# Mahjong vs 3D Elemental Mahjong

The clearest difference is price: Mahjong at Free against 3D Elemental Mahjong's $1.99. Mahjong also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). 3D Elemental Mahjong's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Mahjong is free to download; 3D Elemental Mahjong costs $1.99 up front. Mahjong sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. 3D Elemental Mahjong asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mahjong ships an update every 2 months, 3D Elemental Mahjong every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong | 3D Elemental Mahjong |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong/id455650659/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 63.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 170 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maple Media Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289801633) | [Martin Edmaier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1799800534) |

## What reviewers say

### Mahjong

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong/id455650659)

This single-player matching puzzle game challenges your mind with classic tile removal. Enjoy over 90 levels with classic or emoji-themed tiles. Features include time attack, unlimited undo, and hints.

**Highlights:** Over 90 Mahjong games, Time Attack Mode, Unlimited Undo & Redo, Hints and Autosave, Custom game options, Emoji-themed tiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $6.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| Mahjong Membership | $14.99 | per year |
| Puzzle Pack #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack #2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack #3 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack #4 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack #5 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack #6 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Pack #7 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mahjong Premium | $14.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🧠 Mentally stimulating
- 🕰️ Challenging time-based objectives
- 📚 Variety of layouts and levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Excessive advertisements
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Small tile sizes on mobile
- 🔒 Paid content locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Unresponsive tiles
- Game freezes and crashes
- Incorrect move detection
- Persistent ads blocking UI

**Requested features**

- More free levels and layouts
- Option to lock game board in place
- Ability to favorite/save preferred layouts
- Improved performance and stability


### 3D Elemental Mahjong

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-elemental-mahjong/id6743568969)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong free?

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

### Is 3D Elemental Mahjong free?

3D Elemental Mahjong costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mahjong or 3D Elemental Mahjong have ads?

Mahjong shows ads; 3D Elemental Mahjong does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mahjong or 3D Elemental Mahjong?

Mahjong ships an update every 2 months, and 3D Elemental Mahjong every 9 months. Most recently, Mahjong was updated on October 25, 2026 and 3D Elemental Mahjong on October 16, 2026.

---

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