Airalo vs Nomad
Airalo and Nomad both start at $4.00 and cover 200-plus destinations, so the split is in the detail. Airalo gives unlimited plans a 3 GB/day high-speed window before throttling to 1 Mbps; Nomad allows 2 GB/day before dropping to 512 kbps, never asks for ID, and refunds within 30 days. This page sets the two side by side on plans, fair use policy, hotspot, KYC, and refunds, using sourced data only.
Is Airalo or Nomad better?
Neither wins outright; the right pick follows your trip. Both start at $4.00 and list plans across 72 country pages Simscanner tracks. The clearest sourced split is fair use: Airalo's unlimited plans run at full speed up to 3 GB a day before throttling to 1 Mbps, while Nomad allows 2 GB a day before dropping to 512 kbps. Nomad never asks for ID and refunds within 30 days; Airalo verifies identity only in certain countries and gives a 14-day withdrawal window that closes once a plan is activated. Hotspot is allowed on both.
Cells marked Secondary come from a third-party listing or a Simscanner-internal count; cells marked Verified are read from each brand's own pages. Speed, review, and overall scores stay pending because no neutral source publishes them.
Airalo and Nomad snapshot
The same tracked attributes for each brand, at equal visual weight. Every value is sourced from a primary source where the brand publishes it. Neither brand is ranked above the other here.
Side by side
Every dimension Simscanner tracks for a brand-vs-brand page. Each value carries a source and a confidence pill: Verified reads from the brand's own pages, Secondary comes from a third-party listing or an internal count. The entry-price row is the cheapest sourced single-country plan, not a full price list. Per-plan pricing lives on the brand profiles.
| Dimension | AiraloBrand A | NomadBrand B | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan (from)Lowest sourced single-country plan | $4.00 · 1 GB / 3 days Secondary | $4.00 · 1 GB / 7 days Secondary | Primary sourceairalo.com/united-states-esim · nomadesim.com/united-states-eSIMRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Country pages trackedSimscanner-tracked pages listing a plan | 72 Secondary | 72 Secondary | Primary sourcedocs/simscanner/data/countriesRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Plan typesCatalogue scope | Local, regional, global Verified | Local, regional, global Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com · nomadesim.comRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Unlimited offeredMarkets an unlimited tier | Yes Verified | Yes Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com/m/resources/unlimited-data-plans-fair-use-policy · nomadesim.com/documents/data-plan-detail-unlimitedRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Fair use policyPublished high-speed allowance, then throttle | 3 GB/day, then 1 Mbps Verified | 2 GB/day, then 512 kbps Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com/m/resources/unlimited-data-plans-fair-use-policy · nomadesim.com/documents/data-plan-detail-unlimitedRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Hotspot policyStated tethering allowance | Allowed where device and network support it Verified | Supported on most eSIMs Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com (tethering help) · nomadesim.com (hotspot help)Retrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| KYC defaultIdentity verification requirement | Only in certain countries Verified | None required Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com (identity help) · nomadesim.com/blog/buy-esim-for-someone-elseRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Top-up policyWhether plans can be topped up | Yes, in-app on rechargeable eSIMs Verified | Yes, while active (not UAE/India) Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com (top-up help) · nomadesim.com (add-data help)Retrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Refund windowStated refund period | 14-day withdrawal, expires on activation Verified | 30 days; unactivated plans refundable Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com (refund help) · nomadesim.com/documents/nomad-data-plans-refund-policyRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| AppsMobile apps for buy and install | iOS and Android Verified | iOS and Android Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com (app help) · nomadesim.com/downloadRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
| Founded and HQCorporate basics, when sourced | 2019 · Singapore Verified | 2020 · Santa Clara, US (LotusFlare) Verified | Primary sourceairalo.com/about-us · nomadesim.com/about/usRetrieved 02 Jun 2026 |
Coverage comparison
How many countries each brand covers, and which regions, counted only where a plan listing is verifiable. Brand marketing such as "100+ countries" is not the source.
Airalo markets eSIMs for 200-plus countries and regions. Simscanner currently tracks an Airalo plan on 72 of its country pages; that figure is an internal count, not Airalo's own coverage claim. Per-country listings move to verified as each is read from the product page.
Nomad lists coverage in 200-plus destinations. Simscanner currently tracks a Nomad plan on 72 of its country pages, again an internal count rather than Nomad's marketing figure. Per-country listings move to verified as each is read from the product page.
Unlimited and fair use policy
Whether each brand markets unlimited plans, and whether it publishes a fair use threshold. Simscanner records the published wording, with a retrieved date, rather than estimating an effective cap.
Airalo's published fair use policy throttles unlimited plans to 1 Mbps once a user passes 3 GB of high-speed data in a day, then resets the high-speed allowance at midnight local time.
Nomad's unlimited plans run at full speed up to 2 GB a day, then throttle to 512 kbps for up to 24 hours until the next daily allowance. Some country listings quote 1 Mbps; the brand-level policy is the 512 kbps figure shown here.
Hotspot and tethering
Each brand's stated tethering allowance, read from its own published wording. Hotspot policy can vary by brand and sometimes by plan.
Airalo's help pages state that tethering, or personal hotspot, works wherever the device and the local network support it. Tethered data draws from the same plan allowance.
Nomad supports hotspot and tethering on most of its eSIMs, and notes that stability can vary by device or network. On unlimited plans the daily high-speed window still applies to shared data.
Speed and reliability
Country-level public performance signals for each brand. Speed depends on the local network used in a given country, so this is reported per country rather than as a single brand figure.
Speed signals a modelled estimate
Modelled est.Speed and reliability for both Airalo and Nomad are reported per country, tied to the local network each plan connects to. Network mapping is pending for both brands, so no speed figures are shown here yet. Simscanner does not estimate throughput.
When verified, country-level signals will appear on the relevant country pages and feed the speed category on Rankings.
Reviews and user sentiment
Review signals are shown only with a named source, a review count, and a fetched date. Simscanner never displays a star rating it has not sourced, and never publishes an aggregate rating of its own.
Public review signals for Airalo are a modelled estimate. When published, each source will list its own rating, the number of reviews behind it, and the date Simscanner fetched it. No averaged or invented score is shown.
Public review signals for Nomad are a modelled estimate. When published, each source will list its own rating, the number of reviews behind it, and the date Simscanner fetched it. No averaged or invented score is shown.
Device compatibility and activation
Both brands require an eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked device. Specific supported-device lists are read from each brand's own published wording and are a modelled estimate.
eSIM-compatible device
Both brands need a phone or tablet that supports eSIM. The supported-model list per brand is a modelled estimate.
Modelled est.Carrier-unlocked
An eSIM cannot install on a phone locked to a home carrier. This applies to both brands.
Applies to bothActivation flow
Each brand publishes its own activation steps in its app. Step-by-step wording is a modelled estimate on both sides.
Modelled est.KYC default
Nomad requires no identity document; buyers simply create an account. Airalo asks for eKYC, such as a passport upload, only for eSIMs in certain countries rather than for every purchase.
Sourced both sidesBest fit by traveller type
Each card leans on a sourced feature difference, not an overall score. Where the sourced facts tie, or where only a pending score would separate the two, the card stays neutral by design.
Both list plans across the same 72 country pages Simscanner tracks, an internal count rather than a verified per-country tally.
Airalo's unlimited plans run full speed up to 3 GB/day and fall back to 1 Mbps; Nomad allows 2 GB/day then 512 kbps.
Nomad requires no identity document; Airalo asks for eKYC on eSIMs in certain countries.
Nomad refunds within 30 days and treats unactivated plans as fully refundable; Airalo's 14-day withdrawal closes on activation.
Both allow tethering on their main plans, each with a stated condition on device and network support.
Speed depends on the local carrier each plan uses and is reported per country. No neutral speed figure is sourced yet.
Data ledger
An open record of every field on this page and its current state: Verified from a brand's own pages, Secondary from a third party or internal count, or Pending where no source exists yet. Each field publishes independently as it is sourced on both sides.
How Simscanner compares brands
The same rules apply to both columns. A value publishes only when it is read from a primary source, dated, and re-checked on a schedule. No brand can pay to change a value or its position.
Primary source only
Every value is read from the brand's own published wording or a regulator, never from marketing claims or third-party summaries.
How we score →Dated and re-checked
Each verified value carries a retrieved date and is re-verified on a schedule, so a stale figure never sits unflagged.
Verification cadence →Equal weight
Both brands use identical tiles, identical rows, and equal treatment. Neither gets larger visual space.
Zero paid placements →Verdicts only when verified
A winner is named per use case only when sourced data supports it, with a link to the methodology anchor behind it.
Category anchors →Airalo vs Nomad questions
The questions travellers most often ask when choosing between these two brands.
Is Airalo better than Nomad?
Which has more countries, Airalo or Nomad?
Does Airalo or Nomad allow hotspot tethering?
Is Airalo or Nomad unlimited data really unlimited?
Why are there no prices in this comparison?
Does Simscanner favour one of these brands?
When will Airalo vs Nomad verdicts be published?
Related links
Article FAQPage BreadcrumbList. No Product, Offer, Price, Review, AggregateRating, ItemList, or HowTo schema is used. Simscanner does not sell or price eSIMs, and this page is a binary comparison, not a ranked list.