Runway: free is 125 one-time credits with watermarks; paid plans start at USD 12 per month billed yearly
Updated September 25, 2026 · By Elias Brandt · Documentation review, not tested hands-on
Pros
- Lasting free account
- No watermark on paid plans
- Published per-second rate
- Credit carry-over on Max
Cons
- Free credits never renew
- Model availability differs by plan
- Output options add credit cost
- Standard and Pro credits expire monthly
- Publishing rights need checking
Bottom line
125 one-time credits, 5GB storage, watermarked output.
You will generate footage every month and need watermark-free exports, since the free credits never renew once spent.
You need one short clip; the one-time free credits may cover a trial before any recurring charge.
Best forConcept and pitch teamsSocial content teamsEditors in Premiere, After Effects or ResolveStudios delivering to a file spec
Strengths, limits and who it suits, in full
Strengths
- Lasting free account Free is not a timed trial, and its credits stay until they are used.
- No watermark on paid plans Standard and higher remove the watermark that free-generated videos carry.
- Published per-second rate Gen-4.5 lists a credit cost per second, so a shot can be costed before it is generated.
- Credit carry-over on Max Max can carry up to one month of unused credits into the next month.
Limits
- Free credits never renew The 125 free credits are granted once and free users cannot buy more, so more generation means a paid plan.
- Model availability differs by plan The free model selection may change, and some output formats are limited to higher plans.
- Output options add credit cost ProRes or PNG sequence output adds 5 credits per second on the plans that offer it.
- Standard and Pro credits expire monthly Unused monthly allocations on these plans reset at renewal instead of rolling over.
- Publishing rights need checking Commercial use depends on your plan's terms, and recognisable people, trademarks or footage you did not create need extra care.
Who it suits
- Concept and pitch teams consider Standard when pitch clips add up to under a minute of generated footage a month, retakes included.
- Social content teams consider Pro when several variations of a scene should render side by side, since it runs 15 generations at once.
- Editors in Premiere, After Effects or Resolve consider a paid plan when you want generated plates and B-roll placed straight on your timeline through the plugin.
- Studios delivering to a file spec consider Max when a client expects ProRes or image-sequence files, which lower plans do not export.
How much does Runway cost?
Prices confirmed · checked
- $15Standard
- $35Pro
- $95Max
Regional prices: Prices are in USD per month; the lower figure applies when billed annually.
Credits are the unit for generation and optional output formats, and the monthly allocation differs by plan.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | USD 0 sourceFrom runway.com/pricing, checked Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) | 125 one-time credits, 5GB storage, watermarked output. |
| Standard | USD 12 per monthbilled yearly · USD 15 billed monthly sourceFrom runway.com/pricing, checked Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) | 625 credits per month, 20GB storage, no watermarks, 4K upscaling, 5 parallel generations. |
| Pro | USD 28 per monthbilled yearly · USD 35 billed monthly sourceFrom runway.com/pricing, checked Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) | 2,250 credits, 100GB storage, unlimited 4K upscaling, 15 parallel generations. |
| Max | USD 76 per monthbilled yearly · USD 95 billed monthly sourceFrom runway.com/pricing, checked Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) | 9,500 credits, 500GB storage, 20 parallel generations. |
How far does it go?
- Runway Standard in seconds of videoGen-4.5 uses 12 credits per second, so 625 monthly credits cover about 52 seconds of generated video (625 / 12), roughly ten 5-second clips if every take is usable.
- Pro and Max at the same rateAt the same rate, Pro's 2,250 credits cover about 187 seconds (about 37 five-second clips) and Max's 9,500 credits about 790 seconds, roughly 13 minutes.
- With retakesAssuming three takes per usable 5-second shot (3 x 60 = 180 credits), Standard yields about three finished shots a month and Pro about twelve.
Arithmetic from the published allowances above, not a usage test.
Taxes, currency and promotions can change the price you see at checkout.
Try Runway free (opens in a new tab)
Key features
| Feature | What it does | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Video generation | Generate clips from text or image prompts with Gen-4.5 and other models, depending on plan.Gen-4.5 base usage is 12 credits per second for 2–10-second clips. | Model, duration and output options change usage, and every retry spends credits again. |
| Footage editing | Extend and alter footage you already own instead of reshooting it. | — |
| Background removal and cleanup | Remove backgrounds and clean up existing material in the same workspace. | — |
| 4K upscaling | Upscale output to 4K on paid plans; Pro lists unlimited 4K upscaling.Gen-4.5 creates 720p output; upscaling is a separate step after generation. | 4K footage is always an upscale of the generated clip, never a native render. |
| Parallel generations | Run 5 to 20 generations at the same time, depending on plan. | — |
| Project storage | Keep project assets in 5GB to 500GB of storage, depending on plan. | — |
| Speech generation | Turn a script into audio using a compatible text-to-speech model; voice and plan support vary. | — |
| Credit expiry | Standard and Pro monthly credits reset; Max can roll one month forward. | Free credits do not expire but never refill. |
Which Runway plan fits the footage you need each month?
Editorial assessment
Count seconds of finished video, not clips, and multiply by the takes you expect to throw away. At the Gen-4.5 base rate each plan buys a fixed number of generated seconds, and the thresholds below follow from that and from the plan limits.
- FreeUSD 0
is for trying the selected free models once; output is watermarked and the allowance does not come back.
- StandardUSD 12 per month
fits under a minute of generated footage a month, including retakes, where 20GB of storage and 5 parallel generations are enough.
- ProUSD 28 per month
fits roughly one to three minutes a month, or any workload that needs more than 5 generations running at once or more than 20GB of storage.
- MaxUSD 76 per month
is the step for more than about three minutes a month, for ProRes or PNG sequence delivery, or when you want unused credits to carry into the next month.
How should you budget a generated shot?
Gen-4.5 generates clips of 2 to 10 seconds at a base cost of 12 credits per second. A five-second generation therefore uses 60 base credits, and every retake costs the same again; generative video rarely lands on the first attempt. ProRes or PNG sequence output, where the plan supports it, adds 5 credits per second.
Is the output ready to deliver?
Not always on the lower tiers. Free-generated videos carry a Runway watermark, native Gen-4.5 output is 720p with 4K available only as an upscale on paid plans, and ProRes or PNG sequence export is documented for Max, legacy Unlimited and Enterprise rather than Standard or Pro. If a client or editor expects a mezzanine file, that requirement alone points to Max.
Resolution is not the only limit. Usability depends on more than a single good frame. Shot-to-shot consistency, hands and text inside the image, and whether the result survives being cut into a longer edit decide how much of the output reaches the final video.
Runway also runs inside Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 or later through a free plugin for Standard and higher plans, and generations placed on the timeline use the same credits.
What should a first test prompt check?
Proposed evaluation · not performed yet
Use a video model available in your account and select a supported duration before spending credits. On Free, use the models the account actually offers; this task does not assume Gen-4.5 access. Run a deliberately simple shot to inspect consistency.
“A ceramic coffee cup on a wooden table by a window, morning light, static camera, four seconds. Steam rises continuously. Nothing else in the frame moves. No text or logos anywhere in the shot.”
Watch three things: does the cup keep its shape for the whole four seconds, does the “static camera” instruction hold, and did text appear despite the instruction not to. Note how many attempts it took, then use that retake count in the credit arithmetic above.
Can Runway generate a voice track for a shot?
Runway supports text-to-speech through compatible audio models in Tool mode, and speech generation is also available through Agent and Workflows. A custom voice requires Pro or higher and a model that supports it. These are audio-generation features; for a recording edited by changing its transcript, compare Descript.
For a dedicated narration workflow, see ElevenLabs; for the wider production choices, browse video tools. Our editorial policy describes how product facts are checked.
Compare these options
Read the documented differences, then follow the links to each profile for its sources and plan details.
Is Runway worth it?
Documentation review plus dated public user reports. Documentation review, not tested hands-on. Not scored.
Worth it if
- You will generate footage every month and need watermark-free exports, since the free credits never renew once spent.
- You can estimate seconds per shot, retakes included, and that monthly total fits within a single tier's credit allowance.
- Client deliverables need ProRes or image-sequence files, or several variations must render in parallel on a deadline.
Probably not if
- You need one short clip; the one-time free credits may cover a trial before any recurring charge.
- Your usage is irregular, because Standard and Pro allowances reset at renewal instead of carrying into slow months.
- You expect unlimited relaxed generation; Runway is retiring that option and its current plans meter work in credits.
What users report
- A creator describes using Aleph on live-action footage of an actress for a sci-fi short and was surprised by how it responded to changes in motion, framing and lighting. Reddit r/runwayml,
- A long-time subscriber reports 20 to 60 minute queues for short Seedance clips; replies say queues vary by model, with Kling jobs finishing much faster. Reddit r/runwayml,
- After the Unlimited plan was announced for retirement, several subscribers who chose Runway for unlimited relaxed generation say they would accept longer queues to keep it, and some plan to leave. Reddit r/runwayml,
- A run of reviews posted in mid-September 2026 describes credits spent on clips that ignored prompts or were unusable, with refund requests declined. Trustpilot,
Summaries of individual public posts; they describe those users' experience, not a measured result.
Known issues from the provider
- Runway is phasing out the Unlimited plan and its Explore Mode; eligible legacy Unlimited subscriptions stay unchanged through November 30, 2026, then move to Max or can be cancelled. Runway Help Center,
Runway alternatives
Other video & editing tools checked with the same method. Pick by the job, not by a score.
Podcasts and talking-head video
Local image-to-video on an NVIDIA RTX GPU
Avatar-presented videos and lip-synced video translation
Storyboarding and producing short AI videos from a script
Publishers, marketers and faceless-channel creators who turn existing articles or product pages into vertical, square or wide videos, one at a time or through automation
Turning a finished track into a vertical or widescreen music video
People who want to try text-to-video in a browser, or run the open-source Mochi 1 model themselves
Creators and small teams who want one agent workspace for video, image and voice, or developers who want pay-as-you-go media models
Used Runway? Write the first review. Visitor opinions are moderated and kept separate from our source checks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Runway cost to use?
Runway costs $0 on Free and from $12 a month on Standard billed yearly ($15 billed monthly). Pro is $28 yearly ($35 monthly) and Max is $76 yearly ($95 monthly). Monthly credits rise with the plan: 625 on Standard, 2,250 on Pro and 9,500 on Max, while Free gives 125 credits once.
Is Runway free or paid?
Both. Runway has a lasting Free plan with 125 one-time credits and watermarked videos, plus paid plans from Standard at $12 a month billed yearly ($15 monthly). Paid plans generate without a watermark and add monthly credits, so Free works for trying the tool and paid plans suit ongoing video work.
How much does Runway cost per second of video?
Gen-4.5 uses 12 credits per second of video, so the price per second depends on the plan. On monthly billing, Standard ($15 for 625 credits) works out to about 29 cents a second, Pro ($35 for 2,250) to about 19 cents and Max ($95 for 9,500) to about 12 cents, before retakes. ProRes or PNG output adds 5 credits a second.
Is Runway Free a trial or a lasting account?
It is a lasting account, not a timed trial. The 125 credits do not expire, but they never renew and free users cannot buy more, so the allowance is spent once. The free model selection may change, and every video generated on Free carries a Runway watermark.
Do unused Runway credits carry over?
A delivery schedule can waste a subscription allowance even when the annual workload looks small. Put each planned shoot and revision in its actual billing month, then compare that month with the expiry terms in the plan cards. For intermittent projects, also check whether a shorter subscription avoids paying through inactive months.
How many generations can run at once?
Parallel generations rise with the plan: 5 on Standard, 15 on Pro and 20 on Max. Storage follows the same ladder, from 5GB on Free and 20GB on Standard to 100GB on Pro and 500GB on Max, which matters once source footage and upscaled exports pile up.
What is the difference between Standard and Pro?
Pro costs $28 a month billed annually ($35 monthly) against $12 for Standard, and raises monthly credits to 2,250, about 3.6 times Standard's allowance. It also lists unlimited 4K upscaling. Max, at $76 annually or $95 monthly with 9,500 credits, is the tier that adds Gen-4.5 ProRes and PNG output.
Is Gen-4.5 output 4K?
Treat delivery resolution and captured detail as separate acceptance checks. Inspect fine lettering, faces and edges in the final exported file at full size, then ask the recipient whether upscaled footage meets the brief. A larger frame cannot repair an incorrect object or a continuity error already present in the generated shot.
Can I generate Runway video from Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes, through Runway MCP, which the pricing page lists on Pro and Max. Claude, Cursor and Replit connect to it as a custom connector, and ChatGPT through a Runway plugin. Generations draw on the same credit balance as the web app, and Explore Mode is not available over this connection, so every MCP request is billed.
Sources and method9 official sources · 20 details checked · Sep 22–25, 2026
How we checked this profile
20 details on this page were checked against Runway's own pages and help documentation (Sep 22–25, 2026).
See the checks by section18 documented2 editorial assessment
| Section | Checks | Last checked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans and prices | 5 documented 1 editorial | help.runwayml.com/50404627334547-Free-plan-d…runway.com/pricinghelp.runwayml.com/46974685288467-Creating-wi… | |
| Strengths and limits | 3 documented | help.runwayml.com/50404627334547-Free-plan-d…help.runwayml.com/46974685288467-Creating-wi… | |
| Questions | 4 documented | runway.com/pricinghelp.runwayml.com/51931843164691-Connecting-… | |
| Features | 1 documented | help.runwayml.com/46974685288467-Creating-wi… | |
| Platforms and integrations | 1 documented | help.runwayml.com/55121421123987-Using-Runwa… | |
| Article text | 3 documented | help.runwayml.com/55546439725715-Using-the-R…help.runwayml.com/55121465037075-Using-Runwa…help.runwayml.com/46974685288467-Creating-wi… | |
| Who it suits | 1 editorial | runway.com/pricing | |
| Other details | 1 documented | help.runwayml.com/23859696734611-Generating-… |
5 details are due for another source check.
Sources for this profile
- Runway pricingrunway.com
- Runway official siterunway.com
- Runway Free plan detailshelp.runwayml.com
- Creating with Gen-4.5help.runwayml.com
All 9 sources
Runway's pricing page, free-plan article and Gen-4.5 guide. Base generation resolution differs from upscaled output, and credit use depends on the selected model, duration and output format.
Sources checked Sep 22–25, 2026. Found something out of date? Our editorial policy explains how we correct profiles.
