# Mahjong vs Mahjong 3!

Mahjong and Mahjong 3! both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Mahjong 3!'s written reviews are positive against 63% of Mahjong's. Mahjong 3! also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Mahjong's advantage is ratings volume (33K vs 4.4K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mahjong sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Mahjong 3! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mahjong against 4.6 for Mahjong 3!. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong has 33K ratings behind it against 4.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Mahjong's written reviews are positive against 86% of Mahjong 3!'s.

Mahjong ships an update every 2 months, Mahjong 3! fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong | Mahjong 3! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong/id455650659/reviews) | **[4.6 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-3/id857769289/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 4.4K |
| Positive reviews | 63.1% of reviews | **86.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 170 MB | 282 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maple Media Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289801633) | [Gamos Mobile Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1444108949) |

## 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


### Mahjong 3!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-3/id857769289)

This classic tile-matching puzzle game challenges you to clear all pieces from the board. It offers multiple game modes, including timed challenges and an endless classic mode, designed to sharpen your mind and provide relaxation. Customize your experience with various tile sets and backgrounds.

**Highlights:** Match and remove all tile pieces, Classic, Time Attack, and Challenge modes, Unlock more towers by winning, Clear, colorful, large tiles, Additional modes: Endless, Daily, Versus, Shuffle feature for no-move situations, Full UNDO and Hints

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Purchase | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging and engaging
- 👍 Relaxing and calming
- 🧠 Keeps the mind active
- 🎨 Visually appealing graphics
- 🕰️ No time pressure

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Excessive ads and video ads
- 🔁 Repetitive gameplay
- 🔒 Paid version not worth the cost
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Small tile sizes can be difficult to see

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes or crashes when switching between games
- Tiles disappearing or not registering matches
- Inability to exit or return to the main menu

**Requested features**

- More variety in tile designs and game modes
- Option to disable ads or pay for ad-free version
- Ability to save progress and resume games
- Larger tile sizes or zoom functionality
- Customizable game settings and difficulty levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong free?

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

### Is Mahjong 3! free?

Mahjong 3! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mahjong or Mahjong 3!?

Mahjong 3! is rated higher. Mahjong averages 4.6 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Mahjong 3! averages 4.6 from 4.4K ratings.

### Do Mahjong or Mahjong 3! have ads?

Both Mahjong and Mahjong 3! show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mahjong or Mahjong 3!?

Mahjong ships an update every 2 months, and Mahjong 3! fortnightly. Most recently, Mahjong was updated on October 20, 2026 and Mahjong 3! on October 19, 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.*