September 2026 | Top Short Drama Apps by Downloads & Revenue

Revenue declined across the Top 5 this month. DramaBox remained No. 1 as revenue fell 14.76% MoM. ReelShort climbed two spots to No. 2 despite a 5.43% MoM decline, while NetShort slipped one spot to No. 3 as revenue decreased 17.58%.

By contrast, the strongest revenue gains came from the middle of the ranking. PineDrama climbed three spots to No. 6. It recorded the fastest MoM revenue growth on the chart at 43.68%. Melolo held No. 7 as revenue grew 21.01%, while GoodShort slipped two spots to No. 8 despite a 5.39% increase.

At the lower end of the chart, most apps posted revenue declines, with StoryReel the exception. It climbed seven spots to No. 12 and recorded 21.18% MoM revenue growth.

Halo Reels Max was launched by Nutri Plaza in mid-August. In its first full calendar month, it debuted at No. 7 in downloads, with a 2,598.59% MoM increase.

Its active creative volume rose in two waves. The first began in late August, gained pace in early September, and reached an initial peak on September 13. Following a brief dip, a second upswing later in the month brought the figure to its period high on September 26. The new creative volume followed a broadly similar pattern.

The two curves reflect a progression from initial testing to two rounds of scaling, each followed by a post-peak pullback.

After ad library data was excluded, Meta Audience Network accounted for 100% of Halo Reels Max's tracked ad traffic.

Geographically, the United States had the largest share of ad delivery at 13.08%, followed by the Philippines at 10.02% and Mexico at 7.10%. The Philippines, however, was the largest source of both downloads and revenue, accounting for 34.31% and 20.29%, respectively. Brazil and Mexico also ranked among the top three for both metrics, making Latin America an important source of downloads and revenue alongside the Philippines.

Creatively, Halo Reels Max focused on moments of care and expressive character reactions.

One ad showed a girl tending to an injured fawn in the snow. Her line, “Lulu will blow on it and make it better,” framed the act of care in simple, childlike terms. Another centered on a campus interaction. The female lead's internal monologue, “I was a little surprised,” was reinforced by a visible shift in her expression.

Both creatives were AI-generated in a live-action style. In this format, believable character reactions mattered as much as visual realism.

PineDrama, published by ByteDance, climbed two spots to No. 3 in downloads despite a 1.53% MoM decline. On the revenue chart, it rose three spots to No. 6 with 43.68% growth.

Its active creative volume stayed elevated from mid-August into early September. Active and new creative volumes both peaked on September 10 before declining. Active creative volume reached a low on September 17 and stabilized from September 21, while new creative volume picked up again around the same time.

Overall, this pattern suggests that PineDrama maintained its active creative base while supplementing it with new creatives at selected points.

After excluding ad library data, PineDrama's tracked ad traffic came from a diverse mix of channels, led by Moloco (33.32%), AppLovin (26.62%), and Meta Audience Network (20.92%).

Geographically, the United States led both ad delivery (49.61%) and revenue (46.81%), making it PineDrama’s core market. Brazil led downloads at 27.90%, while Indonesia contributed 24.98% of downloads and 29.24% of revenue.

Creatively, PineDrama focused on fresh premises and distinctive character design.

One ad drew on the recent fruit-themed short drama trend. A suited, apple-headed man asked, “who is that diamond lady?” A brief exchange then established her identity. Another used a merfolk premise. A rugged foreground character with an orange tail made a series of forceful movements, while a crowned figure in formal attire and a pink tail stood behind him with folded arms.

Both ads were presented in an AI comic drama format. Compared with live-action-style AI creatives, AI comic dramas offered more freedom to create unconventional characters. The character concepts themselves therefore became a key creative hook.

Melolo, published by POLIGON PTE. LTD., remained at No. 6 in downloads and No. 7 on the revenue chart.

Its active creative volume was generally high from mid-August through most of September. It peaked on September 10, recovered quickly from a brief mid-month dip, and rose again at month-end. New creative volume rose at several points throughout September.

Overall, this pattern reflects sustained acquisition activity alongside periodic additions of new creatives.

Excluding ad library data, Melolo's tracked ad traffic mainly came from Meta Audience Network (63.38%), followed by AppLovin (12.37%) and Pangle (10.19%).

Melolo's regional profile centered on Southeast Asia. Indonesia led all three metrics, accounting for 37.31% of ad delivery, 65.06% of downloads, and 67.97% of revenue. The Philippines ranked second for both ad delivery (16.03%) and downloads (14.07%), while Thailand held the same position for revenue at 17.10%. 

Creatively, Melolo focused on live-action storytelling and free full-episode viewing.

One ad introduced its contract-marriage premise with the title “Husband by Contract”. The male lead’s warning, “You’d better not fall for me,” made it clear that romance was off-limits. “Click to watch the full episodes for free” was used as the CTA. Another showed a woman at a banquet held to select a suitor. The Indonesian line “Derita Bawa Harta Karun” (Hardship Brings Treasure) signaled the story’s theme, while “GRATIS 100%” (100% Free) and “Dari Awal Sampai Akhir” (From Beginning to End) highlighted free access to the full story.

Unlike the AI-generated creatives in the first two cases, Melolo's ads relied on live-action performance. Dialogue and scene context carried the story, while the free full-episode messaging served as the CTA.

September's short drama rankings showed softer performance at the top of both download and revenue charts, while the strongest gains came from the mid-ranked apps. Halo Reels Max entered the download Top 15 in its first full month, PineDrama posted the fastest MoM revenue growth, and Melolo held steady on both charts. The three cases also highlighted how creative strategies varied across AI-generated and live-action formats.