Global Top Short Drama App

DramaBox,MoboReels, Goodshort, Reelshort, and Shortmax as top global micro-drama apps with 150 million MAU in February 2025. DramaBox and ReelShort seeing significant increases ($217 million and $214 million in 2024, respectively).

The evidence leans toward ReelShort being a leading global app for short dramas, with 50 million MAU as of recent reports (The Wrap). DramaBox, Goodshort, Shortmax, and MoboReels follow, with estimated MAU ranging from 20 to 40 million, based on their popularity and download metrics. These estimates reflect the apps’ prominence in app store rankings and revenue growth, though exact figures are not publicly available.Red Fruit (Hongguo) Short Drama is the top app in China, with 120 million MAU reported in September 2024 (Statista). No other specific MAU numbers for Chinese apps were found, indicating its dominance in the market.

Global Top Apps for Short Dramas

Globally, several apps stand out for their short drama offerings, with ReelShort and DramaBox frequently cited in recent reports. The analysis identified the following top apps, with MAU where available:

• ReelShort: Reported to have 50 million MAU, based on a recent article from The Wrap dated October 18, 2024 (The Wrap). This app, launched in August 2022, has seen significant growth, rivaling traditional streaming services with its 1-minute episodes, and is popular in the U.S. and internationally.
• DramaBox: No specific MAU was found, but its prominence is evident from being ranked first in downloads in January 2025 by Insightrackr (Insightrackr). Given its revenue growth from $8 million in 2023 to $217 million in 2024 (Deadline), and 50 million total downloads reported by AppBrain (AppBrain), an estimated MAU of 40 million is reasonable, assuming moderate retention rates.
• Goodshort: Also mentioned in top lists, such as the Omdia report from February 2025 (Deadline), with no specific MAU, estimated at 30 million based on its ranking and presence in global markets.
• Shortmax: Cited in the same Omdia report, with a 3,888% year-on-year revenue growth, suggesting strong user engagement. Estimated MAU is 25 million, reflecting its position in download rankings (Insightrackr).
• MoboReels: Recognized in lists of best short drama apps (EdgeOne), with an estimated MAU of 20 million, based on its global reach and mentions in app directories.

The top five global apps were determined by combining download rankings, revenue growth, and mentions in industry reports, with estimates for MAU derived from comparative analysis. The Omdia report noted that the top five micro-drama apps reached a cumulative 150 million MAU in February 2025, supporting the plausibility of these estimates (Deadline).

An interesting detail is the revenue growth of these apps, with DramaBox and ReelShort seeing significant increases ($217 million and $214 million in 2024, respectively), indicating a lucrative market (Deadline). This growth suggests high engagement, but translating revenue to MAU requires assumptions about paying users, adding complexity. For example, if 10% of users pay $5 monthly, MAU estimates align with our figures, but exact percentages are unknown.

The global rise of Chinese short drama apps, with over 40 apps entering international markets and generating $170 million in in-app purchases, highlights the industry’s expansion (Adjust). This context supports the estimated MAU for global apps, reflecting their reach beyond China.

In China, the market size for online micro-dramas reached 37.39 billion yuan in 2023, projected to hit 100 billion yuan by 2027 (SocialPeta), reinforcing Red Fruit’s leadership with its 120 million MAU.