# Sparkle the Game vs Mahjong by Microsoft

The clearest difference is price: Mahjong by Microsoft at Free against Sparkle the Game's $2.99. Mahjong by Microsoft also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 23). Sparkle the Game's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 47%) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Mahjong by Microsoft is free to download; Sparkle the Game costs $2.99 up front. Mahjong by Microsoft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Sparkle the Game asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sparkle the Game holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong by Microsoft has 2.5K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Sparkle the Game's written reviews are positive against 47% of Mahjong by Microsoft's.

Sparkle the Game ships an update every 5 months, Mahjong by Microsoft every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sparkle the Game | Mahjong by Microsoft |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkle-the-game/id354123737/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-by-microsoft/id1486892969/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 23 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **89.6% of reviews** | 46.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 20 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [10tons Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/295046390) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### Sparkle the Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkle-the-game/id354123737)

Engage in a thrilling marble shooter adventure to banish dark orbs and save the land. Match three or more orbs of the same color to make them disappear, earning power-ups and utilizing mystical amulets to overcome challenges. Explore diverse levels and game modes in this polished action puzzler.

**Highlights:** Match-three orb popping gameplay, Over ten powerful amulets, Dozens of power-ups, Multiple game modes (Quest, Challenges, Survival), Hand-crafted levels, Game Center Achievements, Colorblind mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and challenging
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and music
- 💎 Variety of power-ups and amulets
- 🕹️ Intuitive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🎨 Difficulty distinguishing colors
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔁 Repetitive levels
- 🕰️ Difficulty spike later in the game

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup after updates
- Unresponsive controls at times
- Saved progress not loading correctly

**Requested features**

- Colorblind mode
- More levels and content updates
- Ability to save progress and resume
- Leaderboards and achievements


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sparkle the Game free?

Sparkle the Game costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mahjong by Microsoft free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sparkle the Game or Mahjong by Microsoft?

Sparkle the Game is rated higher. Sparkle the Game averages 4.9 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Mahjong by Microsoft averages 4.5 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Sparkle the Game or Mahjong by Microsoft have ads?

Mahjong by Microsoft shows ads; Sparkle the Game does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sparkle the Game or Mahjong by Microsoft?

Sparkle the Game ships an update every 5 months, and Mahjong by Microsoft every 3 months. Most recently, Sparkle the Game was updated on October 20, 2026 and Mahjong by Microsoft on October 21, 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.*