# Mahjong 4 Friends — Mahjong Platform Review

> A free platform supporting American Mahjong (NMJL and Marvelous Mah Jongg cards) and Hong Kong Mahjong. Great for casual play with friends or bots, no subscription required.

**Source:** https://www.mahjongmaster.co/resources/where-to-play/mahjong-4-friends/
**Author:** Kenji Tanaka (https://www.mahjongmaster.co/about/kenji-tanaka/)
**Publisher:** Mahjong Master (https://www.mahjongmaster.co)
**Published:** 2026-02-18
**Updated:** 2026-02-18
**Mahjong type:** american
**Free:** yes
**Rating:** 4/5
**Official site:** https://mahjong4friends.com

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## Overview

**Mahjong 4 Friends** is the best free option for playing American Mahjong online. Unlike I Love Mahj, which requires a subscription, Mahjong 4 Friends is completely free with no paywalls or trials. It supports NMJL cards from multiple years, Marvelous Mah Jongg cards, and even Hong Kong Mahjong, all on the same platform.

## Why Mahjong 4 Friends?

### Completely Free

No subscriptions, no credit cards, no hidden costs. Create an account and start playing immediately.

### Play Your Way

- **Bots only**: Practice solo at any time
- **Friends + bots**: Start a table with friends and fill empty seats with bots
- **Full tables**: Play with up to 4 real players

This flexibility makes it easy to play even when you can't find four human players.

### Supports Multiple Cards

- **NMJL cards** from 2020 through the current year
- **Marvelous Mah Jongg** cards from 2021 through current
- **Hong Kong Mahjong** for a different experience

If you and your group prefer Marvelous Mah Jongg over the standard NMJL card, Mahjong 4 Friends has you covered.

### Beginner-Friendly

Yellow tip bubbles appear during play to explain rules and guide decisions. This makes it a good learning tool for newer players.

### Play Anywhere

Available in your web browser, as an iOS app, Android app, and on the Amazon Appstore, so you can play on any device.

## Getting Started

### 1. Create a Free Account

Visit [mahjong4friends.com](https://mahjong4friends.com) and sign up, no payment information required.

### 2. Set Up a Table

- Click **Create Game**
- Choose your card (NMJL 2025, Marvelous 2025, etc.)
- Set the number of human vs. bot players
- Share the room code with friends or start immediately with all bots

### 3. Invite Friends

Share your room link with friends so they can join. Any empty seats can be automatically filled with bots.

## Who This Is For

**Mahjong 4 Friends is best for:**
- Players who want to practice American Mahjong without a subscription
- Groups of friends who want to play online together (especially with built-in video chat)
- Marvelous Mah Jongg players (not supported on I Love Mahj)
- Beginners looking for a low-stakes way to learn the NMJL card

**Consider I Love Mahj if:**
- You want the most polished, rule-perfect implementation
- You play frequently and want detailed stat tracking

## Platform Availability

- **Web browser**: No download required
- **iOS**: App available on the App Store
- **Android**: App available on Google Play
- **Amazon**: Available on the Amazon Appstore

## Final Verdict

**Rating**: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

**Bottom line**: Mahjong 4 Friends is the best free American Mahjong option. The free price point and multi-device support make it easy to recommend for casual players, groups, and beginners. More serious players may prefer I Love Mahj for its polished interface and stat tracking, but for zero cost, Mahjong 4 Friends delivers.

**Ready to play?** Visit [mahjong4friends.com](https://mahjong4friends.com), no signup required to browse.

## Pros

- Completely free, no subscription or hidden costs
- Supports NMJL cards from multiple years plus Marvelous Mah Jongg
- Play with friends or bots, or mix both in the same game
- Built-in video and audio chat for a real table feel
- Beginner-friendly tips shown during play
- Works on browser, iOS, Android, and Amazon Appstore

## Cons

- Less polished interface than I Love Mahj
- Smaller community for finding live opponents
- Video/audio chat is experimental and may be unstable

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*This content is from [Mahjong Master](https://www.mahjongmaster.co), a free educational reference for riichi (Japanese) and American (NMJL) mahjong. When citing this page, please link to https://www.mahjongmaster.co/resources/where-to-play/mahjong-4-friends/.*