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All five are direct-hire platforms: you pay for access, contact caregivers yourself and pay no agency placement fee.
| Feature | Yaya Middle East | Peekaboo Nannies | HelperPlace | Find My Nanny | MaidFinder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finding caregivers | |||||
| iOS and Android apps | Yes, plus web | No, web only | Yes, plus web | No, web only | No, web only |
| Caregivers apply to your job | Yes, in the app; you choose who can apply | No, profile listing only | Yes | Yes, on the website | No, profile listing only |
| Search | 23 filters plus Yaya AI | 11 filters | 10 filters plus name search | 10 filters | 11 filters |
| Ways to shortlist | Top Yaya Picks, Best Matches once you post a job, grouped browsing lists (Most Active, New Helpers, References Available, Visa-Ready) and side-by-side comparison | One list with filters | Recommended profiles and a shortlist (per its pricing page) | Filters and a shortlist | One list with filters; favourites after free registration |
| AI search | Yes, Yaya AI: describe what you need in plain language | Not documented | Not documented (offers a "matching analyzer") | Not documented | Not documented |
| Video on profiles | Yes, every caregiver | Yes, video CVs | No | Yes, video CVs + recorded interviews | Yes, video introductions |
| Profile depth | Video, plus work history, references, CV and certifications where provided, last-active and reply-speed signals, and an ID-verified mark | Basics, about, skills; video CV after login | Basics, about, work history with duties, skills, expectations; no video | Basics, about, skills; video CV and recorded interview | Basics, languages, skills, work history with duties, education, notes from its team; video introduction |
| Activity and availability | Ranked by app activity; delisted after 10 days without app use | Manual review; no activity signal published | Shows when a helper was last active | Manual review; no activity signal published | Updated by its team; hired maids tagged "Hired" |
| Published screening | Every profile reviewed by hand, every caregiver contacted, ID checked, bio and CV cross-checked; about 30% approved (what the review covers) | FAQ: interviewed, 25% approved | Says "pre-screened"; process not documented | Each nanny contacted and details cross-checked | FAQ: interviewed in person; documents and references checked |
| Based in | UAE | UAE | Hong Kong; serves 10 countries | UAE | UAE |
| Contacting caregivers | |||||
| Talk before sharing your number | Yes, private chat in the app and on the web | No, contact moves to WhatsApp | Yes, in-app messaging | No, contact details are shared | No, contact by phone or WhatsApp |
| Free way to contact caregivers | Yes, 3 free credits in the app. Each message sent, CV viewed or application viewed uses one credit; contacting a Top Yaya Pick needs a subscription. | No, contact details need a paid plan | No, paid plans only | No, the free account watches videos and interviews and shortlists; contact needs a plan | No, browsing is free; contact details need a package |
| Support | Phone, email and WhatsApp, 7 days a week, on every plan including the free trial | Email only on the 2-week plan (per its pricing page) | Email and in-app messaging (per its FAQ) | Phone, WhatsApp and email, 7 days, 9 am to 6 pm | |
| Costs | |||||
| Cheapest paid plan | AED 99 for 7 days (intro offer, then AED 129/week) | AED 245 for 2 weeks | US$50 (about AED 184) for 7 days on web; AED 199.99 in iOS app | AED 199 for 30 days | AED 350 for 1 month |
| About a month | AED 299 for 30 days | AED 325 for 1 month | US$60 (about AED 220) for 30 days on web; AED 249.99 in iOS app | AED 199 for 30 days | AED 350 for 1 month |
| At least 60 days | AED 469 for 60 days | AED 445 for 2 months | US$70 (about AED 257) for 60 days on web; AED 299.99 in iOS app | AED 299 for 90 days (no 60-day plan) | AED 450 for 2 months (AED 750 for 6 months) |
| Billing | Subscription, auto-renews until cancelled; cancel anytime | One-time, no auto-renewal | One-time | Renewal not documented | One-time, no auto-renewal |
| Refunds | Web purchases and renewals refunded if requested within 24 hours; app purchases follow Apple and Google rules | If no suitable nanny found; request within 1 week of expiry | Generally non-refundable after access starts; limited billing and technical exceptions; app purchases follow store rules | Non-refundable | Not documented |
| Visa help | Maids.cc or Housekeeping Co (pricing on our visa page) | Maids.cc | Links to Tadbeer services | Maids.cc | Excellence Center, a licensed agency run by the same company |
| Done-for-you search | Yaya Concierge, from AED 1,000 + VAT | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | 3 profiles suggested by its HR team on the 2-month plan |
How to read this table: "No" means the platform's own pages show the feature is absent. "Not documented" means we could not find it on the platform's website, FAQ, terms or app listing on 23 September 2026 (MaidFinder: 27 September 2026); it may still exist. Yaya, Peekaboo, HelperPlace and Find My Nanny ask families in their terms to run their own checks before hiring; MaidFinder's FAQ says the hiring decision is the family's alone.
For a first week, Yaya is the lowest (AED 99 intro, then AED 129 a week). For a 30-day search, Find My Nanny is the lowest (AED 199). For a 60-day search, HelperPlace on its website is the lowest (about AED 257). For a search of several months, MaidFinder is the only one with a 6-month plan (AED 750). Yaya costs more per month than HelperPlace and Find My Nanny; the section below shows what that buys.
Yaya helps you answer three questions before you arrange interviews: does her experience fit, is she active, and can you talk without sharing your number? Profiles, activity signals and private chat bring those checks into one search. HelperPlace also has apps and in-app messaging, and Peekaboo, Find My Nanny and MaidFinder also show video. What sets Yaya apart is having all of it in one place, with Yaya AI on top, on one account across the app and CareFinder Web.
Type "A live-out nanny in Dubai who speaks English and is available now" and Yaya AI turns it into a search; in the app it also helps you draft or reword your job post. Ask Yaya, the chatbot in the app and on CareFinder Web, answers hiring questions 24/7.
Work history, references and CV where provided, certifications, and when she was last active, on top of the video and basics most platforms show.
Message any caregiver yourself, or post a job and let caregivers apply; you choose who can. Chat privately in the app or on CareFinder Web, and share your number only when you decide to.
Start from Top Yaya Picks or Best Matches, refine with 23 filters, and compare favourites side by side on CareFinder Web.
Profiles show when she was last active and how quickly she replies. Quieter profiles rank lower, and anyone who hasn't used the app for 10 days is delisted, which helps keep stale profiles out of your search.
A real person on phone, email and WhatsApp, on every plan including the free trial.
Every Yaya profile is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and about 30% of applicants are approved. See how Yaya checks caregivers.
Browsing is free on the web and in the app. New app users get 3 free credits. Each message sent, CV viewed or application viewed uses one credit; contacting a Top Yaya Pick needs a subscription.
App and private chat vs a web directory with one-time pricing.
Read the comparison →Video profiles and published screening vs a 10-country marketplace.
Read the comparison →App, chat and wider roles vs a cheaper nanny-focused website.
Read the comparison →App, chat and job applications vs a web directory with one-time packages.
Read the comparison →“A game changer for finding helpers! The subscription gave me access to a wide range of nannies with helpful videos and filters to narrow my search. Within 1 week, I found the perfect fit for our family. Yaya made the process simple and stress-free. I highly recommend it”
“Found my nanny! I could select and filter candidates as per my requirement, and after only 3 interviews, I found my nanny. It saved lot of research time for me.”
“YAYA has been so helpful in our nanny search! We have found such a great pool of candidates. The pre screening is really helpful and we appreciate the fact that we can exchange on the app without exchanging numbers. The app is super user friendly with great recommendations. First time we are satisfied with a platform and there is nothing like it. Highly recommend!”
“Yaya Middle East launches Yaya AI to simplify nanny and maid hiring.”New feature helps families find a caregiver faster, get instant answers on hiring processEmirates Woman
“Yaya Middle East: finding the right caregiver for your child.”Parents Rui Pinto and Marilena Hadgianni founded Yaya Middle East to ensure a seamless and thorough process in finding your child the perfect caregiver.What's On
“Platforms like Yaya Middle East were built to solve this problem.”Rui Gomes Pinto is the founder and CEO of Yaya Middle East, a UAE-based app connecting families with verified nannies and domestic helpers.Time Out Dubai
“Find and connect directly with nannies suited to your needs.”Relocating to a new city can be daunting but gone are the days where you need a compass and map to navigate around unknown surroundings. Yaya Middle East is there to help you with your childcare needs.This comparison is published by Yaya Middle East. On 23 September 2026 (MaidFinder on 27 September 2026) we read each platform's homepage, pricing page, search page, FAQ, terms and conditions and app store listings; every competitor fact on this page comes from those sources, listed under the FAQ. Where a platform publishes two different figures, we use the one on its pricing page. We re-check these pages periodically. If you run one of these platforms and something here is out of date, email support@yayamiddleeast.com and we will correct it.
For a first week, Yaya Middle East (AED 99 introductory, then AED 129 a week). For 30 days, Find My Nanny (AED 199). For 60 days, HelperPlace on its website (US$70, about AED 257); Yaya is AED 469 for 60 days, Peekaboo AED 445 and MaidFinder AED 450 for 2 months. For a search of several months, MaidFinder has a 6-month plan at AED 750. Checked 23 Sept 2026; MaidFinder 27 Sept 2026.
On Yaya Middle East, yes: new app users get 3 free credits. Each message sent, CV viewed or application viewed uses one credit; contacting a Top Yaya Pick needs a subscription. On Peekaboo Nannies, HelperPlace, Find My Nanny and MaidFinder, contact needs a paid plan.
Yaya Middle East is a subscription that renews until you cancel, and you can cancel at any time. Peekaboo Nannies, HelperPlace and MaidFinder are one-time payments that do not renew. Find My Nanny does not document renewal.
On Yaya Middle East, yes: chat privately in the Yaya app or on CareFinder Web. HelperPlace also has in-app messaging. Peekaboo's terms say it does not facilitate communication within the website, so contact moves to WhatsApp. Find My Nanny shares contact details once you subscribe, and MaidFinder gives you each candidate's phone number and WhatsApp once you buy a package.
Yaya AI helps with the search and the hiring. In the Yaya app, describe the caregiver you need in plain words and it returns matched profiles, asks a follow-up if something is missing, and helps you draft or reword your job post; on CareFinder Web, it turns your request into filters you can check. Ask Yaya, its chatbot in the app and on CareFinder Web, answers hiring questions at any hour in English or Arabic. None of the other four platforms documents an equivalent.
None of the five documents a police check, and all five leave the final checks and the hiring decision to the family. Yaya Middle East reviews every profile by hand, contacts every caregiver, checks her ID document and cross-checks her bio, details and CV; references on profiles are supplied by the caregiver, so call them yourself. Peekaboo says its team interviews nannies, MaidFinder says it interviews every maid in person at its office and checks her documents and references, Find My Nanny says it contacts each nanny and cross-checks details, and HelperPlace does not publish its process.
No. All five are direct-hire platforms. You pay for access, then agree salary and terms directly with the caregiver. Visa costs are separate. The company behind MaidFinder also runs a licensed agency, whose packages are a separate service.
Choose Yaya Middle East if you want to message caregivers yourself and also receive applications, Yaya AI, private chat in the app and on the web before sharing your number, and phone, email and WhatsApp support seven days a week. Choose Find My Nanny for the lowest 30-day price, HelperPlace for the lowest 60-day price on its website, Peekaboo Nannies for a one-time payment, and MaidFinder if you want a one-time directory package, are comfortable contacting candidates by phone or WhatsApp, and are happy to pay several months up front.
New app users get 3 free credits. Each message sent, CV viewed or application viewed uses one credit; contacting a Top Yaya Pick needs a subscription.