Does Holafly Have a VPN? (The China eSIM Exception and What's Next)
Holafly is an eSIM provider, not a VPN company — with one important exception. Here's exactly when you need a VPN alongside your Holafly eSIM, and when you don't.
Someone in our DMs asked this recently: "Does Holafly come with a VPN?" It's a reasonable question. You're using a foreign network in a foreign country, half your apps are blocked, and you vaguely remember reading something about needing a VPN before you left. The short answer is: it depends where you're going. The longer answer is what this post is about.
We've been traveling full-time with Holafly eSIMs since 2022 across 33+ countries. We're also an exclusive Holafly affiliate partner through August 2026, so we know their product line better than most. Here's the honest breakdown of Holafly and VPN — what they include, what they don't, and what we think they're going to do next.
The short version: Holafly is not a VPN provider
Holafly is an eSIM provider. Their product is mobile data — cellular internet delivered through local networks in 200+ destinations. A VPN is a separate piece of software that routes your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel, typically to a server in another country. These are different tools that solve different problems, and for most destinations Holafly covers, you don't need a VPN at all.
When you're in Japan, France, Vietnam, Mexico, or most of the 160+ destinations covered by a Holafly Plan, your internet just works. Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube — all accessible without any additional software. The eSIM gives you the connection; there's nothing blocking your apps on the other end.
Save 5% on any Holafly destination eSIM • 10% on Plans • ~30% off annual Plans stacked. Use at holafly.com
The one exception: the Holafly China eSIM includes a built-in VPN
China is the outlier, and it's a significant one. The Chinese internet is its own ecosystem — Google, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and most Western services are blocked. To access them, you need your traffic routed outside China's network. The Holafly China eSIM includes a built-in VPN specifically for this purpose, which is genuinely unusual in the eSIM industry and one of the things that makes it stand out for travelers heading to mainland China.
This means when you activate your Holafly China eSIM, you can open Google Maps, use WhatsApp to message family, and check Instagram — the things most Western travelers rely on — without installing or configuring any extra software. The VPN is baked into the connectivity layer. For a family of five navigating a country where we don't speak the language and the internet works completely differently, that matters a lot.
What services are blocked in China without a VPN
If you're heading to mainland China without the Holafly China eSIM or a separate VPN solution, here's what you'll lose access to:
| Blocked in China | Works without VPN |
|---|---|
| Google (Search, Maps, Gmail, Translate) | WeChat (messaging and payments) |
| Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp | Alipay (payments) |
| YouTube | Baidu Maps |
| Twitter/X | DiDi (ride-hailing) |
| Netflix, Spotify | Local Chinese news and apps |
| Most Western news sites | Translation apps (offline mode) |
The Holafly China eSIM's built-in VPN solves the first column. That's the whole value proposition for China travel.
Holafly doesn't sell a standalone VPN — yet
Here's where it gets interesting. Holafly is currently an eSIM-only product. They don't sell a standalone VPN app, a VPN subscription, or anything that competes with ExpressVPN or NordVPN for general use. If you want a traditional VPN for privacy on public Wi-Fi, or for accessing home-country streaming content from abroad, you need a separate product.
That said, the China eSIM's built-in VPN functionality suggests Holafly has the infrastructure and the carrier partnerships to do more with VPN. They've also significantly expanded their product line in recent years — from destination eSIMs to global Plans, Always On backup connectivity, and regional coverage packages. Adding a VPN tier wouldn't be a stretch. We'd actually bet on it.
If you're a Holafly user who wants general VPN protection — for public Wi-Fi security in Vietnam or Thailand cafes, or accessing UK BBC iPlayer while traveling — you currently need a separate subscription. Two we use and have affiliate relationships with: ExpressVPN is our go-to for reliability, especially in restrictive internet environments, and NordVPN is strong value on annual plans. Both work seamlessly alongside any Holafly eSIM.
Do you need a VPN with Holafly in other countries?
For most travelers, no. The countries where a VPN is practically necessary for Western apps are a short list — China is the main one. Russia, Iran, and the UAE have some restrictions, but the vast majority of destinations Holafly covers have completely open internet. Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, the US, Southeast Asia — all fine without a VPN.
Where a VPN does make sense alongside Holafly, regardless of destination:
- Public Wi-Fi security: When you're on hotel or cafe Wi-Fi (not your Holafly data), a VPN encrypts your connection. Good practice anywhere.
- Accessing home-country content: Streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or Hulu serve different libraries depending on where you connect from. A VPN lets you appear to be back home.
- Banking apps: Some banks flag logins from foreign IP addresses. A VPN routed through your home country avoids that headache.
- General privacy: If you don't want every app and website knowing your location, a VPN is useful everywhere.
None of these are problems Holafly creates — they're general internet realities. Your Holafly eSIM gives you fast, reliable data; what you do with that connection is up to you.
Holafly China eSIM pricing
If China is on your itinerary, the Holafly China eSIM is the cleanest connectivity solution we've found. Unlimited data, built-in VPN, no physical SIM to manage, no Chinese carrier registration required. Use code ADAMANDLINDS at checkout for 5% off.
| Duration | Price | Per day | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | $3.90 | $3.90 | Day trips |
| 7 days | $27.30 | $3.90 | Short trips |
| 10 days | $36.90 | $3.69 | 240-hr transit visa |
| 14 days | $47.90 | $3.42 | Standard tourist stays |
| 30 days | $74.90 | $2.50 | Extended stays |
For stays longer than 30 days, the Holafly Plans subscription ($49.90/month for 25GB Light, $64.90/month Unlimited) covers 160+ destinations including China on a single rolling eSIM with no commitment.
Get the Holafly China eSIM — built-in VPN included
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Will Holafly launch a standalone VPN product?
This is speculation, but informed speculation. The built-in China VPN isn't a basic proxy — it's real VPN infrastructure baked into their network layer. Holafly has the carrier partnerships and technical foundation to extend this further. They've also been aggressive about product expansion: Plans launched in 2024, Always On followed as a backup data feature, and regional packages have gotten more granular. The pattern is a company stacking layers onto connectivity, not just selling eSIMs.
A Holafly VPN product — either bundled into Plans or as a standalone add-on — would make sense for their audience. Nomads and frequent travelers already use Holafly for data. A VPN add-on would mean one fewer subscription to manage. We don't have insider knowledge that this is coming, but the infrastructure is there and the market logic is sound. If it happens, we'll update this post.
FAQ
Does Holafly include a VPN?
Not by default. Most Holafly eSIMs are pure data connections with no VPN layer. The exception is the Holafly China eSIM, which includes a built-in VPN specifically to bypass China's internet restrictions. For all other destinations, if you want a VPN you'll need a separate product like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
Does the Holafly China eSIM VPN work for Google and WhatsApp?
Yes. The built-in VPN in the Holafly China eSIM is designed to give you access to Google services, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and other Western apps that are normally blocked in mainland China. You don't need to install anything extra — it's built into the connection.
Can I use ExpressVPN or NordVPN with Holafly?
Yes, absolutely. A Holafly eSIM and a traditional VPN subscription work completely independently. The Holafly eSIM provides the internet connection; your VPN app runs on top of it. This is a common setup for digital nomads who want both reliable international data and general privacy protection.
Do I need a VPN in Vietnam, Thailand, or Japan with Holafly?
No, for normal internet use you don't. These countries have open internet and all major apps work without a VPN. If you want a VPN for public Wi-Fi security or to access home-country streaming content, that's a separate choice — but it's not required for basic connectivity with Holafly.
Will Holafly launch a VPN product?
Holafly hasn't announced one as of May 2026. However, the existing VPN infrastructure in their China eSIM and their pattern of expanding connectivity products suggests it's a plausible next step. We'll update this post if that changes.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — and sometimes a discount for you too. We have an exclusive affiliate partnership with Holafly and also earn commissions from ExpressVPN and NordVPN. None of this changes our honest assessment of these products — we use all of them. Read our full affiliate disclosure.
