VoaSim vs Nomad: truly unlimited vs by-GB plans

If you are choosing between VoaSim and Nomad, the real question is not which app looks nicer. It is how each one counts your data. Nomad sells packages by GB and also offers "Unlimited" plans that include a daily high-speed allowance. VoaSim sells one plan: unlimited data, no cap, no throttling, price set by destination and number of days.

This page is a model comparison based on each company's published terms, not a lab speed test. We do not quote Nomad prices here — check them in the Nomad app or site, since they change by country and package.

How Nomad works

Nomad (nomadesim.com) is an app-first eSIM store. Most of its catalog is sold by GB: you pick a destination, a data bundle and a validity window. When the GB run out, you top up or buy again.

Nomad also sells plans labeled "Unlimited". In its own help center, Nomad states these plans do not offer unrestricted high-speed data: most include around 2 GB per day at full speed, after which the connection drops to roughly 1-2 Mbps for the rest of the day, then resets.

That model works well for a certain traveler. If you mostly use maps, messaging and email, a small GB bundle can be the cheapest thing on the market, and you only pay for what you expect to use. Nomad is also a good fit if you like managing everything inside an app and topping up mid-trip.

Where it gets uncomfortable: video calls, hotel-free evenings streaming, uploading photos and videos, or sharing a hotspot — tethering pulls from the same allowance. Always read the current fair-use terms for the exact package you buy.

How VoaSim works

VoaSim sells a single product: a travel eSIM with truly unlimited data. No data cap, no speed throttling, no hidden fair-use clause. You do not count GB and you do not watch a daily allowance reset at midnight.

The pricing is just as simple. Price set by destination and trip length — check Tokyo, Lisbon, Cape Town or São Paulo in the simulator. Coverage reaches 160+ destinations on every continent, and the Europe plan covers 39 countries with one eSIM, including the UK, Switzerland, Turkey, Norway and Iceland.

It is a data-only eSIM: no phone number and no traditional voice calls. WhatsApp, FaceTime, app calls and maps all work over data, and your physical SIM keeps your own number active. Just turn off your home carrier's data roaming.

Two honest limits: hotspot/tethering is not allowed (the local carrier may block the line), and it works on land at cruise ports, not at sea. See all destinations or run the price simulator.

Side-by-side: the differences that matter

For a public, dated comparison of unlimited eSIM plans split into those with and without a daily high-speed cap, see the VoaSim eSIM Price Index.

VoaSim prices with today's 15% promo

The same table applies to every destination VoaSim covers. Trips of 1 to 4 days pay the 5-day package, and the maximum is 90 days per eSIM.

Travelling as a couple? A second eSIM in the same order gets an extra 10% off — and since hotspot is not allowed, each traveler needs their own line anyway. Payment is by international credit or debit card in USD through Stripe, with an invoice emailed to you.

Which one should you pick

Pick Nomad if: you are a light user who mainly needs maps and messaging, you want a small GB bundle for a short trip, you need hotspot sharing, or you prefer managing everything from an app with easy top-ups. If a 2 GB daily allowance is more than you ever use, paying for unlimited is paying for air.

Pick VoaSim if: you work remotely, upload photos and video, take long video calls, stream on the road, or simply refuse to watch a data counter on vacation. Also pick VoaSim if you hate price surprises — the cost of 10 days is USD 30.90 whether you fly to Japan or Portugal.

One more thing to check before either purchase: the roaming add-on from your own carrier. For a two-day work trip with a bundled daily pass, your carrier may already be the easy answer. Compare current rates in your carrier app.

Install, activation and what happens if it fails

After checkout, the VoaSim QR code arrives by email within minutes (plus a WhatsApp heads-up if you left a number). Install it before you fly, following the step-by-step guide for iPhone and Android, and keep the eSIM line switched off until you land. Your days start counting at the first connection to a network at the destination, not at purchase.

Compatibility: iPhone XR or newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer, Google Pixel 3 or newer, and most phones launched from 2020 on. Universal test: dial *#06# — if an EID appears, your phone supports eSIM. Carrier-locked phones must be unlocked first. VoaSim does not sell physical SIM cards.

If something goes wrong abroad, you get human support by chat and at hola@voasim.com, plus the free eSIM Rescue tool, which diagnoses an eSIM with no signal from any brand — Nomad included. And if the eSIM will not connect and support cannot fix it, you get a 100% refund. More on our policies at Trust.

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