Methodology

How we estimate costs

Vertical-drama apps rarely show the full price before the coins start: the first episodes are free, then each one costs. Short Drama Guide models that total for every show — the range to finish it, on every platform that carries it.

What we observe

Every input is observable without paying: coin packages and their dollar prices (first-purchase bonuses included), the coin price on the first locked episode, the free-episode count, the total episode count, and any subscription plan. Each observation is dated and screenshotted.

Free-versus-paid boundaries come from each platform's public web layer. A few app-only titles aren't visible there, so their estimates assume 10 free episodes until the real count is observed in-app.

How the estimate is computed

Paid episodes = total episodes minus free ones. The low end of the range multiplies paid episodes by the advertised coin price and the best available coin rate. The high end assumes the smallest package's worse rate and an escalation factor, since several platforms charge more coins for later episodes.

Where a platform sells a subscription pass, that path is priced too: one week of access, since every tracked show finishes inside a few hours. The estimate takes whichever is cheaper, coins or the pass, at each end of the range. ShortMax sells only a pass, so its estimate is the pass price.

Freshness

Every estimate carries the date it was last checked. Within 45 days it's marked verified (✓). From 45 to 90 days it's flagged as possibly changed. Past 90 days the number is pulled rather than shown stale — the platform's general pricing model stands in until the show is re-verified.

What we don't claim

Estimates are not quotes, and not a guaranteed final bill — promo pricing, regional differences, and app-store tax handling all move the real number. A price flagged through the report link gets the show re-verified.

FAQ

Are your cost estimates exact prices?
No. They are modeled ranges based on each platform's published coin packages, advertised per-episode prices, free-episode counts, and subscription passes. Platforms change pricing without notice, and several escalate per-episode prices late in a series.
Why do you show a range instead of one number?
Two reasons: coin packages have different effective rates (bigger packages are cheaper per coin), and some platforms raise per-episode prices as a series progresses. The low end assumes the best coin rate and no escalation; the high end assumes the smallest package and observed escalation patterns.
What does the 'Checked' date mean?
The date we last observed that platform's pricing for the show. Within 45 days we mark it verified. Between 45 and 90 days we flag that pricing may have changed. Past 90 days we hide the estimate until we re-verify.
Do you get paid when I tap a watch link?
No. Links are direct deep links with no affiliate parameters. If that ever changes, the disclosure will be on every page that carries one.