Airalo vs Nomad 2026: which travel eSIM should you pick?

Prices and plan types

Both sell fixed data packages for a set number of days, plus unlimited plans. The table above shows both providers' live prices in every country they both cover, so check your destination before you buy.

Nomad shows prices in US dollars by default and also runs a points programme and a subscription, Nomad Pass, that keeps one eSIM ready for later trips.

Unlimited data

Airalo's own guide says its unlimited plans include 3 GB of high-speed data per day before the speed drops.

Nomad's unlimited plans give 2 GB a day at full speed and then slow to 1 Mbps on most plans, which is enough for maps and messages but not for video.

Top-ups

Airalo eSIMs marked as rechargeable can be topped up in its app, and the same eSIM keeps working.

Nomad lets you add data from its app, but only while your current plan is active. Once it has expired or run out, you need a new plan and a new eSIM.

Hotspot and phone numbers

Both allow hotspot, according to their help pages, so you can share data with a laptop.

Both are mostly data only. Airalo's Discover+ global eSIM comes with a US phone number; Nomad has local minutes and texts only on a few UK plans and one Maldives plan.

Refunds and support

Nomad fully refunds an eSIM you have not installed or activated if you ask within 30 days of purchase. Airalo refunds to your card when an eSIM doesn't work, but changed plans or a wrong purchase are refunded as Airmoney credit.

Both offer support around the clock by live chat, and Nomad also by email.

Who runs them

Airalo is run by AirGSM Pte Ltd in Singapore and has sold eSIMs since 2019. Nomad is run by LotusFlare, Inc. in Santa Clara, California, and launched in 2020.