# Mahjong Solitaire vs Mahjong Solitaire*

The clearest difference is rating: Mahjong Solitaire* at 4.6 against Mahjong Solitaire's 3.3. Mahjong Solitaire* also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (66% vs 39%). Mahjong Solitaire's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mahjong Solitaire* holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong Solitaire* has 353 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 66% of Mahjong Solitaire*'s.

Mahjong Solitaire ships an update every 6 months, Mahjong Solitaire* every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mahjong Solitaire | Mahjong Solitaire* |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire-lite/id510143771/reviews) | **[4.6 (353 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-solitaire/id899111576/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **353** |
| Positive reviews | 39.1% of reviews | **65.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free with ads | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GASP Mobile Games Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/502025155) | [Lei Li](https://appshunter.io/developer/896955406) |

## 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 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 Solitaire free?

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

### Is Mahjong Solitaire* free?

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

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

Mahjong Solitaire* is rated higher. Mahjong Solitaire averages 3.3 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Mahjong Solitaire* averages 4.6 from 353 ratings.

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

Mahjong Solitaire shows ads; Mahjong Solitaire* does not.

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

Mahjong Solitaire ships an update every 6 months, and Mahjong Solitaire* every 5 months. Most recently, Mahjong Solitaire was updated on October 23, 2026 and Mahjong Solitaire* on October 24, 2026.

---

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