12 Best Apps Like Melolo for Free Short Dramas (2027)

Key takeaways

• Melolo is not listed on the US App Store or US Google Play. We checked both stores directly.
• PineDrama is ByteDance's other short drama app, published by TikTok Pte. Ltd., and covers the US where Melolo does not.
• Searching "Melolo" on the US App Store surfaces a lookalike app from a seller called "Me Lo Lo". It is not the real Melolo.
• Almost every short drama app is free to download but runs on ads plus coin purchases. Only one app here sells nothing at all.
• ReelShort rates 4.7 on iOS but only 3.8 on Android, the biggest platform gap on this list.

What is Melolo?

Melolo is a free short drama app from ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. According to reporting by the South China Morning Post and KrASIA, it is ByteDance's first short drama platform outside China, modelled on its domestic hit Hongguo Short Drama, and is run by Poligon, a ByteDance subsidiary based in Singapore. That is why the developer name on the store listing reads "POLIGON" rather than ByteDance. It launched in mid-November 2024 in Southeast Asian markets including Indonesia and the Philippines.

It has grown quickly. On Google Play in the Philippines, Melolo shows 100 million plus installs and a 4.8 rating from 3.56 million reviews, and on the App Store it rates 4.9 from 26,760 ratings. The app markets itself as free to watch, and the store listing also discloses in-app purchases.

Can you get Melolo in the US?

No. We checked directly: with the United States selected, Melolo's Google Play page returns "Not Found", and its App Store ID returns no US listing, while the same app is live in the Philippines, the UK, Canada and elsewhere. It is region restricted rather than discontinued.

The pattern is striking. Wherever Melolo is missing, ByteDance's other drama app, PineDrama, tends to be present, and in several large markets the two overlap. India lists neither, consistent with India's 2020 ban on TikTok and other ByteDance apps.

Watch out for lookalikes. Searching "Melolo" on the US App Store surfaces an app called "Melodrama - Box Short Dramas" from a seller named "Me Lo Lo", rated 2.8 from just 10 ratings. It is not Melolo and has no connection to ByteDance. Check that the developer reads POLIGON before installing anything presented as Melolo, and if you are in the US, install PineDrama instead.

How the 12 alternatives compare

Installs, ratings and the "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" labels are taken from each app's US Google Play listing on 31 October 2026. Review counts in brackets.

We ranked by how closely each app matches what people like about Melolo: free access and a large catalogue first, then rating and review volume, then availability. ByteDance's own sister app takes first place because it is, in effect, the US edition of the same idea.

The 12 best apps like Melolo

1. PineDrama

PineDrama is the closest thing to Melolo you can install in the US, because it comes from the same company. Its store listing calls it "TikTok's Official Short Drama App", it is published by TikTok Pte. Ltd., and it launched on the App Store on 23 December 2025. It shows 50 million plus Android installs and rates 4.6 on Google Play and 4.9 on the App Store from 104,584 ratings.

Strengths

• The same parent company as Melolo, so the format, pacing and genres will feel familiar.
• Available in the US, where Melolo is not, plus Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia and the Philippines.
• Built to continue stories you start on TikTok, which no rival can offer.
• Its Google Play listing carries no "Contains ads" label.

Limitations

• Not listed in the UK, Canada or Germany, the opposite of Melolo's footprint.
• Discloses in-app purchases, so expect paid options as the catalogue matures.
• Newer than the established players, with a smaller back catalogue.

2. FreeReels

FreeReels is the largest free-positioned alternative, with 100 million plus installs and a 4.7 rating from more than two million reviews. Its listing claims 70,000 plus short dramas across more than 19 languages. On the App Store, the same app appears as "DramaReels".

Strengths

• A very large catalogue in many languages, closest to Melolo's scale.
• Strong rating across a big review base.
• Positioned around free viewing, with ads funding much of the content.

Limitations

• Carries both ads and in-app purchases, so it is not ad-free.
• The different name on iOS, DramaReels, causes confusion when people look for it.
• Shares a publisher with DramaWave, so catalogues overlap if you install both.

3. DramaWave

DramaWave comes from the same publisher as FreeReels, Skywork AI, and shows 100 million plus installs with a 4.5 rating from 850,000 reviews.

Strengths

• Large catalogue and install base.
• Solid rating across a substantial review count.
• A good second app if you want more variety from a familiar publisher.

Limitations

• Ads and in-app purchases both apply.
• Overlaps with FreeReels, so the gain from installing both is smaller than it looks.
• Slightly lower rating than its sister app.

4. NetShort

NetShort, from Netstory, has 100 million plus installs and rates 4.6 from 2.12 million reviews.

Strengths

• One of the best-rated apps here at a very large scale.
• Broad genre coverage similar to Melolo.
• Well-established with a deep catalogue.

Limitations

• Runs ads and sells in-app purchases.
• Less brand recognition than DramaBox or ReelShort.
• Unlocking full series can require coins.

5. GoodShort

GoodShort, from GoodNovel, has the highest rating at volume on this list: 4.7 from 4.55 million reviews, with 50 million plus installs.

Strengths

• The strongest rating backed by millions of reviews, a reliable quality signal.
• Heavy romance and drama focus, close to Melolo's most popular genres.
• Mature app with a polished viewing experience.

Limitations

• Ads plus coin purchases, and full series often need coins.
• Fewer installs than the 100 million plus leaders.
• Costs can add up for binge watchers.

6. DramaBox

DramaBox, from StoryMatrix, is the most reviewed app on this list, with 5.63 million Google Play reviews at 4.5 and 888,860 App Store ratings at 4.8. It also offers a lighter version, DramaBox Lite.

Strengths

• The biggest review base here on both stores, so the rating is unusually reliable.
• One of the deepest catalogues in short drama.
• A Lite version exists for lower-storage phones.

Limitations

• Coin-driven, so watching complete series free is limited.
• Ads and purchases both apply.
• The paywall arrives earlier than in more free-positioned apps.

7. ShortMax

ShortMax has 100 million plus installs and rates 4.5 from 2.17 million reviews.

Strengths

• Large audience and catalogue.
• Consistent rating across millions of reviews.
• Strong selection of revenge and romance titles.

Limitations

• Ads plus coin purchases.
• Unlocking full series can become expensive.
• Less free-positioned than FreeReels or PineDrama.

8. ReelShort

ReelShort, from NewLeaf Publishing, is one of the best known names in short drama, with 100 million plus installs. Its ratings show the widest platform gap on this list: 4.7 on the App Store from 518,310 ratings, but 3.8 on Google Play from 1.96 million.

Strengths

• Strong original productions and high recognition.
• Highly rated by iPhone users.
• Large, frequently updated catalogue.

Limitations

• The lowest Google Play rating here, so Android users report a noticeably worse experience.
• Coin-heavy, with ads alongside.
• Further from Melolo's free positioning than most alternatives.

9. VibeShort

VibeShort stands apart for its AI-generated dramas and comic-style stories. It has 10 million plus installs and rates 4.5 from 663,000 reviews.

Strengths

• A genuinely different content style if you have exhausted live-action dramas.
• Good rating across a solid review base.
• New titles arrive quickly thanks to AI production.

Limitations

• AI-generated content is not for everyone.
• Smaller catalogue and audience than the leaders.
• Ads and in-app purchases both apply.

10. MoboReels

MoboReels, from MoboReader Technology, has 10 million plus installs and rates 4.0 from 719,000 reviews.

Strengths

• A sizeable library drawn from a reading-platform background.
• Different title mix from the biggest apps.
• Established publisher.

Limitations

• Lower rating than most alternatives here.
• Ads and coin purchases.
• Smaller audience than the 100 million plus apps.

11. ReelyGo

ReelyGo, from Titian, is a smaller app with 500,000 plus installs and an excellent 4.8 rating from 42,600 reviews.

Strengths

• One of the highest ratings on this list.
• Strong supernatural and mystery selection alongside romance.
• Less crowded, with a curated feel.

Limitations

• Much smaller catalogue and audience.
• Ads and in-app purchases both apply.
• The high rating comes from far fewer reviews than the leaders.

12. Reelxia

Reelxia, from Triple Minds, is the only app on this list with no in-app purchases at all. Its Google Play listing shows ads only. It is new and small, with 500 plus installs. Triple Minds shares a founder with Make An App Like, which publishes this list.

Strengths

• The only app here that sells nothing, so no coin paywall.
• Full seasons in short episodes, funded by ads.
• Simple experience without upsell prompts.

Limitations

• Very early stage, with a far smaller catalogue than any other app here.
• Too few reviews to judge quality from store ratings.
• Shares a founder with this publication, so treat its inclusion with appropriate scepticism.

Is any short drama app actually free?

Every app here is free to download, but "free" means different things. The store labels tell you which model you are getting:

• Ads and in-app purchases is the standard model and covers ten of the twelve apps. You typically watch early episodes free, unlock some later ones by watching ads, and pay coins or subscribe to finish a series quickly.
• Purchases without an ads label applies to PineDrama and to Melolo itself. Content is promoted as free, with optional paid features.
• Ads only, no purchases applies to Reelxia alone on this list.

The practical difference shows up around episode 10 to 20, which is where coin-driven apps usually put their paywall. If you mostly want to finish series without paying, favour the more free-positioned apps at the top of this list and accept some ads. If our breakdown of the top vertical drama apps is useful, it ranks the same field by popularity rather than by free access.

How to choose

• You are in the US and want Melolo. Install PineDrama. It is the same company's app.
• You are in the UK, Canada or Germany. Melolo itself is available to you, and PineDrama is not.
• You want the largest free-positioned catalogue. FreeReels, with 70,000 plus titles in more than 19 languages.
• You trust ratings above everything. GoodShort at 4.7 from 4.55 million reviews, or DramaBox with the most reviews of all.
• You use Android. Be cautious with ReelShort, which rates a full point lower on Android than on iPhone.
• You never want to pay. Reelxia sells nothing, though its catalogue is small.

If you came here from a search for a specific app, our list of apps similar to Reelxia covers the same field from a different starting point.

Thinking of building your own short drama app?

Melolo's growth is a big part of why so many companies are entering short drama. If you are considering building one rather than watching one, our guide to building a short drama app like DramaBox covers the product loop, streaming stack and monetization, and our breakdown of vertical drama app development cost puts real numbers on it.

Conclusion

The most useful thing to know about Melolo is where it is not. It is ByteDance's short drama app, run through its Singapore subsidiary Poligon, with more than 100 million installs, but it is not listed on either US app store. ByteDance covers that gap with PineDrama, published by TikTok, which makes it the obvious first choice for anyone in the US looking for an app like Melolo.

Beyond that, the choice is mostly about how you feel about paying. Nearly every alternative runs on ads plus coins, and the differences between them are catalogue size, ratings and how early the paywall appears. FreeReels and NetShort offer the most free-leaning experience at scale, GoodShort and DramaBox have the most trustworthy ratings, and Reelxia is the one app here that sells nothing at all. Whatever you install, check the developer name first: on the US App Store, the top "Melolo" result is not Melolo.

Sources

• Installs, ratings, review counts and ads and purchase labels: each app's US Google Play listing, linked in its entry, checked 31 October 2026.
• App Store ratings, release dates and country availability: Apple's App Store lookup by exact app ID, 31 October 2026.
• Melolo ownership and launch: South China Morning Post and KrASIA.
• Melolo listing: Google Play (Philippines).