Airalo vs Nomad Comparison: Which eSIM is the Best Choice

Last updated on May 13th, 2023 at 11:06 pm

Airalo vs Nomad Comparison – which eSIM plan is the best choice for you? Let’s take a closer look.

So you’re ready to purchase your first eSIM plan, or you’re on the market for a new eSIM data plan. Let’s compare 2 of the most popular eSIM choices on the internet today: Airalo vs Nomad.

In this article, we talk all about eSIMs, Airalo eSIM, and Nomad eSIM’s pros and cons, and which eSIM between the two should you choose for your next data plan.

Read here Airalo vs Holafly, Airalo alternatives, Comparison Airalo vs Airhub and Ubigi vs Airalo

A Primer on eSIMs: What It is and Who Can Use It

What is an eSIM?

The easiest way to explain what’s an eSIM is that it’s having a virtual sim card that allows you to have a data plan to connect to the internet. You won’t have a physical sim card, like the ones we have for our phones daily. An eSIM allows you to get data plans that you can use anywhere, whether you’re at home, or especially when you’re traveling to a new location, or a new country, to connect to the internet, without having to turn on and use roaming data service from your home sim card company.

Not all phones support eSIM. Here’s a list of smartphones and ultrabooks that allows you to have an eSIM:

Phones with eSIM

• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone SE 2 (2020)
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE 3 (2022)

Samsung with eSIM

• Samsung Galaxy S20
• Samsung Galaxy S20+
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy S21
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S21+ Ultra 5G
• Samsung Galaxy S22
• Samsung Galaxy S22+
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G 
• Samsung Galaxy Fold
• Samsung Galaxy Fold 3
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G Fold
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
• Samsung Watch (via Samsung Wearable application)

Google Pixel Esim Phones

Have a Google Pixel phone, check this guide on how to activate eSIM. Below are the Google Pixel Phones that support eSIM:

Google Pixel 2 (only phones bought with Google Fi service), Google Pixel 2 XLGoogle Pixel 3, Google Pixel 3 XL, Google Pixel 3a, Google Pixel 3a XL, Google Pixel 4, Google Pixel 4a, Google Pixel 4 XL, Google Pixel 5, Google Pixel 5a, Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro.

Other Android Handsets that Support the eSIM functionality:

Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, Huawei Mate 40 Pro

Oppo Find X3 Pro, Oppo Reno 5A, Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G, Oppo Find X5, Oppo Find X5 Pro, Oppo A55s

Motorola Razr 2019, Motorola Razr 5G, Nuu Mobile X5, Gemini PDA, Rakuten Mini, Rakuten Big-S, Rakuten Big and Sony Xperia 10 III Lite.

There are also Ultrabooks that have eSIM functionality in them.

So check the following ultrabooks and laptops:

Microsoft Surface Pro X, Microsoft Surface Go 2, Microsoft Surface Pro LTE Advanced

Acer Swift 3, Acer Swift 7, Asus Mini Transformer

Asus NovaGo, Asus VivoBook Flip 14, HP Elitebook G5

HP Probook G5, HP Zbook G5, HP Specter Folio 13, Lenovo Yoga C630, Lenovo Miix 630

Lenovo Yoga 520, Lenovo Flex 5G and Samsung Galaxy Book 2

Airalo vs Nomad: Data Coverage

Nomad eSIM Data Coverage

Now that we know what eSIMs are, and which devices support the eSIM capability, let’s go to the biggest reason one company should be chosen over another. The eSIM data coverage.

The Nomad eSIM offers 4G LTE available in 100+ countries, just like all the other eSIMs in the market. Of course, the signal will always be based on their network partners, and your location, but definitely a good coverage around the world.

For United States, for example, the data coverage is provided by the Truphone network.

The best sellers in Nomad eSIM are United States eSIM, a few countries in Europe and countries in Asia like Singapore eSIM and Vietnam eSIM where you can get as cheap as $5 USD for 1 GB data valid for 7 days. Check out destinations in Europe like Portugal and the best sellers in Asia are countries like Malaysia and South Korea.

Airalo eSIM Worldwide Data Coverage

Airalo eSIM has coverage in over 190+ countries, and regions. Check the countries covered below:

Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria. Also, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Benin, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda. Bolivia, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. As well as Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, and Curaçao.

Airlalo also offers eSIM coverage in the countries of Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, The Faroe Islands, Finland, France, and French Guiana. As well as Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, and Guam. They are also covered in Guatemala, Guernsey, and Guyana. Of course, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, and Italy. As well as Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kiribati. Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, and more.

These are best sellers in Airalo: United States eSIM, Canada eSIM and UK eSIM. Check those articles for specific blog posts about eSIM! And if you are traveling other destinations like Israel eSim, Brazil eSim and Australia eSim.

Airalo vs Nomad Pros And Cons

Nomad eSIM Pros and Cons

Nomad eSIM Pros:

• Easy installation of eSIMs
• Nomad App available for iOS users
• Competitive Pricing on Nomad eSIM data plans
• Once you finish your original Nomad eSIM data plan, you can top it up with Nomad’s additional top-up plans

Nomad’s eSIM Cons:

• No unlimited data plans
• Once your original eSIM data plan usage is over, you’ll need to top-up. If not, you’ll have to buy another eSIM plan

Airalo ESIM Pros and Cons

Airalo vs Nomad Pros And Cons to purchase an eSIM from Airalo, you have to go to its official website or install its app. It also serves as a store. This application is compatible with iOS and Android. With their phone application, you can purchase different plans for your eSIM. 

Through the Airalo app, you will be able to choose your destination and the plan you want for your eSIM. Then you can install and activate the eSIM through the application with the steps indicated after the purchase. 

Airalo’s ESIM Pros:

• Customer service 24 hours a day
• Data coverage to up to 190 countries worldwide 
• Different data plans available with very competitive pricing

Airalo’s ESIM Cons:

• Their customer service is not available in several different languages. So, if you do not know English, you may have some problems communicating with them.
• According to several users, cellular coverage in some countries is not so good.
• Airalo provides no guarantee of stable availability of the network service.

Airalo vs Nomad Data Plan Pricing

Nomad eSIM Data Plan Pricing

Nomad’s eSIM prices will depend on the destination you’ll travel to and the data plan you choose. You can find data plans from 7 days to 30 days, with availability from 1 GB to 30 GB. However, plans specifics tend to vary by country. 

Likewise, the different eSIM plans can range from $7 to $30 when they are for a single country.

For example, for the Nomad eSIM data for the United States, you can get a data plan for the following prices: $7 for 1 GB, with a 7-day expiry, and $14 for 4 GB, $17 for 5 GB, $20 for 7 GB, $26 for 12 GB, and $30 for 10 GB (the United States Value Pack Data Plan), all with a 30-day expiry.

You can also top up your data plan with the same prices (except for the $30 plan).

Airalo eSIM Data Plan Pricing

The eSIM card rates offered by Airalo can vary depending on the country you want to connect to the internet. In addition to this, the amount of data and the number of days of validity also influence the eSIM prices.

The price of an eSIM for a single country usually costs around $10 for 1GB of internet for 7 days. However, eSIMs that have coverage in more than one country, such as North America or Europe Airalo eSIMs, can cost between $5 to $185.

You can see a sample of Airalo’s eSIM data plan prices for the United States in the image below. You can get 1GB of data for 7 Days for $4.50, 3GB for 3 days for $11, 5GB for 30 days for $16 and 10GB for 30 days for $26. Airalo definitely offers very competitive prices when it comes to their eSIM plans.

Verdict Airalo vs Nomad

We can agree that with both Airalo vs Nomad, these 2 eSIM companies actually bring some of the best services you can have when it comes to eSIM services.

If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, the Nomad eSIM is definitely more affordable. International travelers are the biggest users of eSIM at the moment, but Nomad is able to actually offer prices close to even local sim prices. So if you want to use an eSIM in your own country, you can even do it. Check Spain eSim and Norway eSim.

The best thing about Airalo eSIM is its ease of usage. Reload any time, and they even have free internet you can take advantage of when you lose data, enough for you to register and get a new data plan. Their customer service is also one of the best, offering 24/7 support to anyone who needs help using Airalo.

There are great packages in tourist destinations like Egypt, Morocco and cheap eSims in Asian countries like Indonesia and Dubai.

Hope you found the information you need in choosing Airalo vs Nomad the right eSIM plan for you. Happy travels!