Runway

AI video generation platform

by Runway

Overview

Runway sells credit-based image, video and audio tools through its own site in the browser: each generation spends credits, and how many depends on the model and the output settings. Free includes 125 credits granted once, not a monthly allowance. Its pricing page lists Standard at $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually, with 625 credits a month, and Pro at $35, or $28 billed annually, with 2,250. Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over, while Max permits up to one month of rollover, and separately purchased credits do not expire. Which models a given tier can reach is worth reading off the current pricing page rather than inferring from the tier name; we have not tested output quality or speed.

Three terms matter before choosing a tier. Runway states it does not claim ownership of your inputs or outputs and does not restrict your commercial use of the outputs, but the same clause allows inputs and outputs to be used to train and improve its models under a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence, and no training opt-out is documented for consumer plans. The API is billed separately from the subscription: credits are bought per project in the developer portal at $0.01 each, and each project holds its own keys, credits and billing. Face scans and voiceprints are kept no longer than three years after your last interaction (Runway Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and developer pricing, read 12 October 2026).

Editor's take

Sensible as a production expense rather than a toy: credits are the real budget, and the free credits are a one-time trial rather than something that refills. Check the current plan table for the models you need before committing to a tier.

Our reading of who this suits, based on the sources above. Opinion, offered to help you decide - not a lab result.

Direct comparisons

Pika vs Runway

Key Features

•Text and image to video generation
•Credit-based generation across video and image models
•Image editing and visual effects tools
•Motion and style controls
•Music, voice and sound-effect generation
•125 one-time credits on the free plan

Use Cases

→Short-form video
→Concept and pre-visualisation
→Marketing and social content
→Image editing and effects

Pros

✓Publishes plan prices, credit amounts and rollover rules
✓Free tier grants 125 one-time credits to try the models
✓Generation and editing tools in one platform

Cons

✕Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over, while Max allows up to one month of rollover and purchased credits do not expire
✕Free credits are one-time, not monthly
✕Model access per tier should be checked on the current pricing page

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Runway have a free plan?

Yes, and it includes 125 credits granted once rather than every month. Paid tiers add monthly credits and more models.

How much does Runway cost?

Standard is $15 a month, or $12 a month billed annually, with 625 credits a month; Pro is $35, or $28 billed annually, with 2,250. Credits are spent per generation.

Do my credits roll over?

The current pricing FAQ splits it by plan and credit type: Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over, Max permits up to one month of rollover, and separately purchased credits do not expire.

Which models can I use on Standard?

Check the current pricing page for your tier. The plan list and the help articles have not always described model access the same way, so this page does not restate a model list.

Key facts and where they come from

PriceNot established: The registered record gives plan amounts and billing cadence, but the applicable purchase market/region and full account/channel conditions were not established. These are not asserted as a current global purchasable quote.Source: Runway pricing
AvailabilityNot established: Runway’s official getting-started guide recommends its web app in Chrome and also lists iOS and Android apps. Supported-country distribution and plan-specific geographic access conditions remain unestablished; these client entry points are not a test of local reachability.Source: Runway web and mobile entry points
Commercial useDocumented: Read on 12 October 2026 (the /terms path 404s; the official terms are at /terms-of-use). States that Runway claims no ownership of inputs or outputs and does not restrict commercial use of outputs, while allowing inputs and outputs to be used to train and improve its models under a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence. No consumer training opt-out is documented.Source: Runway - Terms of Use
Training on your dataDocumented: Read on 12 October 2026 (the /terms path 404s; the official terms are at /terms-of-use). States that Runway claims no ownership of inputs or outputs and does not restrict commercial use of outputs, while allowing inputs and outputs to be used to train and improve its models under a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence. No consumer training opt-out is documented.Source: Runway - Terms of Use
API billingDocumented: Read on 12 October 2026. States that API credits are purchased per project in the developer portal at $0.01 per credit, with each project having its own API keys, credits and billing - separate from a consumer subscription.Source: Runway - API pricing
Export formatsDocumented: For Gen-4.5 in Tool Mode and full-video edits with Aleph 2.0 in Edit Studio, MP4 is the default export. Max, Unlimited (Legacy) and Enterprise plans can select ProRes (.mov, PCM audio with six profiles) or a PNG sequence (.zip of frames). Workflows and Agent outputs, and range edits, use MP4. The format is chosen at generation time; existing MP4 generations cannot be retroactively exported in ProRes or PNG sequence. This documents those surfaces and plan boundaries, not an account test or every model/API.Source: Runway help — ProRes and PNG sequence export
Usage limitsDocumented: Free lists 125 one-time credits; Standard is $15/month or $12/month billed annually with 625 credits a month; Pro is $35 or $28 with 2,250. The current pricing FAQ separates the cases: Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over, Max permits up to one month of rollover, and separately purchased credits do not expire. The older help-page statement about credits not rolling over describes only part of the plan line-up, so it is not used as a general rule here.Source: Runway pricing · Runway pricing - credit rollover by plan

Official sources

The vendor pages we read for the claims on this page, what each one states, and the day we read it.

Runway pricing ↗
Free lists 125 one-time credits; Standard is $15/month or $12/month billed annually with 625 credits a month; Pro is $35 or $28 with 2,250.
Read on September 23, 2026
Runway pricing - credit rollover by plan ↗
The current pricing FAQ separates the cases: Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over, Max permits up to one month of rollover, and separately purchased credits do not expire. The older help-page statement about credits not rolling over describes only part of the plan line-up, so it is not used as a general rule here.
Read on September 23, 2026
Runway - Terms of Use ↗
Read on 12 October 2026 (the /terms path 404s; the official terms are at /terms-of-use). States that Runway claims no ownership of inputs or outputs and does not restrict commercial use of outputs, while allowing inputs and outputs to be used to train and improve its models under a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence. No consumer training opt-out is documented.
Read on October 12, 2026
Runway - API pricing ↗
Read on 12 October 2026. States that API credits are purchased per project in the developer portal at $0.01 per credit, with each project having its own API keys, credits and billing - separate from a consumer subscription.
Read on October 12, 2026
Runway help — ProRes and PNG sequence export ↗
For Gen-4.5 in Tool Mode and full-video edits with Aleph 2.0 in Edit Studio, MP4 is the default export. Max, Unlimited (Legacy) and Enterprise plans can select ProRes (.mov, PCM audio with six profiles) or a PNG sequence (.zip of frames). Workflows and Agent outputs, and range edits, use MP4. The format is chosen at generation time; existing MP4 generations cannot be retroactively exported in ProRes or PNG sequence. This documents those surfaces and plan boundaries, not an account test or every model/API.
Read on October 15, 2026
Runway web and mobile entry points ↗
Runway’s getting-started guide recommends Chrome at app.runwayml.com and lists iOS and Android mobile apps. It does not establish supported-country distribution or test local network reachability.
Read on October 15, 2026

Compare with other tools in Video Generation

Product	Maker	Pricing	Launched	Shared tags
Pika	Pika	Freemium	Launch date not verified	Video, Editing, Creative
Luma Dream Machine	Luma AI	Freemium	2024-06-12	Video, Creative
Kling AI	Kuaishou	Freemium	2024-06-10	Video
Veo	Google DeepMind	Freemium	2024-05	Video
Hailuo AI	MiniMax	Freemium	2024-03	Video
Higgsfield	Higgsfield	Freemium	2023-11	Video

1 discontinued entry/entries in this category are not listed above. They stay in the catalogue with their status.