DubaiNow vs Viya
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DubaiNow
This app is the official government platform for managing over 320 essential services from more than 50 entities in Dubai. It allows users to conveniently handle bills, driving, housing, health, education, and more, simplifying daily life with secure access to government and private sector services.
- Bill payments and top-ups
- Vehicle registration and fines
- Housing and DEWA management
- Visa sponsorship and renewal
- Health appointment management
- Education directory access
- Police clearance certificates
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The Unified Platform For All Individual Services In the City DubaiNow is the only official Dubai government app connecting you to over 320 essential services from 50+ entities. Seamlessly manage everything from bills and driving to housing, health, education, and more – all at your fingertips. Simplify your life in Dubai with convenient and secure access to government and private sector services. New features are constantly being added to make your daily tasks easier. Do it all with DubaiNow: · Effortless Payments: Settle DEWA, Etisalat, Du, FEWA, Empower, Dubai Municipality bills, and top up Salik, NOL, and Dubai Customs. · Smart Driving: Pay fines, renew your vehicle registration and driving license, manage your plates and Salik account, pay for parking and fuel, handle parking permits, and view accident locations. · Seamless Housing: Pay your DEWA bills, view invoices and consumption details, activate your account, access RERA rent calculator, verify title deeds, and explore property listings, Dubai citizens can also apply for land grants. · Simplified Residency: Sponsor/renew/cancel visas, view dependent permits, · Comprehensive Health: Manage appointments, view results & prescriptions, track vaccinations, find doctors, clinics, and hospitals (DHA), · Empowered Education: Explore KHDA school & Dubai university directories, sign parent-school contracts, get academic history, and find training institutes. · Secure Police & Legal: Easily apply for Police Clearance Certificates, find the nearest police station, inquire about court case status, connect with a lawyer, and quickly access emergency contacts. · Easy Travel: Track Dubai Airport flights and report lost items. · Islamic Services: View prayer times, find mosques, manage Zakat/Iftar during Ramadan, and pay different types of expiations, · Meaningful Donations: Support numerous local charities. · And More: Explore Dubai landmarks, stay updated on city events, access digital business cards, view Dubai Sports and Calendar updates, locate nearby ATMs, and use Madinati to report infrastructure concerns.
Viya
Discover exclusive rewards and experiences across Dubai's top restaurants, leisure destinations, and golf courses. Access a world of offers at cafes, gyms, spas, pools, and private beaches, all within a free-to-download app.
- Lifestyle rewards
- Exclusive offers
- Restaurants and cafes
- Leisure destinations
- Golf courses
- Gyms, spas, pools, beaches
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Viya is Dubai’s lifestyle rewards app, offering residents and visitor’s rewards and experiences across leading restaurants, leisure destinations and golf courses. The Viya app is free to download and provides exclusive access to offers at various locations across Dubai. From restaurants and cafes, to gyms, spas, golf courses, pools and private beaches; Viya provides access to the good life in Dubai. The Viya lifestyle rewards app is part of Wasl Hospitality and Leisure.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DubaiNow at 63% against Viya's 30%. DubaiNow also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DubaiNow holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 346 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of DubaiNow's written reviews are positive against 30% of Viya's.
DubaiNow ships an update every 9 days, Viya every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DubaiNow | Viya |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better | 4.6 (346 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews — better | 29.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 346 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 183 MB | 128 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dubai eGovernment Department | Wasl |
Customer experience
DubaiNow
Viya
User reviews
DubaiNow
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💻 Comprehensive app for Dubai services
- ⚡ Efficient bill payment
- 🗓 Convenient access to government services
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Login and authentication issues
- 💳 Payment processing problems
- 🔄 Unreliable service and app functionality
Viya
From 346 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Great discounts
- 💰 Loyalty program beneficial
- ⛳ Good golf offers
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🌟 Amazing experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 OTP not received
- 🐛 App not working
- 🐛 Registration issues
- 🐛 Poor customer service
- 🐛 Unresponsive support
Bugs and requests
DubaiNow
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to log in or access accounts
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Incorrect or outdated information displayed
- Payment failures and processing errors
Requested features
4 requests- Improved app stability and reliability
- Seamless integration with other apps and services
- Enhanced user interface and experience
- Expanded payment options and support
Viya
Reported bugs
30 issues- OTP not received via SMS
- OTP not received via email
- App crashes
- App not working
- Registration not possible
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- Login issues
- Spouse pass not working
- Voucher not working
- Payment methods cancel payments
- Unable to connect phone
- Booking system errors
- Cannot change junior golfer status
- Cannot log in
- Verification code never sent
- Passcode won't work
- Endless loop of OTPs
- App requires constant updates
- New version asks for details again
- New version doesn't work
- Invalid mobile number error
- Cannot update info because of OTP code
- Visa card not accepted for payment
- Setting up profile is challenging
- OTP email not received
- OTP doesn't come through
- Blocked from trying features
- Foreign phone numbers not accepted
- Mobile verification code does not work
- Delete account button doesn't work
- OTP arrives hours too late
Requested features
20 requests- Allow spouse pass to work
- Fix OTP issues for registration and login
- Improve customer service responsiveness
- Provide clear and transparent information
- Allow refunds for unused passes
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Extend points expiry
- Improve venue selection
- Add search function to main page
- Fix booking system errors
- Allow cancellation or changes to bookings
- Add dark mode
- Make delete account button functional
- Allow use of foreign phone numbers for registration
- Improve app usability and navigation
- Fix issues with changing junior golfer status
- Allow easier login with different numbers
- Bring back removed restaurant offers
- Improve payment processing
- Allow updating personal details without OTP issues
- Test app updates more comprehensively
In-app purchases
DubaiNow
No in-app purchases
Viya
No in-app purchases
