Google Flow vs Runway (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Runway: it is third in our ranking of AI image and video generators, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Runway grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Runway
AI video, image and audio studio with its own Gen-4.5 model
Which one is for you
Pick Google Flow if
- Fits if you already pay for Google AI Pro or Ultra and want video and images
- Works for people who live in a Google account
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to buy Flow on its own, as it is not sold that way
- Tight if you need to know your generation limits, as none were stated
- Watch out: Ultra and some features vary by country
- Watch out: no dollar price was readable on the plans page we read
Pick Runway if
- Fits if you want to change real footage by describing the edit
- Works for small teams of 2 to 9 sharing one credit pool
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you make a lot of video on Standard, whose 625 credits are about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5
- Not for you if you want a free plan to keep using, as the 125 credits never refill
- Pricey if you want unused credits to carry over, which only Max does, at $76 a month yearly
- Watch out: extra credits come in packs of at least 1,000, and top-ups need Pro at $28
- Not for you if your team is over 9 people, as Team stops at 9 seats and bigger groups go to Enterprise sales
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAGoogle FlowWeak | 2.6GPARunwayGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo standalone price: Flow comes with Google AI Pro or Ultra, and the plans page showed another currency, so no dollar figure was read. | CStandard is $12 a month on yearly billing ($15 monthly) for 625 credits, about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 or 78 Gen-4 images. Against its listed video rivals, Pika at $8, Firefly at $9.99 and Luma at $25, that's the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial is listed. Use comes through a paid Google AI plan. | C125 credits once, which never refill, with a selection of models and 5GB of storage. At 12 credits a second that's about 10 seconds of Gen-4.5, then you pay. |
| Features | CVideo, image and tool creation, with Flow Music alongside. How many generations each plan allows was not stated, and some features vary by country. | BIts own Gen-4.5 next to Kling, Seedance and Nano Banana, Aleph 2.0 for editing real footage by describing the change, an agent that builds whole videos, music, effects and voice clones, plus plugins. The whole video job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It opens with a Google account you may already have, with nothing to set up. | B4.5 from about 17,700 App Store ratings. Working out what a month of credits buys takes some sums. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, signed in with a Google account. No desktop or phone app is listed, and availability varies by country. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plugins for Premiere Pro, After Effects and Resolve, links to ChatGPT, Claude, Figma, Dropbox and Notion, and a developer API. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | AI video and images inside Google AI plans | making and editing AI video |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Google Flow and Runway. How we grade
Where they differ
- Runway also covers video editing and AI agents.
At a glance
| Google Flow | Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free plan with 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Runway AI, Inc. | |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | runway.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Google Flow
- Not sold on its own: use of Flow comes through Google AI Pro or Ultra, and US dollar prices were not readable (the plans page showed another currency).
- How many generations each plan allows was not stated on the pages read.
- Availability of Ultra and some features varies by country.
Runway
- Credits run out fast on video: Gen-4.5 costs 12 credits a second, so Standard's 625 credits make under a minute of it.
- Standard and Pro credits reset each month with no rollover; extra credits are sold in packs of at least 1,000 and never expire.
- The Team plan needs at least 2 seats and stops at 9; larger groups are sent to Enterprise sales.
- The free plan's 125 credits are a one-time grant and are not refilled.
Key features
Google Flow
- Video, image and tool creation
- The page title describes Flow as an AI creative studio for video, images and custom tools.
- Included with Google AI plans
- Google AI Pro lists expanded access to image, music and video generation in Flow; Ultra lists higher access.
- Google Flow Music
- The plans page also lists a related Google Flow Music product.
- Shared Google account
- Sign-in is with a Google account.
Runway
- Gen-4.5 and partner models
- Runway's own Gen-4.5 video and Gen-4 image models sit beside Kling, Seedance, Wan, FLUX and Nano Banana, each with its own credit price.
- Aleph 2.0 video editing
- Change a shot's lighting, restyle it, or add and remove elements by describing the change; edit one frame and carry it through the clip.
- Runway Agent
- An agent on every paid plan that plans and generates a whole video from a conversation, with shared agent skills on the Team plan.
- Audio and voice
- Music, sound effects and text-to-speech from models such as Lyria 3 and Eleven v4, plus custom voice clones on Pro and Max.
- Plugins and MCP
- Generate and extend footage inside Premiere Pro, After Effects and Resolve, or call Runway from ChatGPT, Claude and other MCP agents.
- Developer API
- Runway Dev sells the same models to developers at $0.01 a credit, with a model router that picks a model per request.
Plans
Google Flow
Pricing could not be confirmed. See flow.google.com.
Runway
Free$0
125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage.
Standard$12
per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Enough for about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 video or 78 Gen-4 images at 1080p; all models, no watermarks, 3 projects.
Pro$28
per month for 2,250 credits, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
About 187 seconds of Gen-4.5 or 281 Gen-4 images; credit top-ups, a Brand Kit, a voice clone and the Runway MCP.
Max$76
per month for 9,500 credits, billed annually ($95 billed monthly)
About 791 seconds of Gen-4.5; one month of unused credits rolls over, early model access, and HDR and ProRes output.
Team$55
per seat / month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
Everything in Max, with 6,900 credits per seat in a shared pool, shared projects and frame-accurate comments. For 2 to 9 seats.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited members and workspaces, SSO, roles and permissions, legal indemnification and dedicated onboarding.
Ways to pay less
Google Flow
No public discounts listed.
Runway
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
The pricing page marks yearly billing as 20% off: Standard falls from $15 to $12 a month, Pro from $35 to $28 and Max from $95 to $76.
- Education
25% off for students and educators
Students and educators who verify their status through SheerID get 25% off any paid plan; classes of 3 or more licenses can ask for up to 25% off.
- Other savings
Bonus credits for new Enterprise customers until Oct 31, 2026
New Enterprise customers signing by October 31, 2026 get bonus credits matching what they use in the first 60 days. A minimum spend applies.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Google Flow or Runway?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Google Flow has no price we could confirm, and Runway starts at $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Google Flow or Runway?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Google Flow nor Runway has a free plan. Runway has a free trial.
Which platforms do Google Flow and Runway run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Runway lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.