Comparison

Tarabish vs TileBuddy

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

Head to head
About

Tarabish

Enjoy the classic card game with authentic rules, including runs, bellas, and familiar scoring. Play solo or challenge friends on your mobile device. Experience the traditional game anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • Authentic traditional card game rules
  • Includes runs and bellas
  • Familiar scoring system
  • Solo play option
  • Challenge friends
Features
Read full description

Experience the Classic Tarabish – Now Better Than Ever! Play the beloved traditional card game right on your phone, with all the authentic rules you love — including runs, bellas, and scoring just like you remember. Whether you're a seasoned pro or learning the ropes, Tarabish brings the real game to your fingertips. Play solo or challenge friends – it's Tarabish, anytime, anywhere.

About

TileBuddy

This app simplifies Hong Kong Mahjong for players of all levels. It offers real-time score tracking, an AI-powered tile scanner to identify hands, and a comprehensive wiki for learning scoring hands and game rules.

Highlights
  • Real-time score tracking
  • AI tile recognition via camera
  • 40+ hand patterns with examples
  • HK rule styles (Classic, New 6, New 18)
  • Game history and round breakdown
  • No ads or account required
Features
Read full description

The mahjong scoring app for real-table play. Hong Kong & Taiwan Track faan, points, and payments live. No ads. No account needed SCORE TRACKING MODE Track scores effortlessly during your game. Enter player names, set your stakes and scoring table, and TileBuddy handles all the math. Supports both self-pick and discard wins, with configurable payment styles. Wind rotation and dealer tracking are automatic. TILE HAND SCANNER Point your camera at your tiles and let TileBuddy identify them instantly. The Hand Scanner recognizes all 42 unique Hong Kong Mahjong tile types — Bamboo, Dots, Characters, Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Seasons. Automatically calculates your faan value from scanned tiles. MAHJONG HOW TO PLAY WIKI A complete reference for Hong Kong Mahjong. Browse 40+ scoring hands organized by category with example tile layouts. Filter by Classic, New 6, or New 18 style rules. Includes beginner-friendly game rules. FEATURES • Real-time score tracking with full payment calculations • AI-powered tile recognition via camera • Manual tile selector for entering hands • 40+ hand patterns with visual tile examples • Classic, New 6, and New 18 HK rule styles • Cantonese mahjong vocabulary reference • Game history and round-by-round breakdown • Beautiful, minimal design optimized for mobile • No account required, no ads • All game data stays on your device Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tarabish3 screens
TileBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TileBuddy at 90% against Tarabish's 0%. TileBuddy also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Tarabish's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On price, ads, monetization model 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. TileBuddy sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Tarabish asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tarabish ships an update every 6 weeks, TileBuddy weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tarabish versus TileBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTarabishTileBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAtlas Interactive LtdWesley Ng

Customer experience

Tarabish

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

TileBuddy

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tarabish

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

TileBuddy

Subscriptions3
  • TileBuddy Premium$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$29.991 Year
  • TileBuddy Family$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Theme Pack$4.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is Tarabish free?
Tarabish is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TileBuddy free?
TileBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tarabish or TileBuddy have ads?
Neither Tarabish nor TileBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tarabish or TileBuddy?
Tarabish ships an update every 6 weeks, and TileBuddy weekly. Most recently, Tarabish was updated on October 24, 2026 and TileBuddy on October 28, 2026.

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