TL;DR: Review – Get a Nomad eSIM if you are travelling internationally and want fast, reliable data that is super simple to set up without breaking the bank!

It’s less than a week till I head off for my annual snow trip. This year’s trip is to Whistler, Canada. My family is off for about 3 weeks, so I wanted to get a few things in order before I leave. Writing up this Nomad eSIM review is one of those things.

What is Nomad?

Nomad is a business line of LotusFlare that specializes in international travel eSIMs. In Lotusflare’s words, they aim to Simply Technology and Simplify Experience. They certainly have accomplished that with Nomad. On my recent trip to Singapore, I tried Nomad out for the first time. Having tried multiple travel sims in the past, I have to say Nomad was a refreshingly pleasant experience. Being one of the newer players in the eSIM market, Nomad has created one of the best desktop/app integrations I have come across, leading to a beautiful end user experience. Installation was a fully guided process and an absolutely simple. Just like what their parent company Lotusflare was aiming for.

What is an eSIM?

Through talking with a friend, it just came to my attention that quite a few people still do not know what an eSIM is. I better explain it first before launching into the Nomad review proper.

An eSIM (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module) is a virtual SIM card that is embedded into your smartphone, allowing you to access cellular networks without needing to insert a physical SIM card. Apple first introduced it in their iPhone series in September 2018 with the XS, XS Max and XR. All iPhones produced after this are eSIM enabled. Most modern phones are eSIM compatible, but you need to check that your specific model support eSIMs before going ahead and purchasing one.

eSIMs are a great option for those who travel often and need to switch between international cellular networks. With an eSIM, you can save time and money by avoiding the hassle of purchasing a physical SIM card and paying outrageous roaming fees when traveling abroad.

eSIMs have great benefits for international travelers and tourists that make them an absolutely essential travel tool.

Here are some benefits of using an eSIM:

Multi-SIM capability: The beauty of eSIM is that it can hold multiple carriers and plans at the same time. No more swapping SIM cards and risking losing that tiny card.

Lower cost: eSIMs can also be much cheaper than buying a local SIM card. Because there are no physical stores required to sell eSIMs, eSIM retailers have lower operating costs and can therefore pass on those savings to you.

Your own local data connection: With an eSIM, you can stay connected to your cellular network wherever you are and avoid the hassle of searching for public WiFi or using expensive roaming data.

Flexibility: eSIMs are flexible. They can be added, deleted, activated or deactivated whenever you need. There’s no need to rush to a store, buy a sim and switch out physical SIM cards.

Convenience: eSIMs are incredibly convenient and easy to set up. All you need is an active eSIM plan and you can get connected within minutes. Nomad’s app takes this experience one step further with its straight forward step by step process.

Why Choose Nomad eSIM?

Choosing the right eSIM provider for your travels can be a challenging task. There are many factors to consider, including the duration of the trip, how much data you need, and the flexibility of the plan. If you’re a digital nomad, for example, you may need a plan that offers a large amount of data that is valid for a longer period. Alternatively, if you’re travelling for only a week or two, you’ll probably need a plan with a shorter expiry date. You should also make sure that you have the option to top up your plan with more data if needed, so you can extend the duration of your plan. Nomad understands that travelers have different needs and they offer numerous eSIM plans that can be topped up at any time. Their plans come in a range of sizes from 7 days to 90 days of expiry (country dependent) so you can be sure to find a plan that meets your needs.

When Qrating Nomad, I considered the following 6 factors:

1. Coverage

Nomad has eSIM coverage capability for over 165 countries and regions. Whilst that might not be the most coverage on the market (their largest competitor, Airalo, covers over 200 countries and regions), it should still be more than sufficient for most travellers. It certainly is for me. I used it in Singapore, am about to use it in Canada and will use it in a few months in Japan. It covers the major industrialized countries just fine.

2. Speed

In Singapore, Nomad connected to the main telco, Singtel at 5g speeds. I and my wife was extremely impressed with both the reception of the signal and the speed at which we connected. I hope that this experience will be repeated in the upcoming trips. This is in stark contrast to a Japan trip whereby my wife’s roaming experience left much to be desired. She was stuck on 3g coverage and speeds for much of the trip. I was a quite content pottering along at 4g speeds. Nomad seems to seek out 5g speeds where possible as I noticed that the Canada trip is expected to connect at 5g. I did not experience any throttling at all during my trip.

3. Reliability

Reliability is an important consideration when selecting an eSIM provider. It is essential to have a provider that offers good customer support in case something goes wrong. You don’t want to be stranded without data service and spend hours chatting or emailing customer service. However, if something does go wrong, it is good to know that Nomad does have 24×7 support available. I haven’t personally used their support as I did not have a single issue with Nomad’s reliability. Before purchasing Nomad, research the App Store or Google Play reviews like I did and ensure that there are enough users who vouch for the provider’s support and product. I think you will find that the reviews of Nomad are all pretty good.

4. Reasonable Plan Expiry Periods

When considering Nomad as an eSIM provider, an important positive factor is the reasonable plan expiry periods. Nomad has a generous 30 day expiry period that applies to all their 3 GB and larger plans. This is in contrast to many other eSIM providers who have very short expiry periods, especially on their smaller plans.

This expiry period is more than enough time to cover most overseas trips, which typically last between one week and one month (at least in my case). Therefore, Nomad’s plan expiry periods provide a great advantage for travelers and should be taken into account when comparing against other eSIM providers.

5. Ability to Tether/Hotspot Other Devices

Unlike some of the eSIMs on the market, Nomad does not restrict your ability to tether or hotspot other devices to your plan. Logically, I do not understand why providers who do not provide unlimited data restrict this. The faster you chew through your data, the sooner you will need to purchase more. It works out in their favour. I guess some providers who provide unlimited data would probably want to restrict this though.

6. Price

When it comes to choosing an eSIM plan, the most obvious consideration is the price. I have purposely left this to last as you should take into consideration other factors I have already covered in this review.

To quote Warren Buffett, “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” I know he’s talking about investments and not eSIMs, but it does hold true here. No point paying for an eSIM that is going to be next to unusable because of the quality of the network or speed throttling from the provider.

Nomad, in my opinion provides extremely good value.

Price per GB matters, but should only be one part of the equation you are looking at. No point having the cheapest price per GB when the service is unusable or their install process is so convoluted you have to spend hours chasing customer support.

For my upcoming Canada trip, Nomad’s eSIM plans started at $6 for 1 GB of data and went up to $23.85 (discounted) for 10 GB of data. This is a screenshot of Nomad website looks like when I purchased.

As you can see, I ended up with the 3 GB plan with a 20% off Christmas coupon so I ended up paying just $9.60. That’s actually pretty cheap for Canada.

Also, as you can see with the Xmas coupon I used, there are usually ways of saving a bit of money if you decide to try out Nomad.

Nomad also has an in-built referral program. This is especially helpful if you have a group of people that all need data. If you refer a friend through the app or website, they will receive a $3 discount on their first purchase and you get $3 (300 points) in your account. It is not a lot, but it is a nice way that Nomad lets you feel appreciated for helping.

Nomad is not the cheapest eSIM provider on the market, but neither is Nomad anywhere close to being the most expensive. For the convenience of having a reliable, fast eSIM that installs with a few button presses on an app, Nomad is well worth its price.

Potential Downside to Nomad

Nomad only has unlimited data plans in some Asian countries at this point in time. I guess you could consider this a downside. Personally, I don’t really see the point in paying a premium (quite large premiums) for an unlimited data plan in most cases. When I’m out and about travelling, it’s unlikely that I’m going to be sitting somewhere binge watching Netflix or YouTube on mobile data. I just can’t really see a use case for unlimited data for typical travel situations. I guess digital nomads and streaming video addicts are an exception, but there are plenty of eSIM plans with unlimited data to cater for their needs. If you happen to be traveling in Asia then there is a chance you can get an unlimited data plan with Nomad. Currently, Nomad has unlimited data plans available in Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Alternatives to Nomad

Airalo would probably be the best known alternative to Nomad. After all, they were the world’s first eSIM store. As already mentioned, they cover an even greater number of countries and regions than Nomad does. They are definitely worth a look but I think you will find that Nomad’s prices and overall value for money are a bit better. You can see here how Airalo’s 3 GB Canada plan compares to what I paid with Nomad. There is about a 50% higher price difference after my coupon use.

Holafly is another alternative to Nomad. Holafly’s claim to fame are their unlimited data plans. There are actually quite a few eSIM providers on the market that have unlimited plans but Holafly is one of the most mentioned ones on the forums. However, as I mentioned in Nomad’s review, you have to be aware of potential downsides and issue such throttling of network speeds and the inability to tether or hotspot your unlimited connection. Read the recent reviews of these unlimited plans before diving in.

The Super Simple Nomad Setup Process – Step by Step

I have already mentioned how simple the setup process is but nothing says it better than screenshots of the whole process.

If you buy your plan on the website, you will get the same screen I have already displayed above. The next step is to download and open the Nomad app. You will be greeted by this screen.

For those of you who have not yet bought a plan, head on over to Data and select one. The app immediately takes you to the checkout.

When the plans are bought, go to Manage and select it. It will take you to this screen.

Note that it gives you an indication of the expected coverage and network providers. In my case, I am looking forward to more 5G coverage in Canada according to the Speed section.

Selecting plan details brings you here. You can also read the Installation Instructions for quite detailed manual setup instructions just in case things go sideways during install.

The ‘speed’ column they are referring to here is the Speed section in the previous image.

Moving ahead with the guided installation brings you to this next screen.

Just select Add automatically. The next few screens are just scrolling screenshots of the same screen to give you a complete picture of the setup process.

Selecting Install eSIM Now takes you here

Now, somewhat confusingly, after activating the Nomad eSIM, this next screen came up

I have no idea who Drei is and cannot remember if this or something similar came up during my Singapore install. From what I can Google, Drei is another eSIM provider that I guess Nomad may have a partnership with. I am just guessing though. Anyway, at this point, the only option is to press continue. This is where the install literally gets stuck.

Then it gets stuck at this next screen.

I think it got stuck on this screen as I was installing the card in my home country and not in Canada. The eSIM just does not have anywhere to connect to. Swiping around (from memory it is a swipe up on the iPhone) gets you out of this screen and onto the final screen.

Congratulations, you have set up your eSIM! It is actually a very quick process in real life.

Now go to your phone mobile settings and check. You should be able to see your available eSIMs. You can rename them to easy to recognize names. This make sit easier to identify them for when you need to turn them on or off.

So is Nomad worth it? Yes, it has been Qrated!

In conclusion, Nomad is a great choice for travelers who want to stay connected while abroad. It offers a wide range of eSIMs covering the majority of the most visited countries with a variety of benefits over traditional SIM cards.

As mentioned and demonstrated, Nomad provides an intuitive, user friendly app that you can use to connect, view and manage your data usage. It has a comprehensive help centre that should get you through any installation issues you may have.

The Nomad eSIM is extremely easy to install through the great app. Being an eSIM, you don’t have to worry about fitting it in your device, which with physical sims, can be tricky, especially on a plane (yes, I’ve dropped my physical sim before and it was not a pleasant experience recovering it on a crowded plane). Plus, you can easily setup and switch between different Nomad eSIMs if you travel to multiple countries, so you don’t have to waste time shopping for a new SIM in each country.

If you follow the guided setup process, you really should not have any trouble getting up and running. It really is that easy. If you still need help, their 24/7 customer support team is ready to help with any installation issues you cannot solve yourself with the help guides in the app.

I might be a bit biased, but facts are facts: Nomad offers some of the lowest cost, high speed, flexible, and reliable eSIM data plans today for international travellers. Don’t get stuck paying expensive roaming fees or swapping SIMs. Just go and try Nomad out either via the website or the app. I feel that Nomad is the ideal travel eSIM. I am provisionally awarding it Qrated status.

Update of the Nomad eSIM’s Performance in Canada

I can happily report that the Nomad eSIM works at the expected 5G speed in Vancouver. Have not had any service issues at all. Very happy with it.