Roamly vs Nomad
An honest, like-for-like comparison for Australian travellers. Prices checked 19 September 2026.
Nomad is a well-run US eSIM store with a big catalogue: fixed-data plans, unlimited plans by the day, long-term 180- and 365-day plans, and add-ons to extend what you have. It shows Australians prices in AUD. Roamly is a small Australian company with a shorter menu and lower prices on the plans most trips need.
On the six destinations Australians fly to most, a like-for-like 5 GB plan is 3% to 32% cheaper with Roamly, every plan includes hotspot and can be topped up, and the person answering the chat is in Sydney. If you need unlimited data, a plan that runs for a year, or a destination we don't cover yet, Nomad is the better fit today. The rest of this page is the detail behind that.
At a glance
Pricing
Roamly
Priced and charged in AUD by an Australian company.
Nomad
Shown in AUD to Australian visitors. 14 currencies supported.
Coverage
Roamly
100+ countries and territories, through single-country plans and regional bundles.
Nomad
200+ destinations, plus regional and global eSIMs.
Plan types
Roamly
Fixed-data plans from 3 GB to 50 GB. No unlimited option.
Nomad
Fixed data, unlimited by the day, and long-term plans of 180 or 365 days. Also a $3 a month Europe subscription and a free 1 GB trial eSIM for new users.
Speed limits
Roamly
No daily cap or throttling imposed by Roamly. Local operators' fair-use rules can still apply.
Nomad
Fixed-data plans run at full speed. Unlimited plans give 2 GB a day at full speed, then slow down for the rest of the day.
Calls and texts
Roamly
Data only. Your Australian SIM stays in for calls and texts.
Nomad
Data only, except Thailand's DTAC plan, which includes a number, and a UK calls-and-texts trial.
Hotspot
Roamly
Included on every plan, no restrictions.
Nomad
Supported on most plans, but not guaranteed.
Top-ups
Roamly
Reloadable plans top up from My eSIMs without reinstalling. Every plan in the six destinations here is reloadable.
Nomad
Add-ons can be bought while a plan is still active, but days can't be extended. Once it expires you install a new eSIM.
Support
Roamly
Real people in Sydney by live chat, email and phone, 9am to 5pm AEST. Replies within 24 hours.
Nomad
24/7 chat in the app and on the website, plus email. First reply within an hour. No phone line.
Refunds
Roamly
Generally not available once your eSIM is provisioned. Always refunded if provisioning fails, nothing is delivered, or you're charged twice. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply.
Nomad
Within 30 days of purchase if the eSIM hasn't been installed or activated. After activation, only for a verified fault. Unlimited plans are not refundable at all.
Apps
Roamly
iPhone and Android apps, and the website works on any phone.
Nomad
iPhone and Android apps.
Payment
Roamly
Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Nomad
Cards including Amex, Discover, JCB and UnionPay, plus PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Rewards
Roamly
Cashback credit that grows with what you've spent, plus referral credit.
Nomad
Nomad Points worth 5 to 15% back by membership tier, expiring after six months, plus US$5 each way on referrals.
Company
Roamly
Australian-owned and run from Sydney (HJ Atlas Pty Ltd).
Nomad
Founded 2020. Run by LotusFlare, Inc. from Santa Clara, California. 3 million+ registered users.
| Feature | Roamly | Nomad |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Priced and charged in AUD by an Australian company. | Shown in AUD to Australian visitors. 14 currencies supported. |
| Coverage | 100+ countries and territories, through single-country plans and regional bundles. | 200+ destinations, plus regional and global eSIMs. |
| Plan types | Fixed-data plans from 3 GB to 50 GB. No unlimited option. | Fixed data, unlimited by the day, and long-term plans of 180 or 365 days. Also a $3 a month Europe subscription and a free 1 GB trial eSIM for new users. |
| Speed limits | No daily cap or throttling imposed by Roamly. Local operators' fair-use rules can still apply. | Fixed-data plans run at full speed. Unlimited plans give 2 GB a day at full speed, then slow down for the rest of the day. |
| Calls and texts | Data only. Your Australian SIM stays in for calls and texts. | Data only, except Thailand's DTAC plan, which includes a number, and a UK calls-and-texts trial. |
| Hotspot | Included on every plan, no restrictions. | Supported on most plans, but not guaranteed. |
| Top-ups | Reloadable plans top up from My eSIMs without reinstalling. Every plan in the six destinations here is reloadable. | Add-ons can be bought while a plan is still active, but days can't be extended. Once it expires you install a new eSIM. |
| Support | Real people in Sydney by live chat, email and phone, 9am to 5pm AEST. Replies within 24 hours. | 24/7 chat in the app and on the website, plus email. First reply within an hour. No phone line. |
| Refunds | Generally not available once your eSIM is provisioned. Always refunded if provisioning fails, nothing is delivered, or you're charged twice. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply. | Within 30 days of purchase if the eSIM hasn't been installed or activated. After activation, only for a verified fault. Unlimited plans are not refundable at all. |
| Apps | iPhone and Android apps, and the website works on any phone. | iPhone and Android apps. |
| Payment | Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay. | Cards including Amex, Discover, JCB and UnionPay, plus PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. |
| Rewards | Cashback credit that grows with what you've spent, plus referral credit. | Nomad Points worth 5 to 15% back by membership tier, expiring after six months, plus US$5 each way on referrals. |
| Company | Australian-owned and run from Sydney (HJ Atlas Pty Ltd). | Founded 2020. Run by LotusFlare, Inc. from Santa Clara, California. 3 million+ registered users. |
Like-for-like prices
The fairest comparison is the same plan on both sides. Both companies sell a 5 GB, 30-day plan in each of these destinations, so nothing here is approximated. Prices are in Australian dollars as each site shows them to an Australian visitor, read on 19 September 2026.
| 5 GB, 30 days | Roamly | Nomad | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | A$12.45 | A$16.73 | A$4.28 (26%) |
| Japan | A$9.45 | A$13.94 | A$4.49 (32%) |
| Thailand | A$9.10 | A$11.16 | A$2.06 (18%) |
| Vietnam | A$13.50 | A$13.94 | A$0.44 (3%) |
| USA | A$15.40 | A$22.31 | A$6.91 (31%) |
| New Zealand | A$15.45 | A$18.13 | A$2.68 (15%) |
Every Roamly plan in this table can be topped up from My eSIMs without reinstalling.
The cheapest way in
Entry-level plans aren't like-for-like, so here's what each one buys. Nomad's is a 1 GB, 7-day plan; Roamly's starts at 3 GB for 15 or 30 days. Nomad's costs less in four of the six destinations, ours in Japan and Thailand. For a couple of days of light use Nomad's entry plan can be the cheaper ticket; for anything longer, our 3 GB plan buys three times the data and a much longer clock for about the same money.
| Cheapest plan | Roamly | Nomad |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | A$7.003 GB, 15 days | A$5.581 GB, 7 days |
| Japan | A$5.453 GB, 15 days | A$5.581 GB, 7 days |
| Thailand | A$6.803 GB, 30 days | A$6.971 GB, 7 days |
| Vietnam | A$8.003 GB, 30 days | A$5.581 GB, 7 days |
| USA | A$8.453 GB, 30 days | A$6.971 GB, 7 days |
| New Zealand | A$7.453 GB, 15 days | A$6.271 GB, 7 days |
Where each one wins
Where Nomad wins
- More places: 200+ destinations against our 100+.
- Unlimited plans by the day, if you'd rather not think about data at all.
- Long-term plans that run 180 or 365 days, which we don't sell.
- Support around the clock, with a first reply promised within an hour.
- A 30-day refund window, as long as you haven't installed the eSIM.
- A free 1 GB trial eSIM for new users, so you can test it before paying.
Where Roamly wins
- Cheaper on every one of the six like-for-like plans.
- Hotspot on every plan, with no restrictions. Nomad supports it on most plans but doesn't guarantee it.
- Top up a plan that's already running low, without reinstalling.
- Priced and charged in AUD by an Australian company, with people in Sydney answering the chat.
- One clear catalogue: five plans per country, not forty.
Which should you pick?
Going to Bali, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the US or New Zealand for a week or more? Roamly. The like-for-like plan is cheaper, you can hotspot and top up, and you're dealing with an Australian company.
Want unlimited data, a plan that lasts six months or a year, or somewhere we don't cover yet? Nomad. Those are real gaps in our catalogue and we'd rather say so than sell you the wrong thing.
A few days, light use? Compare the entry plans above. Nomad's 1 GB plan can be the cheaper ticket for a very short trip, and its free 1 GB trial eSIM costs nothing at all if you've never used it.
Common questions
On a like-for-like 5 GB, 30-day plan, yes, in all six destinations we checked on 19 September 2026: Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the USA and New Zealand. The gap ranges from a few per cent in Vietnam to about a third in Japan and the USA. Nomad's entry plan is 1 GB for 7 days, which costs less in absolute terms than our 3 GB plan in four of the six.
Unlimited plans sold by the day, long-term plans that run 180 or 365 days, 200+ destinations, 24/7 support, and a free 1 GB trial eSIM for new users. If any of those is essential for your trip, Nomad is the better fit today.
With Roamly, yes, on every plan and with no restrictions, so you can share your data with a laptop, tablet or travelling companion. Nomad says hotspot works on most of its plans but does not guarantee it, so it's worth checking the plan you want.
With Roamly, yes: reloadable plans top up from My eSIMs without reinstalling, and every plan in the six destinations on this page is reloadable. Nomad sells add-ons while a plan is still active, but you can't extend the number of days, and once a plan expires you install a new eSIM.
Roamly plans are digital products and refunds are generally not available once your eSIM is provisioned, though we always refund if provisioning fails, nothing is delivered, or you're charged twice, and your Australian Consumer Law guarantees always apply. Nomad refunds within 30 days of purchase if you haven't installed or activated the eSIM; after activation only a verified fault qualifies, and its unlimited plans aren't refundable.
Both sides were read on 19 September 2026, in AUD as shown to an Australian visitor. Prices on both sites change, and Nomad runs sales on some plans, so we re-check monthly and note the date at the bottom of this page. If you spot something out of date, email hello@onroamly.com and we'll fix it.
See what your trip would cost
Plans for 100+ countries and territories, priced in AUD.
Roamly figures are from our own plan catalogue and policies. Nomad figures were read from nomadesim.com and its help centre on 19 September 2026, in AUD as shown to a visitor in Australia, and checked a second time the same day. Both companies change prices and terms; we re-check this page monthly. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@onroamly.com. Nomad is a trademark of its owner. Roamly is not affiliated with Nomad.
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