Saily vs Nomad Europe eSIM (2026)
On official Europe pages fetched November 10, 2026, Saily listed 1 GB / 7 days at $4.99, 10 GB / 30 days at $35.99, and a 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99, with 35 countries, a 180-day activation window, and a written 5 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps unlimited rule. Nomad listed 1 GB / 7 days at $7, 10 GB / 30 days at $25, and 20 GB / 30 days at $29, with a 35- or 36-destination option (the 36-country list includes Turkey), a 60-day activation window, and a 30-day unused-refund policy that calls unlimited plans non-refundable. Nomad’s unlimited section did not include prices in our fetch.
How this page was made: this is a research-based comparison built from official pricing pages, plan or policy wording, and product documentation. We haven’t tested these products or policies ourselves, and we don’t invent scores. Our methodology.
Quick answer
Choose Saily for 1 GB / 7 days at $4.99, a 180-day activation window, and a 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99 with a 5 GB-then-1 Mbps rule. Choose Nomad for 10 GB / 30 days at $25 or 20 GB / 30 days at $29, a 36-destination option including Turkey, and a 30-day unused refund window.
Last updated Pricing checked Nov 10, 2026
Check Saily pricing (opens in a new tab)Check Nomad pricing (opens in a new tab)
Key facts at a glance
| Saily | Nomad | |
|---|---|---|
| Official fixed-data prices we can cite | 1 GB / 7 days $4.99; 3 GB / 30 days $12.49; 5 GB / 30 days $19.49; 10 GB / 30 days $35.99; 50 GB / 90 days $95.99. The page title and feature list also say plans start from $3.99; the lowest priced tier on the table we fetched was $4.99. | 1 GB / 7 days $7; 3 GB / 30 days $13; 5 GB / 30 days $19; 10 GB / 30 days $25; 20 GB / 30 days $29; 50 GB / 30 days $39. The page title says “from US$ 5.5”; the lowest priced tier on the table we fetched was $7. We report both, and we do not treat $5.5 as a plan we can attach to a listed allowance. |
| Official unlimited prices we can cite | 15-day unlimited $49.99, clearly listed. Saily’s unlimited FAQ has said a Europe unlimited plan starts from $28.99 in 7- to 30-day lengths; the 7-day unlimited checkout price was not isolated on the Europe page, so we are not inventing it. | The official Europe page had an Unlimited Data Plans heading, but the fetch did not include priced unlimited tiers, so we are not stating a Nomad unlimited price. |
| Destinations | 35 countries across Europe | A 35-country plan and a 36-country plan (including Turkey). The price table in our fetch appeared next to the “36 destinations - incl. Turkey” label, with a country list that includes the United Kingdom and Turkey. Coverage may not include overseas territories. |
| What “unlimited” means, as written | Official unlimited FAQ: 5 GB of high-speed data in a 24-hour period, then unlimited data at about 1 Mbps until the period resets. For most destinations the help center says the reset is local midnight; regional or multi-zone plans may use a fixed UTC time, with an 80% notification. | No priced unlimited tier in this fetch, so there is no official daily cap to quote for a Nomad unlimited Europe plan here. Fixed plans are a total amount for the validity period. |
| Hotspot / tethering | Europe page: “Hotspot sharing: Unlimited!” The help center separately says you cannot share unlimited plans with other people in the Saily app — that is in-app plan sharing, not necessarily phone tethering. | Official help article (dated August 24, 2026): most Nomad eSIMs support tethering. Stability may vary by device or local network, and Nomad does not guarantee hotspot functionality in every case. The same article says Nomad eSIMs are data-only and do not support traditional voice calls and SMS. |
We compared official Europe pages from Saily and Nomad, Saily’s unlimited and help-center fair-use pages, and Nomad’s hotspot and refund help articles, all fetched November 10, 2026. We have not run speed tests, and we do not invent scores. This is not personalized advice. Confirm the live country list, the 35- versus 36-destination toggle on Nomad, and that your phone is unlocked and eSIM-compatible before you buy.
See also Airalo vs Saily, Airalo vs Nomad, Holafly vs Saily, and unlimited eSIM fair use explained.
Saily vs Nomad: side-by-side
| Saily Europe | Nomad Europe | |
|---|---|---|
| Official fixed-data prices we can cite | 1 GB / 7 days $4.99; 3 GB / 30 days $12.49; 5 GB / 30 days $19.49; 10 GB / 30 days $35.99; 50 GB / 90 days $95.99. The page title and feature list also say plans start from $3.99; the lowest priced tier on the table we fetched was $4.99. | 1 GB / 7 days $7; 3 GB / 30 days $13; 5 GB / 30 days $19; 10 GB / 30 days $25; 20 GB / 30 days $29; 50 GB / 30 days $39. The page title says “from US$ 5.5”; the lowest priced tier on the table we fetched was $7. We report both, and we do not treat $5.5 as a plan we can attach to a listed allowance. |
| Official unlimited prices we can cite | 15-day unlimited $49.99, clearly listed. Saily’s unlimited FAQ has said a Europe unlimited plan starts from $28.99 in 7- to 30-day lengths; the 7-day unlimited checkout price was not isolated on the Europe page, so we are not inventing it. | The official Europe page had an Unlimited Data Plans heading, but the fetch did not include priced unlimited tiers, so we are not stating a Nomad unlimited price. |
| Destinations | 35 countries across Europe | A 35-country plan and a 36-country plan (including Turkey). The price table in our fetch appeared next to the “36 destinations - incl. Turkey” label, with a country list that includes the United Kingdom and Turkey. Coverage may not include overseas territories. |
| What “unlimited” means, as written | Official unlimited FAQ: 5 GB of high-speed data in a 24-hour period, then unlimited data at about 1 Mbps until the period resets. For most destinations the help center says the reset is local midnight; regional or multi-zone plans may use a fixed UTC time, with an 80% notification. | No priced unlimited tier in this fetch, so there is no official daily cap to quote for a Nomad unlimited Europe plan here. Fixed plans are a total amount for the validity period. |
| Hotspot / tethering | Europe page: “Hotspot sharing: Unlimited!” The help center separately says you cannot share unlimited plans with other people in the Saily app — that is in-app plan sharing, not necessarily phone tethering. | Official help article (dated August 24, 2026): most Nomad eSIMs support tethering. Stability may vary by device or local network, and Nomad does not guarantee hotspot functionality in every case. The same article says Nomad eSIMs are data-only and do not support traditional voice calls and SMS. |
| Activation window | 180 days from purchase; unused plans activate automatically at the end of that window. A plan bought November 10, 2026, would auto-activate on May 10, 2027, if unused, per the Europe page example. | You can install now and start later, but you must activate within 60 days of purchase or the plan activates automatically and the expiry clock starts. |
| Refunds, as stated | We did not fetch a Saily refund-policy page for this comparison, so we are not stating Saily’s refund terms. | Request within 30 days of purchase. Unused and uninstalled or unactivated plans may be fully refundable. Activated plans are treated as used; a partial refund for unused data may be possible if usage is not significant and Nomad verifies a network or technical failure. Unlimited plans, among some other named plans, are non-refundable. |
What are the pros and cons?
Saily: pros
- Official 1 GB / 7-day price of $4.99 is lower than Nomad’s $7 for the same allowance and length
- A clearly priced 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99, with a written 5 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps rule
- A 180-day activation window, which is three times Nomad’s official 60 days
Saily: cons
- Official 10 GB / 30-day price of $35.99 is higher than Nomad’s $25 for the same allowance and length
- 35-country list, versus Nomad’s 36-destination option that includes Turkey
- We did not fetch Saily’s refund policy for this page
- We have not speed-tested Saily
Nomad: pros
- Strong official mid-size value: 10 GB / 30 days at $25 and 20 GB / 30 days at $29
- A 36-destination option that lists Turkey, plus a 30-day unused-refund window
- Official help text that tethering is supported on most plans
Nomad: cons
- The fetch did not include a priced Nomad unlimited Europe tier
- A shorter 60-day activation window, and unlimited plans are non-refundable under Nomad’s policy
- 1 GB / 7 days is officially $7, versus Saily’s $4.99
- We have not speed-tested Nomad
Which should you choose: Saily or Nomad?
These official catalogs overlap on fixed data and diverge on price by tier. Saily was cheaper on the official 1 GB / 7-day plan ($4.99 vs $7) and published a 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99 with a 5 GB-then-1 Mbps rule and a 180-day activation window. Nomad was cheaper on official 10 GB / 30-day ($25 vs $35.99) and 20 GB / 30-day ($29, a tier Saily did not list on the Europe page), and it adds a 36-destination option that includes Turkey plus a 30-day unused refund window. The official 5 GB / 30-day prices were nearly the same ($19.49 vs $19). We are not treating this as an unlimited-versus-unlimited contest, because Nomad’s unlimited section did not include prices in our fetch. Confirm the destination toggle at checkout. We have not tested either network.
Choose Saily if…
- You want official light-data value (1 GB / 7 days at $4.99) or a priced 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99
- A 180-day activation window and a written 5 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps unlimited rule matter more than a mid-size 10 or 20 GB discount
Choose Nomad if…
- You can work with a fixed data allowance and want official value such as 10 GB / 30 days at $25 or 20 GB / 30 days at $29
- A 36-destination list that includes Turkey, or a 30-day unused refund window, matters more than a priced unlimited plan
The cheaper brand depends on the tier
Do not flatten this to “Saily is cheaper” or “Nomad is cheaper.” On the official Europe tables we fetched November 10, 2026, Saily wins the 1 GB / 7-day comparison ($4.99 vs $7) and is slightly cheaper at 3 GB / 30 days ($12.49 vs $13). Nomad is slightly cheaper at 5 GB / 30 days ($19 vs $19.49) and much cheaper at 10 GB / 30 days ($25 vs $35.99). Nomad also sells 20 GB / 30 days at $29; Saily’s next official step on the Europe page is 50 GB / 90 days at $95.99, which is a different length and a different allowance, so it is not a like-for-like undercut of that $29 plan. Both pages advertise a lower “from” price ($3.99 on Saily, $5.5 on Nomad) than the cheapest row we could actually attach to a listed plan.
Who should skip this?
- Travelers whose phone is locked or not eSIM-capable. Apple’s official list starts at iPhone XS, XS Max and XR.
- People comparing Saily or Nomad with Airalo or Holafly. Use those head-to-heads, or best eSIM for Europe.
- Shoppers who need a priced Nomad unlimited Europe plan. We could not cite one from this fetch.
- Anyone looking for a scored speed winner. We have not tested these networks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saily cheaper than Nomad for Europe?
Does Nomad cover more of Europe than Saily?
What does Saily’s unlimited Europe plan actually include?
Can I get a refund if I do not use the plan?
How long can I wait to activate the eSIM?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Nov 10, 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- Saily: eSIM for Europe official page — fixed and 15-day unlimited prices, 35 countries, 180-day activation, unlimited hotspot language (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (saily.com)
- Saily: An eSIM with unlimited data — 5 GB then 1 Mbps FAQ and Europe unlimited starting from $28.99 (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (saily.com)
- Saily Help Center: How Saily data plans work — daily high-speed allowance then about 1 Mbps; regional reset timing (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (support.saily.com)
- Nomad: Europe eSIM official page — fixed-data prices, 35- and 36-destination options, 60-day activation (fetched Nov 10, 2026) (nomadesim.com)
- Nomad Help Center: Hotspot/Tethering — most plans support tethering; data-only (dated Aug 24, 2026; fetched Nov 10, 2026) (nomadesim.com)
- Nomad Help Center: Refund Policy — 30-day window; unused may be refundable; unlimited plans non-refundable (dated Aug 24, 2026; fetched Nov 10, 2026) (nomadesim.com)
Related
Airalo vs Nomad eSIM (2026)
Airalo’s official 7-day Europe unlimited plan listed at $27 on November 10, 2026, for 41 countries, with a written 3 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps fair-use rule. Nomad’s official Europe page listed fixed-data plans, including 1 GB / 7 days at $7 and 20 GB / 30 days at $29, on a table shown with a 36-destination label that includes Turkey. Nomad supports tethering on most plans and offers a 30-day refund window for unused, unactivated plans — and lists unlimited plans as non-refundable.
comparisonAiralo vs Saily eSIM (2026)
On official pages fetched November 10, 2026, Airalo’s 7-day Europe unlimited plan listed at $27, with a written 3 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps fair-use rule and 41 countries. Saily’s Europe page listed a 1 GB / 7-day fixed plan at $4.99 and a 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99, covering 35 countries. Saily’s unlimited-data FAQ says regional unlimited plans get 5 GB of high-speed data per 24 hours, then 1 Mbps — a higher daily allowance than Airalo’s default 3 GB, if that FAQ figure is the one on the plan you buy.
comparisonHolafly vs Saily eSIM (2026)
These are not the same kind of “unlimited” plan. Official Holafly Europe prices on November 10, 2026 ran from $11.90 for 3 days to $76.50 for 30 days, with a 6-month refund window, Always On 1 GB backup, 1 GB of hotspot data per day, and 33 destinations. Official Saily Europe pages listed a 15-day unlimited plan at $49.99, 35 countries, a written 5 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps fair-use rule, and unlimited hotspot sharing. We compared those written terms, not a speed test.
guideWhat “Unlimited” eSIM Plans Actually Allow (2026)
“Unlimited” on a travel eSIM is usually a daily high-speed allowance, then a slower speed, not uncapped 5G. Official Airalo policy is 3 GB per 24 hours, then 1 Mbps, resetting from the time you activated the eSIM. Official Saily policy is 5 GB of high-speed data per 24 hours, then about 1 Mbps. Official Holafly language describes operator fair-use slowdowns, generally lasting no more than one day, without a daily gigabyte figure. Read the live plan details before you buy. This is not a speed test.
comparisonAiralo vs Ubigi Europe Unlimited eSIM (2026)
On official pages fetched November 10, 2026, Airalo’s Europe unlimited plans ran from $11.50 for 3 days to $71.00 for 30 days, covering 41 countries, with a written 3 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps fair-use rule. Ubigi’s official one-off Europe unlimited 30-day plan was $62, with 60 GB of full-speed data then 2 Mbps, stated data sharing, Smartstart activation on arrival, and expiry if the plan is not activated within six months. The eSIM is described as reusable in 200+ destinations and as a data-only service.
best ofThe Best eSIM for a Europe Trip
If you want a clearly priced 7-day unlimited plan, Airalo listed $27 for 41 countries on November 10, 2026, with a written 3 GB-per-day then 1 Mbps fair-use rule. Holafly’s 7-day Europe plan listed at $27.50, with a 6-month refund window and a 1 GB-per-day hotspot cap. If you can use a fixed allowance, Saily’s 1 GB / 7-day plan was $4.99, and Nomad’s 20 GB / 30-day plan was $29.