Top 5 Business Setup Cost Calculators in Dubai & UAE (2026)

Starting a business in Dubai is straightforward once you know the numbers. Working out the numbers is the hard part. Most people want a figure for the trade licence, registration, visas and office space before they commit to anything.

A business setup cost calculator gives you an indicative price based on your own requirements rather than a headline package rate. You answer a few questions about your activity, visas and workspace, and the tool returns an estimate.

Five calculators are compared below, across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Each asks for slightly different inputs, which is why two tools can return different numbers for the same business.

What is a business setup cost calculator?

It is an online tool that estimates what it costs to set up a company in Dubai or another emirate.

Most calculators ask about your business activity, jurisdiction, number of shareholders, visa requirements and office type. The tool then produces an estimate or passes your requirements to a consultant who prepares a quotation.

An online estimate is not a final quotation. Government fees, external approvals, premises and changes to your activity list all affect what you actually pay. Treat the number as a planning figure.

Top 5 business setup cost calculators in Dubai and the UAE

1. Aurum Accelerator business setup cost calculator

Aurum’s business setup cost calculator is a four-step tool that returns an itemised estimate. It is free and does not ask you to sign up or hand over an email to see the result.

Step one asks you to pick the activity closest to your plans, from Trading and Distribution, E-commerce, Consultancy and Services, Shipping and Logistics, Holding or SPV, Restaurant and Café, Real Estate Brokerage, Construction, Media and Marketing, or Other. The remaining steps cover your visa requirements, shareholders, office type and licence duration.

What you get back is a breakdown rather than a single number, which makes it easier to see which part of the cost is driven by the licence and which by visas or workspace.

Best for: anyone who wants an itemised Dubai estimate without filling in a contact form first.

2. SRTIP Accelerator free business setup cost calculator

SRTIP Accelerator’s calculator is aimed at founders looking at Sharjah and the wider UAE free zone market.

It covers activities including general trading, e-commerce, tax consultancy, accounting and bookkeeping, logistics, real estate, import and export, and creative services. You can select up to five standard activities and enter your office preference, licence duration, shareholders and visa needs.

Best for: comparing a Sharjah free zone option against Dubai.

3. Momentum business setup cost calculator

Momentum’s calculator runs as a seven-step questionnaire: activity, jurisdiction, owners, visas, office, business name and contact details.

The useful part is the dedicated jurisdiction step. Mainland and free zone costs differ enough that choosing between them changes your budget more than almost any other decision. You enter contact details before seeing a summary, so expect a follow-up.

Best for: founders who have not settled on mainland or free zone yet.

4. Masdar City Innovation Zone cost calculator

Masdar City Innovation Zone runs a three-stage calculator covering personal details, company structure and a cost summary, built specifically around its own Abu Dhabi free zone.

This is not a general UAE tool. It estimates licence, visa and workspace costs for establishing inside that zone.

Best for: technology and innovation businesses looking at Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai.

5. FirstStep business setup cost estimate

FirstStep offers a cost estimate entry point on its homepage alongside information on mainland, free zone and offshore structures, plus published starting package prices.

It is lighter on inputs than the others, so treat the output as a starting range rather than a tailored estimate.

Best for: a first look at how mainland, free zone and offshore setups compare.

Comparing the five calculators

Based on publicly visible calculator features at the time of writing. This is not a test of pricing accuracy or final quotations.

What affects your business setup cost in Dubai?

Five things move the number more than anything else.

• Activity and licence type. A consultancy and a food trading business need different approvals. Some regulated activities need sign-off from an additional authority. A business activity search tells you the exact code before you apply.
• Mainland or free zone. Mainland companies are licensed through the emirate’s economic department, free zone companies through their zone authority. The two carry different premises and fee structures, which is why mainland against free zone is usually the first decision to settle.
• Visas. Each residence visa adds immigration costs, medical screening and Emirates ID processing. A company sponsoring six staff is in a different bracket from a solo consultant.
• Office space. A mainland licence generally needs an Ejari-registered lease. Free zone packages often bundle a flexi-desk. The gap between those two is substantial and recurring.
• Everything else. Trade name reservation, initial approval, document preparation, external approvals and the establishment card. Calculators vary in how many of these they include.

How accurate are online cost calculators?

They are as accurate as the pricing behind them and the questions they ask.

A calculator that never asks about your activity cannot know you need an extra approval. One that skips office type cannot price your premises. The estimate reflects the inputs, so a tool with four or five relevant questions will usually land closer than one with two.

Running two or three calculators is a reasonable sanity check. Where they disagree, that difference is usually something worth asking about rather than evidence that one is wrong. Before committing, get a written quotation that separates government fees, service fees, optional extras and renewal costs.

Which calculator should you use?

If you are setting up in Dubai and want an itemised figure without a sales call first, start with Aurum’s. If you are weighing Sharjah, use SRTIP. If you have not chosen between mainland and free zone, Momentum’s jurisdiction step is built for that. For Abu Dhabi, Masdar City’s own tool is the only one of the five that prices its zone properly. FirstStep suits a first look at the different structures.

The best calculator is the one that asks about the things that actually drive your cost.

Estimate your setup cost with Aurum

Aurum handles company formation across Dubai and the UAE, from trade name reservation and initial approval through to your trade licence, residence visas and corporate bank account.

Use the cost calculator for an indicative figure, then talk to us about a written quotation for your actual activity and structure.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my business setup cost in Dubai?

Enter your business activity, jurisdiction, shareholder details, visa requirements and office preference into a cost calculator. The tool returns an estimate or passes your requirements to a consultant. Confirm government fees and additional charges before you proceed.

Are UAE business setup cost calculators free?

The five tools here are publicly accessible. Some return a figure immediately, others ask for contact details first. A free estimate does not mean the setup service itself is free.

Is mainland setup more expensive than a free zone?

Often, but not always. Mainland licensing and premises requirements differ from free zone packages, and the gap depends on your activity, emirate, office needs and visa count. Compare complete quotations rather than headline licence prices.

Can a calculator price my trade licence and visas together?

Most ask about visas alongside the licence, but the estimate may leave out medical testing, Emirates ID and other immigration charges. Check what is included before relying on the total.

Can investors outside the UAE use these calculators?

Yes. They are useful for budgeting before you travel. You should still confirm the licensing rules, ownership structure and documentation for your specific activity.

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Still working out what your Dubai company will cost? Aurum can review your activity, recommend a jurisdiction and structure, and give you a written quotation covering licence, visas, workspace and government fees.

Speak with our business setup consultants in Dubai for a free consultation.

Last updated: 21 October 2026

This article is for general information only and is not legal or financial advice. Setup costs, government fees and free zone packages change. Figures from any online calculator are indicative, and you should confirm your own costs with a written quotation before committing.