ShortMax, DramaWave & NetShort: Are They Legit?

ShortMax, DramaWave and NetShort are short drama apps: you watch vertical series on your phone, a few minutes per episode, the same way you would on ReelShort or DramaBox. All three are real apps from registered companies, with official listings on the App Store and Google Play. They're free to download, but finishing a series usually costs something, whether that's coins, ads or a weekly VIP pass. Here's who makes each one, what it carries, what it cost at the time of writing (November 2026), and how the three stack up against the bigger names.

ShortMax, DramaWave and NetShort at a glance

Prices come from each app's US App Store listing at the time of writing (November 2026). They vary by country and change often, so check the app before you pay.

What is ShortMax?

ShortMax belongs to Jiuzhou Culture, a Chinese micro-drama company. China Daily reports that the app launched in 2023 and is available in more than 200 countries and regions. On the App Store the seller is SHORTTV LIMITED and the official website is shorttv.live, so if a ShortMax link opens a "ShortTV" address, it's still the same app.

The App Store listing promises "exclusive original short dramas" and claims more than 50,000 short dramas and movies, with subtitles and dubbing in many languages. The website sorts titles into genres like War God, Tycoon Life, Bodyguard, Time Travel and Matrilocal Husband, and some titles carry a "[Dubbed]" label, so the catalogue mixes originals with dramas dubbed from other languages.

The app is free to download and shows ads. At the time of writing the US App Store lists a Weekly Pass Pro at $9.99 or $19.99, and one-time purchases from $3.49 to $24.99. You can use it on iPhone and Android, and the website has a page for each drama.

ShortMax dramas to start with

• Medical Genius Is Not Someone to Mess With: Grace gave up her career for her family, then finds out about her husband's affair and the child he had with his mistress. 43 episodes.
• Hidden Heir: Payback Time: Jason, young master of the Watson Group, hides who he is and starts out selling cars. 69 episodes.

What is DramaWave?

DramaWave is published by SKYWORK AI PTE LTD, the developer named on both its App Store and Google Play listings. According to Sensor Tower, it launched outside China in September 2024, grew downloads more than tenfold in the first quarter of 2025 and passed 53 million downloads by the end of April 2025. That April it ranked second among short drama apps worldwide for monthly active users, behind only DramaBox, which explains why its ads seem to be everywhere.

The App Store listing claims more than 30,000 titles in 18 languages, 1080p streaming and new "exclusive" dramas every week. You can download episodes to watch offline, and comments scroll across the screen while you watch. Most of what Dramadex lists from DramaWave is romance and fantasy: mafia dons, stepbrothers, wolf knights and beastman kings.

It's free to download. At the time of writing the US App Store lists a Weekly VIP at $19.99, a Monthly VIP at $36.99 and one-off purchases from $2.99 to $19.99, and VIP renews automatically until you cancel it. The app runs on iPhone, iPad and Android, and mydramawave.com has preview pages for its dramas.

DramaWave dramas to start with

• Madam Commander, the Captain Surrenders: Fela, a retired Air Force pilot, takes a controller job at Summit Air. Nobody takes her seriously, ace pilot Eric Foster least of all, until bad weather puts his flight in danger.
• Married to the Hidden Dragon King: murdered by her jealous sister, Riley is reborn on her Choosing Day. This time her sister grabs the Lion King and leaves Riley with the weakest beastman alive, who turns out to be the legendary Dragon Beast King.

What is NetShort?

NetShort is run by NETSTORY PTE. LTD., a Singapore company whose name appears on the App Store listing and in the footer of netshort.com. Sensor Tower reports that it launched in July 2024 and had taken more than $57 million in in-app revenue by April 2025. In an October 2026 press release, NetShort says it's available in more than 170 countries and over 17 languages, and that North America is its biggest market.

Of the three, NetShort puts the most weight on its own shows. Its website has an "Exclusive Originals" section, and the company says its stories come from in-house writers and production teams, outside partners and AI tools. The App Store description lists billionaire and CEO romance, werewolves, revenge, time travel and mystery, and our NetShort page also turns up horror-game stories, sports romances and boys' love.

NetShort is free to download, and its website advertises free viewing, though the App Store description admits that "some content and features may require VIP access or in-app purchases." At the time of writing the US listing shows Weekly VIP options from $5.99 to $29.99 and one-off purchases from $6.99 to $19.99. VIP gets you ad-free viewing where it's available, HD and offline downloads. It's on iPhone, iPad and Android, and netshort.com has episode pages too.

NetShort dramas to start with

• Hidden Billionaire Plumber: influencer Layla dumps her plumber boyfriend Jack for billionaire heir Ethan, with no idea that Jack is the Moore family's heir. 42 episodes.
• My Two Spy Daddies: rival agents Elias and Roman marry as a cover and adopt Hapa, a seven-year-old with X-ray vision who sees straight through them and starts matchmaking. 35 episodes, also on iDrama.

What about GoodShort?

GoodShort is another app you'll see plenty of ads for, and it works the same way, with free downloads and paid coins and VIP. You can browse GoodShort dramas on Dramadex to see what it carries.

Are ShortMax, DramaWave and NetShort legit?

They are legitimate apps. Each has a named publisher and an official App Store and Google Play listing, and when you pay inside the app, Apple or Google handles the billing. The problems people run into are mostly about money and privacy:

• Weekly passes renew automatically, and the most common complaints online, especially about ShortMax, come from people who kept getting charged. Deleting the app doesn't cancel anything; you have to cancel in your phone's subscription settings. Apple explains how in Cancel a subscription from Apple and Google in Cancel, pause, or change a subscription on Google Play, and our guide to cancelling a short drama subscription walks through it.
• A $19.99 weekly pass you forget about comes to more than $1,000 a year. Check whether a pass is weekly or monthly before you tap buy.
• All three tell Apple they use identifiers to track you across other companies' apps and websites, which is normal for apps that run ads. On iPhone you can tap "Ask App Not to Track" to turn it off.
• They're rated for adults: ShortMax and NetShort are 18+ on the US App Store and DramaWave is 16+, for mature themes and violence.
• Install them only from the official stores, and check the publisher (SHORTTV LIMITED, SKYWORK AI PTE LTD or NETSTORY PTE. LTD.) before you do. Lookalike apps and "free coins" websites have nothing to do with these companies.

How they compare with ReelShort and DramaBox

ShortMax, DramaWave and NetShort run on the same model as ReelShort and DramaBox: a few free episodes, then coins, ads or a pass. Where they differ is the catalogue and the price.

Each app has its exclusives, but plenty of titles show up on several apps at once. On Dramadex, Falling For Her Bodyguard has watch links for DramaBox, ShortMax and DramaWave, among others, so it's worth checking whether a drama you want is on an app you already pay for.

On price, $19.99 was the most common weekly rate on all three at the time of writing. NetShort's listing went as high as $29.99, while NetShort and ShortMax also had cheaper weekly options.

The catalogues feel different, too. ShortMax mixes originals with dubbed titles, DramaWave leans towards romance and fantasy, and NetShort is investing most heavily in originals. If you can't decide, start from a drama you want to watch, see which apps carry it, and pick the cheapest way to finish it. For the wider market, see our list of the best short drama apps.

FAQ

Is ShortMax free?

ShortMax is free to download, and its catalogue is free to browse. Watching beyond the free episodes takes coins, ads or a Weekly Pass Pro, which cost $9.99 or $19.99 a week on the US App Store at the time of writing (November 2026).

Who makes DramaWave?

DramaWave's publisher on the App Store and Google Play is SKYWORK AI PTE LTD. Sensor Tower reports that the company launched the app internationally in September 2024, and it's since become one of the biggest short drama apps by users.

Who owns NetShort?

NetShort is published by NETSTORY PTE. LTD., a Singapore company named on its store listings and its website. It launched in July 2024 and says North America is its biggest market.

Is ShortMax the same as ShortTV?

Yes, for practical purposes. ShortMax's App Store seller is SHORTTV LIMITED and its official website is shorttv.live, so you'll see both names. China Daily reports that the app is owned by Jiuzhou Culture.

How do I stop ShortMax, DramaWave or NetShort charging me?

Cancel the subscription in the App Store or Google Play subscription settings, on the account you paid with. Deleting the app won't cancel it. The pass stays active until the end of the period you've paid for, then stops renewing.

Can I find out which app has a drama before I download it?

Yes. Every drama page on Dramadex lists the apps it's streaming on, with links. Search all dramas for a title, or browse by trope, and save the ones you want to your diary.