Learn
Mahjong Apps Compared
Written by Vu NguyenTileBuddy and Mahjong Camera score a hand from a photo. Schubert’s app and Mahjong 4 Friends let you play against AI. Mahjong Sensei does both.
| Feature | Mahjong Sensei | TileBuddy | Mahjong Camera | Hong Kong Mahjong (Schubert) | Mahjong 4 Friends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, or US$29.99 once (Lifetime) | Free, or US$2.99 a month | Free, or US$7.99 once | Free; offline play from US$0.99 | Free with ads, or US$19.99 a year |
| Android | On our roadmap | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scores a hand from a photo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | – |
| Shows which tiles earned each faan | ✓ | Pattern names | Pattern names | – | Pattern names |
| Play Hong Kong Mahjong against AI | ✓ The most advanced Mahjong AI | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hints on any turn | ✓ Sensei, the hint button | – | – | In training mode | – |
| Lessons and drills | ✓ | A reference wiki | Reference tables | A short tutorial | American Mahjong only |
| Tracks which tiles are out at a real table | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
| Play people online | On our roadmap | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works offline | ✓ | Mostly | Unclear | Paid passes only | ✓ |
We make Mahjong Sensei. Prices are from the US App Store, October 2026.
For scoring at a real table
TileBuddy scores a hand from a photo, lets you set your table’s rules, and keeps a running scoreboard the whole table can follow. Mahjong Camera does the scoring for a one-off price, and handles Riichi and Taiwanese hands too. Mahjong Sensei scores from a photo and shows which tiles earned each faan. Its tracker counts the tiles already out, so you know what’s left.
For playing
Schubert’s app and Mahjong 4 Friends both let you play people online. Mahjong 4 Friends is the most reviewed app here, but its lessons are for American Mahjong. In Mahjong Sensei you play the most advanced Mahjong AI, offline, and Sensei, the hint button, suggests a move on any turn.
For learning
Mahjong Sensei teaches the rules in lessons, then drills you on them. Schubert’s app has hints in its training mode, and TileBuddy and Mahjong Camera have reference pages. If you’d rather start by reading, try the scoring guide and the tile guide.
Mahjong Sensei
Try Mahjong Sensei.
Score a hand from a photo, play against the most advanced Mahjong AI with Sensei ready to suggest a move, and learn the rules with lessons and drills.