The UAE's most comprehensive free zone comparison platform — built by an entrepreneur who got frustrated with biased, commission-driven advice and decided to build something better.
When setting up a UAE free zone company, the information landscape is dominated by formation agents who earn AED 3,000–10,000 in commissions for steering you toward specific free zones — regardless of whether those zones are right for your business.
We built UAE FreeZone Compare to fix that. Every free zone profile, comparison, and cost estimate on this platform is independently researched from official free zone authority publications, government fee schedules, and direct verification — not from what earns us a referral fee.
Our goal is simple: give you the same quality of information a well-connected UAE lawyer or accountant would give a high-value client — for free, with no hidden agenda.
No commissions. We receive no referral fees, no introductory payments, and no incentives from any free zone authority, formation agent, or business services provider.
Independently verified data. All pricing, visa quotas, and activity information is cross-checked against official free zone authority sources and updated quarterly.
No promotional rankings. Our ratings and comparisons reflect genuine analysis — no free zone authority can pay to improve their position on this platform.
Honest pros and cons. Every zone profile lists genuine disadvantages alongside benefits. If a zone has banking challenges, we say so.
I'm a UAE-based entrepreneur who has personally set up companies across multiple UAE free zones — DMCC, IFZA, and RAKEZ — and spent years navigating the opaque, commission-driven landscape of UAE business formation advice.
After helping dozens of friends and colleagues make better free zone decisions based on independent research, I built this platform to scale that help. Every data point on this site comes from the same rigorous process I applied to my own company formations.
My research draws on direct outreach to free zone authorities, analysis of official government fee schedules, interviews with UAE-based accountants and lawyers, and my own hands-on experience with the application processes, banking, and compliance requirements of UAE free zones.
How we collect, verify, and maintain the data on this platform
All pricing data is sourced directly from official free zone authority websites, published fee schedules, and official government portals. We do not rely on formation agent quotes or third-party articles for cost figures.
Free zone costs change frequently. We review and update all pricing, visa quota, and activity information every quarter, and perform a full annual audit of every zone profile in January of each year.
Every zone profile intentionally includes disadvantages and known challenges alongside benefits. A zone profile that only lists positives is advertising, not research. We hold ourselves to journalistic standards.
Where possible, we break down the full cost of setting up — not just the headline license fee. This includes visa costs, office/desk fees, medical fees, Emirates ID, annual renewal, and banking setup requirements.
Key data points — particularly corporate tax eligibility criteria, QFZP rules, and regulatory requirements — are cross-checked with UAE-licensed accountants and business law practitioners to ensure accuracy.
No free zone authority, formation agent, or service provider can pay to be featured, ranked higher, or have negative information removed from this platform. Our editorial independence is absolute.
The full scope of UAE free zone information on this platform
| Resource | What You'll Find |
|---|---|
| Free Zone Profiles | Setup costs, visa quotas, activities, pros/cons, banking access for 13 major zones |
| Comparisons | Side-by-side analysis of the most common zone pairings (DMCC vs IFZA, etc.) |
| Cost Calculator | Estimate total setup cost including license, visas, office and first-year expenses |
| Zone Finder | Quiz-based tool that recommends zones based on your activity, budget and goals |
| Guides | Deep-dive articles on banking, corporate tax, visas, mainland vs free zone, and more |
| Best For | Curated rankings — cheapest, best for startups, tech, trading, freelancers, e-commerce |
UAE free zone fees change regularly. While we update data quarterly, always confirm current pricing directly with the free zone authority before making a decision.
This platform provides information, not legal or financial advice. For complex situations — particularly involving corporate tax, regulated financial activities, or multi-jurisdiction structures — consult a UAE-licensed professional.
UAE FreeZone Compare is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any UAE free zone authority, the UAE government, or any formation agent or business services company.
Official authorities we reference for pricing and regulatory information