
An honest review of Nomad eSIM (September 2023)
Nomad eSIM review : discover the ins and outs of using Nomad eSIM, including purchase, setup, and speed tests.
Published: Sep 10, 2023
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Exploring Value-Packed eSIM Plans for International Nomads and Travelers
Published: Dec 19, 2021
Many of our users reached out to us asking what are the best value for money eSIM prepaid plans for nomad and remote workers which need to visit different countries across the globe. The esims.io team thought it was time to put a guide together to showcase what - according to us - are the best options when it comes to finding an eSIM for travelling the world. We will keep this article updated as much as possible (last edited, December 2021).
eSIMs are great when it comes to having network connectivity while travelling in different countries : no need for a pocket wi-fi, or physical sim cards that you have to switch in each new country you visit : just one, single eSIM plan valid in multiple countries. This makes eSIMs the perfect connectivity tool for globe trotters: download a global or regional eSIM profile, activate it, and boom, you are connected.
This article will focus only on global eSIM plans, offering a substantial amount of data, valid for a decent amount of time, meaning for people who will be travelling in different countries and in need of network connectivity for a good amount of time (business trip, digital nomads, etc.).
We will therefore focus on international data plans:
- That are global, in the sense that they cover at least 50 countries on two continents ore more
- That offer 10GB of mobile data at least
- That are valid for a minimum of 30 days
This plan is the most “complete” global plans we have. They cover a large chunk of the world and are valid in no less than 128 countries, in parts of Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Asia. Airalo’s plans can be used as a wi-fi hotspot, making those plans ideal for nomad works that need to connect through their laptop. Airalo is a Singapore based provider that have been known for offering very competitive plans. With an average of $4.45/GB for its global plan, Airalo’s global plan is extremely competitive.
20 GB
128 countries
Data only
Discover+ - 20 GB
Airalo
$75.65
$89.00
Simtex, an Israel based provider, provides a very affordable Global plan : “Top40”. The plan costs only $35, offering 7GB of data ($4,50/Gb). This plan covers “only” 40 countries but will perfectly suits the needs of people travelling in areas that are not too exotic : it covers almost the entire European countries, as well as additional countries, such as Israel, Australia or Thailand. The United-States are also included and note that Simtex’s eSIM plans can be used as a wi-fi hotspot.
Flexiroam’s global plans are more expensive than the other providers and eSIM plans listed before, but they are valid in many more countries. People travelling frequently in remote areas of the world with poor or unreliable WIFI connectivity but with access to mobile network will be interested in this plan, which covers nothing less than 134 countries! Get ready to spend $319.99 for 11GB of data, though. This is the price to pay to get a true global plan.
Also note that Flexiroam’s eSIM plans can be used as a wi-fi hotspot.
GlobaleSIM is one of the first companies who adopted the eSIM technology, and they offer a global plan with no less than 65 countries for $30.
What makes them competitive a part from the price ? Well they now offer the possibility to add Voice-time on all their plans ! You can choose to add 100, 200 or 300 minutes of voice-call and be able to receive SMS. They also allow you to choose a phone number origin between the US (+1), Canada(+1) or the UK(+44). This choice comes with an extra cost, though, but is still very much welcomed ! GlobaleSim's eSIM plans can also be used as a wi-fi hotspot.
We have more eSIM plans from more eSIM providers to present here. Feel free to send us any plan you think might be missing from this list !
On esims.io, we are convinced that prepaid eSIM plans are the future of prepaid plans and mobile data, and that physical data sim cards as well as roaming fees will become a thing of the past. Sites like simoptions.com will help you find physical sim cards if your device is not compatible, but for now esims.io only focuses on eSIM plans.
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