Nomad vs Yesim for China (November 2026): Which eSIM to Buy
Nomad vs Yesim tested in Shanghai: WhatsApp, Google Maps, ChatGPT, TikTok and hotspot results, plus the right plan for your trip and data.
Published 2026-11-06 Updated 2026-11-09
I’ve used Nomad and Yesim on the same iPhone in Shanghai, and twice I tested both on the same day in the same place: at Hongqiao Airport on 14 August and in a Shanghai hotel on 2 November 2026. Both got me onto Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram and ChatGPT without a VPN. Where they differ is speed, TikTok, the hotspot, refunds and what each plan costs, so the right one depends on how much data you need and how long you’re staying.
The short answer:
- Yesim was much faster in my latest side-by-side test, opened TikTok and ran a hotspot that worked well. Its unlimited passes go up to 30 days, with no daily cap set by Yesim.
- Nomad sells bigger bundles, up to 50 GB for 45 days, and refunds a fixed-data plan you’ve installed but not yet activated, as long as you didn’t use a discount code.
- On price, neither wins everywhere. The tables below pick the cheaper plan for your data needs and trip length.
Nomad vs Yesim at a glance
| Nomad | Yesim | |
|---|---|---|
| Tested in | Shanghai (2 tests) | Chengdu and Shanghai (4 tests) |
| Download speed in my tests | 15.5–68.2 Mbps | 65.7–120 Mbps |
| Network | China Unicom, China Telecom | China Mobile in my tests |
| Data exits through | Hong Kong | Singapore |
| WhatsApp, Google Maps, Instagram, ChatGPT | Worked without a VPN in my checks | Worked without a VPN in my checks |
| TikTok | Blocked | Works |
| Microsoft Copilot | Blocked | Blocked |
| Hotspot in my tests | Connected, but very slow | Worked well |
| Fixed-data plans | 1 GB (7 days) to 50 GB (45 days) | 1 GB to 30 GB, all for 30 days |
| Unlimited plans | 3 to 15 days, 2 GB a day at full speed | 1 to 30 days, no daily cap set by Yesim |
| Cheapest China plan | $5.00 for 1 GB, 7 days | $3.36 for 1 GB, 30 days |
| Refund after installing | Yes, within 30 days if not activated (fixed-data plans bought without a code) | No: installing counts as activation |
| When you run low | Buy an add-on before your data runs out | Buy a new plan, which replaces the current one |
| Calls | No, data only | Data only, but you can add 20 minutes of in-app calls for $4.79 |
| Discount codes | Limited-time offers when available | ROAM15 (15% off for new users) |
Which one should you buy?
Start with anything you can’t do without; my test results are further down. If none of it applies to you, pick by data or by days in the tables below.
Pick Yesim if you:
- Use TikTok. It opened on Yesim but not on Nomad.
- Will share your data with a laptop or a travel partner. Yesim’s hotspot worked well; Nomad’s was very slow.
- Want unlimited data for more than 15 days. Yesim’s passes run up to 30 days; Nomad’s stop at 15.
- Want unlimited data without a daily full-speed limit. Nomad slows you down after 2 GB a day.
- Are crossing between mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. Yesim Asia Pacific covers all six within its 15 listed destinations; these comparison tables show China-only plan prices.
Pick Nomad if you:
- Need more than 30 GB. Its 50 GB plan lasts 45 days, and Yesim’s biggest China plan is 30 GB.
- Might cancel your trip after installing. Nomad refunds an installed fixed-data plan, bought without a code, within 30 days if it hasn’t been activated.
- Prefer a dedicated four-destination regional option. Nomad Greater China covers mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; Yesim Asia Pacific also covers all four, so compare the regional products separately from the China-only prices below.
- Prefer a three-country-specific option for mainland China, Japan and South Korea. Nomad’s dedicated eSIM covers those three but not Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan; Yesim Asia Pacific covers all six.
If you know how much data you need
Find the amount you need. The table shows the cheaper of the two right now, after my Yesim code:
| You need | Buy this | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Yesim, 1 GB, 30 days | $2.86
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $3.36 without
|
| 3 GB | Yesim, 3 GB, 30 days | $7.14
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $8.40 without
|
| 5 GB | Yesim, 5 GB, 30 days | $11.22
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $13.20 without
|
| 10 GB | Yesim, 10 GB, 30 days | $18.97
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $22.32 without
|
| 20 GB | Nomad, 20 GB, 30 days | $22.00 |
| 30 GB | Nomad, 50 GB, 45 days | $37.00 |
| Up to 50 GB | Nomad, 50 GB, 45 days | $37.00 |
Yesim’s biggest China plan is 30 GB, so above that, Nomad’s 50 GB plan is the one. Need more than 50 GB? Go unlimited (see below).
If you know how long you’re staying
Not sure how much data you’ll use? Plan for moderate use: maps, messages, payments, social media and the odd video call come to about 0.8 GB a day (here’s how I worked that out). For that, a fixed-data plan with enough data usually costs less than unlimited:
| Trip length | Buy this | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days (2.5 GB) | Yesim, 3 GB, 30 days | $7.14
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $8.40 without
|
| About a week (6 GB) | Yesim, 10 GB, 30 days | $18.97
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $22.32 without
|
| 10 days (8 GB) | Yesim, 10 GB, 30 days | $18.97
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $22.32 without
|
| Two weeks (12 GB) | Nomad, 20 GB, 30 days | $22.00 |
| A month (25 GB) | Nomad, 50 GB, 45 days | $37.00 |
If you watch videos, make video calls or share your connection most days, go unlimited:
| Trip length | Buy this | You pay | Full speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Yesim, 3 days | $11.02
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $12.96 without
| No daily cap set by Yesim |
| 5 days | Nomad, 5 days | $18.00 | 2 GB a day, then slowed |
| About a week | Nomad, 7 days | $25.00 | 2 GB a day, then slowed |
| 10 days | Yesim, 10 days | $31.76
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $37.36 without
| No daily cap set by Yesim |
| Two weeks | Nomad, 15 days | $39.00 | 2 GB a day, then slowed |
| A month (up to 30 days) | Yesim, 30 days | $64.26
with code ROAM15 (new users) · $75.60 without
| No daily cap set by Yesim |
Yesim prices in these tables are after my code, which only works on your first Yesim order. If you’ve ordered from Yesim before, go by the prices before the code further down. The tables don’t count limited-time codes.
My pick
The tables pick on price alone. When the two are within a dollar or two, I’d take Yesim: it held up much better in my side-by-side hotel test, opened TikTok and ran a hotspot I could actually use. Where Nomad is clearly cheaper, or gives you more data for the money, it’s a good buy as long as you don’t need TikTok or a fast hotspot. Weighing Nomad against Airalo instead? See Airalo vs Nomad. For every eSIM I’ve tested, see my best eSIM for China comparison.
Discount codes
At Yesim’s checkout, enter ROAM15 (15% off for new users). On a 7-day unlimited pass, it took the total from $30.24 to $25.70:
Nomad’s free 1GB / 3-day app trial is for new users; redeeming it rules out new-user promo codes.
Which is faster in China?
Yesim, in my tests. Here are the two times I tested both on the same day, in the same place, on the same iPhone 12 mini:
| Same place, same day | Nomad | Yesim |
|---|---|---|
| Hongqiao Airport, 14 Aug 2026 (5G) | 68.2 down · 38.4 up · 95 ms | 65.7 down · 53.2 up · 92 ms |
| Shanghai hotel, 2 Nov 2026 (4G) | 15.5 down · 1.18 up · 122 ms | 68.4 down · 27.7 up · 107 ms |
Speeds are in Mbps. At the airport, on 5G, the two were neck and neck. In the hotel, on 4G, Yesim downloaded more than four times faster and uploaded more than twenty times faster. You’d feel the upload gap first: at 1.18 Mbps, a 3 MB photo takes about 20 seconds to send, against under a second at 27.7 Mbps.
Yesim’s other two tests ran at 73.2 Mbps in a Chengdu hotel and 120 Mbps in a Shanghai hotel. I’ve only tested Nomad twice, and speed depends on the network where you are: Nomad runs on China Unicom and China Telecom, while Yesim connected to China Mobile in my tests. Every test, with screenshots, is in my Nomad review, my Yesim review and the speed test database.
WhatsApp, Google Maps and ChatGPT in China
Both worked with WhatsApp, Google Maps and ChatGPT in my China app checks. Google Maps was included in my Google testing. Nomad routed my data through Hong Kong and Yesim through Singapore; Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok loaded with no VPN running on either connection. TikTok opened on Yesim but not on Nomad, and Microsoft Copilot stayed blocked on both. So if you rely on TikTok with Nomad, or Copilot with either, you’ll still need a VPN (here’s what they cost).
| eSIM | Google Maps | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad eSIM | Tested: worked without a VPN | Tested: worked without a VPN | Tested: worked without a VPN |
| Yesim | Tested: worked without a VPN | Tested: worked without a VPN | Tested: worked without a VPN |
“Tested” refers to my checks on the reviewed China plan. “Brand says” is official information, with field testing still pending. “Not confirmed” means the checked official pages don't establish support; it doesn't mean the app is proven blocked. App access doesn't guarantee every navigation, registration or account feature.
The three requested apps don’t separate these two in my results. I’d choose Yesim when TikTok or the hotspot matters, and compare the actual package cost when WhatsApp, Google Maps and ChatGPT are your main requirements. My Yesim testing used the 1GB / 30-day China plan; these aren’t separate app tests of every unlimited or regional SKU.
The hotspot made a bigger difference. Both brands allow it, but on Nomad it connected and was very slow, only good enough for web pages on the second device. On Yesim it worked well. If you’ll share your data with a laptop or a travel partner, that alone points to Yesim.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on the plan, and on whether you can use my Yesim code. Here are each brand’s own prices for mainland China in US dollars, before any discount code.
Fixed-data plans
| Data | Nomad | Yesim (30 days) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | $5.00 (7 days) | $3.36 |
| 3 GB | $10.00 (30 days) | $8.40 |
| 5 GB | $14.00 (30 days) | $13.20 |
| 10 GB | $19.00 (30 days) | $22.32 |
| 20 GB | $22.00 (30 days) | $35.76 |
| 30 GB | — | $45.60 |
| 50 GB | $37.00 (45 days) | — |
Every Yesim plan lasts 30 days, so you only choose the amount. Nomad’s 1 GB plan lasts 7 days and its 50 GB plan 45 days. When I checked on 5 November 2026, Nomad’s 10 GB and 20 GB plans were on sale, so check today’s price before you buy.
Unlimited plans
| Length | Nomad | Yesim |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | — | $4.32 |
| 3 days | $12.00 | $12.96 |
| 5 days | $18.00 | $21.60 |
| 7 days | $25.00 | $30.24 |
| 10 days | $33.00 | $37.36 |
| 15 days | $39.00 | $49.20 |
| 30 days | — | $75.60 |
| Full speed | 2 GB a day, then slowed | No daily cap set by Yesim |
The two brands mean different things by “unlimited”. Nomad gives you 2 GB a day at full speed, then slows you down until your next 24-hour cycle: to about 1 Mbps according to its help center, or 512 kbps according to its fair usage policy. That’s enough for maps and messages, but not for video. Yesim doesn’t cap the daily speed itself, though partner networks may slow heavy users under their own fair-use rules.
So a week of Nomad unlimited gives you at most 14 GB at full speed. Its 20 GB fixed plan costs $22.00 and lasts 30 days.
Refunds, activation and top-ups
Buy and install before you fly. Nomad won’t sell you a new plan once you’re in mainland China, and provider websites may not load there, so set the eSIM up at home on Wi-Fi. On both, a plan’s days start when the eSIM first connects to a network in China. An unused Nomad plan starts by itself 60 days after purchase; Yesim gives you 90 days from purchase to start yours.
Refunds: Nomad is more forgiving. Nomad refunds a plan within 30 days of purchase if it hasn’t been activated, even after you’ve installed it. Just don’t delete the eSIM before you ask. The exceptions are unlimited plans, which can’t be refunded, and plans bought with a discount code, once they’re installed. Yesim also gives you 30 days, but it counts installing the eSIM as activation, so you can’t get a refund after that. Refunds of €10 or less come back as Ycoins, Yesim’s in-app credit, rather than to your card.
Running low: plan ahead on both. When a fixed-data plan runs out, data stops on both; there’s no slow lane. Nomad can’t add data to an eSIM that has already run out, so buy an add-on while you still have some data left. You can buy one from inside China while your plan is active, and it starts when your current plan ends. On Yesim, you buy a new plan from the eSIM in the app, but it replaces the current one, and leftover data and days don’t carry over. Top up when you’re nearly out.