Fragrance comparison

Oud vs Qafiya 4

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 19 Oct 2026 183 ratings analysed

3 wins

Oud

The Spirit of Dubai

4.22160 votes

Rank #23,663 WoodyOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

39%scent match

Some overlap

Qafiya 4

Ajmal

3.7423 votes

Rank #39,177 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Oud takes 3 of 5 categories.

Oud
Choose it for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Qafiya 4
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Oud3/5

Qafiya 41/5

Ratings & consensus: Oud
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Oud
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Qafiya 4
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Oud

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

OudThe Spirit of Dubai

Qafiya 4Ajmal

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 160 votes

Have 79%Had 21%Want 0%

3.74/ 5 · 23 votes

Have 45%Had 17%Want 38%

Category winnerOudRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

59%Love

21%Like

9%Ok

4%Dislike

6%Hate

160 votes

30%Love

35%Like

13%Ok

22%Dislike

0%Hate

23 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity86

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage78

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevityOud

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

¤ Price value28

Category winnerQafiya 4Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

oud92%

warm spicy84%

amber77%

sweet69%

fresh spicy61%

amber100%

woody92%

fruity84%

leather77%

musky69%

warm spicy61%

Scent match39%Some overlap · both woody, amber and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

SaffronPineappleLimePineBlack PepperDamask RoseIncenseCypriol Oil or Nagarmotha

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)JasmineGuaiac WoodResinsOlibanumRed RoseRoseEarthy Notes

Base

Indian OudPatchouliSandalwoodLeatherCedarWoodsy NotesAmbergrisTobacco

Notes

Fruity NotesOlibanumMuskLeatherSpicy NotesGuaiac WoodAmberWoody NotesAgarwood (Oud)

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAgarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood, Olibanum and Leather. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer33

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring57

Summer43

Fall100

Winter86

Day100

Night57

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men69

Unisex25

Women6

Men33

Unisex22

Women44

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,663

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#39,177

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerOudHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

The Spirit of Dubai Oud opens with a sharp burst of bitter lime, pungent saffron, and prickly black pepper before dropping straight into dense Indian agarwood. The wood here smells raw and medicinal at first, heavily saturated with dark leather, smoky incense, and dry cypriol oil. As the initial sharpness burns off, s…

Reviews →

Qafiya 4 is a fruity amber woods scent with a clear leather and oud direction, warmed by spices and a smoky incense feel. It opens with a sweet, darker fruit tone, then settles into musky woods with resinous warmth and a slightly animalic edge. On skin it often reads best in cooler weather and evenings, especially if …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Oud or Qafiya 4?

Oud takes 3 of 5 categories. Oud is rated 4.22/5 from 160 votes; Qafiya 4 is rated 3.74/5 from 23 votes. Choose Oud for a woody and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Qafiya 4 for a amber and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Oud or Qafiya 4?

Oud lasts longest (Oud 86/100, Qafiya 4 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Oud or Qafiya 4?

Projection is very close: Oud 78/100, Qafiya 4 78/100 for sillage.

Do Oud and Qafiya 4 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 39% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Agarwood (Oud), Guaiac Wood, Olibanum and Leather.

Is Oud or Qafiya 4 better for summer or winter?

Qafiya 4 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Oud and Qafiya 4?

Oud has top notes of Saffron, Pineapple, Lime and Pine, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Jasmine, Guaiac Wood and Resins, a base of Indian Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Leather. Qafiya 4 features Fruity Notes, Olibanum, Musk, Leather and Spicy Notes.