What are vertical dramas?
The short answer
A vertical drama is a scripted series shot in portrait format for phones and told in episodes of one to two minutes.
They are also called short dramas, micro dramas or mini dramas. You watch them in apps such as DramaBox andGoodShort, where the first episodes are free and the rest are paid.
How a vertical drama is built
- Portrait screen. It fills a phone held upright, the way people already scroll social video.
- Very short episodes. One to two minutes each, and a series commonly has 50 to 100 of them.
- A hook at the end of every episode. Each one stops on a reveal or a slap or a kiss, so you tap "next".
- Familiar plots. Secret billionaires, revenge, werewolves, contract marriages, long-lost heirs.
- Pay to continue. The opening episodes are free and the rest are locked.
Where the format came from
The format grew up in China, where phone-first serial dramas became a large business, and was then adapted for English-speaking viewers with local actors and locations. Many of the apps popular in the US are run by companies with roots in Chinese web fiction and mobile publishing.
Where to watch
| App | App Store rating | Ratings | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| DramaBox | 4.8 | 896,000 | Review · Cost |
| GoodShort | 4.9 | 540,000 | Review · Cost |
| ReelShort | 4.7 | 527,000 | Review · Cost |
| NetShort | 4.7 | 245,000 | Review · Cost |
| DramaWave | 4.9 | 206,000 | Review · Cost |
| ShortMax | 4.6 | 182,000 | Review · Cost |
Ratings are from each app's US App Store page. See the full comparison.
Why they cost more than they look
Each locked episode has its own small price in coins. Small prices multiplied by 60 or 80 episodes become a large one, and because you pay a little at a time it is easy not to notice. Subscriptions remove the per-episode price but are usually billed every week.
Before you pay, run the numbers in the cost calculator, and if you subscribe, knowhow to cancel.
Common questions
What is a vertical drama?
A vertical drama is a scripted series filmed in portrait format for phones and released in very short episodes, usually one to two minutes each. A full series often has 50 to 100 episodes and runs about as long as a feature film in total.
What is the difference between a short drama, a micro drama and a vertical drama?
They are three names for the same thing. "Vertical" describes the portrait screen shape, "short" and "micro" describe the episode length. Apps and the press use them interchangeably.
Where can I watch vertical dramas?
Mostly in dedicated apps. The largest by number of US App Store ratings among those we track are DramaBox, GoodShort, ReelShort. Many apps also post the first episodes on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube as ads.
Are vertical dramas free to watch?
The first episodes are free. Later episodes are locked and are opened with coins, ad views or a subscription.