Runway
AI video, image and audio studio with its own Gen-4.5 model
Runway report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for making and editing AI video
Runway is a full AI video studio: its own Gen-4.5 model, partner models, Aleph for reworking real footage by description, and an agent that can build a whole video. Standard is $12 a month on yearly billing. That buys under a minute of Gen-4.5, though, so anyone making much video ends up on Pro or Max.
Who Runway is for
- Great if you want to change real footage just by describing the edit
- Handy when you want several leading video models under one subscription
- Good for small teams of 2 to 9 sharing one credit pool and brand kits
Who Runway is not for
- Tight if you make a lot of video on Standard, which is under a minute 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
Why Runway gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyStandard 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.
- CFree plan and trial125 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.
- BFeaturesIts 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.
- BEase of use4.5 from about 17,700 App Store ratings. The app itself is friendly, but working out what a month of credits buys takes some sums.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Runway's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/runway#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/runway.svg" alt="Runway: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Runway stands among AI image and video generators
Runway's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 14 of 21) and worst on value for money (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 7 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Runway’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 21, level with 12
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 21, level with 15
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 21, level with 13
- BEase of useAbove 14 of 21, level with 2
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 21, level with 15
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 17 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Runway, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Runway you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $144 a year.
What you could not
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A video editor.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects and DaVinci Resolve among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Runway’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Runway?
Runway is a browser and mobile app for generating and editing video, images and audio, using its own Gen-4.5 and Aleph models alongside others such as Kling, Seedance and Nano Banana. Aleph edits existing footage from a written instruction, and an agent can build a whole video through conversation. Every generation costs credits from a monthly allowance; a separate developer API sells the same models per credit.
Runway is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- Video makers who want to edit real footage by describing the change
- Creators who want several leading video models under one subscription
- Small creative teams sharing one credit pool and brand kits
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Runway pricing
- Starts at
- $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- Free plan with 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage. |
| Standard | $12per 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 | $28per 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 | $76per 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 | $55per 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. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited members and workspaces, SSO, roles and permissions, legal indemnification and dedicated onboarding. |
Read from runway.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Runway before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave 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.
Stated on runway.com - Education25% 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.
Stated on runway.com - Other savingsBonus 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.
Stated on runway.com
How people rate the Runway app
4.5
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
17,732 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
Runway alternatives
- Runway vs Luma
Free trial · from $25/mo
- Runway vs Pika
From $8/mo
- Runway vs Higgsfield
Free plan
- Runway vs Hailuo AI
Free trial
- Runway vs Adobe Firefly
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Common questions
Is Runway free?
No, Runway is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free plan with 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage.
How much does Runway cost?
Runway lists 6 plans. Free: $0. Standard: $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly). Pro: $28 per month for 2,250 credits, billed annually ($35 billed monthly). Max: $76 per month for 9,500 credits, billed annually ($95 billed monthly). Team: $55 per seat / month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly). Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from runway.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does Runway work on?
Runway is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Runway offer any discounts?
Runway publicly lists the following: Save 20% with yearly billing; 25% off for students and educators; Bonus credits for new Enterprise customers until Oct 31, 2026.
How is Runway rated?
Runway's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17,732 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Runway have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Runway is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Runway have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Runway is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Runway open source?
Runway is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Runway have an API?
Yes. Runway offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Runway integrate with?
Runway's listing names Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, ChatGPT, Claude, Figma, Dropbox and Notion. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Runway have a student discount?
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.
Who makes Runway?
Runway is made by Runway AI, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Runway?
The closest alternatives to Runway in our directory are Luma, Pika, Higgsfield, Hailuo AI and Adobe Firefly. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Runway.
How does Runway compare with other AI image and video generators?
Runway's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 12 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 2. It stands best on ease of use (B, above 14 of 21) and worst on value for money (C, above 2).
Is Runway good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Runway C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 7 of the 16 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Runway?
To replace Runway you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. It costs $144 a year. What you could not make: A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. A video editor. An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.