TouchShort Review [2026]: The Cheapest Weekly VIP in Our Ranking — but Is It Worth It?
TouchShort
Novel-adapted Chinese dramas with English subtitles and the lowest weekly VIP price in our top 20
- Weekly VIP from $9.99 — the cheapest entry plan of any app we rank; coins from 150 for $4.99
- 4.6★ on the App Store (1.2K ratings), 4.3★ on Google Play (4.3K reviews, 100K+ installs)
- CEO romance, werewolf and vampire fantasy, revenge and time-travel series adapted from novels, subtitled in English
- Android, iOS and iPad; interface in 9 languages; no web player or TV app
At a glance — Publisher: Hong Kong Touch Culture Communication Co., Limited (Android) / Chong Qing Sheng Rui Culture Communication Co., Limited (iOS) · Launched: June–July 2024 · Platforms: Android, iOS, iPad · English audio: Subtitled · Price from: $9.99/week; coins from $4.99 · Free episodes: Yes (trial episodes + daily coins) · Rank: #18 of 20 (provisional)
What is TouchShort?
TouchShort — listed as TouchShort-TV on the App Store and TouchShort on Google Play — is a vertical short drama app that first appeared on the App Store on 26 June 2024 and on Google Play the following month. Its store description promises "short dramas and movies adapted from novels" in high definition with weekly releases, and its download site, cmappgogo.com, showcases the typical run of 70-to-100-episode series: Shining Days, Flipped, The Genuine Rich Daughter, My Real Contract Wife, The Fox Fairy.
It is a small app by the standards of this list. Google Play shows the 100K+ install bracket (AppBrain estimates about 480,000 lifetime Android downloads), the App Store has around 1,200 ratings, and no analyst — Sensor Tower, AppMagic, Appfigures — covers it. What earns it a place at number 18 is a combination that the bigger apps do not offer: the lowest weekly subscription we have seen, solid store ratings and a nine-language interface.
TouchShort is not "Touch Shorts"
Before you install, note that there are two unrelated apps with almost the same name on Google Play. TouchShort (package com.touchshort.androidtv, developer "Touch tv" / Hong Kong Touch Culture Communication) is the app reviewed here and the one our links open. Touch Shorts – Short Drama (package com.touchskits.video, developer YEARTOUCH LIMITED, Cambridge, UK) is a different product with a different publisher and a larger install count. Reviews, ratings and prices are not interchangeable between the two, and several third-party "TouchShort" write-ups mix them up.
Who is behind TouchShort?
The developer identities differ by platform, which is common for smaller Chinese publishers but worth knowing. On Google Play the developer is Hong Kong Touch Culture Communication Co., Limited at Hing Yip Centre, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, with a Macau contact number; the website's copyright line uses the same name. On the App Store the seller is Chong Qing Sheng Rui Culture Communication Co., Limited (shown as "Sheng Rui Culture"), a Chongqing company. We found no parent company, press coverage or corporate site beyond the download landing page, and support is by Gmail address — the Telegram and WhatsApp links some users tried were reported dead.
Catalog and genres
TouchShort does not publish a catalog size and we could not estimate one from the outside. The content we could see is Chinese-produced live-action drama with English subtitles (character names, settings and credits are Chinese), organised around the tropes that dominate the genre: CEO and contract-marriage romance, "genuine rich daughter" family sagas, werewolf and vampire fantasy, revenge and time travel. The company says new series arrive weekly. There is no sign of English-language originals, and Google Play reviews mentioning "laggy subtitles" confirm that the English track is text, not audio.
Where it fits
If you already use DramaBox or NetShort, TouchShort's shelf will look familiar in tone but not in titles — small publishers license different series. It is closest in spirit to HoneyReels and StarShort: romance-first, subtitled, modest in size.
Languages and devices
The iOS app lists nine interface languages — English, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish and Thai — which is more than most apps of its size. It is a universal build that runs on iPad, and Google Play offers it for phones and tablets. Despite the "androidtv" in its package name, there is no Android TV or Google TV listing, and cmappgogo.com is a download page rather than a web player, so laptop viewing is not an option. Storefront pages exist for the US, Japan, Malaysia, Belgium, Egypt and Canada among others; the company does not publish a country list.
How much does TouchShort cost?
| Download | Free (Android, iOS) |
|---|---|
| Weekly subscription | $9.99, $12.49, $18.99 or $24.99 depending on the plan offered; a $29.99 "Subscription" tier is also listed. Auto-renews weekly |
| Coin packs (one-time) | 150 for $4.99 · 300 for $9.99 · 600 for $19.99 · 1,500 for $45.99 (≈3.1–3.3¢ per coin) |
| Cost per episode | Not published; depends on the title's coin price |
| Monthly or yearly plan | Not listed on the store page (a reviewer mentions "$19.99 a month" — unverified) |
| VIP unlocks | All episodes; store description states auto-renewal unless cancelled 24 hours before the period ends |
The $9.99 weekly plan is the headline: it is half of NetShort's or FlareFlow's entry price and below ReelShort's mid tiers, and the only app in our ranking that is cheaper per week is DramaBox with its ~$5.99 promotional plans. The coin ladder, by contrast, is unremarkable, and the wide spread of weekly prices ($9.99 to $29.99) suggests the app tests paywalls per user, so the plan you see may not be the plan a friend sees.
A billing pattern to avoid
Several reviews — including a detailed Japanese one from December 2025 — describe "discount" sign-ups that bill directly through the company rather than through Apple, which then cannot be cancelled from the App Store's Subscriptions screen. Our advice is simple: only subscribe through Apple or Google Play, where cancellation is one tap, and ignore in-app offers that ask for a card.
How can you watch TouchShort for free?
- Trial episodes — each series opens with free episodes (the count is not stated and varies by title).
- Daily check-in coins — a "gold coin" reward wall pays for signing in and completing tasks.
- Ad bonuses — rewarded ads top up coins; the app carries the "Contains ads" label on Google Play.
- Weekly promotions — discounted first-week VIP offers appear in-app.
Users complain that ads can run longer than the 90-second episodes they unlock, so the free path is slow. At $9.99 a week, the subscription is the more sensible route if you like what you see in the trial episodes.
Store ratings, downloads and complaints
| Metric | Google Play | App Store |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3★ | 4.6★ |
| Ratings / reviews | ≈4.3K reviews | ≈1,160 ratings |
| Downloads | 100K+ bracket (AppBrain: ≈480K lifetime) | Not disclosed (MWM: 100K+ milestone March 2025) |
| Content rating | Everyone 10+ (crude humour) | 17+ (unrestricted web access) / 16+ on the new-format page |
| Labels | Contains ads · In-app purchases | In-app purchases |
| Last update | v2.4.3, 23 August 2026 | v2.4.10, 24 August 2026 |
| Size | ≈43 MB | ≈160 MB |
The ratings are good for an app this size and both builds were updated in the last month, which we count in its favour. The complaints are consistent across stores: playback that freezes every few episodes, missing subtitles or audio, paid VIP not unlocking content, repeated weekly charges after a cancellation attempt, and slow support. One pattern we flag for transparency: a cluster of five-star App Store reviews from mid-2025 reads like marketing copy and mentions features the app does not advertise, which is consistent with incentivised reviews. We weight the Google Play score more heavily for that reason.
Pros and cons
Pros
- $9.99 weekly VIP — cheapest entry plan in our top 20
- 4.6★ / 4.3★ ratings; both builds updated August 2026
- Nine interface languages; iPad support
- Popular tropes well covered: CEO, werewolf, vampire, revenge, time travel
- Small app size on Android
Cons
- Small catalog with no published size; subtitles only, no dubbing
- No web player, no TV app
- Playback freezes and missing-subtitle reports
- Direct-billing "discount" offers that bypass store cancellation
- Thin company footprint and email-only support
TouchShort vs DramaBox, NetShort and HoneyReels
| TouchShort | DramaBox | NetShort | HoneyReels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.4 (provisional) | 9.8 | 9.3 (provisional) | 8.1 |
| Weekly plan from | $9.99 | ~$5.99 | $19.99 | Weekly & monthly |
| Catalog | Small, subtitled | Thousands, dubbed | 45,000+ claimed, 17 languages | Sweet romance & costume |
| Free viewing | Trial episodes + daily coins | Daily free + ads | Opening eps + ads | Daily check-in bonuses |
| Web player | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Store ratings | 4.6 / 4.3 | High on both | 4.7 / 4.6 | — |
The comparison that matters is price versus depth. DramaBox is still cheaper and vastly bigger; NetShort is bigger and dearer. TouchShort's case is narrow but real: a $9.99 week of subtitled dramas in the tropes you already like, on an app that is still being updated.
Who should install TouchShort?
- Budget viewers who want a full-access week for under $10.
- Subtitle readers who prefer original Chinese audio to English dubs.
- Fans of novel-adapted CEO, werewolf and revenge series looking for titles the big apps do not carry.
- Not for anyone who wants a web or TV player, English audio, or a large catalog.
TouchShort — frequently asked questions
Is TouchShort free?
TouchShort is free to download and every series opens with free trial episodes; daily check-ins and rewarded ads add coins. Full access needs coins (from 150 for $4.99) or a weekly VIP plan that starts at $9.99.
How much is TouchShort per week?
The US App Store lists weekly subscriptions at $9.99, $12.49, $18.99 and $24.99, plus a $29.99 tier, all auto-renewing weekly. Which price you see depends on the offer shown in-app; $9.99 is the lowest and the cheapest weekly VIP in our ranking.
Is TouchShort the same as Touch Shorts?
No. TouchShort (com.touchshort.androidtv, Hong Kong Touch Culture Communication) and Touch Shorts – Short Drama (com.touchskits.video, YEARTOUCH LIMITED, UK) are unrelated apps from different publishers. This review covers TouchShort, the app our links open.
Who owns TouchShort?
The Android app is published by Hong Kong Touch Culture Communication Co., Limited and the iOS app by Chong Qing Sheng Rui Culture Communication Co., Limited; both point to the download site cmappgogo.com. We found no parent company or press coverage.
Is TouchShort legit and safe?
It is distributed through the official App Store and Google Play, holds 4.6★ and 4.3★ ratings and was updated in August 2026. The risk is billing rather than malware: avoid in-app "discount" offers that bill outside the store, because those cannot be cancelled from your device's subscription settings.
Does TouchShort have English dubbing?
No. Content is Chinese-language drama with English subtitles. The interface itself is available in nine languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Korean.
Can I watch TouchShort on PC or TV?
No. There is no web player — cmappgogo.com is a download page — and no TV app, despite the "androidtv" package name. It runs on Android phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad.
How many shows does TouchShort have?
The company does not publish a catalog size. The showcased series run 70–100 episodes each and the store description promises weekly new releases; it is a small library compared with DramaBox or NetShort.
How do I cancel TouchShort?
If you subscribed through the App Store or Google Play, cancel in your device's Subscriptions settings at least 24 hours before the weekly renewal. If you took an in-app direct-billing offer, you must contact the developer by email — keep every confirmation.
Why does TouchShort freeze or lose subtitles?
Playback freezing every few episodes and missing subtitles or audio are the most common technical complaints in both stores. Updating to the August 2026 builds, clearing cache and switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data resolve most cases according to reviewers; persistent problems should be reported to support.
Is TouchShort worth it compared with DramaBox?
Only as a second app. DramaBox is cheaper per week on promotion, far larger and available on the web; TouchShort's advantage is a flat $9.99 week and a different, subtitled selection of novel-adapted series.
Final verdict
TouchShort does one thing better than any app above it: it sells a full week of short dramas for $9.99. Around that it is an ordinary small app — subtitled Chinese series in familiar tropes, decent ratings, recent updates, no web or TV player, and a support and billing record that argues for paying only through the store. Score: 7.4, a fair budget pick for readers of subtitles and a poor choice as your only app.
Sources
- TouchShort-TV on the App Store — rating, ratings count, in-app purchase list, languages, version history, seller (checked September 9, 2026).
- TouchShort on Google Play and AppBrain's listing — install bracket, rating, review count, developer address, download estimates, APK size.
- Touch Shorts – Short Drama (YEARTOUCH) — checked to document the name collision.
- cmappgogo.com — official download page, showcased titles, copyright line.
- MWM Intelligence app profile — iOS download milestone and review-theme summary.
- Sample of US App Store, Google Play and Japanese App Store user reviews, 2024–2026 — freezing, subtitles, billing and cancellation complaints.
- ShortDramaTop store-data and pricing checks — see how we test. Hands-on catalog scoring for the September 2026 additions is in progress; the 7.4 score is provisional.
✓ Data last verified . Short drama apps change fast — prices, free-episode limits, coin costs and regional catalogs may have shifted since. Confirm in your own store before paying.