Free Zone Comparison Tool: DIFC, ADGM, DMCC, JAFZA, QFC and Bahrain
Choosing where to incorporate is one of the most expensive decisions a founder makes, and most comparisons stop at the licence fee. This free zone comparison tool estimates year-one cost, visa count, office requirements, legal framework, banking access, tax regime and time to incorporate across seven leading jurisdictions: DIFC, ADGM, DMCC, Bahrain International Investment Park, JAFZA, Qatar Financial Centre and Dubai Silicon Oasis. Adjust your company size and activity and the cards update instantly. Figures are ballpark estimates compiled from official sources and 2025-2026 published packages, not quotes — use them to shortlist, then verify with the zone before paying anything.
How the free zone comparison works
Select a free zone, your company size and your main activity. The tool builds a year-one cost range from published licence packages, adds typical office and visa costs for your team size, and applies a visa quota consistent with each zone’s office rules. It then ranks the two closest alternatives for your activity, so you can weigh DIFC against ADGM or DMCC against JAFZA in one view. Every estimate is a range, because real invoices vary with activity codes, office fit-out and renewal timing.
Compare free zones side by side
Ranges are ballpark estimates from 2025-2026 published packages; verify with each zone before paying.
What your free zone comparison result means
Read the highlighted card for the zone you selected, then the two alternatives. If cost is your constraint, the cheapest qualifying zone wins; if you run regulated fintech, the cheapest zone may not licence your activity at all, so check the legal framework line first. A “0% qualifying income” tax line only holds while you meet Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions in the UAE; Bahrain applies no corporate tax regardless, and Qatar charges 10 percent. Treat visa counts as a planning figure tied to office size, and remember renewal costs typically run 50 to 70 percent of the first-year licence. Pair the choice with our MVP cost breakdown to see how licence fees sit inside your overall burn, and use our startup runway calculator to test how long the year-one cost extends your runway.
Free zone comparison: methodology, sources and assumptions
The tool combines published 2025-2026 packages — DIFC’s fee schedule on difc.ae, ADGM’s 2025 licence fee cuts of 50 to 67 percent, DMCC’s Jump Start package at AED 43,780 on dmcc.ae, JAFZA and Dubai Silicon Oasis pricing, QFC guidance and Bahrain’s Sijilat rates via invest.bh — with standard assumptions: one visa per flexi desk or small office, USD 800 to USD 1,200 per visa including medical tests and Emirates ID, and serviced-office costs added once the team passes five people. Exchange rates use mid-2026 averages. Cost ranges reflect year one only; renewal, banking and compliance fees differ. These official pages remain the authoritative source, so confirm figures before committing, and see how the entity choice affects your cap table and future raises in our cap table guide and accelerator vs incubator vs venture studio comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which free zone is cheapest for a tech startup?
Bahrain’s International Investment Park or Dubai Silicon Oasis typically start below USD 8,000 for year one, while DIFC can pass USD 30,000 once office space is included. ADGM’s Cat B non-financial licence, cut by 50 to 67 percent in 2025, runs about USD 5,800 all-in. Verify current packages with each zone.
Do UAE free zones still offer 0 percent tax?
Only qualifying companies. Qualifying Free Zone Persons pay 0 percent on qualifying income, while other income is taxed at 9 percent above AED 375,000 of profit, and breaching the 5 percent non-qualifying threshold removes the benefit for that year. Bahrain charges no corporate tax for most businesses and Qatar applies 10 percent.
How many visas do I get in a free zone?
Quotas follow office space. DMCC’s Jump Start package includes one residency visa on a flexi desk, DIFC and ADGM tie quotas to your lease, and Bahrain zones typically approve one to two visas per small office. Budget roughly USD 800 to USD 1,200 per visa including medical tests and Emirates ID.
Which free zone is best for fintech?
Bahrain’s CBB sandbox is the cheapest regulated test route in the GCC, and ADGM’s FSRA sandbox suits wealth and asset-management fintech. DIFC offers the strongest institutional brand but regulated licences run into six figures, while DMCC’s Crypto Centre serves digital-asset firms under VARA oversight.