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CapCut vs Runway

CapCut and Runway are both video & screen recording tools. CapCut is aimed at creators, while Runway is aimed at creators and agencies. Runway costs less, from $15/mo versus $19.99/mo for CapCut. Both have a free plan.

CapCut

Free video editor from ByteDance

Runway

AI video generation and editing suite

PricingFreemium · $20Freemium · $15
Starting price$19.99/mo$15/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Built forCreatorsCreators, Agencies
Platformsweb, macos, windows, ios, androidweb
CountryCN · 2020US · 2018
Rating——

Choose CapCut if

Short-form creators and social media managers.

  • Powerful free features
  • Trend templates
  • Easy for beginners

Look elsewhere if: Professional long-form editing (Premiere, DaVinci Resolve).

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).

CapCut vs Runway pricing

CapCut

  • Free$0Free templates and basic editing tools
  • Pro$19.99/mo$179.99/yr; 1,200 AI credits/mo, 1 TB storage

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

CapCut · Key features

  • Templates synced with social trends
  • Auto captions and text-to-speech
  • Background removal and AI effects
  • Keyframes, speed curves and transitions
  • Mobile, desktop and web apps
  • Direct export to TikTok

Cons

  • Data and ownership concerns for some businesses
  • Premium assets behind Pro
  • Less suited to long-form

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

CapCut vs Runway: FAQ

Which is cheaper, CapCut or Runway?

Runway starts at $15/mo and CapCut at $19.99/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

Do CapCut and Runway have a free plan?

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

Not sure yet?