Short Drama App Prices: What Every App Costs in 2026

How do short drama apps charge you?

Every major app uses the same model, with small differences in the numbers.

The shows are built around this model. A series may include 20 to 100 short episodes, according to Wikipedia's duanju article. The first handful are free, and the paywall arrives right after a twist.

What does ReelShort cost?

As of the ReelShort Fandom pricing page dated 14 August 2026, in US dollars:

ReelShort also gives away roughly the first 5 to 12 episodes of most series, lets you earn up to 175 coins by watching ads, and pays coins for daily tasks. As of October 2, 2026, the US App Store lists a $19.99 ReelShort subscription and one-time purchases from $4.99 to $29.99. Check the exact offer and episodes left before you buy. Full details: ReelShort price guide.

What does DramaBox cost?

DramaBox does not publish one global price list. Its plans and coin packs depend on your country, your store and sometimes your account. ReelPulse's DramaBox guide, updated 7 September 2026, says the live checkout is the only reliable price. The DramaBox price guide records what the US store listing shows, with the date it was checked.

What does each app cost on the US App Store?

Weekly VIP sits at $19.99 on most of the big apps, and FlexTV and NetShort list $29.99. The table shows the purchases Apple's US listing displayed for each app on October 2, 2026. Apple lists a selection of in-app purchases, not every offer, and some labels do not say what they unlock.

Read a row as a range, not a quote. Three weekly prices for the same app usually mean intro offers or tests, covered below. Each app's own price page has the full list with its date.

What do the other apps cost?

Each app has its own price page with the plans from its store listing, dated (the about page explains how prices are sourced):

• ShortMax prices
• GoodShort prices
• NetShort prices
• DramaWave prices
• My Drama prices
• CandyJar prices
• Melolo prices
• Stardust TV prices
• PineDrama, TikTok's app, is built around free viewing

For every app side by side, see short drama apps compared.

Which short drama apps have no subscription?

PineDrama is the only big app whose US App Store listing showed no in-app purchases on October 2, 2026. It is TikTok's app, sold by TIKTOK PTE. LTD. Melolo's own site calls its dramas free. Its Indonesian listing does show optional purchases, so check your country's listing. Every other app in the table sells both coins and a VIP plan. You can still use any of them without subscribing: buy coins for the episodes you want, or stay on the free episodes and rewards. See PineDrama and Melolo.

Why does the App Store list several prices for the same plan?

Apps can sell the same plan at different prices to different people. Apple's subscription rules for developers allow introductory offers in three forms: a free trial, a discounted price for the first few billing periods ("pay as you go"), or one discounted payment up front. After the offer ends, Apple bills the standard renewal price. That is how GoodShort can show Weekly VIP at $5.99, $9.99 and $19.99 on one listing. The cheap figure is often the first week only. Before you tap Subscribe, read the line on the payment sheet that states what you pay after the offer ends.

What does finishing one show really cost?

One worked example, with real numbers: This Time I Choose Mr. Mafia on GoodShort has 68 episodes, and episodes 1 to 14 are free. GoodShort's own episode pages priced the other 54 at 2,312 coins in total on October 2, 2026. The US App Store sells 500 coins for $4.99, so the show costs about $23 in coins, or $24.99 if you buy the 2,500-coin pack. A $5.99 intro week of VIP would be cheaper only if it covers that show and you finish all 54 locked episodes inside seven days. Details on the show page.

Do prices differ outside the US?

Yes. Apple lets developers set a different price in each country's store, picking from 800 price points across currencies. Sometimes the number stays the same and only the currency changes. ReelShort's UK App Store listing showed Weekly VIP at £19.99 and Yearly VIP at £199.99 on October 2, 2026, the same figures as the US dollar prices but in pounds. That makes the UK plan dearer at current exchange rates. Prices for the Philippines and India are on the Philippines and India guides. For ranked shortlists in local currency, see the best short drama apps in Malaysia and the best short drama apps in India.

Why is a month of short dramas more than Netflix?

Weekly billing is the reason. TechCrunch worked it out in January 2026: at about $20 a week, a month of short-drama VIP costs more than HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Paramount+ put together. A weekly VIP plan renews every seven days. Check which plan you are on before you pay again.

How much do vertical dramas cost?

Viewers pay the prices above: free opening episodes, then coins or a VIP plan, with ReelShort's monthly VIP at $39.99 as of August 2026. Making one costs far less than TV. Wikipedia's duanju article puts productions in Western markets such as the US at $150,000 to $250,000 for a 7 to 10 day shoot that yields 50 to 70 or more episodes, and says some successful productions cost as little as $50,000. One hit, The Divorced Billionaire Heiress, reportedly cost under $200,000 and grossed about $35 million in North America. That gap is why the apps can give the first episodes away and still profit from the paywall. What the cast earns is on the vertical dramas page.

Weekly, monthly or yearly: which should you pick?

Pick by how long you will keep watching.

1. One show, then done: skip VIP. Count the locked episodes and buy coins, or use the free routes.
2. A few weeks: the monthly plan beats weekly after the second week.
3. Every day, for months: the yearly plan is the cheapest per month, but it is one large charge and hard to get refunded.

Whatever you pick, set a reminder a day before it renews. Apple advises cancelling a trial at least 24 hours before it ends.

How do I work out the cost of finishing one show?

Use the numbers the app shows you.

1. Open the series and count the locked episodes left.
2. Note the coin price per episode shown on the unlock screen.
3. Multiply, then divide by the coins per dollar in the pack you would buy.
4. Compare that with one week of VIP.

If the show has 60 locked episodes and each costs more coins than a week of VIP would, take the week. If only a few are left, coins win. The cheapest short drama app page runs this maths for every app.

How do I stop paying?

Cancel where you subscribed: Apple ID settings on iPhone, Google Play on Android, or the app's own site if you paid by card there. Deleting the app does not stop the billing. Step-by-step: how to cancel a short drama subscription.

Prices change. Every price on this page carries the date and source it came from. Check the checkout in your own app before you pay.