The Runway Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Runway in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Runway

The Insider’s Guide

AI video, image and audio studio with its own Gen-4.5 model

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from Runway’s own pages.

Made by Runway AI, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.6GPA

01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Runway’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Runway’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.6

GPA, above 12 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade

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.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Runway, taken from its own pages and our grades.

The app itself is friendly, but working out what a month of credits buys takes some sums.

From our grade for ease of use

1
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.
2
Paid plans start at $12 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
3
You can try it first
Free plan with 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage
4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
A 2.6 GPA, above 12 of 21
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
9
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.

Runway at a glance

Pricing: Free trial, from $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Free plan: No
Free trial: Free plan with 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage
Runs on: Web, iOS, Android
Made by: Runway AI, Inc.
Category: AI Image & Video Generators
Our grade: 2.6 GPA, good
Store rating: 4.5 on the App Store, 17,732 ratings

The report card

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.

ToolGPA report cardRunwayGraded Oct 17, 2026

Subject	Grade	Comment
Value for money	C	Standard 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	C	125 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	B	Its 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	B	4.5 from about 17,700 App Store ratings. The app itself is friendly, but working out what a month of credits buys takes some sums.
Platforms and integrations	B	Web, 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.

Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.6

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

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 it 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

Good to know

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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$12

A month to start

Runway is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $12 per month for 625 credits, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).

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.
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited members and workspaces, SSO, roles and permissions, legal indemnification and dedicated onboarding.

Trying it first

Free plan with 125 one-time credits that do not refill, a selection of models and 5GB of storage

Read from runway.com on Oct 17, 2026.

Ways to pay less

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.
Stated on runway.com
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.
Stated on runway.com
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.
Stated on runway.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android

AI video, image and audio studio with its own Gen-4.5 model. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, video editing, AI agents, image generation, video generation.

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.

Where it runs

Web
iOS
Android

What it works with

Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe After Effects
DaVinci Resolve
ChatGPT
Claude
Figma
Dropbox
Notion

Runway is made by Runway AI, Inc.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

12/21

Other AI image and video generators it is graded above

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 money
Above 2 of 21
CFree plan and trial
Above 3 of 21
BFeatures
Above 6 of 21
BEase of use
Above 14 of 21
BPlatforms and integrations
Above 6 of 21

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 17 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Runway is the marked dot.

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

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.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Luma, Pika, Higgsfield, Hailuo AI and Adobe Firefly

The 5 tools Runway is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

2.0GPA
Luma
Free trial · from $25/mo
Creative agents for video and images, built on Luma's Ray models.
- Only Runway lists iOS and Android apps.
Runway and Luma compared in full
2.6GPA
Pika
From $8/mo
Video, image and sound apps built on Pika and partner models.
- Only Runway lists an Android app.
- Runway also covers AI agents.
Runway and Pika compared in full
2.4GPA
Higgsfield
Free plan
AI video and image suite with its own studios and many models.
- Higgsfield has a free plan. Runway does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Runway lists iOS and Android apps.
- Runway also covers video editing.
Runway and Higgsfield compared in full
2.2GPA
Hailuo AI
Free trial
MiniMax's video and image generator, running its H3 model.
- Only Runway lists an iOS app.
- Runway also covers video editing and AI agents.
- Hailuo AI also covers templates.
Runway and Hailuo AI compared in full
3.0GPA
Adobe Firefly
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Adobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models.
- Adobe Firefly has a free plan. Runway does not, though it has a free trial.
- Runway also covers AI agents.
Runway and Adobe Firefly compared in full

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Runway’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. 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.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Runway AI, Inc. Prices change, so check runway.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,880

Tools graded, in 47 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Runway: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/runway

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The best-graded AI image and video generators after Runway, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

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Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Runway’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Runway is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Runway AI, Inc. Prices and plans change: check runway.com before you buy.