# DMCC or ADGM > Compare DMCC's Dubai trading and commodities district with ADGM, Abu Dhabi's financial free zone on Al Maryah Island with English common law and the FSRA regulating financial activity. - Canonical: https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-adgm - Updated: 2026-10-09 - Publication: below the publication gate (No decision value beyond the activity name) - Method: https://dubaisetupindex.com/methodology ## Verdict No like-for-like starting price is published for ADGM, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. Read from the same published figures as the table. Activity eligibility, approvals and the full first year still decide the route. ## Side by side Package figures cover their stated inclusions only. Activity eligibility, the full first-year cost and renewal still need confirmation for your case. | Metric | DMCC (Free zone) | ADGM (Free zone) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | From, no visa | Not published | Not published | | From, one visa | AED 43,780 (12 months · published package) | Not published | | From, two visas | Not published | Not published | | Lowest package price | AED 35,484 (12 months · published package) | Not published | | Licence issued in | 2 weeks (Company setup is described as usually taking about two weeks.) | 10 business days | | Residency visa in | 0–20 business days (The employee visa guide allows up to 20 working days.) | Not published | | Renewal price | AED 20,265 (Trading or service licence renewal for one year is AED 20,265.) | USD 500 (Renewal quoted alongside Foundation initial fee) | | Licence types | Trading, Service, Industrial | Non-regulated, FSRA-regulated financial | | Facility options | Flexi desk, Office, Retail | Office, Coworking within ADGM | | Visa options | Not published | Not published | | Remote paperwork | No | No | | Activity guides catalogued | Not published | Not published | Each figure comes from the same source as its guide page. ### Not published - DMCC · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: Official setup packages and tariffs are published. The existing one-visa package remains available as evidence; quota-only Basic Biz is not an issued-visa bundle. No active setup calculator was located on the checked official surfaces; a rewards calculator is unrelated. - ADGM · From, no visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The old fees URL returned 404. Current setup FAQs and the 2025 fee schedule describe registration and licence categories, not complete 0/1/2-visa setup packages. - ADGM · From, one visa: Checked 2026-10-09: The old fees URL returned 404. Current setup FAQs and the 2025 fee schedule describe registration and licence categories, not complete 0/1/2-visa setup packages. - DMCC · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: Official setup packages and tariffs are published. The existing one-visa package remains available as evidence; quota-only Basic Biz is not an issued-visa bundle. No active setup calculator was located on the checked official surfaces; a rewards calculator is unrelated. - ADGM · From, two visas: Checked 2026-10-09: The old fees URL returned 404. Current setup FAQs and the 2025 fee schedule describe registration and licence categories, not complete 0/1/2-visa setup packages. - ADGM · Lowest package price: No comparable company package price is confirmed. Other published fees and products are listed separately. - ADGM · Residency visa in: No published residency-visa processing time was found for this zone. - DMCC · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - ADGM · Visa options: No visa options recorded for this jurisdiction. - DMCC · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. - ADGM · Activity guides catalogued: We have not published authored activity guides for ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market). Confirm the selected licence line and approvals with the authority. ## Check before choosing ### DMCC Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the DMCC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dmcc) ### ADGM Confirm activity restrictions, premises and visa requirements for your case. [Read the ADGM guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm) ## Frequently asked questions ### Dubai or Abu Dhabi? DMCC licences sit in Dubai and ADGM licences in Abu Dhabi. ADGM's framework is shaped for financial firms; DMCC's for trading and commodities. Confirm which authority licenses your exact activity. ### How are the prices compared? Only package prices at the same visa count and term are ranked against each other. A calculator output, a licence-only estimate or a product flagged as not like for like is shown in the table but never used to name a cheaper side. ### Which costs less on published figures, DMCC or ADGM? No like-for-like starting price is published for ADGM, so the cost side of this comparison is open. Decide on activity fit, location and an itemised quote for your case. ## Related - [DMCC guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/dmcc) - [ADGM guide](https://dubaisetupindex.com/free-zones/adgm) - [All comparisons](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare) ## Machine-readable - [DMCC or ADGM (JSON)](https://dubaisetupindex.com/data/comparisons/dmcc-vs-adgm.json) ## Citation Required when quoting any figure from this page. Copy one of these verbatim — the link is not optional. Dubai Setup Index. “DMCC or ADGM.” Updated 2026-10-09. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-adgm [Dubai Setup Index](https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-adgm). “DMCC or ADGM.” Updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any use or transformation of the data carries: Source: Dubai Setup Index (dubaisetupindex.com), licensed CC BY 4.0. https://dubaisetupindex.com/compare/dmcc-vs-adgm, updated 2026-10-09. Licensed CC BY 4.0: any use or transformation carries the attribution text, with its link and date. Quoting any figure from this record requires a resolvable link to url. Keep the figure's unit, what it covers (licence only, package, government fee) and the updated date with it. A starting price is not a total setup cost, and an unknown amount stays unknown. A figure sourced from a third party (Invest in Dubai, DET, a free zone authority or a partner's quote) keeps its source citation — the source named in the record, with its URL and checked date — alongside the licence attribution.