# Mahjong vs Mahjong Solitaire*

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mahjong Solitaire* at none against Mahjong's 13. Mahjong Solitaire* also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Mahjong's advantage is ratings volume (33K vs 309) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mahjong sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Mahjong Solitaire* asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mahjong against 4.6 for Mahjong Solitaire*. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong has 33K ratings behind it against 309, 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 66% of Mahjong Solitaire*'s.

Mahjong ships an update every 2 months, Mahjong Solitaire* every 5 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong | Mahjong Solitaire* |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong/id455650659/reviews) | **[4.6 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire/id899111576/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 309 |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | **65.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 170 MB | 9 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) | [Lei Li](https://appshunter.io/developer/896955406) |

## 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 Solitaire*

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire/id899111576)

A classic tile-matching solitaire game where players pair identical Mahjong tiles to clear the board. It features 60 levels with varying layouts and a straightforward objective: remove all tiles by finding matching pairs.

**Highlights:** Mahjong tile matching, Solitaire gameplay, 60 levels, Different layouts, Exposed tile mechanics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive gameplay
- 👍 Good way to relax
- 👍 Keeps mind occupied
- 👍 Entertaining for hours
- 👍 No-nonsense presentation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Frequent progress resets
- 😠 Unwinnable levels
- 😠 Ads are intrusive
- 😠 Frustrating difficulty spikes

**Reported bugs**

- Progress resets to level 1
- Levels 49 and 60 are impossible
- Next level won't open
- Ads are present despite claims

**Requested features**

- More levels
- Purchase ad-free version
- Fix progress reset bug
- Fix unwinnable levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong free?

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

### Is Mahjong Solitaire* free?

Mahjong Solitaire* is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mahjong or Mahjong Solitaire*?

Mahjong Solitaire* is rated higher. Mahjong averages 4.6 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Mahjong Solitaire* averages 4.6 from 309 ratings.

### Do Mahjong or Mahjong Solitaire* have ads?

Mahjong shows ads; Mahjong Solitaire* does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mahjong or Mahjong Solitaire*?

Mahjong ships an update every 2 months, and Mahjong Solitaire* every 5 months. Most recently, Mahjong was updated on September 29, 2026 and Mahjong Solitaire* on September 29, 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.*