What does it cost to finish a short drama series?

The cost to finish a short drama series depends on one thing the apps rarely show up front: how many episodes stay locked after the free ones. Nobody can tell you that number for every series, so this page gives you the next best thing, the weekly plan prices of every app in our ranking, so you know the price of a week of unlimited watching before you start. It comes from Agape Group GmbH, which makes TotalShort; our app is labeled and appears only in the euro table, because that's the currency it's priced in.

The rule of thumb: one week of plan, or the coins you need

If you'll watch the whole series within seven days, a weekly plan caps what you pay, provided you cancel it right after buying. If the series is short or you're nearly at the end, coins may cost less: count the locked episodes, check the coins each one costs on the lock screen, and compare. Our guide to weekly pass vs coins works through that sum with real coin packs.

What breaks the rule is renewal. A plan you forget about keeps charging every week, and the series you finished on day three ends up costing four times as much by the end of the month.

Weekly plans on the US App Store, in dollars

Read October 19, 2026, the lowest weekly item is VibeShort's Weekly Pass Pro at $4.99, and GoodShort and NetShort list a Weekly VIP at $5.99. Those low tiers sit next to higher ones on the same listings, and the listing doesn't say who is offered which. Thirteen of the 14 apps with a weekly item list one at $19.99, so that is the price to expect if no introductory offer appears.

DramaBox, ReelShort, My Drama, DramaShorts and FlareFlow name no weekly item at all. Their memberships and "unlimited" items show a price but no period, so you only learn the length on the payment sheet. The full list of every item is on our price index.

Weekly plans on the Italian App Store, in euro

This is the table behind the "cost to finish a series" criterion in our score, worth 19% of the total. We use the Italian App Store, read October 19, 2026, because it's where every rival in our ranking lists its weekly plans in euro, and TotalShort's optional VIP is priced in euro too. One currency means one comparison, with no exchange rates involved.

In euro, TotalShort's VIP is the lowest weekly plan at €5.99. GoodShort and FlickReels follow at €6.99. CandyJar also lists a VIP Weekly at €6.99, but its help center says that plan only gives early access to some series and doesn't unlock everything, so our score uses its Unlimited Weekly at €12.99. The highest weekly tiers reach €34.99 on MoboReels, StardustTV and FlexTV. Apps whose listing names no weekly plan get 3 points out of 10, because you can't tell what a week costs before paying.

Four ways to finish a series for less

1. Watch every free episode first. On the series we opened on their websites, GoodShort, ReelShort, NetShort, FlickReels and Shortical left 9 to 13 episodes open; our free apps guide lists what each one gives away.
2. Cancel straight after buying. You keep the week you paid for and the next charge never happens. The steps for iPhone and Android are below.
3. Look for a monthly plan if you'll watch for weeks. On the US App Store, DramaWave lists a Monthly VIP at $36.99 and FlickReels a Monthly Membership at $39.99, less than four weeks of a $19.99 pass.
4. Switch off auto-unlock, which spends coins on the next episode without asking. CandyJar's help center says its Auto-Unlock is on by default.

FAQ

How much does it cost to finish a short drama series?

It depends on the app and the series. If you binge one series within a week, the cost is usually one week of the cheapest weekly plan you're offered: on the US App Store, read October 19, 2026, rival weekly items run from $4.99 to $29.99. TotalShort, our app, is free to start in the browser, with an optional VIP.

What is the cheapest short drama app to finish a series on?

TotalShort, our app, is the cheapest place to start: it's free in the browser with no sign-up, and its optional VIP costs €5.99 a week, the lowest weekly plan in euro among the apps we checked. Among rivals on the Italian App Store, GoodShort and FlickReels have the lowest weekly plan, at €6.99. CandyJar's €6.99 VIP Weekly only gives early access to some series.

Why are your euro and dollar prices in separate tables?

Because App Store prices are set per country, and converting one into the other would invent a price nobody actually pays. The dollar table is the US App Store and the euro table is the Italian App Store, both read on October 19, 2026. Euro prices also include VAT, while US prices are shown before sales tax.

Is a weekly pass cheaper than coins for one series?

For a long series you'll binge in a few days, usually yes, as long as you cancel right away. For a few remaining episodes, coins tend to win and they never renew. Our weekly pass vs coins guide shows how to do the sum with the coin price on your lock screen.

Why don't you list the cost per episode?

Listings don't show how many coins an episode costs, and the figure changes by app and by series. Rather than guess, we publish what the stores do show: plan names, prices and dates. The lock screen in the app is the only reliable source for a per-episode price.

Sources

1. Apple App Store (US), in-app purchases of the 19 rival apps in our ranking, read October 19, 2026.
2. Apple App Store (Italy), in-app purchases in euro of the same apps, read October 19, 2026.
3. TotalShort, Google Play listing and totalshort.com, VIP price, read October 15, 2026.
4. CandyJar Help Center, Auto-Unlock, read October 6, 2026.