Comparison

Shanghai Mahjong Lite vs Solitaire Duel

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Tile-matching gameplay
  • Multiple game modes
  • Extensive customization options
  • High-resolution artwork library
  • Compelling animations and sound
  • Windstorm mode
Features
Read 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.

About

Solitaire Duel

Compete in fast-paced, challenging Peg Solitaire matches against friends or other players. Aim to eliminate more pegs than your opponent within a minute per round, with the overall winner determined after three rounds. Customize your experience with avatars and track your progress with advanced statistics.

Highlights
  • Competitive Peg Solitaire gameplay
  • Play against friends
  • Timed rounds
  • Multiple playfields per round
  • Customizable avatars
  • Advanced statistics
  • Friend rankings
Features
Read full description

Challenge your friends in the fast-paced Peg Solitaire duel. Both players get the same starting layout and have one minute to clear more pegs than the opponent. After three rounds, the better player wins. Features - Free and fully playable - Thousands of starting layouts - Rankings, avatars, achievements and detailed statistics - New daily challenges every day How to play 1. Jump one peg over another peg. 2. Remove the peg you jumped over. 3. Keep going until no more moves are possible. Try to finish with one peg remaining in the center.

Screenshots

Shanghai Mahjong Lite2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Solitaire Duel at 4.6 against Shanghai Mahjong Lite's 3.7. Solitaire Duel also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 59%). Shanghai Mahjong Lite's advantage is ratings volume (552 vs 5) and iOS requirement (3.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shanghai Mahjong Lite sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Solitaire Duel sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Solitaire Duel holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shanghai Mahjong Lite has 552 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Shanghai Mahjong Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of Solitaire Duel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shanghai Mahjong Lite ships an update every 5 months, Solitaire Duel every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Shanghai Mahjong Lite versus Solitaire Duel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShanghai Mahjong LiteSolitaire Duel
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (552 ratings)4.6 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings552 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS3.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB42 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperMobileAge LLCMartin Hofmann

Customer experience

Shanghai Mahjong Lite

All ratings552 ratings
Positive64.1%
Neutral12.0%
Negative23.9%
Written reviews449 reviews
Positive59.5%
Neutral13.4%
Negative27.2%

Solitaire Duel

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shanghai Mahjong Lite

One-time2
  • Tilesets Unlimited$0.99
  • Layout Pack$0.99
7 purchases

Solitaire Duel

One-time7
  • Glasses$0.99
  • Beards$0.99
  • Necklaces2 variants$0.99
Show 4 more
  • Earrings$0.99
  • Silver Package$1.99
  • Gold Package2 variants$2.99
  • Platinum Full Package2 variants$4.99

Questions

Is Shanghai Mahjong Lite free?
Shanghai Mahjong Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Solitaire Duel free?
Solitaire Duel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shanghai Mahjong Lite or Solitaire Duel?
Solitaire Duel is rated higher. Shanghai Mahjong Lite averages 3.7 out of 5 from 552 ratings, while Solitaire Duel averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Shanghai Mahjong Lite or Solitaire Duel have ads?
Neither Shanghai Mahjong Lite nor Solitaire Duel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shanghai Mahjong Lite or Solitaire Duel?
Shanghai Mahjong Lite ships an update every 5 months, and Solitaire Duel every 2 months. Most recently, Shanghai Mahjong Lite was updated on October 9, 2026 and Solitaire Duel on October 12, 2026.

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