ReelShort review: what it costs, what's free and whether it's legit

ReelShort is a real, working business, not a scam. Whether it is good value depends on one habit: reading the billing period before you tap, because its US App Store listing shows a $19.99 plan that lasts 7 days and renews until you stop it.

We compare ReelShort with our own app further down and say plainly where ReelShort is ahead.

What is ReelShort and who makes it

ReelShort streams vertical mini series built for a phone screen, with episodes of roughly a minute that end on a hook. The App Store listing says new series arrive daily, with "hundreds of new episodes each month", and it also advertises interactive stories where you choose what happens next. If the format is new to you, our explainer on what a short drama is covers the basics.

On the App Store the publisher is NewLeaf Publishing. ReelShort's terms of use, updated October 20, 2025, are an agreement with Crazy Maple Studio, Inc., which describes itself as registered in California, with offices in Sunnyvale.

Sensor Tower estimated ReelShort's in-app revenue at about $130 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone.

How much ReelShort costs

Prices on the US App Store listing

The listing's legal text says the subscription renews automatically and must be cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date to avoid the next charge. The listing does not say how many coins each one-time purchase holds, or how many coins an episode costs in the app. Prices change by country and over time, so the payment sheet on your phone is the figure that counts.

Prices on reelshort.com

The website is more open about what the money buys. When we checked on October 6, 2026, it listed (in US dollars):

In the series we opened, Don't Miss Me When I'm Gone (63 episodes), each locked episode cost 60 coins. Other series can be priced differently, so look at the number on the lock.

Example: finishing one series with coins

This is our own arithmetic on the website prices above, for that one series.

• Paid episodes: 63 total minus 13 free = 50 episodes.
• Coins needed: 50 × 60 = 3,000 coins.
• Buying $9.99 packs: three packs give 3 × 1,100 = 3,300 coins, for 3 × $9.99 = $29.97.
• Buying one $29.99 pack: 4,200 coins for $29.99, with 1,200 coins left over.

The bigger pack costs two cents more and leaves 1,200 coins, enough for 20 more episodes. Watching all 50 within one week? The $9.99 first week of website VIP is cheaper still, if you cancel before it renews at $19.99. More on this in how coins work.

What's free on ReelShort

The download is free. On the website, episodes 1 to 13 of the series we checked played without paying; from episode 14 the player asked us to unlock. Other series can differ.

ReelShort's Italian App Store listing adds a route that doesn't involve money: if you don't want to buy coins, you can keep going by watching ads or collecting daily bonuses. It's slower, but legal. Some reviews claim earned coins expire; the official description doesn't confirm that, so check the in-app terms.

Unofficial copies are pirated and a common route to scams. Our list of free short drama apps sticks to legal options.

Is ReelShort legit and safe

Yes, the official app is legit. It sits on the App Store under a named publisher, with 4.7 stars from 504K US ratings, and in-app payments go through Apple or Google. The risks are about spending and data, not fraud.

Three points from the official documents are worth knowing before you pay:

• Age. The App Store says 13+, but the terms say the service is "not for use by users under 18 years of age". If a teenager uses the phone, the terms are the stricter guide.
• Refunds. The terms say subscription payments made to Crazy Maple Studio are final and non-refundable, except where the terms state otherwise. Purchases made through Apple or Google follow their own refund process.
• Tracking. Apple's privacy label says ReelShort uses identifiers to track you across other companies' apps and websites, and that some data, including usage data, is linked to you.

Check that the store page names NewLeaf Publishing before installing. Our guide on whether short drama apps are safe has a longer checklist, and Apple's Screen Time purchase controls and Google Play's purchase verification setting can block or slow down in-app purchases on a shared phone.

How to cancel ReelShort

Where you cancel depends on where you paid. A subscription bought inside the app belongs to your Apple or Google account, and deleting the app does nothing to it.

Apple's official instructions are on its cancel a subscription page, and Google's are on its Google Play subscriptions page. After you cancel, you keep access until the end of the period you paid for.

If you bought a plan on reelshort.com, it won't appear in your phone's subscription list, because Crazy Maple Studio bills your card directly. Cancel it from your ReelShort account on the website, or contact ReelShort support with the email you signed up with. The terms say the company sends a renewal reminder by email every six months.

Refunds for App Store purchases are requested from Apple through its refund page, and Google Play purchases through Google; for website plans, the terms say payments are final except where they state otherwise. Cancel first, or the plan renews while you wait. Our cancellation guide covers the same steps for other apps.

Who ReelShort suits

• Viewers who want volume. New series daily, by the listing's own account, suits someone who finishes one story and wants the next tonight.
• People who watch on a laptop. ReelShort is one of the apps in our checks whose website actually plays episodes in the browser.
• Patient free viewers. The ads and daily-bonus route works for someone following one series slowly.

It fits less well for anyone under 18, given the terms, or for anyone who wants a low fixed cost: at $19.99 a week in the app, four forgotten weeks come to $79.96. Deciding between the two biggest names? Our ReelShort vs DramaBox page lines them up.

ReelShort vs TotalShort

TotalShort is our app, so read this section knowing we made it. It is a very different product, and on several points ReelShort is the stronger choice.

ReelShort wins on catalog size, an iPhone app today, a browser option and its track record. TotalShort offers a fixed free allowance on every series, coins that never expire, no sign-up needed to start, and stories set in Italy, with Italian audio and subtitles in 13 languages including English. Finishing a 12-episode TotalShort series after the 8 free episodes costs 4 × 30 = 120 coins, or €1.20.

Get TotalShort on Google Play; the iPhone version is coming soon. For the full field, see our ranking of short drama apps and the all-apps comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Is ReelShort a legit app?

Yes. ReelShort is published on the App Store by NewLeaf Publishing, and its terms of use identify Crazy Maple Studio, Inc., a company registered in California with offices in Sunnyvale. The US listing, read on October 2, 2026, shows 4.7 stars from 504K ratings, and in-app payments go through Apple or Google. What needs care is the pricing: a $19.99 plan valid for 7 days renews on its own until you cancel it.

How much is ReelShort per week?

The US App Store listing shows one subscription at $19.99, described as valid for 7 days and billed weekly according to the legal text. On reelshort.com, when we checked on October 6, 2026, the weekly VIP was $9.99 for the first week and then $19.99 a week, with a monthly plan at $29.99 and a yearly plan at $199.99. Prices change by country and over time; the payment sheet is what counts.

How many free episodes does ReelShort give?

It depends on the series. On the website, the series we opened, Don't Miss Me When I'm Gone, had episodes 1 to 13 free, and episode 14 onward cost 60 coins each. Other series can differ. The Italian App Store listing also says you can continue by watching ads or collecting daily bonuses instead of buying coins.

How much does one ReelShort episode cost?

On reelshort.com, a locked episode in the series we checked cost 60 coins. With the website's packs, that works out to about $0.57 an episode with the $2.99 pack (315 coins), about $0.55 with the $9.99 pack (1,100 coins) and about $0.30 with the $99.99 pack (20,000 coins). The App Store listing doesn't state coins per episode, so the app may show different numbers. Read the price on the locked episode before unlocking.

Can kids use ReelShort?

The App Store rates ReelShort 13+ in the US and 12+ in Italy, but ReelShort's own terms of use say the service is "not for use by users under 18 years of age". If a teenager has access to the phone, turn on Apple's Screen Time purchase controls or Google Play's purchase verification, because weekly plans and coin packs are charged to whoever owns the account.

Does deleting ReelShort cancel my subscription?

No. A subscription bought in the app is held by Apple or Google and keeps renewing after you delete the app. Cancel it in your iPhone settings under your name and Subscriptions, or in Google Play under Payments & subscriptions. A plan bought on reelshort.com is billed by Crazy Maple Studio, won't appear in either list, and is cancelled from your ReelShort account on the website. In every case, you keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.

What are good alternatives to ReelShort?

The apps closest in model are DramaBox, ShortMax, NetShort and DramaWave, which all sell coins and weekly or monthly plans through in-app purchases. Each has a different catalog, so the fairest test is to watch the free episodes of the series you want in two apps. TotalShort, our app, is a much smaller option with six Italian AI-made series and 8 free episodes per series, on Android for now. Our list of apps like ReelShort compares them on listed facts.

Sources

1. App Store (US), ReelShort listing by NewLeaf Publishing: rating, age rating, languages, in-app purchases, description, subscription terms and privacy label, read October 2, 2026.
2. App Store (Italy), ReelShort listing: rating, age rating, ads and daily bonus route, read September 30, 2026.
3. ReelShort website (reelshort.com): free and locked episodes, coin and VIP prices, read October 6, 2026.
4. ReelShort Terms of Use (Crazy Maple Studio, Inc.), last updated October 20, 2025, read October 6, 2026.
5. Sensor Tower, "State of Short Drama Apps 2025", July 2025: sensortower.com.
6. Apple Support, "Cancel a subscription from Apple", read October 15, 2026: support.apple.com/en-us/118428.
7. Apple Support, "Request a refund for apps or content", read October 15, 2026: support.apple.com/en-us/118223.
8. Apple Support, "Turn off Apple In-App Purchases from Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad", read October 15, 2026: support.apple.com/en-us/102470.
9. Google Play Help, "Cancel, pause, or change a subscription on Google Play", read October 15, 2026: support.google.com/googleplay/answer/7018481.
10. Google Play Help, "Purchase verification for Google Play", read October 15, 2026: support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1626831.
11. Google Play, TotalShort: Short Drama Series listing (Agape Group GmbH), read October 15, 2026: play.google.com.