ReelShort: what it is, is it free and how it works

By the TotalShort team · Updated September 30, 2026

We make TotalShort, a short drama app: we say so wherever it matters. Facts about other apps come from their official App Store and Google Play pages and may change.

In short: ReelShort is a short drama app developed by New Leaf Publishing, Inc., offering vertical mini series with short episodes, mostly US productions with real actors. On the App Store it's rated 4.7 from about 14,100 ratings and is rated 12+. It's free to download and some episodes are free, but to keep going you need coins or a weekly subscription; the app also says you can continue by watching ads or collecting daily bonuses. According to Sensor Tower it was the top-grossing short drama app in Q1 2025. You cancel the subscription in Apple or Google settings, not by deleting the app.

What is ReelShort?

ReelShort is one of the best-known short drama apps. Short dramas are vertical mini series made for phones: short episodes and plenty of cliffhangers. If the format is new to you, start with what is a short drama.

Here are the key facts from its official App Store listing (Italian storefront, where we checked ratings), read on September 30, 2026 [1]:

Item	ReelShort
Developer	New Leaf Publishing, Inc.
App Store rating	4.7 (about 14,100 ratings)
Age rating	12+
Available languages	includes Italian and English
How you pay	coins to unlock episodes, auto-renewing weekly subscription
Free options (as declared)	ads and daily bonuses

A transparency note: this guide is written by the TotalShort team, and TotalShort is another short drama app. So for ReelShort we stick to public, checkable facts, and we only talk about ourselves at the end, in a separate section.

How big is ReelShort?

ReelShort is one of the apps leading the category. According to Sensor Tower's report on short drama apps, ReelShort generated about $130 million in in-app purchases in Q1 2025 and about $490 million in total up to that point [2]. In the same quarter, the runner-up, DramaBox, made $120 million.

The whole market, again per Sensor Tower, was worth about $700 million in Q1 2025, nearly 4 times the year before, with the United States accounting for almost half of global revenue [2]. That's why so many ReelShort stories are written first and foremost for American viewers.

How ReelShort works

Coins and unlocking episodes

The mechanics are the same as on most short drama apps: the first episodes of a series are free, then later episodes are unlocked with coins, the app's virtual currency, bought through Apple or Google in-app purchases.

We don't list coin prices or how many coins an episode costs: those figures change over time and we haven't verified them. You'll see them in the app and in the store's payment sheet before you confirm.

The weekly subscription

Alongside coins, ReelShort offers an auto-renewing weekly subscription [1]. Like any subscription bought through an app store, it keeps renewing until you cancel, and it's charged to your Apple or Google account. Before starting one, check the price and billing period on the payment screen.

Ads and daily bonuses

This is the part that matters if you're searching for "ReelShort free". In its official description, the app says that if you don't want to buy coins, you can still continue by watching ads or collecting daily bonuses [1]. How many ads you need and what the bonuses are worth depends on the app's rules, which can change.

Is ReelShort free?

Partly. Downloading it is free and some episodes cost nothing. To finish a series, though, you have three routes:

1. buy coins and unlock episodes one at a time;
2. start the weekly subscription;
3. watch ads and collect daily bonuses, as the app states, accepting that it takes longer.

So ReelShort isn't free the way broadcast TV is, but it isn't strictly pay-to-watch either: with patience you can keep going. We've gathered all the legal ways to watch for free, on ReelShort and other apps, in free short dramas.

One caution: copies of these series circulate on unofficial sites and channels. They infringe the rights of the people who make them and can expose you to scams or fake apps. Stick to official channels.

What language is ReelShort in?

The app interface is available in English and in Italian, among others [1]. As for the shows, many are US or Asian productions, and dubbing and subtitle options vary from series to series. The easiest check is to open the first episode, which is free, and look at the audio and subtitle options before spending coins.

How to cancel a ReelShort subscription

A subscription bought in the app is managed by the store, not by ReelShort. And one rule always applies: deleting the app does not cancel the subscription.

Device	Steps
iPhone / iPad	Settings → your name → Subscriptions → ReelShort → Cancel Subscription [3]
Android	Google Play app → Subscriptions → ReelShort → Cancel subscription → follow the instructions [4]

On iPhone, if there's no Cancel button or you see an expiration date in red, the subscription is already cancelled [3]. Either way, it stays active until the end of the period you've already paid for.

Refunds for in-app purchases aren't requested from the app but from Apple (via reportaproblem.apple.com) or Google Play, under their rules. The full walkthrough, for other apps too, is in how to cancel a short drama subscription.

ReelShort and its alternatives

If you like ReelShort but want to compare, the closest apps in model and catalog are DramaBox, ShortMax, NetShort and DramaWave. We compare them in the best short drama apps, and there's a head-to-head in ReelShort vs DramaBox.

A different option: TotalShort

To be clear: TotalShort is the app we make. It's different from ReelShort and doesn't replace it on everything.

• Stories set in Italy (Puglia, Milan, Ortigia in Sicily), made with AI and labeled "AI Series"; new series come with English or Italian audio, your choice.
• 8 free episodes in every series, then 1 free episode a day per series.
• Coins: 30 coins per episode, packs from 150 coins for €0.99 (first purchase only); coins never expire and every unlock asks you to confirm. VIP is €5.99 a week or €59.99 a year, with no free trial that turns into a charge.
• Watch in your browser; the iPhone and Android app is coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.

The limit: as of September 30, 2026 there are 4 series, a small, brand-new catalog. To get a feel for it, The Heiress in an Apron is free from episode one.

Frequently asked questions

What is ReelShort?

ReelShort is a short drama app: vertical mini series with short episodes designed for your phone. It's developed by New Leaf Publishing, Inc. and features mostly US productions with real actors. On the App Store it's rated 4.7 from about 14,100 ratings and is rated 12+. According to Sensor Tower, it was the top-grossing short drama app in Q1 2025, with about $130 million in in-app purchases.

Is ReelShort free?

Partly. The app is free to download and some episodes of every series are free; after that you need coins or the weekly subscription. ReelShort does say that if you don't want to buy coins, you can keep going by watching ads or collecting daily bonuses. It's slower, but legal. Avoid unofficial sites that re-upload the series: they infringe copyright and can expose you to scams.

How much does ReelShort cost?

We don't quote figures, because coin and subscription prices change over time and we haven't verified them. The exact amount appears in the app and in Apple's or Google's payment sheet before you confirm. The subscription is weekly and renews automatically until you cancel it in your store settings.

How do I cancel my ReelShort subscription?

On iPhone: Settings, tap your name, Subscriptions, choose ReelShort and tap Cancel Subscription. On Android: open Google Play, go to Subscriptions, choose ReelShort and tap Cancel subscription. Deleting the app is not enough. The subscription stays active until the end of the period you've paid for, and any refund requests go to Apple or Google Play.

Is ReelShort legit? What do reviews say?

ReelShort is published on the official App Store and holds an average of 4.7 from about 14,100 ratings, so most users rate it positively. As with any app that uses coins and subscriptions, read prices and terms carefully before paying and remember that the weekly subscription renews on its own.

Is ReelShort OK for teens?

The App Store rates it 12+. Beyond content, spending is worth watching for younger users: coins and the weekly subscription are charged to the Apple or Google account, so it's worth checking who can make purchases on that device.

Sources

1. App Store, official ReelShort listing (developer, rating, age, languages, description), read on 09/30/2026: ReelShort on the App Store.
2. Sensor Tower, "State of Short Drama Apps 2025", July 2025: sensortower.com.
3. Apple Support, "Cancel a subscription from Apple": support.apple.com.
4. Google Play Help, "Cancel, pause, or change a subscription on Google Play" (support.google.com/googleplay/answer/7018481).

Curious about short dramas set in Italy? Start on the TotalShort home page: the first episodes are free in your browser.