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Nomad eSIM review: Is it a good choice in 2024?

With a solid network coverage, affordable plans, and 24/7 customer support, Nomad eSIM is one of the more reliable eSIM providers today. Let's take a closer look at what it has to offer.

Rokas Aniulis Writer Profile

October 21, 2024

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Looking for a way to stay connected during your travels without paying ridiculous data roaming charges? Using an eSIM is the go-to option for millions of travelers nowadays, and Nomad eSIM is establishing itself as one of the more popular providers on the market.

But is it worth the hype, and should you consider using Nomad the next time you go abroad? Follow along for a detailed look at what the Nomad’s eSIM has to offer, complete with pricing, plans, key features, and user reviews.

What is Nomad eSIM?

Nomad is a legitimate eSIM service with a solid worldwide network, flexible plan selection, and fairly affordable pricing. Founded back in 2019, it’s one of the more established players in the eSIM market.

Nomad eSIM pros and cons

Nomad offers a solid user experience and plenty of plan choices, but leaves some room for improvement when it comes to data limits and customer support. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of the service before we start digging into the details.

Pros:

  • Coverage in 190+ destinations
  • Allows data sharing
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Dedicated apps for iOS and Android

Cons:

  • No unlimited data plans
  • Live chat is only available during fixed hours
  • Data-only plans without an option to get a phone number

Nomad eSIM review: The details

Now that you know the basics of what to expect from Nomad, let’s explore the service in more detail.

Network coverage

Nomad offers coverage in 190+ destinations across six continents, so you can find data plans for most countries worldwide. Most plans promise 5G/4G/LTE coverage, but keep in mind that you’re unlikely to get 5G speeds in isolated or less populated areas.

In some countries, Nomad works with several carriers instead of sticking to just one. You should automatically be connected to the network with the best coverage in your area. However, if you’re experiencing issues, you can manually change your network to a different one and see if that helps.

Nomad eSIM coverage
Nomad eSIM coverage. Source: Nomad

Plans and pricing

On top of offering local plans for each of its destinations, Nomad also offers regional and global plans. These can come in particularly handy if you’re visiting multiple countries during your holiday since you won’t have to buy a new data plan every time you cross an international border.

The pricing for Nomad’s plans differs quite a bit depending on the country and the duration of your plan. You can pay as little as $0.90 USD per GB for long-term plans in some cheaper locations, and as much as $20 per GB for shorter plans in more expensive countries. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the more popular options.

Nomad eSIM USA plans:

  • 1 GB for 7 days for $4.50
  • 3 GB for 30 days for $11
  • 5 GB for 30 days for $14
  • 10 GB for 30 days for $24
  • 20 GB for 30 days for $35

Nomad eSIM Canada plans:

  • 1 GB for 7 days for $5
  • 3 GB for 30 days for $10
  • 5 GB for 30 days for $12
  • 10 GB for 30 days for $19
  • 20 GB for 30 days for $26

Nomad Europe eSIM plans:

  • 1 GB for 7 days for $5
  • 3 GB for 30 days for $12
  • 5 GB for 30 days for $14
  • 10 GB for 30 days for $24
  • 20 GB for 30 days for $35

Nomad Global eSIM plans (106 countries):

  • 1 GB for 7 days for $19
  • 3 GB for 30 days for $40
  • 5 GB for 30 days for $57

As you may have noticed, Nomad doesn’t offer any unlimited data plans, so you’ll have to keep an eye on how much data you’ve used. Not ideal if you want to relax and forget all worries during a holiday. If you do run out of data, you can top-up your plan for an extra fee, but that’s extra stress and money that you’d probably prefer to avoid.

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Key features

All Nomad plans allow data sharing, so you can turn your phone into a mobile hotspot to connect multiple devices at once. Just keep in mind that you’re on a limited data plan, and sharing your data leads to more data usage, so it’s best to steer away from data-heavy apps.

As with all eSIMs, you’ll need an eSIM-compatible device to use the service. If your phone doesn’t support eSIM technology but you’ve already purchased a Nomad plan, you’ll be glad to know that Nomad has a fairly flexible refund policy, something typically offered by reliable eSIM providers with trust in their ability to provide a quality service.

It’s also worth noting that all Nomad plans are data-only, which means that you don’t get a local phone number for phone calls or SMS messages. If you must have a phone number, using a local SIM card with a travel plan might be your best bet.

Nomad App

Having a solid network and multiple plan choices is great, but it’s not enough to provide a top user experience. Having an intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app is a must, and that’s something the Nomad app delivers..

Nomad offers dedicated apps for iOS and Android, where you can buy, activate, track, and manage your mobile data plans. You also get notifications when your plan is close to running out, so you can top-up before losing connection.

Nomad also offers points for every in-app purchase. Once you’ve collected enough points, you can use them to get an eSIM for free, though you’ll have to buy quite a few plans before accumulating enough points.

Nomad eSIM apps
Nomad eSIM apps. Sources: App Store and Google Play Store

Purchase and activation

Since an eSIM is a fully digital product, the purchase and activation process is different from that of using a physical SIM card. That said, you won’t need to spend hours trying to figure out how to activate your Nomad eSIM plan.

You can purchase an eSIM on their website or the Nomad app. You’ll receive a QR code almost immediately after your purchase, simply scan the code and follow the prompts to activate your eSIM.

You can store multiple digital SIM cards on your device at once, though you’ll typically only be able to use one at a time. Just make sure to double-check that your phone is eSIM-compatible if you’re buying the eSIM for the first time.

Customer support

Having instant access to customer support is crucial in case your eSIM stops working, or any other issues arise. Nomad does offer 24/7 customer support, though it’s worth mentioning that live chat isn’t always available. 

If you can’t reach a support agent via live chat, you’ll have to fill out a support ticket and wait for a reply to your email. This said, users report that Nomad’s customer support agents are typically quite quick to respond to tickets, so it shouldn’t be much of an issue.

What do users say about Nomad?

With Nomad being a fairly popular service, there are thousands of user reviews online. It has a Trustpilot score of 4.5/5, not the highest in the industry, but a solid score nonetheless. Let’s take a look at what some users had to say about the service.

Review by Oliver, Trustpilot
Review by Oliver, Trustpilot
Review by G T Smith, Trustpilot
Review by G T Smith, Trustpilot
Review by Mark, Trustpilot
Review by Mark, Trustpilot

There are several reports of customers needing to play around with network settings or requiring some manual input when setting up the eSIM, but all in all, the majority of reviews are positive.

Holafly: The best unlimited data alternative to Nomad

All in all, Nomad offers a solid eSIM experience, but you might find yourself running out of data pretty quickly if you’re not careful. If you don’t want to spend your holiday worrying about how much data you’ve used, Holafly offers peace of mind with unlimited data plans for 200+ destinations. 

Check out our Holafly vs. Nomad review which will help you decide which service fits your needs the best.

On top of unlimited data, Holafly offers 24/7 live chat support in multiple languages, a flexible refund policy, and intuitive mobile apps, which pretty much ensures a smooth customer experience.