# Book vs Mahjong by Microsoft

Book and Mahjong by Microsoft both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Book's written reviews are positive against 47% of Mahjong by Microsoft's. Mahjong by Microsoft's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 272). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Book sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Mahjong by Microsoft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Book against 4.5 for Mahjong by Microsoft. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong by Microsoft has 2.5K ratings behind it against 272, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Book's written reviews are positive against 47% of Mahjong by Microsoft's.

Book ships an update every 2 months, Mahjong by Microsoft every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Book | Mahjong by Microsoft |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (272 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-man/id1329581056/reviews) | **[4.5 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-by-microsoft/id1486892969/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 272 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **69.8% of reviews** | 46.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Farlex, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379450386) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### Book

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-man/id1329581056)

Navigate challenging mazes, collect letters, and spell words to win. Outsmart enemies with spells and uncover hidden bonuses. Compete in daily challenges to maintain streaks and earn high scores in this classic arcade-style word game.

**Highlights:** Navigate mazes, Collect letters, Spell words to win, Avoid enemies (Blots), Cast Slow-Down spells, Find hidden letters and bonuses, Daily Challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 15 coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 40 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 65 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 100 coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| 200 coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| 300 coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1000 coins | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Stimulates the brain and vocabulary
- 🎮 Addictive and enjoyable
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Suitable for all ages
- 📚 Educational and informative

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Control issues with 'Book-Man'
- 🧱 Character gets stuck
- ❓ Lack of clear instructions
- 📈 Difficulty in progression (keys)
- 💸 In-app purchases can be frustrating

**Reported bugs**

- Book-Man doesn't follow directional movements
- Book-Man goes through walls
- Game crashes to home page
- Book-Man freezes during play
- Cannot unlock next level with a key

**Requested features**

- More levels or zones
- More languages
- Different game styles
- More 'Book-Man' heroes
- Ability to earn keys without purchase


### Mahjong by Microsoft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-by-microsoft/id1486892969)

Engage in hundreds of strategic tile-matching puzzles with beautiful backgrounds and relaxing sounds. Earn points, complete daily challenges, and unlock new content. Customize your game and train your brain with this classic experience.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of Mahjong puzzles, Daily challenges, Earn points and collect achievements, Unlock new tile sets and backgrounds, Customize game board, Bookmark favorite puzzles, Brain training

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Variety of puzzles and boards
- ⭐ Great visual design
- 💡 Challenging but rewarding
- 🕹️ Relaxing and enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 📢 Intrusive and excessive ads
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Connectivity issues with daily challenges
- 🚫 Progress not syncing across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Tiles getting stuck and unable to complete puzzles
- Wrong puzzles loading when selected
- Daily challenges not downloading properly

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Option to disable animations
- More puzzle packs and content updates
- Sync progress with Xbox account
- Premium version without ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Book free?

Book is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mahjong by Microsoft free?

Mahjong by Microsoft is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Book or Mahjong by Microsoft?

Mahjong by Microsoft is rated higher. Book averages 4.4 out of 5 from 272 ratings, while Mahjong by Microsoft averages 4.5 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Book or Mahjong by Microsoft have ads?

Both Book and Mahjong by Microsoft show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Book or Mahjong by Microsoft?

Book ships an update every 2 months, and Mahjong by Microsoft every 3 months. Most recently, Book was updated on October 26, 2026 and Mahjong by Microsoft on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*