Short drama apps: what they really cost and how not to overpay
How ReelShort, DramaBox, DramaWave, ShortMax and similar apps charge: free episodes, coins, weekly passes, auto-renewal traps and how to cancel.
Short drama apps offer vertical series with one- or two-minute episodes made for your phone. They're among the hottest downloads right now: in September 2026, ReelShort got about 22 million downloads on Google Play alone, and DramaWave, NetShort and others keep growing every month on the back of huge ad campaigns.
The app is free. Finishing a series almost never is.
How they charge
| Payment | How it works | Typical US price |
|---|---|---|
| Free episodes | The first episodes of each series, usually 5 to 10 | Free |
| Coins | Each locked episode is unlocked with coins | ReelShort: 500 coins for $4.99, and an episode costs about 50 to 60 |
| Weekly pass (VIP) | Access to most of the catalog while you pay | $15 to $20 a week, depending on the app |
| Annual plan | The same, paid up front | Cheaper per week, but a big one-off payment |
Prices vary by country and currency; always check the exact amount on the Google Play payment screen before you confirm.
What it costs to finish a series
A typical series has 60 to 90 episodes. Paying with coins, an 80-episode series at around 55 coins an episode comes to about 4,400 coins, or more than $40 for a single show. If you watch several a week, the weekly pass works out cheaper; if you watch one a month, coins or waiting for free episodes make more sense.
The most common traps
- "Week" that looks like "month". A $19.99 weekly pass is about $80 a month. Read the payment screen carefully.
- Autoplay. With coins, the next episode unlocks on its own and spends your balance. Turn off auto-unlock in the app's settings.
- Deleting the app doesn't cancel the pass. You have to cancel in Play Store.
- "Free coins" on websites or modded APKs. A classic way to get malware. If you've installed one, follow this virus removal guide.
How to cancel a weekly pass
- Open Play Store with the account that paid.
- Go to ProfilePayments & subscriptionsSubscriptions.
- Pick the short drama app and tap Cancel subscription.
The full guide is in how to cancel a Google Play subscription. If the charge is from the last 48 hours, you can still request a refund.
If your kids use them
Make Play Store ask for your password on every purchase: Play StoreSettingsAuthenticationRequire authentication for purchasesFor all purchases. With a family group you can also approve each purchase from your own phone (see parental controls).