Comparison

HiShort vs ShortBox

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HiShort

Discover a vast library of dramas, from romance and adventure to historical and urban tales. Enjoy exclusive releases and seamless HD streaming on your mobile device. Elevate your entertainment with captivating storylines and a smooth viewing experience.

Highlights
  • Unlimited drama library
  • Multiple genres available
  • Exclusive releases
  • Continuous updates
  • HD streaming
  • Smooth viewing experience
Features
Read full description

Enjoy unlimited delightful dramas and uplift your spirit with HiShort ! From romantic love stories to thrilling adventures, from historical period dramas to modern urban tales, from heartwarming moments to intense mysteries, our drama library offers a variety of genres for you to explore. Never miss out on any great shows again! Download the HiShort app and embark on your own dramatic journey. We bring you carefully curated top-notch dramas that cater to your preferences, whether you're a fan of romantic love stories, thrilling adventures, historical period dramas, or modern urban tales, HiShort has got you covered. Immerse yourself in captivating storylines with seamless audio and video quality. Premium content is no longer hidden away but presented right on your mobile phone by HiShort . 【Exclusive releases, continuous updates】 【Powerful engine, HD streaming, silky-smooth experience】 【Multiple drama genres to choose from, from romance to riches, even protagonists' comeback, all at your fingertips】 Don't wait any longer. Let HiShort become your essential entertainment companion every day! 【HiShort VIP Auto-Subscription Service Description】 Subscription Service:HiShort VIP Monthly Subscription (30 days), HiShort VIP Quarterly Subscription (90 days), HiShort VIP Annual Subscription (365 days). Auto-Renewal Explanation: Within 24 hours before the end of each billing cycle, your iTunes account will be automatically charged, and the corresponding subscription service will be extended. Turning off the Service: You can go to "Settings" on your Apple phone, then enter "iTunes Store and App Store," click on "Apple ID," go to the "Account Settings" page, click on "Subscriptions" to manage the auto-subscription service. If you wish to cancel, you can turn it off within 24 hours before the end of each billing cycle to avoid further charges. No charges will be made if canceled within the last 24 hours. This service does not provide a free trial period. Upon successful subscription, payment will be immediately deducted, and the service will take effect. HiShort VIP Membership Service Agreement: https://oss.hishort.tv/Privacy_tos/shorts_vip_service.html Privacy Agreement: https://oss.hishort.tv/Privacy_tos/shorts_privacy.html

About

ShortBox

Immerse yourself in a world of captivating short stories and dramas. This platform offers a curated selection of narrative content, distinct from typical short video feeds. Experience diverse genres and engaging plots designed for focused entertainment.

Highlights
  • Short drama focus
  • Story immersion
  • Diverse genres
  • Curated content
  • Engaging plots
Features
Read full description

Unlike normal short video platform, we focus on short stories and short dramas, instead of life sharing. We want our users to immerse in various types of stories and dramas Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

HiShort4 screens
ShortBox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ShortBox at 4.8 against HiShort's 4.4. ShortBox also leads on review sentiment (20% vs 12%). HiShort's advantage is ratings volume (895 vs 124). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HiShort sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per 7 days and ShortBox sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ShortBox holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HiShort has 895 ratings behind it against 124, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of HiShort's written reviews are positive against 20% of ShortBox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HiShort ships an update every 2 weeks, ShortBox every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HiShort versus ShortBox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiShortShortBox
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (895 ratings)4.8 (124 ratings) — better
Positive reviews11.9% of reviews20.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings895 — better124
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB99 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperHONG KONG ELEPHANT NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITEDPIVIX TECH LIMITED

Customer experience

HiShort

All ratings895 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative11.8%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive11.9%
Neutral11.9%
Negative76.1%

ShortBox

All ratings122 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral0.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

HiShort

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription issues - charged but no access
  • Videos not working even with paid subscription
  • Constant log-outs during viewing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Bring back old subscription model
  • Add option to earn bonus points/watch ads
  • Improve content discovery and search
  • Fix subtitle and translation issues

ShortBox

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

HiShort

Subscriptions5
  • Weekly Auto-Renewal$18.997 Days
  • Weekly Auto-Renewal- Benefits$18.997 Days
  • Monthly Auto-Renewal- Benefits$29.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Monthly Auto-Renewal$29.991 Month
  • Annual Auto-Renewal$99.991 Year
One-time7
  • Coins Pack2 variants$6.99
  • Coins Pack$9.99
  • Coins Pack$14.99
Show 4 more
  • Coins Pack$29.99
  • Coins Pack$49.99
  • 5200 coins + bonus coins$79.99
  • Coins Pack$99.99
3 purchases

ShortBox

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Annually$89.991 Year

Questions

Is HiShort free?
HiShort is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShortBox free?
ShortBox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HiShort or ShortBox?
ShortBox is rated higher. HiShort averages 4.4 out of 5 from 895 ratings, while ShortBox averages 4.8 from 124 ratings.
Do HiShort or ShortBox have ads?
Both HiShort and ShortBox show ads.
Which is updated more often, HiShort or ShortBox?
HiShort ships an update every 2 weeks, and ShortBox every 9 days. Most recently, HiShort was updated on October 23, 2026 and ShortBox on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons