# PuzzleBits vs Mahjong Nines & Solitaire

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PuzzleBits at 95% against Mahjong Nines & Solitaire's 27%. PuzzleBits also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Mahjong Nines & Solitaire's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 131). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PuzzleBits sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Mahjong Nines & Solitaire sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PuzzleBits holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mahjong Nines & Solitaire has 4.2K ratings behind it against 131, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of PuzzleBits's written reviews are positive against 27% of Mahjong Nines & Solitaire's.

PuzzleBits ships an update every 2 months, Mahjong Nines & Solitaire every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PuzzleBits | Mahjong Nines & Solitaire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (131 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzlebits/id698818480/reviews)** | [4.5 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-nines-and-solitaire/id1660716461/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 131 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **94.5% of reviews** | 26.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Little White Bear Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/286331903) | [tomople](https://appshunter.io/developer/1384257281) |

## What reviewers say

### PuzzleBits

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzlebits/id698818480)

Place colorful pieces to complete puzzles that then explode into new shapes. Enjoy hundreds of unique piece shapes and playful animations. Offers over 500 puzzles with a free hint option.

**Highlights:** Exploding puzzle mechanics, Hundreds of unique piece shapes, Over 500 puzzles, Playful animations and soundtrack, Free hint option

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| 500 hints | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 hints | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧩 Excellent spatial reasoning and puzzle design
- 😊 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 🎨 Colorful, attractive visual design
- 🧠 Great brain exercise and mental challenge
- ⚡ Smooth performance with no crashes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes when requesting free hints
- 🐛 Game freezes when receiving notifications or text messages
- ❌ Completed puzzles disappear too quickly to review
- ❌ Hint system wastes hints on already-placed pieces
- ❌ No ability to skip puzzles and return later

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when receiving text message notifications
- Free hint request causes app to freeze
- Game freezes when interruptions occur (texts, calls)
- Hints sometimes wasted on already-placed pieces
- Hint loss when resetting individual puzzles

**Requested features**

- Ability to save and replay completed puzzles
- Skip puzzle feature with ability to return later
- Puzzle review/study mode after completion
- Check/verify feature to validate progress without hints
- Leaderboard or scoring system for competition


### Mahjong Nines & Solitaire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mahjong-nines-and-solitaire/id1660716461)

This app offers a collection of tile-matching puzzle games, including Classic Nines against opponents and Mahjong Solitaire with various difficulty levels. Enjoy offline play, unlock achievements, and compete globally with customizable tile themes.

**Highlights:** Classic Nines tile matching, Mahjong Solitaire puzzles, Multiple difficulty levels, 40+ tile themes, Offline play, Achievements and global rankings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| premium plan (1 month) | $2.99 | per month |
| premium plan (1 year) | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly
- 💡 Relaxing gameplay
- 🎨 Visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads still present despite paid subscription
- 🤖 Unfair advantage for computer player
- 🔄 Difficulty switching tiles
- 🚫 Inability to play with friends

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing after winning against computer
- Tiles not responding to user input
- App crashing on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Option to randomize tiles
- Click-to-place tiles instead of drag-and-drop
- Back button during gameplay
- Ability to play with friends online
- More tile design options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PuzzleBits free?

PuzzleBits is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mahjong Nines & Solitaire free?

Mahjong Nines & Solitaire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PuzzleBits or Mahjong Nines & Solitaire?

PuzzleBits is rated higher. PuzzleBits averages 4.7 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while Mahjong Nines & Solitaire averages 4.5 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do PuzzleBits or Mahjong Nines & Solitaire have ads?

Mahjong Nines & Solitaire shows ads; PuzzleBits does not.

### Which is updated more often, PuzzleBits or Mahjong Nines & Solitaire?

PuzzleBits ships an update every 2 months, and Mahjong Nines & Solitaire every 4 days. Most recently, PuzzleBits was updated on October 21, 2026 and Mahjong Nines & Solitaire on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*