Comparison

DubaiNow vs PayBy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DubaiNow

This app serves as a unified digital platform for all individual services in Dubai, connecting users to over 320 essential services from more than 50 entities. It simplifies managing bills, driving, housing, health, education, and more, offering convenient and secure access to government and private sector services.

Highlights
  • Effortless bill payments
  • Smart driving services
  • Seamless housing management
  • Simplified residency applications
  • Comprehensive health services
  • Empowered education resources
  • Secure police and legal access
Features
Read full description

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.

About

PayBy

This app offers a secure and convenient way to make cashless and contactless payments using facial recognition and fingerprint technology. It provides access to discounts, coupons, and loyalty benefits at various merchants, and allows users to manage bank cards, mobile top-ups, and cash transactions without visiting a bank.

Highlights
  • Facial recognition and fingerprint security
  • QR code payments
  • Cashless and contactless transactions
  • Access to coupons and discounts
  • Loyalty benefits
  • Manage bank cards and mobile top-ups
  • Cash in and out functionality
Features
Read full description

As an Abu Dhabi-based Fintech company, PayBy is dedicated to meet your various payment needs with the world-class facial recognition and fingerprint technology that guards the security of your funds. Free from the cash-and-carry disorder. Have you ever used QR Code to pay? It’s a cashless, contactless, easy and convenient way to make online and offline payments. All you need is a smartphone and PayBy. Enjoy multiple Coupons & Discounts. Covering high-frequency payment scenarios, including supermarkets, pharmacies, hotels, we offer latest discounts, coupons and exclusive loyalty benefits. Be the first to know and save more with PayBy. More secure and faster access to shop. Guard the security of your shopping with the world-class technology. Only a few simple steps and you are ready to use PayBy. Manage your wallet & finances with higher security. Manage your Bank Card, Mobile Top-up and Cash In & Out without visiting the bank. Save yourself the time, hassle, and cost when managing your finances.

Screenshots

DubaiNow4 screens
PayBy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DubaiNow at 63% against PayBy's 15%. DubaiNow also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.4) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 10). PayBy's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DubaiNow holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DubaiNow has 1.5K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of DubaiNow's written reviews are positive against 15% of PayBy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DubaiNow ships an update every 9 days, PayBy every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DubaiNow versus PayBy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDubaiNowPayBy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.5K ratings) — better2.4 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews62.7% of reviews — better15.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.5K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB139 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDubai eGovernment DepartmentBotim Money Technology LLC

Customer experience

DubaiNow

All ratings1,500 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews217 reviews
Positive62.7%
Neutral9.7%
Negative27.6%

PayBy

All ratings11 ratings
Positive36.4%
Neutral9.1%
Negative54.5%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive15.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative80.0%

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

PayBy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

DubaiNow

No in-app purchases

None

PayBy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DubaiNow free?
DubaiNow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PayBy free?
PayBy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DubaiNow or PayBy?
DubaiNow is rated higher. DubaiNow averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while PayBy averages 2.4 from 10 ratings.
Do DubaiNow or PayBy have ads?
Neither DubaiNow nor PayBy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DubaiNow or PayBy?
DubaiNow ships an update every 9 days, and PayBy every 5 weeks. Most recently, DubaiNow was updated on November 6, 2026 and PayBy on November 3, 2026.

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