Holafly France unlimited
€128.90- Data
- Unlimited, hotspot 1 GB a day
- Type
- Travel, data-only
- Duration
- 90 days
Ubigi Europe 10 GB
€13.80*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Regional, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Yesim Europe & UK 10 GB (incl. Switzerland)
€16.00- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Regional, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Saily Europe 5 GB
€17.93*- Data
- 5 GB
- Type
- Regional, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Airalo Eurolink 5 GB (39 countries)
€18.40*- Data
- 5 GB
- Type
- Regional, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
GigSky Europe 10 GB
€21.15*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Regional, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Nomad Europe 10 GB
€21.16*- Data
- 10 GB
- Type
- Regional, data-only
- Duration
- 30 days
Orange Holiday Europe 20 GB, calls + SMS
€24.99- Data
- 20 GB
- Type
- Prepaid, +33 number
- Duration
- 14 days
Bouygues My European SIM 20 GB, calls + SMS, €25 call credit
€39.90- Data
- 20 GB
- Type
- Prepaid, +33 number
- Duration
- 30 days
Orange Holiday Europe 100 GB, calls + SMS
€68.99 (promo €47.99)- Data
- 100 GB
- Type
- Prepaid, +33 number
- Duration
- 30 days
RED by SFR 120 GB forfait
€8.99/mo + €10 eSIM- Data
- 120 GB
- Type
- Native, voice + SMS + data
- Duration
- Monthly, no commitment
Sosh 20 GB forfait (Orange network)
€9.99/mo + €10 eSIM- Data
- 20 GB
- Type
- Native, voice + SMS + data
- Duration
- Monthly, no commitment
Prixtel Le petit (tiered)
€9.99/mo + €10 eSIM- Data
- 20 to 60 GB
- Type
- Native, voice + SMS + data
- Duration
- Monthly, port-in required
Free Mobile Forfait Free 5G+
€19.99/mo + €10 eSIM- Data
- 350 GB
- Type
- Native, voice + SMS + data
- Duration
- Monthly, no commitment
Provider pages, eSIMDB, Selectra and ariase, checked 13 October 2026. * Billed in US dollars: euro figure indicative at 1 US dollar = €0.92 (October 2026), confirm at checkout. Holafly's euro grid per Selectra, September 2026.
What are the price bands for France eSIMs?
The 39 plans above sort into three bands by after-promo price. Each band lists the plans that sit in it and the trip it suits, using October 2026 euro prices. The native forfaits from RED by SFR and Free add a one-off €10 eSIM fee, regulated like every French line by ARCEP.
Budget
€0 to €9.99- Plans
- Firsty Free €0 (backup only), Saily 1 GB €3.67, Ubigi 20 GB monthly €8.28, RED by SFR 120 GB €8.99 a month, Ubigi 10 GB €9.20
- Price note
- Enough for a weekend or a 10-day trip. RED is the cheapest line with a +33 number but needs a French IBAN.
Mid-range
€10 to €29.99- Plans
- Airalo 10 GB €13.80, Ubigi Europe 10 GB €13.80, Nomad 20 GB €19.32, Free 5G+ €19.99 a month, Orange Holiday 20 GB €24.99, Holafly 7 days €25.50
- Price note
- The band for a two-week trip, for crossing into Switzerland, or for a +33 number without a French bank (Orange Holiday).
Premium
€30 and above- Plans
- Bouygues My European SIM €39.90, Saily unlimited 15 days €45.07, Holafly 30 days €68.90, Orange Holiday 100 GB €68.99 after promo, Holafly 90 days €128.90
- Price note
- Unlimited for a month or longer. A €68.90 Holafly month buys over 70 GB of fixed data elsewhere, so check you need it.
Provider pages and price trackers, October 2026. Prices billed in US dollars converted at 1 US dollar = €0.92.
Which is the cheapest eSIM for France?
Answer: The cheapest paid entry is Saily's 1 GB at €3.67 for 7 days. For a 10-day trip, Ubigi's 10 GB at €9.20 is the cheapest 10 GB plan. Per gigabyte, Ubigi's 20 GB monthly plan at €8.28 wins among plans that need no French bank account.
"Cheapest" depends on what you need, so the table ranks the winner per need. Free 5G+ is the cheapest data in France at €0.06 per GB, but it needs a French IBAN. The cheapest unlimited week is Jetpac Europe at €22.99, with a disclosed 3 GB daily cap. Over 15 days, Saily at €3.00 a day undercuts Holafly by €1.83 and keeps the hotspot open.
| What you need | Cheapest plan | Price | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest price at all | Firsty Free (ads, backup only) | €0 | 170 to 200 Kbps measured |
| Lowest paid entry | Saily France 1 GB | €3.67 | €3.67 per GB |
| 10 GB for a trip | Ubigi France 10 GB | €9.20 | €0.92 per GB |
| Big one-off bucket | Jetpac France 40 GB (promo) | €27.59 | €0.69 per GB |
| Monthly, no French bank | Ubigi France 20 GB monthly | €8.28 a month | €0.41 per GB |
| Unlimited, 15 days | Saily unlimited 15 days | €45.07 | €3.00 a day |
| Real +33 number | Orange Holiday 20 GB | €24.99 | €1.25 per GB |
| Resident, any volume | Free 5G+ 350 GB | €19.99 a month | €0.06 per GB |
When does a French SIM become cheaper than a travel eSIM?
A RED by SFR forfait at €8.99 a month plus a €10 eSIM fee beats buying a new Nomad 20 GB bucket each month after about 29 days. Over a year the gap reaches €113.96. No contract wins a 10-day trip: the first RED month costs €18.99, double Ubigi's 10 GB plan.
Ubigi's monthly plan breaks the usual advice. At €8.28 for 20 GB, it stays below RED at every duration and needs no IBAN, which is why it is the bridge for a semester or a three-month stay. A forfait only pays off once you need calls and SMS codes, more than 20 GB, or both. The break-even by usage profile is on the best eSIM page.
| 10-day trip | Total | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Ubigi France 10 GB | €9.20 | Data only, no number |
| Instabridge France 10 GB | €11.04 | Data only, three networks |
| RED by SFR, first month | €18.99 | 120 GB, calls, +33 number |
| Orange Holiday 20 GB | €24.99 | Data, calls, +33 number, no IBAN |
| Option | 1 month | 3 months | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi 20 GB monthly (no IBAN) | €8.28 | €24.84 | €49.68 | €99.36 |
| RED by SFR 120 GB | €18.99 | €36.97 | €63.94 | €117.88 |
| Nomad 20 GB, bought monthly | €19.32 | €57.96 | €115.92 | €231.84 |
| Free 5G+ 350 GB | €29.99 | €69.97 | €129.94 | €249.88 |
| Holafly unlimited | €68.90 | €128.90 | €257.80 | €515.60 |
Which eSIM prices are promotions that can revert?
Orange Holiday's big plans are the largest promotions in the October 2026 catalogue: 100 GB sells at €47.99 against a list price of €68.99. This page ranks every plan on the after-promo price, because a promotion can end the day after you read it. Selectra confirmed the Orange grid on 1 October 2026.
Two other price quirks matter. Jetpac sells 30 GB and 40 GB France plans below its 20 GB plan, a promo inversion that can revert. RED by SFR rotates its forfaits weekly, with 60 to 200 GB typically priced €7.99 to €12.99. Smaller discounts exist too: Nomad takes 10% off plans of 10 GB or more on Tuesdays on desktop, and Airalo returns about 5% as Airmoney credit. Promotions on French lines fall under ARCEP oversight.
| Plan | Promo price | Price used for ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Holiday 100 GB, 30 days | €47.99 | €68.99 |
| Orange Holiday 200 GB | €57.99 | €89.99 |
| Orange Holiday 500 GB, 90 days | €99.99 | €169.99 |
| Orange Travel France data 100 GB | €34.99 | €49.99 |
| Jetpac France 40 GB | €27.59, below the 20 GB tier at €32.20 | €27.59, may revert |
What people in France report
- ○ Jetpac price inversion: Jetpac's France grid lists 30 GB at about €22.99 and 40 GB at about €27.59, both below the 20 GB tier at about €32.20. Savvy buyers skip the 20 GB plan; the inversion is a promo and can revert. (eSIMDB listing, September 2026)
- − BNESIM after months idle: A BNESIM customer's no-expiry eSIM would not reconnect after sitting unused for four or five months. The bot-led troubleshooting did not fix it, and live chat took 48 hours to answer. (Trustpilot, March 2026)
- + BNESIM pricing: A verified BNESIM buyer called the prices very good, and price is the theme reviewers praise most consistently. Support speed is where the same review page turns negative. (Trustpilot, July 2026)
- ○ Firsty free tier speed: A tester measured the free Firsty tier at about 170 Kbps down and 190 Kbps up. Each ad unlocked 14 to 60 minutes of data depending on the country, and Uber worked without watching ads. (Money Saving Answers review, February 2025)
Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.
Travel eSIM vs native eSIM: what changes?
Travel eSIMs like Saily (from €3.67), Ubigi (€9.20 for 10 GB) and Holafly (from €25.50) are data-only, bought online with any card, and activate in minutes. There is no French number. Native eSIMs such as RED by SFR (€8.99 a month), Sosh (€9.99, Orange network) and Free 5G+ (€19.99) give a full line with calls, SMS and a +33 number, but need a French IBAN and address.
The native eSIM itself costs extra: €10 at Orange, Sosh, SFR, RED and Free, €10 then €5 after a year at Prixtel, and €20 for a Bouygues replacement. Lebara issues a prepaid eSIM free to new customers. Between the two worlds sit Orange Holiday (€24.99) and Bouygues My European SIM (€39.90): prepaid, no IBAN, real +33 number.
Native operator eSIMs need a French bank
Which eSIM should you pick for your trip?
The right eSIM follows from trip length, data use and whether you need a French number. The table maps eleven common situations to the winning plan at October 2026 prices, with the reason it wins. For anything over a few weeks with a French bank account, a forfait regulated by ARCEP also gives you a portable number.
| Situation | Pick | Price | Why it wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend in Paris, maps and WhatsApp | Saily France 1 GB | €3.67* | Cheapest reputable plan; Firsty Free as a €0 backup |
| 10-day holiday, about 10 GB | Ubigi France 10 GB | €9.20* | Cheapest 10 GB; tops up with zero data left |
| Two weeks of heavy streaming | Saily unlimited 15 days | €45.07* | Published 5 GB daily cap, open hotspot, €1.83 below Holafly |
| One month of laptop work | Saily unlimited 30 days | €66.23* | Unrestricted hotspot; Ubigi monthly if under 20 GB |
| Newcomer, week one, bank codes needed | Orange Holiday 20 GB | €24.99 | Real +33 number without a French bank |
| Student, one semester | Ubigi monthly, then RED by SFR | €8.28, then €8.99 a month | No IBAN needed for months 1 to 3 |
| Settled resident | Free 5G+ 350 GB | €19.99 a month | €0.06 per GB, calls, no commitment |
| Family of four, one month | Orange Holiday 100 GB | €68.99 list (€47.99 promo) | One hotspot plan with a +33 number and EU calls |
| Based near Geneva or Annecy | Yesim Europe & UK 10 GB | €16.00 | Includes Switzerland, outside EU roaming rules |
| Ski week in the Alps | Airalo France 10 GB | €13.80* | Orange network, best mountain coverage |
| Three or four short trips a year | Roamless pay as you go | €2.25 per GB* | Balance never expires; install once |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an eSIM for France cost?
October 2026 prices run from €0 (Firsty Free, ad-supported) and €3.67 (Saily 1 GB for 7 days) to €128.90 (Holafly unlimited for 90 days). A 10 GB, 30-day plan costs €9.20 at Ubigi and €13.80 at Airalo. Orange Holiday adds a real +33 number for €24.99 (20 GB, 14 days). Native French forfaits start at €8.99 a month (RED by SFR) plus a €10 eSIM fee.
Which is the cheapest eSIM for France?
The cheapest paid entry is Saily's 1 GB for 7 days at €3.67. For a 10-day trip, Ubigi's 10 GB at €9.20 is the cheapest 10 GB plan. Per gigabyte, Ubigi's recurring 20 GB at €8.28 a month (€0.41 per GB) wins among plans that need no French bank account. The cheapest unlimited week is Jetpac Europe at €22.99 with a 3 GB daily cap, or Holafly at €25.50.
Why are some eSIM prices marked as indicative?
Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi, Jetpac, GigSky, aloSIM, Instabridge, Maya, BNESIM and Roamless bill in US dollars. Their euro prices here are converted at 1 US dollar = €0.92, the mid-October 2026 rate, so your card statement can differ by a few cents. Holafly, Yesim, Orange and Bouygues show euro prices directly.
When does a French SIM become cheaper than a travel eSIM?
At about 20 GB a month, a RED by SFR forfait (€8.99 a month plus a €10 eSIM fee) beats buying a new 20 GB travel bucket each month after about 29 days. Over 12 months the forfait costs €117.88 against €231.84 for monthly Nomad buckets. Ubigi's €8.28 monthly plan stays cheaper than RED at every duration, at €99.36 a year.
Do eSIMs work on all phones in France?
Most recent iPhones and flagship Android phones support eSIM, but some budget and older models do not. Check that your handset is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked before buying. Travel eSIMs activate by scanning a QR code or installing an app profile; native forfaits from French operators can also be provisioned as an eSIM for a €10 fee at Orange, SFR and Free.
Related Guides
Continue your move to France
Related guides from other parts of How to France that newcomers usually need next.