# Mahjong Solitaire vs Mahjong Challenges

The clearest difference is rating: Mahjong Challenges at 4.8 against Mahjong Solitaire's 3.3. Mahjong Challenges also leads on ads (none vs shown). Mahjong Solitaire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 34 months). On price, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mahjong Challenges sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Mahjong Solitaire asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mahjong Challenges holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Mahjong Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 29% of Mahjong Challenges's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mahjong Solitaire ships an update every 6 months, Mahjong Challenges every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong Solitaire | Mahjong Challenges |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire-lite/id510143771/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-challenges/id636879476/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **39.1% of reviews** | 29.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 34 months |
| Monetization | **Free with ads** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GASP Mobile Games Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/502025155) | [Jose Varela](https://appshunter.io/developer/336500035) |

## What reviewers say

### Mahjong Solitaire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire-lite/id510143771)

A classic tile-matching puzzle game where players pair identical tiles to clear the board. Enjoy 60 different layouts in a compact download, offering a fun and challenging solitaire experience.

**Highlights:** Classic Mahjong Solitaire gameplay, 60 different tile layouts, Solitaire matching puzzle, Compact download size, Free to play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mahjong Challenges

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-challenges/id636879476)

Experience the classic Mahjong solitaire game with a timed challenge. Remove all tiles by matching pairs, utilizing unlimited undo, hints, and shuffles. Compete for high scores on 300 unique board layouts.

**Highlights:** 300 board layouts, Infinite Undo, Hints, Shuffle, Adjustable tile illumination, HD graphics, Guaranteed solvable puzzles, Score based on time, High score tracking

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 extra lives | $1.99 | one-time |
| Undo button | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hint | $1.99 | one-time |
| Double  time | $1.99 | one-time |
| Shuffle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Set of 5 lives | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mahjong Solitaire free?

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

### Is Mahjong Challenges free?

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

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

Mahjong Challenges is rated higher. Mahjong Solitaire averages 3.3 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Mahjong Challenges averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

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

Mahjong Solitaire shows ads; Mahjong Challenges does not.

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

Mahjong Solitaire ships an update every 6 months, and Mahjong Challenges every 34 months. Most recently, Mahjong Solitaire was updated on June 1, 2026 and Mahjong Challenges on August 13, 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.*