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Adobe Firefly vs Runway

Adobe Firefly and Runway are both AI image & video generation tools aimed at creators and agencies. Adobe Firefly costs less, from $9.99/mo versus $15/mo for Runway. Both have a free plan.

Adobe Firefly

Adobe's generative AI studio for images, video and audio

Runway

AI video generation and editing suite

PricingFreemium · $10Freemium · $15
Starting price$9.99/mo$15/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Built forCreators, Agencies, Enterprise, FreelancersCreators, Agencies
Platformsweb, ios, androidweb
CountryUS · 2023US · 2018
Rating——

Choose Adobe Firefly if

Designers, agencies and marketing teams already working in Creative Cloud who want commercially safer generative images and video inside Adobe tools.

  • Trained on licensed content, positioned as safe for commercial work
  • Deep integration with Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro
  • Standard image features are unlimited on every paid plan

Look elsewhere if: Artists chasing the most distinctive image aesthetics or non-designers who want quick templates (Midjourney or Canva).

Choose Runway if

Creative professionals and agencies producing AI-assisted video.

  • Professional-grade generation quality
  • Broad editing toolset
  • Consistency controls for storytelling

Look elsewhere if: Simple talking-head videos (HeyGen, Synthesia).

Adobe Firefly vs Runway pricing

Adobe Firefly

  • Free$0Daily free generations across image, video and audio
  • Firefly Standard$9.99/mo2,000 generative credits/mo; unlimited standard image features
  • Firefly Pro$19.99/mo4,000 credits/mo; adds Photoshop on web and mobile
  • Firefly Pro Plus$49.99/mo10,000 credits/mo; up to 100 five-second videos
  • Firefly Premium$199.99/mo50,000 credits/mo; unlimited Firefly Video Model use

Runway

  • Free$0125 one-time credits, 5 GB storage
  • Standard$15/user/mo$12 billed annually; 625 credits/mo, no watermark
  • Pro$35/user/mo$28 billed annually; 2,250 credits/mo, voice clone
  • Max$95/user/mo$76 billed annually; 9,500 credits/mo

Adobe Firefly · Key features

  • Text to image with Firefly Image models and partner models
  • Generative Fill and Expand inside Photoshop and the Firefly app
  • Text to video and image to video with the Firefly Video Model
  • Speech generation, sound effects, music and audio or video translation
  • Partner models including GPT Image, Gemini, FLUX, Runway, Kling and Luma
  • Firefly Boards for collaborative moodboards and ideation

Cons

  • Credit system for video, audio and partner models is hard to predict
  • Image style can look more generic than Midjourney output
  • Content filters are stricter than many rivals

Runway · Key features

  • Text and image to video with Gen-4
  • Character and scene consistency with References
  • Act-One performance capture
  • Video editing with prompts (Aleph)
  • Green screen, inpainting, motion tracking
  • Upscaling and audio tools

Cons

  • Credits deplete quickly
  • Generation length limits
  • Learning curve for best results

Adobe Firefly vs Runway: FAQ

Which is cheaper, Adobe Firefly or Runway?

Adobe Firefly starts at $9.99/mo and Runway at $15/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do Adobe Firefly and Runway have a free plan?

Yes, both Adobe Firefly and Runway have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Not sure yet?