# ARS vs Shorts

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ARS at none against Shorts's 10. ARS also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). Shorts's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly) and chart position (#103 vs unranked). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shorts sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. ARS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ARS ships an update monthly, Shorts every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARS | Shorts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shorts-stream-short-drama/id6498894314/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **27K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 43.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#103** |
| Size | 64 MB | 154 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [IQDATA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504304785) | [Luni](https://appshunter.io/developer/1274051421) |

## What reviewers say

### ARS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ars/id1593211883)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shorts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shorts-stream-short-drama/id6498894314)

**Currently charting:** #103 Top Grossing · Entertainment (US App Store)

Enjoy exclusive short dramas and movies designed for on-the-go viewing. Dive into a vast library of bite-sized stories across various genres, with new episodes added frequently. Perfect for quick entertainment breaks.

**Highlights:** Exclusive short dramas and movies, New titles and episodes added frequently, Tailored recommendations, Bite-sized episodes for quick viewing, Save and follow favorite series, Continue watching on any device, Browse by genre, mood, or trending rank

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shorts VIP | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Shorts VIP Weekly | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Shorts VIP | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Shorts VIP Weekly | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| Shorts VIP Weekly | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly VIP | $39.99 | per month |
| Pack of Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pack of Coins | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Good entertainment
- 👍 Interesting plots and stories

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Resets after a few days
- 🔒 Requires payment to continue watching
- 🔒 Too many ads
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Ads don't load properly
- Can't access next episode
- App crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More free episodes and content
- Improve the ad system
- Fix the reset issue


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARS free?

ARS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shorts free?

Shorts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do ARS or Shorts have ads?

Shorts shows ads; ARS does not.

### Which is updated more often, ARS or Shorts?

ARS ships an update monthly, and Shorts every 11 days. Most recently, ARS was updated on November 7, 2026 and Shorts on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*