# Upstate Curious vs MahjPods

The clearest difference is update cadence: MahjPods at every 2 weeks against Upstate Curious's every 6 months. MahjPods also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Upstate Curious's advantage is ratings volume (144 vs 7). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Upstate Curious against 5.0 for MahjPods. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upstate Curious has 144 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Upstate Curious ships an update every 6 months, MahjPods every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Upstate Curious | MahjPods |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstate-curious/id1546069358/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjpods/id6792824194/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **144** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 77 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [The Brenn-White Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546069360) | [Julie Heiser](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792824196) |

## What reviewers say

### Upstate Curious

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upstate-curious/id1546069358)

Discover local gems and connect with your community in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Find recommended restaurants, shops, and services, or ask for local advice. Meet new people and share your experiences in this vibrant region.

**Highlights:** Local discovery feed, Crowdsourced Q&A, Community profiles, Direct messaging, Interest-based connections, Local groups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### MahjPods

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjpods/id6792824194)

Organize mahjong games, find available seats, and connect with fellow players. Create private groups, plan events, and discover local games. It's a social-planning platform for mahjong enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Create private mahjong groups (Pods), Host and manage upcoming games, Invite friends and group members, Discover local games with open seats, Request seats in available games, Track invitations and confirmations, Build a local player network

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Upstate Curious free?

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

### Is MahjPods free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Upstate Curious or MahjPods?

MahjPods is rated higher. Upstate Curious averages 4.9 out of 5 from 144 ratings, while MahjPods averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Upstate Curious or MahjPods have ads?

Neither Upstate Curious nor MahjPods shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Upstate Curious or MahjPods?

Upstate Curious ships an update every 6 months, and MahjPods every 2 weeks. Most recently, Upstate Curious was updated on October 24, 2026 and MahjPods on October 24, 2026.

---

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