Two real candidates for the same shortlist. Below: the entry numbers side by side, then when each one actually wins. Meydan Free Zone starts AED 400 cheaper — but price is only the first line of the decision.
| IFZA | Meydan Free Zone | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 12,900 | AED 12,500 |
| Visa quota | up to 3 | up to 3 |
| Activities | 2,000+ | 1,500+ |
| Office | not required | not required |
| Setup time | 3–5 | 2–4 |
| Emirate | Dubai | Dubai |
IFZA starts at AED 12,900; Meydan Free Zone at AED 12,500. That 400-dirham gap disappears the moment you add a second visa allocation or an extra activity, so the headline number is not where this decision lives. Both are Dubai free zones, both incorporate fully remotely, both give a three-visa quota at entry and neither requires an office to start. On paper they are almost the same product.
What actually separates them is the shape of the package and what gets billed on top of the base licence. Run your own figures through the setup-cost calculator before you trust any single quote — the sticker and the all-in cost are rarely the same number.
Activities. IFZA lists 2,000+ business activities against Meydan's 1,500+. For a single-activity consultancy that difference is irrelevant. For a founder who wants to bundle trading, services and a holding activity under one licence, IFZA's broader menu means fewer "that activity isn't available here" conversations later.
Add-ons and transparency. Meydan's mid-range base price is clean, but NOC letters, activity changes and amendments are priced separately, so the real cost can drift once you need paperwork. IFZA's pricing is broker-driven: the same licence is quoted at different numbers by different agents, so the discipline there is comparing every quote against the official tariff.
Speed and banking. Meydan issues in 2–4 days, IFZA in 3–5 — both fast, neither a deciding factor. And both are mainstream, well-recognised Dubai zones, so a company from either opens accounts on similar footing. Neither carries the bank-side prestige of a DMCC address; if reception at the bank is your first priority, that is a different comparison.
| Metric | IFZA | Meydan Free Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Licence from | AED 12,900 | AED 12,500 |
| Activities | 2,000+ | 1,500+ |
| Visa quota (entry) | 3 | 3 |
| Office required | No | No |
| Setup time | 3–5 days | 2–4 days |
| Location | Dubai Silicon Oasis | Nad Al Sheba, Dubai |
Pick IFZA if your activity mix is broad or still uncertain, you want the widest menu under one licence, and you are willing to shop quotes to pin down a fair price.
Pick Meydan Free Zone if you want the lowest clean entry price, a fast fully-remote setup for an e-commerce or services company, and you will keep an eye on add-on fees as you go.
IFZA: The default choice for consultants, agencies and holding setups: a huge activity list, no office requirement at entry tiers and one of the fastest issuance times in Dubai. Pricing is broker-driven — the same licence is quoted at different numbers by different agents, so compare against the official tariff.
IFZA full card →Meydan Free Zone: Fully remote incorporation with a Dubai address at a mid-range price — the reason Meydan became the most-searched free zone in the UAE. Strong for e-commerce and services; watch the add-on fees (NOC letters, activity changes) which are priced separately.
Meydan Free Zone full card →We reply with numbers — a line-by-line setup estimate for your case. Not a call script, not a brochure.