Confirmed from each provider's own site — see the trust card on each provider page for the verification date.
Airalo
Nomad
Saily
Orbit Mobile
ID verification
Airalo:
Required for some countries (passport/ID)
Nomad:
Not required
Saily:
Not confirmed yet
Orbit Mobile:
Not required
Refund policy
Airalo:
Self-service refund request from your account (My eSIMs > Package History > Request Refund) for wrong purchase, changed plans, installation issues, or a non-working eSIM — expired or fully-used eSIMs aren't eligible. Wrong-purchase/changed-plans refunds go to Airmoney (their in-app credit) only; installation-issue/not-working refunds can go to Airmoney or your original payment method, taking 7-10 business days (up to 30 depending on your bank).
Nomad:
Refund requests must be made within 30 days of purchase: a plan not yet installed or activated may be fully refunded (to the card or as Nomad Points); after activation only a partial refund for verified technical failure. Unlimited plans and a few others are non-refundable.
Saily:
Full refund if the eSIM has not been installed or the data plan was never activated; after activation, refunds only while more than 99% of the data balance remains unused (subscriptions: within 14 days).
Orbit Mobile:
A refund is possible within 30 days of purchase or during plan validity if the eSIM is unactivated, not downloaded, or if the phone is incompatible. A full refund also applies if the plan fails to work due to technical issues. Installed or used eSIMs are non-refundable
Validity starts
Airalo:
Validity starts either when the eSIM connects to the destination network or at the moment of installation, depending on the specific plan — check 'Additional Information > Activation Policy' on the plan page before buying to see which applies.
Nomad:
Validity starts only when the eSIM is activated, meaning first connection to a network or the automatic activation-window deadline - not at installation or purchase.
Saily:
Saily plans must be installed before your trip; the validity/data countdown starts when the eSIM activates (first connection at your destination), not at purchase.
Orbit Mobile:
The plan starts automatically once you arrive in the destination and connect to a local network, and must be activated within six months of purchase or it expires.
Fair-use limit
Airalo:
Unlimited plans default to a 3GB-per-day full-speed allowance before throttling to 1 Mbps for the rest of that 24-hour period (counted from activation, not purchase); a different daily threshold is stated on the specific plan's page when it applies instead of the 3GB default.
Nomad:
Most Unlimited plans give 2 GB of high-speed data per day, then speed drops to about 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps (depending on the plan) for the rest of the day; the allowance resets every 24 hours from activation.
Saily:
Unlimited plans include a Fair Use Policy: full-speed data resets every 24 hours (5GB standard, as low as 3GB in some countries), then speed is reduced until the next reset.
Orbit Mobile:
No fair-use cap
Top-ups & rollover
Airalo:
Only plans marked 'rechargeable' (checkable under Additional Information before buying) can be topped up, via the My eSIMs > Top Up option in the app — a non-rechargeable eSIM or one that changed carriers requires buying a new eSIM instead.
Nomad:
Add-ons can be purchased in the Nomad eSIM app or website (Manage, then Add more data) without reinstalling; not every plan supports add-ons and they cannot be bought from the UAE or India.
Saily:
Existing Saily eSIMs can be topped up (including an Auto Top-Up option) directly in the Saily app without reinstalling, per their Help Center.
Orbit Mobile:
New plans can be added to the same installed eSIM with no reinstall; a plan for the same country or region kicks in automatically once the current one runs out or expires.
Support
Airalo:
Live chat · Help center · 24/7
Nomad:
Help center · Email · Live chat
Saily:
Live chat · Email · Help center · 24/7
Orbit Mobile:
Live chat · 24/7
Comparison by eSIMKart
