# Mahjong by Microsoft vs Mahjong Solitaire

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mahjong Solitaire at 92% against Mahjong by Microsoft's 47%. Mahjong Solitaire also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mahjong by Microsoft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Mahjong Solitaire sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mahjong Solitaire holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong Solitaire has 13K ratings behind it against 2.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Mahjong by Microsoft's written reviews are positive against 92% of Mahjong Solitaire's.

Mahjong by Microsoft ships an update every 3 months, Mahjong Solitaire every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong by Microsoft | Mahjong Solitaire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-by-microsoft/id1486892969/reviews) | **[5.0 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire-master/id1569177946/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.8% of reviews | **92.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 129 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Kiwi Fun HK Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546853941) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Mahjong Solitaire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire-master/id1569177946)

Engage your mind with a classic tile-matching puzzle game. Clear the board by matching identical Mahjong tiles, offering hundreds of quick puzzles for relaxation and brain training. Enjoy beautiful graphics and offline play.

**Highlights:** Over 2000 free levels, Beautiful graphics and various layouts, Intelligent free hints, Offline play, Sound on/off option, Suitable for adults and kids

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Small Revive Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Shuffle Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Bomb Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Revive Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Hint Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bomb Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Hint Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Shuffle Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Bomb Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large HighLight Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Revive Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Mega Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| Brilliant Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to play
- 🧠 Challenging and mind-stimulating
- 🕹️ Fun and addictive gameplay
- 🎨 Great visuals and graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sticky/unresponsive tiles
- ⏱️ Star system based on time taken

**Reported bugs**

- Unrelated page when contacting developers
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off star system
- Improved tile responsiveness


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong by Microsoft free?

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

### Is Mahjong Solitaire free?

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

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

Mahjong Solitaire is rated higher. Mahjong by Microsoft averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Mahjong Solitaire averages 5.0 from 13K ratings.

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

Both Mahjong by Microsoft and Mahjong Solitaire show ads.

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

Mahjong by Microsoft ships an update every 3 months, and Mahjong Solitaire every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mahjong by Microsoft was updated on October 30, 2026 and Mahjong Solitaire on October 31, 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.*