Micro Drama vs Short Drama vs Web Series
Micro drama, short drama, vertical drama and mini drama are names for the same format: a serial of one to two minute vertical episodes. A web series is longer and usually shot wide, a soap opera runs for years, and a short film is one story with no episodes. Here is how to pick the one you are making.
Updated
The formats side by side
Micro drama, short drama and the formats it is confused with
| Format | Episode | Frame | Series | Where it runs | The pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro drama (microdrama) | About 1 to 2 minutes | Vertical 9:16 | 20 to 100 episodes | Apps, YouTube, TikTok, Reels | A hook, a turn every 20 to 30 seconds, a cliffhanger |
| Vertical drama | The same as micro drama | Vertical 9:16 | The same | The same | The same. Named for the vertical frame |
| Short drama (duanju) | The same as micro drama | Vertical 9:16 | The same | The same | The same. The Chinese name, and the one many apps use |
| Mini drama | The same as micro drama | Vertical 9:16 | The same | The same | The same. A less common name |
| Web series | A few minutes to about half an hour | Usually wide 16:9 | A season of 5 to 12 | YouTube and streaming sites | Slower: scenes, not shots, carry the story |
| Soap opera, telenovela | About 30 minutes to an hour | Wide | Daily, for years | Television | Long arcs, a cliffhanger before each break |
| Short film | A few minutes to about 40 | Any | One story, no episodes | Festivals, YouTube | A full arc in one sitting |
The micro drama row follows Wikipedia (1 to 2 minute episodes, 20 to 100 episodes a series). The other rows describe typical ranges, not rules.
Why one format has four names
The format began in China, where short-video apps called it duanju, which translates as short drama. Apps in other markets kept that name or called it a micro drama. Film and business writers started saying vertical drama because the frame is upright, and some brands say mini drama. They all point at the same thing. If you are searching for apps or examples, try every name. If you are making one, pick the name your audience uses on its platform and use it in the title.
The names that mean something different are web series, soap opera and short film. A web series trades the speed of a micro drama for longer scenes. A soap opera runs on a schedule for years. A short film is one story. What is a micro drama covers the format in full.
Which one should you make?
Pick the format from your goal
| If you want | Make a | Plan | Start here |
|---|---|---|---|
| A series for TikTok, Reels or Shorts | Micro drama | 1 to 3 minute episodes, 9:16, a cliffhanger every time | Make a vertical series |
| A TV-style show for YouTube | Web series | Episodes of 5 to 15 minutes, 16:9, scenes with room to breathe | Make an AI micro drama |
| One story for a contest or a portfolio | Short film | One arc in 2 to 10 minutes | Turn a script into a video |
| A daily serial with a loyal audience | Soap opera style | Short daily episodes, a large recurring cast | Series bible template |
| Anime, not live action | Anime episode | The same shot plan, drawn in an anime look | Make an anime episode |
Ziztu makes all of these in one place: a project is vertical 9:16 for a micro drama or wide 16:9 for a TV-style series or a web series. The format changes the plan, not the tool. See AI micro dramas for the vertical format and the guide how to make an AI micro drama.
What the format changes about the price
An AI series is priced by the second of video you generate, so the format does not change the price of a minute. It changes how many shots a minute needs. A micro drama cuts every 2 to 4 seconds, so a minute is 15 to 30 shots. A web series scene can hold a shot for 8 to 12 seconds, so a minute is 5 to 8 shots. At list price on Starter, a minute of 4-second shots costs $7.20 at 768p, and the clips of an episode of 22 such shots, 88 seconds, cost $10.56. The micro drama is cheaper per episode because the episode is short. The web series is cheaper per minute of story, because it holds shots longer.
Start this in Ziztu
Start a vertical micro drama from one sentence.
A live-action vertical micro drama, episode 1: on her wedding day a bride reads a message on the groom's phone and walks down the aisle anyway, smiling. End on a cliffhanger when she takes the microphone.
40 free credits, no card: write the script, cast your characters, draw the storyboard and hear the voices. Video starts at $12. You see the price before every generation.
Keep going
- What is a micro drama for the format, its history and the numbers.
- AI micro dramas the hub for everything about AI micro dramas.
- AI vs filmed micro drama for the cost of AI against a filmed series.
- How to make a vertical series for TikTok and Reels for the series plan.
- How long is a micro drama episode for the length of the format and what it costs.
- Micro drama apps for where the format is watched.
- Micro drama genres to pick a story engine.
Sources (read 15 October 2026)
- Wikipedia, Microdrama (the article is titled Duanju) (read 15 October 2026; used for episode length, episodes a series, filmed budgets, 2025 revenue estimate, genres)
Platform rules and market figures change often. Check the source before you rely on a number.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a micro drama and a short drama?
None, in practice. Wikipedia lists microdrama, short drama, vertical drama, vertical minidrama, vertical series and mobile drama as English names for the same format: a serial of about one to two minute episodes. Short drama is the direct translation of the Chinese name duanju, and vertical drama is named for the frame.
Is a micro drama the same as a web series?
No. A web series has longer episodes, usually a few minutes to half an hour, usually shot wide for a computer or a TV, and its scenes carry the story. A micro drama has one to two minute vertical episodes, a hook in every one and a turn every twenty to thirty seconds.
Is a micro drama a soap opera?
It borrows from one. Both run on serial cliffhangers, family secrets and big reversals. A soap opera runs daily for years on television, while a micro drama is a finished series of 20 to 100 short episodes watched on a phone.
What is an AI web series?
A web series whose pictures, voices and music are made with AI. In Ziztu a project can be wide 16:9, with a cast that stays the same, scenes planned by the Director and episodes of a few minutes each.
Which is cheaper to make with AI, a micro drama or a web series?
A micro drama costs less per episode because the episode is shorter. A web series costs less per minute of story because its shots run longer. Ziztu shows the price of every clip before you generate it.
