NMJL Online vs The Winning Hand
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NMJL Online
Experience the official online version of the National Mah Jongg League's tabletop game. Play against others or AI, customize your game with themes and tile sets, and access a detailed tutorial. Requires the physical annual card and an online game membership to play online.
- Online multiplayer matches
- Play against AI opponents
- Interactive tutorial for new players
- Customizable themes and tile sets
- AI can take over for dropped players
- Optional voice and sound effects
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Play Official NMJL Mah Jongg versus other players online or polish your skills against seven different AI players. Includes a detailed interactive tutorial for new players. Each year since 1937, the National Mah Jongg League has mailed out cards containing their "Official Standard Hands and Rules" for the year. In the spring, members eagerly await the arrival of the new card, which brings fresh challenges for players. Now, the National Mah Jongg League has created NMJL Online(tm), its very own official online version of the tabletop game. Anyone with the official annual card plus an online game membership can play NMJL Online. Select from several colorful visual themes and four beautiful tile sets. Optional male and female voices and sound effects help players keep up the pace. If three friends aren’t available to play, meet new friends in the lobby or select from a wide range of AI players to add to your game. In addition, if a player drops out or loses their Internet connection, AI players can take over and keep the game moving until the original player is able to re-join. Downloading the app is free. Those without a membership can still play through the tutorial. In order to play the online game, however, you must purchase the physical card and online game membership from the National Mah Jongg League. An Internet connection is also required. This app includes auto-renewing subscription options and is offered under the terms of the standard Apple End-User License Agreement, which may be viewed here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/. Additional details of our Terms of Service may be viewed here: https://faqs.nmjlonline.com/legal/NMJL-Online_Terms-of-Service.html
The Winning Hand
Play American Mah Jongg against AI opponents on your phone or tablet. Features include working the Charleston passes, calling discards, and building exposures. Offers casual and challenging bot difficulties with detailed explanations for dead hands.
- Play against three AI bots
- Work Charleston passes and call discards
- Build exposures and play to the last tile
- Casual or challenging bot difficulty
- Explanations for dead hands
- Two tile designs: traditional and large font
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Win more on the 2026 card. The Winning Hand deals you into a full game against three bots whenever you want. Work the Charleston passes, call a discard, build your exposures, and play it out to the last tile on your phone or your tablet. The fact is, you win more by playing more, not by studying or doing more "homework." That's exactly why we built this. FREE, AND NO ACCOUNT NEEDED The 2025 hand set is free, and it stays free. No sign-up, no email address, nothing to enter. Open the app and deal yourself a hand. It is the complete game, not a demo. THE 2026 HANDS The 2026 hands, and each new year's hands as they are released, come with Complete Access, an auto-renewing subscription at $6.99 per month. They are also included at no additional charge with an American Mah Jongg Association membership, if you already have one. BOT PLAY Deals you into a full game against three bots, and you pick casual or challenging bot difficulty. Nearly 60 bots take a seat, each with its own name and a voice to match. When a hand goes dead you get the reason, either no such hand exists or it can no longer be won, so you are never left wondering what happened. HAND HINT Shows how many tiles you already hold for every line on the card, so you can see which hands are actually within reach before you commit. TWO TILE DESIGNS Traditional tiles, and a large font set built so the tiles read easily on a phone. The Winning Hand follows the current National Mah Jongg League card. The American Mah Jongg Association is independent and not affiliated with the League, which publishes the card and the official rules. Complete Access is $6.99 per month. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.americanmahjonggassociation.com/twh-privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: The Winning Hand at 5.0 against NMJL Online's 1.8. On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. NMJL Online sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and The Winning Hand sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The Winning Hand holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | NMJL Online | The Winning Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 118 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Quicksilver Software, Inc. | American Mah Jongg Association, LLC |
In-app purchases
NMJL Online
- Online Subscription (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Online Subscription (Quarterly)$12.993 Months
- Online Subscription (Yearly)$49.991 Year
- 1-Mo Subscription, NonRenewing$4.99
- 3-Mo Subscription, NonRenewing$12.99
- 1-Yr Subscription, NonRenewing$49.99
The Winning Hand
- Complete Access$6.991 Month
Questions
Is NMJL Online free?
Is The Winning Hand free?
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