Shanghai Mahjong vs Random Mahjong Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shanghai Mahjong
This tile-matching puzzle game offers a visually stunning and highly customizable Mahjong solitaire experience. With numerous layouts, tilesets, and background options, it provides endless replayability and challenges for players of all skill levels.
- Photorealistic game tiles
- 50+ customizable tilesets
- 200+ different layouts
- Unique Windstorm mode
- Customizable backgrounds
- Game Center achievements
- Global leaderboards
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WINNER "BEST GAME" 2009 3rd PLACE WINNER "BEST APP EVER" 2010 "Quite honestly, if you enjoy the game of Mahjong even a little bit, you’d be nuts not to buy this game. It’s the best mahjong available for the iPad or the iPhone" — 148Apps "Shanghai Mahjong app is the best Mahjong app available on iTunes" — slapapp.com "This is arguably the best digital version of the game I’ve ever played" — macgamer.com "absolutely gorgeous!" — gear diary "If you've been stuck trying to decide which mahjong solitaire game in the App Store will get you the most bang for your buck, it’s time to stop wracking your brain and give Shanghai a try. It’s a gorgeous and über customizable version of the game you know and love" — appadvice.com "With solid controls, a variety of game modes, and nearly endless customization via direct downloads, Shanghai Mahjong came away the winner in our Games category. — iLounge.com "13th Top iOS App of all time" - 148Apps "You’d be seriously hard-pressed to find a nicer looking mahjong app than Shanghai" — appsafari Shanghai Mahjong, one of the most popular games of all time, returns in this definitive edition. Whether you have two minutes or two hours you'll quickly lose yourself in this classic tile-matching obsession. Shanghai has been carefully designed to look amazing on whichever device you decide to run it on: iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Features: • Photorealistic game tiles • 50+ tilesets keep the game fresh • 200 different layouts keep your mind active • 33 Challenging Game Center achievements • Unique Windstorm mode adds new game twists • Personalize with custom backgrounds • Global Leader boards • Detailed Game statistics • Supports your background music • Post scores to Facebook • Fully supports iOS4 and the Retina display. UNLIMITED CUSTOMIZATION ======================= Those that think that classic Mahjong is so 1924 can rest easy. Now you can choose from an ever expanding library of tilesets to keep the game fresh. From Fractals to Trippy Polish Cinema we automatically make new sets available as they're cranked off the production line. You can further personalize the look of the game with an unlimited selection of backgrounds. Choose images from your photo album or from a selection of custom designed artwork From fast two minute games to extended head scratchers, quickly choose from over 200 layouts or select one at random each time you start a game. LEADERBOARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS =============================== Wondering if you're king of the tile heap? Now you can see how you stack up against friends and other players world wide. From Morphious Moves to Slaying Dragons Shanghai's 33 built-in Game Achievements are guaranteed to test your zen-mettle in new and challenging ways.
Random Mahjong Pro
Experience a unique solitaire Mahjong game with a random board generator for endless replayability. Customize your game with adjustable levels, zoom, and hints. Perfect for beginners and experienced players alike.
- Unique random board generator
- Customizable level size and complexity
- Adjustable camera zoom and scrolling
- Beginner-friendly small boards
- Solution walkthrough for every board
- Undo and shuffle features
- Relaxing gameplay with no time limits
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Random Mahjong is a relaxed, classic Solitaire Mahjong game for iPhone and iPad. It has been played by tile matchers for years, and it still does exactly what it set out to do — no timers, no pressure, no fuss. Photo-realistic 2D tiles that look sharp rather than stale. There's no fancy 3D here; you get a classic 2D board with smooth camera panning and focus, so you're always up close to the play. Controls stay a joy rather than a chore, on both iPhone and iPad. At its heart is a random generator, so a fresh, solvable board is waiting every time you play. Prefer something familiar? Fifty preset layouts are included. And the small 32-tile boards, paired with a solution walkthrough for every layout, make this a good place to learn the rules if you've never played the Solitaire or Shanghai variant of Mah-jongg before. FEATURES: - A unique board every time you play - 50 preset layouts when you want something familiar - Very simple to learn - Small 32-tile boards, ideal for beginners - Relaxing play with no time limits - Solution walkthrough available for every board - Level rewind for repeat attempts - Undo and shuffle - Auto-save and auto-continue - That "one more try" feeling Random Mahjong is now developed and supported by ElectroSoma Ltd. We will be keeping the game refreshed and maintained, as well as working on a sequel.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Shanghai Mahjong at 4.3 against Random Mahjong Pro's 3.6. Shanghai Mahjong also leads on ratings volume (247 vs 14) and chart position (#106 vs unranked). Random Mahjong Pro's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 73%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Shanghai Mahjong costs $1.99 and Random Mahjong Pro $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Shanghai Mahjong holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shanghai Mahjong has 247 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Shanghai Mahjong's written reviews are positive against 86% of Random Mahjong Pro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Shanghai Mahjong ships an update every 3 months, Random Mahjong Pro monthly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Shanghai Mahjong | Random Mahjong Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (247 ratings) — better | 3.6 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | 86.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 247 — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #106 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | MobileAge LLC | ElectroSoma Ltd |
Customer experience
Shanghai Mahjong
Random Mahjong Pro
User reviews
Shanghai Mahjong
From 247 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Classic mahjong game with many options
- 🚀 Ad-free experience
- 👍 Variety of tile sets and backgrounds
- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 👍 Great for brain training
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔇 No sound or music
- 🔍 Blurry tiles on larger screens
- 📱 Not optimized for larger devices
- 🤖 Forced integration with Game Center
Random Mahjong Pro
From 14 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Beautiful graphics
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔄 Randomly generated layouts
- 💡 Smooth animations
- 💰 Good value for price
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashing issues
- 📉 Unstable performance
- 🔊 Sound not always off
- 📱 Screen size issues
- 🤔 Confusing options
Bugs and requests
Shanghai Mahjong
Reported bugs
3 issues- Tiles not responding correctly
- Incorrect highlighting of available matches
- Game freezing or crashing on certain iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- New tile sets and layouts
- Ability to reset game progress
- Option to disable achievements/leaderboard notifications
- Improved tile visibility on larger screens
Random Mahjong Pro
Reported bugs
13 issues- App keeps crashing
- In-app leaderboards disappeared
- Paid version won't post high scores
- Layouts not loading
- Cannot permanently turn off sound
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Settings not remembered
- App displays upside down
- Sharing scores hangs
- Program keeps quitting
- "fa1" character upside-down
- E and S characters switched
- Screen zooms in distractingly
- Not sensitive to touch
Requested features
10 requests- Game Center integration
- Undo function
- Shuffle option
- Background music
- More than 50 puzzles
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Option to choose portrait/landscape mode
- Explanation for options menu
- Show number of tiles left
- Ability to replay failed layouts
- Zen mode
In-app purchases
Shanghai Mahjong
No in-app purchases
Random Mahjong Pro
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Shanghai Mahjong free?
Is Random Mahjong Pro free?
Which has better reviews, Shanghai Mahjong or Random Mahjong Pro?
Do Shanghai Mahjong or Random Mahjong Pro have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shanghai Mahjong or Random Mahjong Pro?
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