Shanghai Mahjong Lite vs Mahjong Challenges
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shanghai Mahjong Lite
Experience a visually stunning and highly customizable digital version of the classic tile-matching game. Enjoy various game modes, compelling animations, and an extensive online library of artwork to keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- Tile-matching gameplay
- Multiple game modes
- Extensive customization options
- High-resolution artwork library
- Compelling animations and sound
- Windstorm mode
Read full descriptionHide full description
★ 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 play it on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch Shanghai looks stunning. Shanghai also fully supports the iPhone 4 Retina display Pair tiles to dismantle intricate structures or try to predict the ever-changing matches in the unique Windstorm mode. Shanghai's compelling animation, sound and one-tap access to an extensive online collection of high resolution artwork ensures the game will always stay fresh.
Mahjong Challenges
Experience the classic Mahjong solitaire game with a timed challenge. Remove all tiles by matching pairs, utilizing unlimited undo, hints, and shuffles. Compete for high scores on 300 unique board layouts.
- 300 board layouts
- Infinite Undo, Hints, Shuffle
- Adjustable tile illumination
- HD graphics
- Guaranteed solvable puzzles
- Score based on time
- High score tracking
Read full descriptionHide full description
Mahjong Challenges is the classic Mahjong solitaire game, with the variance of each game must be resolved on a given time or less. Hoy to play Mahjong: The goal is to remove all the tiles from the board. You may remove only paired free tiles. The tile is free when there are no tiles either to the left or to the right from it. In this Game you will have: - 300 Board layouts - Infinite Undo, Hints, Shuffle. Easy access at the bottom of the board. - Shadow: you decide to illuminate the entire Layout, or only the clickable tiles. - HD Images. - All puzzles can be solved. - Tile set design for easy recognition. - Score based on the time elapsed between matches. Less time more points. - Each Board has a High Score that you can beat. - Universal Game. You can play on iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Enjoy!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mahjong Challenges at 4.8 against Shanghai Mahjong Lite's 3.7. Shanghai Mahjong Lite's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 29%) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 34 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Shanghai Mahjong Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Mahjong Challenges sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Mahjong Challenges holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shanghai Mahjong Lite has 549 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Shanghai Mahjong Lite's written reviews are positive against 29% of Mahjong Challenges's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Shanghai Mahjong Lite ships an update every 5 months, Mahjong Challenges every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shanghai Mahjong Lite | Mahjong Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (549 ratings) | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews — better | 29.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 549 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 34 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 3.0 — better | 13 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MobileAge LLC | Jose Varela |
Customer experience
Shanghai Mahjong Lite
Mahjong Challenges
In-app purchases
Shanghai Mahjong Lite
- Tilesets Unlimited$0.99
- Layout Pack$0.99
Mahjong Challenges
- 3 extra lives$1.99
- Undo button$1.99
- Hint$1.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Double time$1.99
- Shuffle$1.99
- Set of 5 lives$2.99
Questions
Is Shanghai Mahjong Lite free?
Is Mahjong Challenges free?
Which has better reviews, Shanghai Mahjong Lite or Mahjong Challenges?
Do Shanghai Mahjong Lite or Mahjong Challenges have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shanghai Mahjong Lite or Mahjong Challenges?
Other comparisons
