Runway
AI video generation and editing suite
Runway is a aI image & video generation tool for Creators and Agencies, offered as freemium ($15/mo). Founded in United States in 2018. Popular alternatives include Pika, Luma Dream Machine, Kling AI.
About Runway
Runway is an AI video company founded in New York in 2018 by Cristóbal Valenzuela, Anastasis Germanidis and Alejandro Matamala. It builds its own generative video models and a browser-based creative suite used by filmmakers, advertising agencies, designers and content creators, and it has partnerships with studios such as Lionsgate.
The Gen-4 family generates video from text and images with consistent characters, objects and locations across shots, while References and Act-One give control over style and performance, for example by mapping an actor's expressions onto a character. Aleph edits existing footage with prompts, such as changing angles, lighting or objects in a scene. The suite also includes classic AI tools such as green screen removal, inpainting, motion tracking, upscaling, image generation and audio features. Pricing is credit-based: a free plan with one-time credits and watermarks, and Standard, Pro and Max with growing monthly credits per user.
Runway suits creative professionals who need controllable, production-oriented AI video rather than one-off clips. Credits run out quickly at high quality, results still need iteration and editing, and the cost per finished minute can be significant. Google Veo and OpenAI Sora are strong general video models, Kling and Hailuo are popular for realistic motion at lower prices, Luma Dream Machine and Pika target quick creative clips, and traditional editors remain necessary for the final cut.
Key features of Runway
- 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
Pros and cons
Pros
- Professional-grade generation quality
- Broad editing toolset
- Consistency controls for storytelling
- Strong industry adoption
Cons
- Credits deplete quickly
- Generation length limits
- Learning curve for best results
- Costly for high volume
Runway pricing
Runway uses a freemium model.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 125 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 |
Source: runway.com · checked on Oct 20, 2026
How Runway compares in AI image & video generation
- Rank by votes
- #1 / 17
- Starting price
- $15
- Free alternatives
- 0
0 votes from members
25% above the category median ($12/mo)
Free or open-source tools in AI image & video generation
Runway ranks #1 of 17 ai image & video generation tools by community votes and is priced above most tools in the category.
Common use cases
- 1Agency creating ad concepts and animatics
- 2Filmmaker generating b-roll and VFX
- 3Social creator producing stylized shorts
- 4Brand team iterating storyboards
Best for
Creative professionals and agencies producing AI-assisted video.
Not ideal for
Simple talking-head videos (HeyGen, Synthesia).
Integrations
- Adobe Premiere (plugin)
- API
- iOS app
- Asset import from cloud drives
Our take
Runway is the creative professional's AI video studio. Budget for the Max plan if you generate daily.
FAQ
- What is Runway?
- Runway is a AI image & video generation tool: AI video generation and editing suite.
- How much does Runway cost?
- Runway uses a Freemium model; paid plans start at $15 per month.
- What are the best alternatives to Runway?
- Community-listed alternatives to Runway include Pika, Luma Dream Machine, Kling AI.
- What does Runway integrate with?
- Runway integrates with Adobe Premiere (plugin), API, iOS app, Asset import from cloud drives and more.
- Which platforms does Runway support?
- Runway is available on web.
- Who is Runway for?
- Creative professionals and agencies producing AI-assisted video.
Alternatives to Runway
AI video generator built on Luma's Ray models, with Luma Agents
Paid · $30CreatorsAgenciesKling AI
▲ 0Kuaishou's AI video generator for text-to-video and image-to-video
Freemium · $9CreatorsAgencies
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