Hola vs Mahj Trainer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hola
This app helps you learn Spanish by integrating vocabulary building with real-life content like videos, podcasts, and news. It offers instant translations, personalized flashcards, and graded listening exercises to enhance fluency.
- Scroll real-life videos with one-tap translation
- Instant dictionary lookup for any word
- Deep contextual learning via audiobooks and news
- Active graded listening and podcast sessions
- Personalized word banks and SRS flashcards
- Customizable audio playback speeds
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Hola: Easy Language Learning The ultimate vocabulary and immersion ecosystem for learning Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Turn your favorite short videos, authentic clips, graded audiobooks, trending news stories, and immersive podcasts into an engaging language-learning routine. True fluency requires deep Contextual Input. If you find it challenging to speak confidently because you constantly run out of words, practicing isolated phrases alone isn't enough. Hola provides a comprehensive all-in-one platform that bridges the gap between entertaining media consumption and long-term vocabulary retention, helping you build a natural command of your target language from day one. Why language learners choose Hola: Scroll Real-Life Videos with One-Tap Translation • Learn Spanish, French, German & Italian Naturally: Pick up authentic everyday conversations, native pronunciation, and genuine expressions from bite-sized videos. • Instant Dictionary Lookup: Tap any word in the dual subtitles while watching to see its definition instantly and understand how it is used in real sentences without losing your place. Deep Contextual Learning via Audiobooks & News Move beyond short, fragmented clips. Hola offers a curated library of graded audiobooks and bilingual news articles to help you train your brain to think in your target language organically and master sentence structures over time. Active Graded Listening & Podcasts Enjoy high-quality podcast sessions designed specifically for self-learners. Train your ears to adjust to native speech rhythms, real-world speeds, and authentic accent patterns. Easily customize audio playback speeds to match your current comfort level. Personalized Word Banks & Smart SRS Flashcards • Save on the Go: Seamlessly bookmark new words, phrases, and native expressions directly from your video scrolling or reading exercises into custom study decks. • Spaced Repetition System: Review with a scientifically optimized flashcard algorithm that challenges your memory right before you are about to forget, helping your vocabulary stick long-term. An elegant all-in-one solution that replaces the hassle of juggling between separate news feeds, external dictionary tools, and manual flashcard apps. Never Miss a Study Session with Call-Style Reminders If you don't respond to a study reminder notification within a few minutes, Hola will ring your phone with a call-style alert to bring you back to your lesson. It's a simulated reminder from the app — not a real phone call, so don't be startled! You can turn this feature on or off anytime in Settings. Perfect for: • Beginners who want to build a rich, solid vocabulary foundation from the start. • Busy adults who want to turn daily video-scrolling and reading habits into productive language progress. • Students, travelers, and professionals looking to develop deeper conversational skills and communicate more naturally in Spanish, French, German, or Italian. Download Hola: Easy Language Learning today and discover how combining real-world videos, contextual reading, listening, and smart reviews can make language learning feel effortless.
Mahj Trainer
Practice American Mah Jongg skills with short, interactive drills focusing on tiles, card reading, and strategy. Designed for new players, it offers a pressure-free environment to build confidence before playing in person. Optional upgrades provide endless practice and advanced training.
- Tile family recognition
- Card section identification
- Charleston strategy drills
- Keep-or-throw judgment practice
- Endless practice modes
- Spaced repetition for weak spots
- Advanced strategy training
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Practice American Mah Jongg in five-minute drills: tiles, Charleston strategy, rack reading, and keep-or-throw judgment, built for new players. Learned mah jongg on Thursday? Keep it. Mahj Trainer has no opponents, no timers, and no pressure: just quick, interactive reps that build the skills you need before sitting down at a real table. Think of it like practicing your serve without playing a match. WHY IT WORKS Most new players learn at a weekly game, then have no way to practice until the next one. Lessons fade. Mahj Trainer gives you quick reps you can run anywhere, even standing in line. FOUR FREE PRACTICE ROOMS THE TILE ROOM Meet every tile family: craks, bams, dots, winds, dragons, flowers, and jokers. Then quiz yourself on the rules everyone gets wrong: which dragon goes with which suit, what jokers can and cannot do, what a soap really means. THE CARD ROOM Learn the card's sections (2468, Consecutive Run, 13579, Winds and Dragons, 369, Singles and Pairs, and more) and how to spot them. Then practice reading racks: see 13 tiles and name the section they're chasing. THE CHARLESTON ROOM The part that scares every new player, minus the panic. Learn the rules and strategy of the pass, then work through real deals: pick 3 tiles to pass and compare your choice with the coach's, with the reasoning explained. THE TABLE ROOM Keep-or-throw judgment calls: when to hold a flower, when to swap for an exposed joker, what an opponent's exposure tells you, and which discards are safe. MAHJ+ (optional upgrade) Everything above stays free, forever. Mahj+ adds practice that never runs out: PLAY A HAND deals thirteen tiles off a real wall, then grades every discard and shows the arithmetic behind it. No opponents and no bots, so nothing can feel rigged. Everyone gets one free hand a day. ENDLESS PRACTICE deals a freshly generated rack every time, so section reading never repeats and never runs dry. FIX MY MISTAKES remembers what you got wrong and brings it back on a spaced schedule, so weak spots actually close. TIMED CHALLENGE gives you ninety seconds of mixed reads and a personal best to chase. EXTRA PRACTICE SETS in every one of the four rooms, with fresh questions, racks and deals in the same drills you already use. THE MASTER TABLES, where advanced Charleston strategy, a defense school, and expert rack-reading drills wait for players moving past the basics. New drills are added all year. BUILT FOR NEW PLAYERS Flashcards with the "why" on the back. Streaks to keep you practicing between games. Original practice hands that teach the category system, so your skills transfer to any year's card. Mahj Trainer is an independent training app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Mah Jongg League. For official hands and values, get the current NMJL card. SUBSCRIPTIONS Mahj+ is available as an auto-renewing subscription (Monthly or Yearly, both with a 7-day free trial) or as a one-time Lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app before you buy and vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Terms of Use (Apple's standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/. Privacy Policy: https://jackwallner.github.io/mahj/privacy-policy.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mahj Trainer at 4.6 against Hola's 4.0. Mahj Trainer also leads on ratings volume (27 vs 1). Hola's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Hola sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Mahj Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Mahj Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahj Trainer has 27 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Hola ships an update every 9 days, Mahj Trainer fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Hola | Mahj Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.6 (27 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 27 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Quan Pham | Jack Wallner |
Customer experience
Hola
Mahj Trainer
In-app purchases
Hola
- Plus+ 1 Month$9.991 Month
- Plus+ 3 months$24.993 Months
- Premium 1 Year1 Year trial4 variants$49.991 Year
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- Plus+ 1 Year$49.991 Year
Mahj Trainer
- Mahj+ Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Mahj+ Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Mahj+ Lifetime$89.99









