Microdrama was once thought to be a fad, faced the pressure of regulations, and went through many phases, including a free viewing model, top-up and subscription viewing, as well as microdrama marketing. Mainstream platforms, especially long-form video and streaming platforms, have also tried their hand at them. However, as microdrama continues to bloom, a winning platform is starting to emerge: Hongguo app (红果) from ByteDance, the Chinese tech company behind TikTok.
Hongguo was the most downloaded app in China in May. Questmobile data showed that in June 2025, Hongguo’s user base grew 179% year-on-year (YoY) and ranked number 3 in its app category. It already had 212 million monthly active users, surpassing the long-form video platform Youku and trailing behind BiliBili by only 13 million. This also marks the first time a microdrama app has overtaken a long-form video platform.
Created in 2023, at the height of in-app purchase (IAP) microdrama or microdrama 1.0, Hongguo was launched as a completely free app in response to subscription fees driving users toward piracy. Viewing is free on the platform, and viewers unlock the next episode by watching ads. Some pundits even argue that Hongguo marks the turning point for microdrama 2.0: free viewing + ads.
This is because Hongguo is not only free for viewers and pays creators ad revenue, but it also benefits from Douyin’s algorithm. It has a recommendation programme that has helped many series surpass 1 billion views. Hongguo is now ByteDance’s biggest hit after Douyin and TikTok, and the company is working to monetise it further and expand overseas. Not only is Hongguo introducing an ad-free membership, but it is also considering more content formats, such as Douyin-like non-fiction short-form videos. With TikTok still in limbo in the US, figuring out how to bring Hongguo and microdrama abroad might be the next objective from ByteDance.
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