Comparison

Hearthstone vs Mahjong Soul

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

Head to head
About

Hearthstone

Engage in a strategic card battle game where you collect powerful cards, build custom decks, and outwit opponents. Explore various game modes, from competitive PvP to solo adventures, all within the iconic Warcraft universe.

Highlights
  • Collectible battle cards
  • Deck building and customization
  • Strategic card battles
  • Multiple game modes (Standard, Wild, Battlegrounds)
  • PvP and PvE challenges
  • Warcraft universe integration
Read full description

Battle as legendary Warcraft heroes in Hearthstone®, Blizzard Entertainment's award-winning free-to-play* strategy card game. Build powerful decks, collect iconic cards, discover game-changing combos, and outsmart opponents in epic card battles! ONE GAME. COUNTLESS WAYS TO PLAY. Whether you're new to collectible card games (CCG) or a seasoned strategist, Hearthstone offers an experience for every kind of player. Challenge friends, test your skills against opponents from around the world, or enjoy solo adventures at your own pace. Every match is packed with opportunities to learn, experiment, and sharpen your skills. Develop strategies that fit your playstyle, craft Legendary cards, and discover new possibilities as your collection grows. Easy to learn and rewarding to master, Hearthstone offers fresh challenges with every game. Play online across mobile and PC with your Hearthstone collection and progress synced between devices. Whether you have a few minutes for a quick match or you're ready to climb the competitive ladder, your next match is always within reach. Collect. Build. Play. CLIMB TO LEGEND • Battle players from around the world in strategic online PvP duels. • Build winning decks, evolve your strategy, and climb all the way to Legend. • Earn seasonal rewards and prove your mastery every month. HONE YOUR CRAFT • Take on solo adventures, complete quests, and discover new mechanics at your own pace. • Draft a unique deck in Arena from a changing selection of cards, then test your strategy against other players. • Returning player? Wild mode lets you play with all your cards! OUTSMART RIVALS • Recruit powerful minions, build your warband, and compete against seven other players in Hearthstone's signature Battlegrounds auto-battler mode. • Adapt every turn, discover powerful synergies, and be the last player standing. • No two matches play the same. EMBRACE THE CHAOS • Jump into Tavern Brawl, where unique rules, unexpected twists, and special rewards keep every Brawl fresh. CHOOSE YOUR HERO • Battle as legendary Warcraft heroes across 11 distinct classes. • Each class features its own Hero Power, signature mechanics, and unique strategies. • Whether you prefer aggressive attacks, careful planning, or clever combos, there's a class for you. Complete quests, earn rewards, and discover new cards with every expansion. Regular balance updates, seasonal events, major expansions, and limited-time experiences keep Hearthstone fresh for newcomers and veterans alike. Experience the magic, mischief, and mayhem in this epic fantasy CCG. Battle friends, challenge online opponents, and join millions of players around the hearth. Play Hearthstone today! *In-game purchases are optional. ©/TM/® 2026 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc

About

Mahjong Soul

Experience thrilling Mahjong with fully voiced ACG characters and deep progression. Customize your experience with cool visual effects and a variety of items. Challenge friends or compete in tournaments with fair gameplay and engaging events.

Highlights
  • Fully voiced ACG characters
  • Character progression and storytelling
  • Cool visual effects
  • Item customization
  • Character emojis
  • In-game tutorial
  • Friends system
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Game Highlights - Exquisite playable ACG characters fully voiced by famous Japanese CVs. - Rich character designs paired with deep character progression and storytelling. - Enticingly cool visual effects, Mahjong can be just as thrilling as fantasy. - A various lineup of items for you to customize! - Mischief and mayhem with your opponents with hilarious character emojis! - The in-game tutorial will allow you to instantly grasp the fun of Mahjong. - Friends system, practice your Mahjong skills together with your friends. - Fair gameplay, with more events and tournaments to come. For the latest on all things Mahjong Soul! Find us here: Mahjong Soul Official Homepage: https://mahjongsoul.yo-star.com/ Official Discord: https://discord.gg/mahjongsoul Official X: https://x.com/MahjongSoul_EN Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MahjongSoulEN/ Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MahjongSoulOfficialYostar

Screenshots

Hearthstone4 screens
Mahjong Soul4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mahjong Soul at 4.9 against Hearthstone's 4.2. Mahjong Soul also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 36%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Hearthstone's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (123K vs 11K). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Hearthstone sells 21 one-off in-app purchases and Mahjong Soul sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mahjong Soul holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hearthstone has 123K ratings behind it against 11K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Hearthstone's written reviews are positive against 65% of Mahjong Soul's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hearthstone ships an update every 2 weeks, Mahjong Soul every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Hearthstone versus Mahjong Soul: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHearthstoneMahjong Soul
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (123K ratings)4.9 (11K ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.0% of reviews64.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings123K — better11K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#52 — better#110
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size890 MB2.7 GB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperBlizzard Entertainment, Inc.YOSTAR LIMITED

Customer experience

Hearthstone

All ratings122,631 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral3.3%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews4,926 reviews
Positive36.0%
Neutral9.1%
Negative55.0%

Mahjong Soul

All ratings10,905 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral0.7%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews515 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative29.7%

User reviews

Hearthstone

From 123K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 🎨 Stunning visuals and animations
  • 🕹️ Engaging strategic gameplay
  • 🎁 Generous free-to-play model
  • 🕰️ Endless replayability

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive to stay competitive
  • 🔁 Repetitive meta decks
  • 🎲 Excessive RNG elements
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🕰️ Slow progression for free players

Mahjong Soul

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun mahjong gameplay
  • 👍 Beginner-friendly tutorials
  • 🎨 Cute anime-style visuals
  • 🕹️ Easy to play and learn
  • 💻 Cross-platform support

Room to improve

  • 💰 Gacha system is restrictive for F2P players
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and connectivity issues
  • 🤔 Lack of in-depth explanations for game mechanics
  • 🤑 Expensive in-app purchases for characters
  • 🤯 Unfair matchmaking and luck-based outcomes

Bugs and requests

Hearthstone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes during gameplay
  • Connectivity issues after updates
  • Reward system not working as intended
  • Unresponsive UI on certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved matchmaking system
  • More cooperative game modes
  • Ability to trade or disenchant unwanted cards
  • Reduced cost of new expansions
  • Faster gold/dust earning for free players

Mahjong Soul

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Crashes during or after matches
  • Connectivity issues and network errors
  • Purchased items not showing up in-game
  • Inconsistent gacha and reward system

Requested features

5 requests
  • More free-to-play rewards and currency
  • Improved tutorial and gameplay explanations
  • Japanese language support
  • Practice mode and single-player options
  • Better matchmaking and skill-based matchups

In-app purchases

21 purchases

Hearthstone

One-time21
  • Arena Admission$1.99
  • Bundle of 2 Classic Packs$2.99
  • Welcome Bundle$4.99
Show 18 more
  • Welcome Bundle of 10 Classic Packs + Classic Legendary Card$4.99
  • 500 Runestones$4.99
  • Hero Skin2 variants$6.99
  • Bundle of 7 Grand Tournament Packs$9.99
  • Bundle of 7 Classic Packs$9.99
  • Bundle of 7 "Whispers of the Old Gods" Packs$9.99
  • Hero Skin Bundle$9.99
  • Packs Bundle$14.99
  • BG Season Pass$14.99
  • Tavern Pass5 variants$19.99
  • BG Season Pass5 variants$19.99
  • Bundle of 15 Classic Packs$19.99
  • Bundle: All 4 League of Explorers Wings$19.99
  • Packs Bundle$24.99
  • Packs Bundle$39.99
  • Bundle of 40 Classic Packs$49.99
  • Packs Bundle2 variants$59.99
  • Hero Skin Bundle2 variants$89.99
11 purchases

Mahjong Soul

One-time11
  • 60 Jade$0.99
  • 300 Jade$4.99
  • Fortune Charm$4.99
Show 8 more
  • 480 Jade$7.99
  • 900 Jade$14.99
  • 900 Outfit Voucher$14.99
  • 1200 Jade$19.99
  • 1800 Outfit Voucher$29.99
  • 1800 Jade$29.99
  • 2400 Jade$39.99
  • 4900 Jade$79.99

Questions

Is Hearthstone free?
Hearthstone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mahjong Soul free?
Mahjong Soul is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hearthstone or Mahjong Soul?
Mahjong Soul is rated higher. Hearthstone averages 4.2 out of 5 from 123K ratings, while Mahjong Soul averages 4.9 from 11K ratings.
Do Hearthstone or Mahjong Soul have ads?
Neither Hearthstone nor Mahjong Soul shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hearthstone or Mahjong Soul?
Hearthstone ships an update every 2 weeks, and Mahjong Soul every 4 months. Most recently, Hearthstone was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mahjong Soul on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Hearthstone or Mahjong Soul?
Hearthstone currently peaks at #52 in the App Store charts, and Mahjong Soul at #110. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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