What is Runway?
Runway, a creative platform from Runway AI, Inc., generates video, images and audio using credits. Its Gen-4.5 model makes clips of 2 to 10 seconds from text or a starting image, and Aleph 2.0 edits existing footage. A chat-based Agent and reusable Workflows help string these steps together.
Who Should Use Runway
Founders and marketing leads who need short product, ad or social clips without a production crew. Teams of 2 to 9 people can share one credit pool on the Team plan. Anyone who wants a fixed cost with no usage meter should skip it, since every generation spends credits.
How Does Runway Work?
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Create an account in the web app, which starts on the Free plan with 125 credits.
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Pick a model such as Gen-4.5, then enter a text prompt or upload a starting image.
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Choose a clip length of 2 to 10 seconds and generate; Gen-4.5 spends 12 credits per second.
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Edit existing footage with Aleph 2.0 in Edit Studio, or assemble clips in Studio.
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When credits run out, upgrade or buy more; paid plans can purchase credits in packs of at least 1,000.
Pricing and Plans Paragraph
Runway sells credit-based plans: Free (0,125one-timecredits),Standard(15 monthly or 12billedyearly,625creditspermonth),Pro(35 or 28,2,250credits)andMax(95 or $76, 9,500 credits). Team costs 69perseatpermonth(55 billed yearly) for 2 to 9 seats, and Enterprise is custom. Free videos carry a watermark. Confirm current pricing on the official pricing page.
Pricing Table
| Plan | Price | Billing | What is Included or Limited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Free forever | 125 one-time credits, 5GB storage, watermark on videos, 3 video editor projects |
| Standard | $15/month or $12/month billed yearly | Monthly or yearly | 625 credits/month, up to 3 projects, no watermarks, 20GB storage |
| Pro | $35/month or $28/month billed yearly | Monthly or yearly | 2,250 credits/month, up to 5 projects, unlimited 4K video upscaling, 100GB storage |
| Max | $95/month or $76/month billed yearly | Monthly or yearly | 9,500 credits/month with 1-month rollover, up to 10 projects, 500GB storage |
| Team | $69/seat/month or $55/seat/month billed yearly | Per seat, monthly or yearly | 6,900 credits/seat/month (pooled), 2–9 seats, 1TB shared storage |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing (contact sales) | Not stated | No seat cap, SSO, enterprise analytics, priority support |
FREE PLAN
Yes. 125 one-time credits that do not renew, watermark on all videos, 5GB storage, 3 video editor projects, and no credit purchases until you move to Standard or above.
Key Features
Gen-4.5 video generation Creates 2 to 10 second clips from a text prompt or an image; requires Standard or higher and costs 12 credits per second.
Aleph 2.0 and Edit Studio Edits footage you already have: you supply a frame showing the change, and the edit is applied across the rest of the video.
Runway Agent A chat-based assistant that analyzes a product, image, campaign or idea and creates content from it.
Workflows and Apps Pre-built Apps cover set tasks, and Workflows build reusable multi-step pipelines that Agent can also assemble from a chat.
Audio generation Text to speech is included on Free; Standard and above add music, voice and sound effects generation.
Third-party models Paid individual plans list access to all video and image models, including partner models such as Kling 4.0 and Nano Banana Pro.
Conclusion
Before subscribing, compare the monthly credit amounts against the credit cost of the model you plan to use, since Gen-4.5 spends 60 credits on a 5 second clip. Also check project caps, storage, rollover (Max and Team only) and whether you need more than 9 seats. This overview is based on publicly available product information and is not a hands-on review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free plan is available with 125 credits and no time limit
- Standard and higher plans generate without a Runway watermark
- Paid individual plans list access to all AI video and image models
- Runway states users keep ownership of what they generate and face no non-commercial restrictions from Runway
Cons
- Free credits are one-time and videos carry a watermark
- Standard and Pro monthly credits expire on the billing date
- Web app credits and API credits are separate balances
- Standard allows up to 3 projects
Popular RunwayML use cases
Product and ad clips from still images
Gen-4.5 can animate a starting image into a 2 to 10 second clip, which suits short product or social videos.
Revising footage without a reshoot
Aleph 2.0 in Edit Studio applies a changed frame across an existing video, which helps when a clip needs one adjustment.
Campaign production from a chat
Runway Agent takes a product or idea and produces content, and the plans list Runway Ads for generating and testing ads.
Shared production for a small team
The Team plan pools 6,900 credits per seat in one workspace with commenting and shared Brand Kits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Runway free?
The Free plan costs $0 and includes 125 one-time credits, so it works as a trial rather than an ongoing allowance. Regular use needs a paid plan, starting at $12 per month billed annually or $15 billed monthly. Videos made on Free carry a Runway watermark, and Standard or above removes it.
What can I do on the Runway free plan?
Free lists Gen-4 Turbo for image to video, Gen-4 for text to image, Gemini image models, text to speech, some image and audio apps, and 3 video editor projects. Gen-4.5 needs Standard or higher. The credits do not renew once spent, and Free users cannot buy more credits until they upgrade.
How do Runway credits work and do they expire?
Every generation spends credits at a model-specific rate; Gen-4.5 uses 12 credits per second, so a 5 second clip costs 60. Standard and Pro monthly credits expire on your billing date. Max and Team can roll over up to one month of unused credits. Purchased credits never expire, with a 1,000 credit minimum.
What is the difference between Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0?
Gen-4.5 creates new clips of 2 to 10 seconds from text or an image and needs Standard or higher. Aleph 2.0 edits existing footage: you give it a frame with the change you want and it applies the edit across the rest of the video. The pricing page lists 60 credits per 5 seconds for Gen-4.5 and 140 for Aleph 2.0.
How does the Runway Team plan differ from the individual plans?
Team costs 69perseatpermonth(55 billed yearly) for 2 to 9 seats. Each seat adds 6,900 credits to one shared pool, and the workspace has 1TB of storage, commenting and shared agent skills. Standard, Pro and Max are individual plans with 625, 2,250 and 9,500 monthly credits. Teams above 9 seats need Enterprise.
