Saily vs. Nomad eSIM: Which eSIM app is better in 2025?

Saily vs. Nomad eSIM: An overall comparison

Saily and Nomad are two reliable eSIM services, offering affordable and flexible mobile data plans — perfect for travelers who would rather get a digital SIM card than hunting for one in person. Both eSIM apps offer a wide range of plans with coverage in 200+ destinations, though each differs in how they structure pricing and plan duration. Here’s an overview of what each service brings to the table.

This data was taken from each eSIM service provider’s website on April 15, 2025.

*As of April 15, 2025, Saily’s US$1.99 price applies to the 1 GB plan for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic (Czechia), and Mayotte only. As of April 15, 2025, Nomad’s US$2.50 price applies to the smallest available day plans (1 day) for Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.  

**As of April 15, 2025, both Saily and Nomad offer unlimited data plans in select destinations only. 

Saily stands out for its built-in security features, which add an extra layer of online privacy while you browse. Users can enjoy three features — virtual location, ad blocker, and web protection. Not only do these help keep your virtual location private and reduce your chances of encountering ads, trackers, and malicious sites, but they can also help you use less data. After all, ads take data to load — block them, and that’s some data saved! Another highlight of Saily’s service is the convenience of only having to install an eSIM once for all available destinations.

On the other hand, Nomad provides a bit more flexibility when it comes to plan duration, and it offers two types of local eSIM plans — “regular” and “day.” Let’s take a closer look at how each plan works and how they compare to Saily’s mobile data plans. 

Nomad vs. Saily: Which offers better data plans? 

Nomad and Saily both offer local data plans in 200+ destinations (which includes sovereign countries and unincorporated territories) as well as regional and Global packages. However, some key differences exist in their plan offerings.  

Nomad offers two types of local plans in many destinations — “regular” and “day”. Regular plans are prepaid amounts of data over a set amount of days (ex: 1 GB over 7 days). Day plans allow you to choose the number of days you’d like unlimited data for (1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days). During these days, you’ll get between 500 MB to 3 GB of high-speed data, which then drops to 512 KBPS once you’ve used up your daily allowance of high-speed data. This system will reset every 24 hours. In some destinations, you’ll also have to decide whether you want 500 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, or 3 GB of high-speed data before the speed restrictions. 

Yes, that’s a lot to keep up with — and that’s the whole point. Nomad may offer more flexibility with its local data plan offers, but it can ultimately become overwhelming to decide on what’s best for your trip. Is it better to get a 3 GB plan over 7 days, or the 7-day plan at 3 GB of high-speed data? With so many choices, it’s easy to end up in a tizzy.

On the other hand, Saily offers more straightforward local data plans, making it easier for users to compare prices and choose the best option. The plans have a set amount of GBs over a set amount of days, typically ranging from 1 GB to 20 GB for up to 30 days and unlimited data plans available in select destinations for 15 days. Saily’s unlimited data plans offer more high-speed data, where users can enjoy 5 GB per day with no speed restrictions. 

It’s worth noting, however, that speed restrictions are often determined by local network providers abiding by the fair usage policy. 

The last noteworthy difference between Nomad vs. Saily’s local plans are each eSIM service’s available destinations. Both offer coverage in 200+ destinations, but the destinations slightly differ between the two. 

Destinations exclusively covered by Saily’s local plans: 

• Andorra

• Bonaire

• Curacao

• Mayotte

• Nauru

• Northern Mariana Islands

• Sint Maarten (Dutch part)

Destinations exclusively covered by Nomad’s local plans:

• Angola

• Belarus

• Bhutan

• Cuba

• Ethiopia

• Russia

Nomad also offers an individual eSIM plan for Hawaii, but the state is covered by Saily’s eSIM for the US. 

With local eSIM plans out of the way, let’s compare Saily and Nomad’s regional and Global plan offerings. 

Saily vs. Nomad: A comparison of regional and global plan coverage

Saily and Nomad both offer regional data plans, which cover multiple countries and territories in a given area. As with their local plans, many of Nomad’s regional options come in two variations, each covering a slightly different set of destinations. For example, Nomad has two regional eSIM plans for Africa — one covers 10 countries, the other 11. Nomad also offers four Global eSIM plans, two of which are called “Global-EX” packages. Here’s how coverage compares between each eSIM service’s regional and Global plans.

As you can see, Saily offers wider coverage for most regional plans compared to Nomad, including in Africa, the Caribbean islands, the Middle East, and Latin America. If you opt for Nomad’s more expensive Asia Pacific plan, the coverage will be wider than Saily’s Asia and Oceania plan. Nomad’s North America plan includes coverage in Mexico as well as the US and Canada, so travelers planning on visiting all three countries may prefer their offering. 

Notably, Nomad has a greater number of regional packages overall, including the following options: 

• SEA-Oceania (Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam). 

• IT-FR-DE (Italy, France, Germany).

• SG-MY-TH (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand).

• CH-JP-KR (China, Japan, South Korea).

Which one is cheaper: Saily or Nomad?

The cheapest plan really depends on your destination — both Saily and Nomad offer affordable options. As of April 15, 2025, Saily’s cheapest available plan is US$1.99 for 1 GB over 7 days, undercutting Nomad’s cheapest option, with day plans starting at US$2.50 for 500 MB of high-speed data + unlimited data with reduced speed for 1 day. As mentioned earlier, Nomad offers more flexibility with two types of pricing schemes — “regular plans” (prepaid plans over a set amount of days) or “day plans” (unlimited data that you pay for per day, with a set amount of options). Let’s compare each eSIM service’s prices across a local, regional, and Global data plan.

These prices were taken from each eSIM service provider’s website on April 14, 2025.

Based on this comparison, we can see that Saily’s 1 GB, 10 GB, and 20 GB plans for Italy are cheaper than Nomad’s, while Nomad offers a better rate for its 5 GB plan. The difference between each eSIM service’s 3 GB plan is negligible. 

Nomad does offer cheaper rates for unlimited data in Italy, with more flexibility when it comes to duration. However, Nomad’s day plans for Italy are limited to 1 GB of high-speed data + unlimited data at 512 KBPS per day, while Saily’s unlimited plan for Italy offers 5 GB of high-speed data per day.   

When it comes to Global plans, Saily’s are cheaper and cover more destinations, making the choice quite easy for globetrotters. 

Is Nomad or Saily more trustworthy?

Both Nomad and Saily have a solid online reputation and are recommended by trusted travel service providers, tech reviewers, and influencers.  

The Saily app was created by the reputable Nord Security — the company behind leading VPN service provider NordVPN. Since its launching in 2024, it’s quickly gained traction in the eSIM market, becoming Lonely Planet’s #1 recommended eSIM app last year, being spotlighted in National Geographic Traveler and winning a Global Recognition Award. 

Nomad’s an older player in the game, launched in 2020 as a business line of LotusFlare, Inc., and has since been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. 

When it comes to data security and privacy measures, Saily goes the extra mile. The Saily eSIM app includes security features that allow you to reroute your connection and keep your IP address private, block malicious sites, reduce online trackers, and thwart annoying ads. 

Both eSIM services are trusted and endorsed in the travel and tech communities, so choosing between them ultimately depends on your priorities. If you want a service backed by one of the biggest names in the cybersecurity industry that prioritizes online privacy and security, Saily should be your pick. If you’d prefer a service that’s been around for longer, Nomad may be a better fit. 

Which one offers better network speed? 

Encountering slow internet speeds when you’re trying to find directions to your hotel is enough to make you want to toss your phone into the nearest fountain. The good news is that you won’t see much of a difference between Nomad eSIM vs. Saily’s network speeds — both eSIM services offer up to 5G speeds. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll always get 5G speeds. It’ll ultimately depend on the infrastructure available in your destination country as well as local network providers.

Nomad vs. Saily: Which one has better reviews?

Both Saily and Nomad eSIM have garnered thousands of customer reviews across TrustPilot, Google Play, and the App Store, often highlighting their strong customer support teams and convenient eSIM installation processes. 

Nomad’s customer reviews:

• Trustpilot: 4.4 ⭐(13,200+ reviews)

• Google Play: 4.7 ⭐(5,700+ reviews)

• App Store: 4.8 ⭐(7,100+ reviews)

Saily’s customer reviews:

• Trustpilot: 4.0 ⭐ (2,500+ reviews) 

• Google Play: 4.8 ⭐ (39,100+ reviews)

• App Store: 4.7 ⭐(4,200+ reviews)

As you can see, both Nomad and Saily have similar reviews across Google Play and the App Store, but Nomad’s TrustPilot score is stronger. 

Additional features and perks

Nomad eSIM and Saily both offer unique features and perks to their eSIM service.

Saily’s roots are deep within the world of cybersecurity — the app was created by Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN. The app has honored these roots by introducing unique security features built right into it. That means that when you get a Saily eSIM plan, you can enjoy extra perks with your mobile data like the ability to change your virtual location, block annoying ads, and reduce malicious trackers and sites. Best of all, Saily’s security features help you use less of your data. 

One notable perk offered by Nomad is a free 24-hour trial for new users, where you can choose a 500 MB plan from one of 47 destinations. 

Both companies have a US$5 for US$5 referral program, and each offers business eSIM plans for corporate clients. 

Saily vs. Nomad eSIM: The final verdict

Saily and Nomad are two great eSIM services for travelers conscious of their budget, but Saily’s built-in security features offer more bang for your buck. 

Nomad offers a wide range of plan options, including “regular” plans, “day” plans, and regional packages with varying destination coverage. While this flexibility can be a plus, the number of choices can make picking the right plan feel a bit overwhelming. That said, Nomad does offer some unique regional bundles — like a specific plan for travelers visiting Italy, France, and Spain — that may be slightly more cost-effective than Saily’s broader Europe plans.

Saily, on the other hand, keeps things simple without sacrificing flexibility. It offers clear, straightforward data plans ranging from 1 GB to 100 GB (plus unlimited data in select destinations) across durations from 7 to 365 days. Saily’s built-in security features not only provide extra protection while browsing, but also help reduce data usage, saving you money in the process. On top of that, its user-friendly app interface and the backing of a trusted cybersecurity company make it an easy pick for travelers who want value without hassle.

This article was written on April 18, 2025. Prices, plans, and coupon codes from both Saily and Nomad are subject to change over time.