# Mahjong Soul vs DesertForge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DesertForge at none against Mahjong Soul's 10. DesertForge also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months). Mahjong Soul's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mahjong Soul sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. DesertForge asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mahjong Soul ships an update every 4 months, DesertForge every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 27, 2025 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong Soul | DesertForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-soul/id1464872167/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 2.7 GB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YOSTAR LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411126548) | [Nader William](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822100060) |

## What reviewers say

### Mahjong Soul

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-soul/id1464872167)

Experience thrilling Mahjong with fully voiced ACG characters and deep progression. Customize your experience with cool visual effects and a variety of items. Challenge friends or compete in tournaments with fair gameplay and engaging events.

**Highlights:** Fully voiced ACG characters, Character progression and storytelling, Cool visual effects, Item customization, Character emojis, In-game tutorial, Friends system

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 Jade | $0.99 | one-time |
| 300 Jade | $4.99 | one-time |
| Fortune Charm | $4.99 | one-time |
| 480 Jade | $7.99 | one-time |
| 900 Jade | $14.99 | one-time |
| 900 Outfit Voucher | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1200 Jade | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1800 Jade | $29.99 | one-time |
| 2400 Jade | $39.99 | one-time |
| 4900 Jade | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun mahjong gameplay
- 👍 Beginner-friendly tutorials
- 🎨 Cute anime-style visuals
- 🕹️ Easy to play and learn
- 💻 Cross-platform support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Gacha system is restrictive for F2P players
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connectivity issues
- 🤔 Lack of in-depth explanations for game mechanics
- 🤑 Expensive in-app purchases for characters
- 🤯 Unfair matchmaking and luck-based outcomes

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Crashes during or after matches
- Connectivity issues and network errors
- Purchased items not showing up in-game
- Inconsistent gacha and reward system

**Requested features**

- More free-to-play rewards and currency
- Improved tutorial and gameplay explanations
- Japanese language support
- Practice mode and single-player options
- Better matchmaking and skill-based matchups


### DesertForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desertforge/id6747785553)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong Soul free?

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

### Is DesertForge free?

DesertForge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mahjong Soul or DesertForge have ads?

Neither Mahjong Soul nor DesertForge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mahjong Soul or DesertForge?

Mahjong Soul ships an update every 4 months, and DesertForge every 6 days. Most recently, Mahjong Soul was updated on November 8, 2026 and DesertForge on November 27, 2025.

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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.*