Comparison

Letter Shift vs Shanghai Ultra

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

Head to head
About

Letter Shift

Features
Read full description

Letter Shift is a word puzzle game with a unique gravity-based twist. Build words by using letters from two opposing grids -- tiles fall down from the top and rise up from the bottom, creating cascading chain reactions that clear bonus words automatically. Features Dual-grid word puzzle with bidirectional gravity mechanics Spell words of 4 to 8 letters using tiles from both grids Trigger cascading chain reactions as tiles shift and form new words on their own Endless mode with progressively harder levels and scaling word targets Daily puzzle with a fresh board every day and a 3-star rating system Earn and spend gems on power-ups: Shuffle, Line Blast, Hint, and Unlock Track your stats, streaks, and longest combos Daily spin wheel for bonus gem rewards How to Play Tap letters from either grid to place them in the word builder Rearrange your letters by tapping two slots to swap them Submit your word to score gems and progress toward level targets When a tile is removed, gravity shifts the remaining tiles, potentially forming and clearing bonus words automatically Complete all word targets for the level to advance PowerUps to help to when stuck Watch for bonus tiles that grant extra gems in cascade clears Three invalid submissions and you're out -- choose your words carefully

About

Shanghai Ultra

A beautifully crafted mahjong solitaire game focused on clean gameplay. Match pairs of free tiles to clear the board, with every deal guaranteed solvable. Offers multiple tile styles, board layouts, and themes for a satisfying experience.

Highlights
  • 7 board layouts
  • Multiple tile styles
  • Background themes
  • Guaranteed solvable deals
  • Score tracking with hints
  • Leaderboard with iCloud sync
  • Global Daily Challenges
Features
Read full description

Shanghai Ultra is mahjong solitaire the way it should be — clean, focused, and beautifully crafted. Match pairs of free tiles to clear the board. Simple to learn, endlessly satisfying to master. Every deal is guaranteed solvable, so the challenge is always fair. Choose from beautifully crafted traditionally inspired tiles or try the fun emoji based sets. Seven board layouts range from a quick 56-tile game to the full 186-tile Turtle. Rich felt-textured backgrounds and five colour themes set the mood. No ads. No interruptions. Just you and the tiles. FEATURES • 7 board layouts: Quick, Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle, Fortress, Pyramid, and Cross • Multiple tile styles from classic to playful, including a Clear tile style optimised for great visibility • Background themes with subtle felt texture • Every deal is guaranteed solvable • Score tracking with hints, shuffle, and timer • Leaderboard with iCloud sync across devices • Game Center support - Leaderboards, Achievements, and Challenges • Take part in fun Global Daily Challenges with the Quick layout • Light, dark, and system appearance modes • Designed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Screenshots

Letter Shift3 screens
Shanghai Ultra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Letter Shift at Free against Shanghai Ultra's $1.99. Letter Shift also leads on iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). Shanghai Ultra's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence 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

Letter Shift is free to download; Shanghai Ultra costs $1.99 up front. Letter Shift sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shanghai Ultra asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Letter Shift ships an update every 5 days, Shanghai Ultra every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Letter Shift versus Shanghai Ultra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLetter ShiftShanghai Ultra
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating—4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeradam roganJonathan Clarke

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Letter Shift

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99
None

Shanghai Ultra

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Letter Shift free?
Letter Shift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shanghai Ultra free?
Shanghai Ultra costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Letter Shift or Shanghai Ultra have ads?
Letter Shift shows ads; Shanghai Ultra does not.
Which is updated more often, Letter Shift or Shanghai Ultra?
Letter Shift ships an update every 5 days, and Shanghai Ultra every 6 days. Most recently, Letter Shift was updated on November 9, 2026 and Shanghai Ultra on November 12, 2026.

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