Yaya Middle East vs MaidFinder: which is better for finding a nanny or maid in the UAE?
In short: Yaya or MaidFinder?
- Both are UAE direct-hire platforms with no agency fees and video introductions on caregiver profiles.
- MaidFinder is the online directory of Excellence Center, a licensed agency. It is web-only, with no app, no job posts and no on-site messaging, and you cannot contact anyone until you pay: AED 350 for a month, AED 450 for 2 months or AED 750 for 6 months, paid up front, then you call or WhatsApp each candidate yourself.
- Yaya Middle East is a marketplace in the app and on the web: message caregivers yourself or let them apply to your job, and chat in the app before sharing your number, with Yaya AI, 23 search filters and activity-based ranking. It costs less to start (AED 99 for your first 7 days) and for a month (AED 299 against AED 350); for 2 months or longer, MaidFinder is cheaper.
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.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Yaya Middle East | MaidFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Two-sided marketplace: caregivers use the app, apply to jobs and chat | Directory: its team lists maids it has interviewed; families contact them by phone or WhatsApp |
| How you search | iOS app, Android app, CareFinder Web | Website only; its FAQ says there is no app |
| Job posts | Yes, caregivers apply in the app | No |
| Messaging | In-app chat; share your number only if you choose | No on-site messaging; a package unlocks phone numbers and WhatsApp |
| Video on profiles | Yes, mandatory for every caregiver | Yes, video introductions |
| Search filters | 23, plus natural-language search | 11: salary, location, experience, visa status, skills, live-in or live-out, part-time or full-time, nationality, age, religion, and a status filter (verified with references, hide hired) |
| 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; save favourites after free registration |
| Profile depth | Video, plus work history, references, CV and certifications where provided, last-active and reply-speed signals, and an ID-verified mark | Basics, languages, skills, work history with duties, education, notes from its team; video introduction |
| AI search | Yes, Yaya AI: describe what you need in plain language | Not documented |
| Inactive caregivers | Ranked by app activity; hidden after 10 days without using the app | Updated by its team; maids who have signed with a family are tagged "Hired" |
| Compare favourites side by side | Yes, CareFinder Web | Not documented |
| Caregivers listed | 2,289 (live count of listed profiles) | 1,090 profiles on its search page |
| Published screening | Every profile reviewed by hand, every caregiver contacted, ID checked, bio and CV cross-checked; about 30% approved | FAQ: every maid interviewed in person at its office; visa and employment documents and references checked |
| Roles | Nannies, nanny/maids, maids, cooks, drivers, babysitters, governesses and au pairs | Maids and nannies; skills include cooking, newborn care, elderly care and driving |
| Track record | Launched 2023; 150,000+ downloads; 4.9 on Google (1,976 reviews), 4.7 on Google Play (383) and 4.5 on the App Store (91 UAE ratings), as of 26 September 2026 | Since 2012, by its own account |
| Free trial | Yes, browse free + 3 free credits in the app | No; browsing and videos are free, contact details need a package |
| Cheapest plan | AED 99 for 7 days (intro offer) | AED 350 for 1 month |
| About a month | AED 299 for 30 days | AED 350 for 1 month |
| Longest plan | AED 469 for 60 days | AED 750 for 6 months |
| Billing | Subscription, auto-renews until cancelled; cancel anytime | One-time payment, no auto-renewal |
| Refunds | Web renewals refunded if requested within 24 hours; app store purchases follow Apple and Google rules | Not documented for access packages |
| Visa help | Maids.cc or Housekeeping Co (pricing on our visa page) | Excellence Center, a licensed agency run by the same company |
| Support | Phone, email and WhatsApp, 7 days a week, on every plan including the free trial | Phone, WhatsApp and email, Monday to Sunday, 9 am to 6 pm |
| Done-for-you search | Yaya Concierge, from AED 1,000 + VAT | 3 profiles suggested by its HR team on the 2-month plan |
Detailed comparison
Directory vs marketplace
MaidFinder describes three steps: register and search for free, buy an access package to get candidates' phone numbers and WhatsApp, then interview and hire. Families do not post jobs, and there is no messaging on the site, so your number goes to every candidate you call or message. Its FAQ says there is no MaidFinder app; the website works on mobile.
On Yaya Middle East, caregivers are active users. They join through the app, record a video introduction, apply to jobs families post, and reply in the app. Because they use the app, Yaya can see who is active: quieter profiles rank lower, and caregivers who haven't opened the app for 10 days are deactivated automatically. MaidFinder's team updates its listings and tags maids who have signed with a family as "Hired".
Yaya's in-app chat lets you shortlist and talk to caregivers first, and share your number only with the ones you want to interview.
Search
MaidFinder has 11 filters: salary, location, experience, visa status, skills, live-in or live-out, part-time or full-time, nationality, age, religion, and a status filter that shows profiles verified with references or hides maids already hired. Yaya Middle East has 23 filters, including online now, visa ready today, availability, open to relocating, languages, references, driving licence, education, cooking and certifications. You can also describe what you need to Yaya AI: in the app it returns matched profiles and answers hiring questions in English or Arabic, and on CareFinder Web it turns your request into filters. Save favourites and compare them side by side on the web. In the app, Spotlight shows profiles as a swipeable feed.
Screening
Every Yaya Middle East profile is reviewed by hand before it goes live. Our team contacts every caregiver and checks her ID document by hand, our AI cross-checks her bio, profile details and CV for discrepancies, and a person reviews her experience for relevance. Every caregiver records a video introduction, and about 30% of applicants are approved. References on Yaya profiles are supplied by the caregiver, so call them yourself. MaidFinder's FAQ says it interviews maids at its office before listing them. Neither platform employs caregivers, and on both the hiring decision is the family's.
Visas and agency services
MaidFinder is run by Excellence Domestic Workers Services Center, which also operates Excellence Center, a licensed agency (often still called a Tadbeer centre). It sells visa processing through that agency, and the same company offers agency-sponsored maids on monthly packages.
Yaya Middle East is not an agency. For the visa, we point families to Maids.cc or Housekeeping Co, with prices on our visa page. If you are weighing a monthly agency package against hiring directly, see agency vs direct hire.
Track record
MaidFinder says it has operated since 2012. Yaya Middle East launched in 2023 and has passed 150,000 app downloads.
Pricing
| Access | Yaya Middle East | MaidFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Browse all profiles; 3 free credits in the app | Browse profiles and videos; register free to save favourites; contact needs a package |
| Cheapest plan | AED 99 for 7 days (intro offer), then AED 129/week | AED 350 for 1 month |
| 1 month | AED 299 for 30 days | AED 350 |
| 2 months | AED 469 for 60 days | AED 450 |
| 6 months | No 6-month plan | AED 750 |
You can start on Yaya for AED 99 with the introductory week, and a month costs AED 299 against MaidFinder's AED 350. MaidFinder is AED 19 cheaper for two months and cheaper per month on its 6-month plan, but you pay the whole period up front, it publishes no refund policy for its packages, and you cannot contact anyone before paying. On Yaya you can message caregivers with free credits first, and cancel your subscription at any time.
Which one is for you?
Choose Yaya Middle East if
- You want to search and chat from your phone
- You'd rather not share your number with every candidate
- You want caregivers to apply to your job
- You want Yaya AI, 23 filters or side-by-side comparison
- You want to message caregivers before you pay
- You want our team to search for you
Choose MaidFinder if
- You only need a maid
- You are happy to pay for several months up front
- You are fine calling each candidate by phone or WhatsApp
Rated by families
You might have read about us
“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.Frequently asked questions
Does MaidFinder have an app?
No. MaidFinder's FAQ says there is no MaidFinder app and its website works on mobile; we found none on the UAE App Store on 27 September 2026. Yaya Middle East has iOS and Android apps and CareFinder Web.
Can I message maids inside MaidFinder?
No. An access package unlocks each candidate's phone number and WhatsApp, and you contact her directly. Yaya Middle East has in-app chat, so you can talk to caregivers before sharing your number.
Can I post a job on MaidFinder?
No. MaidFinder lists profiles for families to contact. On Yaya Middle East, families post jobs and caregivers apply in the app.
Which is cheaper, Yaya or MaidFinder?
Yaya Middle East is cheaper to start and for one month: AED 99 for your first 7 days, and AED 299 for 30 days against MaidFinder's AED 350 for a month. For two months, MaidFinder is AED 450 and Yaya is AED 469, and MaidFinder sells a 6-month package for AED 750, paid up front.
Can I try Yaya or MaidFinder for free?
Yaya, yes: browsing is free and the app gives new families 3 free credits. Each message sent, CV viewed or application viewed uses one credit; contacting a Top Yaya Pick needs a subscription. On MaidFinder, browsing profiles and videos is free; contact details need a paid package.
Is MaidFinder an agency?
Its access packages are direct hire: you pay for access, contact candidates yourself and pay no placement fee. The company that runs it, Excellence Domestic Workers Services Center, also operates Excellence Center, a licensed agency that processes maid visas and offers agency-sponsored maids. Yaya Middle East is a direct-hire marketplace only.
Do both have video profiles?
Yes. Both show video introductions on caregiver profiles.
Competitor facts come from each platform's own website, terms or app listing on 27 September 2026; the pages we read are listed below. Spot something out of date? Email support@yayamiddleeast.com and we will correct it.
Sources
- MaidFinder website: home, access packages, FAQ, about, step-by-step hiring guide, housemaid visa cost, maid search, contact, and terms and conditions pages (operator: Excellence Domestic Workers Services Center LLC, DED licence 761784), viewed 27 September 2026; a sample maid profile viewed the same day for the profile-depth row. A notice on its profile pages says access packages start from AED 600, while its packages page lists AED 350, AED 450 and AED 750; we use the packages page. Its pages give several profile counts (800+, 1,200+ and 1,235); we use the count on its search page.
- yayamiddleeast.com: /, /pricing, /visa, /carefinder (Trust & Safety: "How profiles are verified on Yaya"), viewed 27 September 2026
Try Yaya free: 3 free credits 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.