Comparison

Mahjong Solitaire vs Mahjong 3!

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mahjong Solitaire

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
Read full description

Mahjong solitaire is a solitaire matching game that uses a set of Mahjong tiles rather than cards. The computer game was originally created by Brodie Lockard in 1981 and named Mah-Jongg after the game that uses the same tiles for play. Lockard claims that it was based on a centuries-old Chinese game called "the Turtle". However, it was not until Activision released Shanghai in 1986 for the Macintosh and Apple IIgs that the game gathered momentum. A version of this game was also included in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack for Windows 3.x in 1990 and went by the name Taipei. It was subsequently included in the Best of Windows Entertainment Pack. Premium editions of the Windows Vista operating system and Windows 7 include a version of the game known as Mahjong Titans. As any other successful game, millions of clones have been created on all possible platforms. So why should you give our version a try? We tried to recreate all the fun of original game with 60 different layouts in a tiny download package. A tile that can be moved left or right without disturbing other tiles is said to be exposed. Exposed pairs of identical tiles (Flower and Seasons tiles in the same group being considered identical) are removed from the layout one at a time, gradually exposing the lower layers to play. The aim of the game is to clear the layout by pairing up all the tiles. The game is finished when either the layout is empty, or there are no exposed pairs remaining. Don't forget to check our Game section for other fun games...

About

Mahjong 3!

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
Read full description

Ready to boost your puzzle solving skills, relax & have fun? Meet our classic free Mahjong game without excessive mechanics - simply play and enjoy! Your goal is to match and remove all tile pieces from the tower. Mahjong 3 is mentally challenging and is very enjoyable. It helps to keep the brain sharp & aware and is also great for relaxing and relieving stress. The game is highly recommended to be in a good mental shape for people of all ages, especially for senior players. Enjoy 3 main game modes: ► Classic - The original game; play as long as you want! ► Time Attack - Play is timed. ► Challenge - You have a limited time to choose your Tiles; for advanced players. The faster you choose, the bigger your bonus for that move! Win in Challenge mode to unlock more towers. FEATURES: ◆ Clear colorful large Mahjong tiles. Best for your eyes! ◆ Additional game modes: Endless, Daily and Versus another player. ◆ Big choice of tiles, backgrounds & themes. ◆ Super SHUFFLE feature when no more moves are available. ◆ Full UNDO ◆ Hints: possible moves can be highlighted The game is also known as Mahjong Solitaire, Taipei Mahjongg, Shanghai Mah-Jong, Chinese Mahjong, Mah-jongg Trails, Mahjong Titans and Kyodai.

Screenshots

Mahjong Solitaire3 screens
Mahjong 3!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mahjong 3! at 87% against Mahjong Solitaire's 39%. Mahjong 3! also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). Mahjong Solitaire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mahjong 3! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mahjong Solitaire asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mahjong 3! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong 3! has 4.4K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Mahjong Solitaire's written reviews are positive against 87% of Mahjong 3!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mahjong Solitaire ships an update every 6 months, Mahjong 3! fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Mahjong Solitaire versus Mahjong 3!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMahjong SolitaireMahjong 3!
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (11 ratings)4.6 (4.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.1% of reviews87.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings114.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with ads — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB282 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGASP Mobile Games IncGamos Mobile Limited

Customer experience

Mahjong Solitaire

All ratings11 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative45.5%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive39.1%
Neutral13.0%
Negative47.8%

Mahjong 3!

All ratings4,434 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews396 reviews
Positive87.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative7.3%

Bugs and requests

Mahjong Solitaire

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Mahjong 3!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

Mahjong Solitaire

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mahjong 3!

One-time1
  • VIP Purchase$3.99

Questions

Is Mahjong Solitaire free?
Mahjong Solitaire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mahjong 3! free?
Mahjong 3! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mahjong Solitaire or Mahjong 3!?
Mahjong 3! is rated higher. Mahjong Solitaire averages 3.3 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Mahjong 3! averages 4.6 from 4.4K ratings.
Do Mahjong Solitaire or Mahjong 3! have ads?
Both Mahjong Solitaire and Mahjong 3! show ads.
Which is updated more often, Mahjong Solitaire or Mahjong 3!?
Mahjong Solitaire ships an update every 6 months, and Mahjong 3! fortnightly. Most recently, Mahjong Solitaire was updated on October 23, 2026 and Mahjong 3! on October 24, 2026.

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