since 2020
App-based
50 destinations
Nomad eSIM Review 2026: 442 Plans, Prices and Real Value
LotusFlare's travel eSIM with per-country local plans. Every claim below is computed from our live price database — 50 destinations, 442 plans, one formula.
Last updated Oct 7, 2026
Prices shown are Nomad's own list prices as checked on Oct 7, 2026 and can change at any time — confirm the current figure on Nomad's website before you buy.
Wondering which local towers it connects to? Every provider rides the same host networks per destination — see the eSIM network map.
The computed verdict
Nomad is the cheapest provider in 1 of 50 countries we track — 2% of its coverage.
Best $/GB in 7 countries; entry price from $4.00. No editorial star-rating — just the numbers, computed the same way for every brand.
Price competitiveness index (editorial)
Nomad promo code
20% off selected plans (autumn campaign) — code
BEYOND20
No expiry published. See all eSIM deals.
Beyond the price tag
Nomad hotspot 5G and fair-use rules
Quoted from Nomad's own published policy. Where a brand publishes nothing, we say so rather than guess.
Hotspot and tethering
AllowedShared with your plan data
Nomad advertises sharing your data across multiple devices rather than a separate tethering allowance, so hotspot traffic comes out of the same plan data.
Fair-use threshold
2 GB/day on unlimited plans
Drops to 1 Mbps
Every one of the 150 Nomad unlimited plans we track states the same threshold: 2 GB at full speed per day, then unlimited at 1 Mbps. Nomad publishes no brand-wide fair-use figure - its destination pages point you at the individual plan's details, and that is where this number comes from.
Top-ups
AvailableExtra data is sold as an add-on and activates automatically on the existing eSIM when the original plan expires, so there is no new QR code to install.
Every plan is data-only — you keep your own number for calls and texts.
Speed and 5G
5G available5G in 49 of 50 markets
5G comes from the local networks rather than the brand. We profile 147 carrier networks across the markets where Nomad sells, and 5G is live on them wherever the country has rolled it out.
LTE only in Fiji — no brand can sell you 5G there.
Per-country speeds and coverage are on the eSIM network map · fair-use audit
The mechanics
How Nomad works
- 1
Install the app and buy in-app
Pick your destination and plan inside the app — checkout, eSIM and top-ups all live in one place, no email vouchers.
- 2
One tap installs the eSIM
The app writes the eSIM profile directly — no QR-code juggling, and it can switch host networks automatically where Nomad holds multiple agreements.
- 3
Data starts when you land
The plan activates per its validity window; if you run low, buy a top-up in the app and keep the same eSIM.
Company snapshot
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Santa Clara, California, USA LotusFlare, Inc.
- Model
- App-based
- Destinations tracked
- 50
- Plans tracked
- 442
- Price range
- $4.00 – $10.00
- Relationship
- Sponsored partner
Support & refunds
Getting help from Nomad
Customer support
- Channels
- 24/7 live chat (website and in-app) and email
- [email protected]
As published on Nomad's official site — channels and response times can change; the app is usually the fastest route.
The refund policy in short
Nomad lets you ask for a refund or a change before the eSIM is installed or activated; after activation it refunds only when the fault is a technical problem originating from Nomad. Whether a given plan qualifies is stated in that plan's own description, so check it before buying. Complaints go through the Help Center in the app or website, or by email to [email protected].
Summarised from Nomad's published refund terms. Full conditions live on the provider's own policy page — read them before relying on a refund.
Price record
Where does Nomad win on price and where does it lose
We re-priced Nomad against every other provider in each of its 50 countries. It is the strictly cheapest option in 0 of them. In the typical country where it loses, its entry plan costs about 8× that country's cheapest entry. Every row below links to the full country table.
Where Nomad is the cheapest you can buy
Nomad is not the strictly cheapest provider in any of the 50 countries we track — it competes on plan design instead of entry price. Compare it brand-by-brand in the provider matchups before buying.
Where another brand beats Nomad on price
-
USA
$5.00 vs $0.51
10×
-
Thailand
$5.00 vs $0.51
10×
-
Saudi Arabia
$5.00 vs $0.51
10×
-
Malaysia
$5.00 vs $0.51
10×
-
Georgia
$5.00 vs $0.51
10×
Nomad's entry price vs the cheapest provider in that country. It pays to compare in all 49 of these markets — open the country table and check who wins before you buy.
Plan shape
Sells both metered buckets (292 plans) and unlimited plans (150) across 50 destinations.
Typical entry price across its markets: $4.50.
Best value anywhere: $0.24/GB.
Strengths
- +Operated by LotusFlare and launched in 2020
- +More than one host network in every country as standard
- +Add-on data activates on the same eSIM with no new QR code
- +200+ destinations and 3M+ registered users
Watch out for
- –Unlimited plans drop to 1 Mbps after 2 GB in a day
- –No single published fair-use figure - the cap sits in each plan's own details
- –A few plans still require manual activation, per Nomad's own destination pages
Alternatives by market
Who beats Nomad on price and where to go instead
Another brand sells a comparable plan for less in 49 of the 50 markets where we track Nomad. We put like against like: an identical data allowance and validity where a rival sells one, otherwise the nearest rival plan that covers at least as much data and at least as many days. Every gap below is a real list-price difference from the same dated snapshot, and where nothing is genuinely comparable we list nothing.
| Country | Nomad cheapest | Cheaper rival | Rival price | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Thailand
|
$5.00 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −80% |
Austria
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Belgium
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Czechia
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Germany
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
UK
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Ireland
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Iceland
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Netherlands
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
Poland
|
$4.50 1GB / 7 d | Roamic | $1.00 1GB / 7 d | −78% |
How we matched: first the same data allowance and validity as Nomad's cheapest plan in that market; if no rival sells that exact combination, the cheapest rival plan that covers at least as much data and at least as many days; where that does not exist either, the market is left out rather than compared across mismatched plans. Both prices are dated list prices before promo codes and taxes.
The brand that beats Nomad most often is Roamic, ahead in 42 of those markets. Read its review or open a full matchup Roamic · provider matchups
Destinations & coverage
Where you can buy Nomad eSIMs
Grouped by region, with each country's cheapest Nomad plan. Countries marked cheapest are where Nomad is the lowest-price provider we track.
A note on coverage: we verify and rank Nomad in the 50 destinations listed below. Nomad itself sells eSIMs for roughly 200+ destinations — the list here is our tracked scope, not the limit of what Nomad offers.
Asia 13
Europe 18
-
Austria
from $4.50
-
Belgium
from $4.50
-
Switzerland
from $4.50
-
Czechia
from $4.50
-
Germany
from $4.50
-
Spain
from $4.00
-
France
from $4.00
-
UK
from $4.50
-
Georgia
from $5.00
-
Greece
from $4.00
-
Croatia
from $4.00
-
Ireland
from $4.50
-
Iceland
from $4.50
-
Italy
from $4.00
-
Netherlands
from $4.50
-
Poland
from $4.50
-
Portugal
from $4.50
-
Turkiye
from $4.00
Americas 8
Africa & Middle East 8
Network reality
Which local networks Nomad rides on
An eSIM does not build towers. In every market Nomad buys capacity from that country's national operators, so the networks below are the same ones every reseller in that country uses. We profile 147 of them.
5G is live in 49 of 50 markets
Markets where 5G is live and Nomad is also the cheapest provider we track:
Where 5G is not available at all
Host networks in these markets run LTE only, so no eSIM on any brand can be faster than that:
- Fiji — Vodafone Fiji · Digicel Fiji
Speeds and generations come from our per-country network profiles, built from operator material and third-party measurement. eSIM network map
Where Nomad plans cost the least and the most
Same provider, very different entry prices by country. If your destination sits in the right-hand column, compare against the full table before buying.
Lowest entry prices
Highest entry prices
Alternatives
Nomad vs the field
Head to head
The two brands closest to Nomad
These two are not picked by hand. We rank every rival by how close its record is to Nomad's number of cheapest-market wins and show the two nearest. The three lines below are the numbers that actually separate them.
Nomad vs Roami
- ·Roami is the cheapest provider in 1 of the 50 markets where it sells, against 1 for Nomad.
- ·Its entry price is $1.99 against $4.00 for Nomad.
- ·Its best value on our $/GB measure is $0.55/GB against $0.24/GB.
Nomad vs Ubigi
- ·Ubigi is the cheapest provider in 1 of the 50 markets where it sells, against 1 for Nomad.
- ·Its entry price is $2.90 against $4.00 for Nomad.
- ·Its best value on our $/GB measure is $0.30/GB against $0.24/GB.
Trip calculator
What Nomad would cost for your trip
Pick a destination, a trip length and your expected daily use. We price Nomad's own catalogue against the cheapest plans in the same market. A plan qualifies when its validity covers the trip and its data covers your need, and unlimited plans always qualify.
The full cross-brand version, with a usage estimator that turns app hours into gigabytes, is on the trip cost calculator.
FAQ
What do travelers ask about the Nomad eSIM
Which countries does the Nomad eSIM work in?
Nomad sells eSIMs for 50 of the 50 destinations this site tracks, all priced from the same dated snapshot. Its own catalogue lists 200+ destinations in total — we track the 50 where demand is highest. For a specific trip, open that destination's page in the country comparison and every Nomad plan sorts against the field.
How competitive is Nomad on price?
No provider wins everywhere — it depends on the destination. Nomad is the cheapest provider in 1 of the 50 countries where we track its plans (2% of its coverage). For example, in Colombia its plans start at $4.00.
Is there an unlimited Nomad eSIM?
Yes — 150 of the 442 plans we track from Nomad are unlimited. Every one carries a fair-use policy that can throttle speed after a threshold, so read the verbatim notes in our fair-use audit before a streaming-heavy trip.
Do I need the Nomad app to use its eSIMs?
Yes — Nomad is app-first: you browse, buy and install plans inside the app (available on the App Store and Google Play), and the eSIM sits alongside your physical SIM rather than replacing it. Buy and install before you fly; on landing, enable data roaming for the eSIM line and it connects by itself.
Is there a Nomad discount code?
Yes — code BEYOND20 gives 20% off selected plans (autumn campaign) (20% off, Rendered in Nomad's own homepage banner during its 'Beyond the Usual' autumn campaign: BEYOND20 takes 20% off selected plans, FALL30 takes 30% off a basket containing two or more eSIMs. Neither carries a published end date. Because FALL30 needs a multi-eSIM basket, a one-plan buyer should use BEYOND20.). Copy it on our eSIM deals page, which also calculates whether the discounted price still loses to a cheaper rival in each country.
What is the entry price for Nomad?
The entry price in our database is $4.00 — the smallest bucket in the cheapest destination, not necessarily the right plan for your trip. Sort by $/GB on your destination's page before choosing; prices exclude promo codes and taxes.
Can Nomad be trusted for travel data?
Nomad launched in 2020 and sells app-first plans across 50 destinations. It is operated by LotusFlare, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. It is a sponsored partner of this site — rankings here are still computed by price alone (see our methodology).
Where do I get help with a Nomad eSIM?
Nomad offers 24/7 live chat (website and in-app) and email. Email: [email protected]. Before writing in, test once on Wi-Fi and check that data roaming is on for the eSIM line — most "no connection" reports turn out to be a roaming toggle, not a broken eSIM.
Does Nomad give money back if the eSIM fails?
Nomad lets you ask for a refund or a change before the eSIM is installed or activated; after activation it refunds only when the fault is a technical problem originating from Nomad. Whether a given plan qualifies is stated in that plan's own description, so check it before buying. Complaints go through the Help Center in the app or website, or by email to [email protected]. Practical tip: buy a day or two before departure and install at home — if anything fails you still have time to claim. (Summarised from Nomad's published policy; always check their own terms before buying.)
How does Nomad compare with Yesim?
Across the destinations we track, Nomad is the cheapest provider in 1 countries vs Yesim in 42. The full country-by-country table is our Nomad vs Yesim comparison.
Does Nomad support hotspot sharing?
Nomad sets its hotspot rules globally rather than country by country, so this single answer covers every market we track. Nomad advertises sharing your data across multiple devices rather than a separate tethering allowance, so hotspot traffic comes out of the same plan data. In short: Shared with your plan data. Tethering traffic is drawn from the same data allowance as your phone unless that note says otherwise, so a laptop session drains a metered plan noticeably faster — size the plan for the devices you are actually bringing.
Is 5G included with Nomad?
An eSIM cannot invent a network the destination does not have. 5G is live on the host networks in 49 of the 50 markets where Nomad sells, so whether you get 5G is decided by where you fly, not by which brand you bought. One market we track is LTE only — Fiji — and no brand can change that. Check your own destination on our eSIM network map before you count on 5G speeds.
Who is cheaper than Nomad?
It depends on the market. In 49 of the 50 countries where we track Nomad, another brand sells a comparable plan — same data allowance, same validity — for less. The most frequent winner against it is Roamic, ahead in 42 markets. Our Nomad vs Yesim comparison shows the same gap brand by brand, and the table above lists all 49 markets with both prices side by side.
Keep reading
What else to check before you buy Nomad
What Nomad customers say elsewhere
We do not republish a star rating for Nomad. The same brand scores differently depending on which Trustpilot domain you land on, the figures move weekly, and an average hides the only part that predicts your trip — the one-star reviews, which cluster on the eSIM failing to connect after landing. Read those, filter for your own destination and weight the last two months. Every number on this page is dated and reproducible; a borrowed score would not be.
Read Nomad reviews on TrustpilotGuides for your trip
Where these numbers come from
Every figure here is computed from our price database — 442 Nomad plans across 50 destinations, list prices in USD before promo codes and taxes, rebuilt Oct 7, 2026. Rankings are sort positions, not editorial scores.
Nomad vs Yesim? We computed the numbers.
Every price, badge and ranking on this page is a literal sort position from our price database — no editorial pay-to-rank. How we collect and check data is in our methodology; how we make money in our disclosure.