Runway (formerly Runway ML) is a New York AI video platform that generates, edits and assembles video from text, images and existing footage. As of September 2026 it combines its own Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0 models with partner models, an AI agent and editing tools. It suits filmmakers, agencies and marketers who need control, but credits run out quickly on the cheaper plans.
Last updated: September 2026
What is Runway?
Runway is made by Runway AI, a company founded in 2018 by Cristóbal Valenzuela, Alejandro Matamala and Anastasis Germanidis and based in New York. In February 2026 it raised a $315 million Series E at a $5.3 billion valuation, led by General Atlantic, with Nvidia, Fidelity, AMD Ventures and Adobe Ventures among the investors, according to TechCrunch.
The consumer product, which Runway calls Runway Creative, is a web app with iOS and Android apps. Its own flagship video model is Gen-4.5, released on 1 December 2025. Its editing model is Aleph 2.0, released on 21 May 2026 as the successor to the original Aleph from July 2025. Act-Two handles performance capture.
Runway is also a multi-model studio now. Its pricing page lists partner models alongside its own, including Kling AI‘s Kling 3.0, ByteDance’s Seedance 2.5 and Google’s Nano Banana Pro, plus audio models Lyria 3 and Seed Audio 1.0. Beyond creative tools, Runway runs a research program on “general world models”: GWM-1, announced in December 2025, is built on Gen-4.5 and powers Runway Characters, its real-time conversational avatars.
Key features of Runway
Gen-4.5 video generation
Gen-4.5 turns a text prompt or an image into video. Runway’s help center lists durations of 2 to 10 seconds, 720p output (1280×720 for 16:9), 24 or 25 fps, and six aspect ratios for image-to-video, including 9:16 and 21:9. It costs 12 credits per second, and both text-to-video and image-to-video need Standard or higher.
At launch, Runway said Gen-4.5 ranked first on the Artificial Analysis text-to-video leaderboard. It also named three known weaknesses: effects can come before causes, objects can appear or vanish, and actions succeed more often than they should.
Aleph 2.0 and Edit Studio
Aleph is Runway’s model for editing existing video. The first version could add, remove and transform objects, generate new camera angles, and change style and lighting. Aleph 2.0 adds frame-level control: you edit one frame, preview the change, and the model carries it across the clip.
- Clips up to 30 seconds at 1080p
- Edits applied across multiple shots at once
- Typical jobs: swapping products, changing backgrounds, seasonal versions, relighting, removing distractions
- Available on all paid plans in Edit Studio on desktop web, at 140 credits per 5 seconds
Runway Agent
Launched on 13 May 2026, Runway Agent takes a brief in a chat and returns a finished video. It proposes a concept, story beats and visual direction, then builds multi-scene video with voiceover, dialogue and music. Since then, Runway has added a timeline editor, PDF brief uploads (up to 10 MB), reusable Skills, Brand Kits and Workflow building from a plain-language description.
References and Act-Two for consistency
Gen-4 Image References lets you combine up to three reference images, for a character, product or style, in one image generation. You can save references by name and call them with @ in the prompt. For performances, Act-Two animates a character image or video from a driving video of a real actor. It runs up to 30 seconds at 5 credits per second on Standard and above.
Workflows
Workflows are node-based pipelines for repeatable jobs. You chain input nodes, media-model nodes, LLM nodes (for example Claude or Gemini writing prompts) and utility nodes such as stitching clips or extracting frames. Model and LLM nodes consume credits. Compositing nodes arrived in August 2026.
Audio, lip sync and custom voices
Runway generates music, voice and sound effects on paid plans. Its Add Dialogue app lip-syncs a face in a photo or video to an audio track. Pro includes one custom voice clone and Max includes three, for use in lip sync and text to speech.
Upscaling, HDR and finishing
Standard includes 4K upscaling, and Pro and Max include unlimited 4K upscaling. Max adds studio-grade outputs: HDR, ProRes and image sequences. Ruby, a model added in August 2026 and available on Max and higher according to Runway's help center, converts SDR footage to HDR. It exports ProRes files and 16-bit EXR sequences, and VP Land reports it handles clips up to 30 seconds.
Integrations, API and Media Router
In September 2026 Runway added plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects and for DaVinci Resolve on paid plans. Runway MCP lets AI assistants such as Cursor and Grok call Runway tools. For developers, Runway Dev (launched July 2026) offers one API for Runway and third-party models. Its Media Router, launched on 23 July 2026, chooses a model per request based on cost, quality and latency, with per-generation price caps and provider allow-lists. TechCrunch reported that Adobe, Cloudflare, ElevenLabs, Expedia, Shutterstock and Quora use Runway Dev in their own products.
Benefits of using Runway
- Generation and editing in one place: create shots with Gen-4.5, fix them with Aleph 2.0, then trim and stitch in Studio.
- Many models, one bill: paid plans cover Runway’s models plus partner models such as Kling 3.0 and Nano Banana Pro, with Seedance 2.5 added from Pro up.
- Consistency tools: saved References, Brand Kits and Act-Two help keep characters and products on-model.
- Fits real post-production: ProRes export, HDR, and plugins for Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve.
Runway use cases by role
- Filmmakers and editors: previsualization, B-roll, reshoots with Aleph 2.0, and HDR finishing with Ruby.
- Marketers and agencies: product-swap and seasonal ad variants, localized versions, and Agent Skills for ad campaigns.
- Social and content creators: vertical 9:16 clips, lip-synced dialogue and music from one app.
- Developers and product teams: video, image and audio generation in their own apps through Runway Dev and the Media Router.
- Creative teams: shared projects, pooled credits and in-app comments on the Team plan.
How much does Runway cost?
The table shows Runway’s plans as of September 2026, from its pricing page, help center and Team plan announcement. Prices are in USD; annual billing saves 20%.
| Plan | Price | Credits | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 125 one-time (never expire) | A selection of models to test; no credit top-ups |
| Standard | $15/month or $12/month billed annually | 625/month | All video and image models, no watermarks, 4K upscaling, audio tools, 5 parallel generations, up to 3 projects, credit top-ups |
| Pro | $35/month or $28/month billed annually | 2,250/month | 15 parallel generations, 1 Brand Kit, 1 custom voice clone, unlimited 4K upscaling, Runway MCP, credit top-ups |
| Max | $95/month or $76/month billed annually | 9,500/month, up to one month rollover | Early access to new models, 20 parallel generations, 3 Brand Kits, 3 voice clones, HDR and ProRes outputs |
| Team | $69/seat/month or $55/seat/month billed annually | 6,900 per seat, pooled, with rollover | 2 to 9 seats, up to 100 shared projects, 1 TB storage, comments, shared agent skills, Figma, Dropbox and Notion connectors |
| Enterprise | Not published | Custom | SSO, third-party model controls, multiple workspaces, advanced admin, more than 9 seats |
Standard and Pro credits reset each billing cycle. Purchased credits (minimum 1,000) never expire.
What do Runway credits buy?
Credit costs vary by model. Runway lists Gen-4.5 at 12 credits per second, Aleph 2.0 at 140 credits per 5 seconds, Act-Two at 5 credits per second, Gen-4 Image at 8 credits per 1080p image and Gen-4 Image Turbo at 2 credits. On those figures, Standard’s 625 monthly credits cover roughly 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 video or about 22 seconds of Aleph 2.0 edits. The API is billed separately at $0.01 per credit, so Gen-4.5 costs $0.12 per second there.
Runway pros and cons
Pros
- Strong editing model (Aleph 2.0) for changing footage you already shot
- Own models plus partner models on every paid plan
- Professional finishing: 4K upscaling, HDR, ProRes and NLE plugins
- Commercial use allowed without credit to Runway
- Mature developer platform with a model router and per-task cost reporting
Cons
- Credits go fast: Standard buys under a minute of Gen-4.5 video per month
- Free credits are a one-time allowance, and the Free plan cannot top up
- Gen-4.5 is documented at 720p and 10 seconds per clip
- Many headline features (Ruby, HDR, rollover) sit on Max at $95 per month
- App and API credits are separate pools
Training data caveat
In July 2024, 404 Media reported, via a leaked internal spreadsheet, that Runway had scraped thousands of YouTube videos, including from major studios’ channels, and pirated films to train Gen-3. Engadget said Runway did not respond to requests for comment. Teams with strict IP policies should weigh this.
How to use Runway
- Go to runway.com, or install the iOS or Android app, and create a free account to get your 125 credits.
- For a finished piece, open Runway Agent, describe the video, and upload reference images or a PDF brief.
- For single shots, choose a model such as Gen-4.5, write a prompt or add a starting image, and pick duration and aspect ratio.
- Save recurring characters or products as References and call them with @ in later prompts.
- To change existing footage, open Edit Studio, edit a frame with Aleph 2.0, preview it, then apply it to the clip.
- Assemble clips in Studio or the Agent timeline, add audio or lip sync, and upscale to 4K.
- Export, or send clips to Premiere Pro, After Effects or DaVinci Resolve with Runway’s plugins.
Runway alternatives
- Google Flow: pick it if you want Google’s Veo 3.1 and Gemini Omni Flash models with a built-in agent, especially if you already pay for a Google AI plan.
- Kling AI: pick it for Kling 3.0 directly, with multi-shot storytelling, native speech in several languages and clips up to 15 seconds.
- Luma AI: pick it for Ray3.2 with HDR and EXR output. Plans start at $30 per month ($25 billed annually), and no free tier is listed.
- Adobe Firefly: pick it if commercial safety matters most. Adobe says its Firefly Video Model is trained on licensed and public-domain content, and Firefly also offers Runway Gen-4.5.
- Pika: pick it for cheap social clips across many models from $10 per month. A commercial license starts on its $35 Creator plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Runway free?
Yes, with limits. The Free plan gives a one-time deposit of 125 credits that does not expire, plus access to a selection of models. It is enough to test a few short clips, not to produce regularly. Free users cannot buy extra credits, and Gen-4.5 requires Standard or higher. Videos made on the Free plan carry a Runway watermark; watermark-free exports start with Standard.
How much does Runway cost?
As of September 2026, Runway's individual plans are Standard at $15 per month ($12 billed annually) with 625 credits, Pro at $35 ($28 annually) with 2,250 credits and Max at $95 ($76 annually) with 9,500 credits. The Team plan costs $69 per seat per month ($55 annually) for 2 to 9 seats. Enterprise pricing is not published.
Is Runway ML the same as Runway?
Yes. Runway ML is the older name many people still use, from the runwayml.com address and the @runwayml social handle. The company now uses the brand Runway, and runwayml.com redirects to runway.com. Some addresses, such as the help center and the developer docs, still use runwayml.com. The product, the account and the credits are the same whichever address you use.
Can I use Runway videos commercially?
Runway's help center says the content you create is yours to use without non-commercial restrictions from Runway, that you keep ownership of your uploads and generations, and that you do not have to credit Runway. It lists YouTube uploads, social posts, film festival entries and product advertising as examples. Check the full terms of use for client or high-risk work.
What is the difference between Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0?
Gen-4.5 generates new video from a text prompt or an image, in clips of 2 to 10 seconds. Aleph 2.0 edits video you already have: you change one frame, preview it, and the model carries the edit across a clip of up to 30 seconds at 1080p. Aleph 2.0 also costs more, at 28 credits per second against 12 for Gen-4.5.
Does Runway have an API?
Yes. Runway Dev, launched in July 2026, is the developer platform. It offers Gen-4.5, Aleph 2.0, Act-Two and third-party models through one API, plus the Media Router, which chooses a model automatically based on your cost, quality and latency preferences. API credits cost $0.01 each and are separate from app subscription credits.
Verdict
Runway is one of the most complete AI video platforms in September 2026. Gen-4.5 creates shots, Aleph 2.0 edits real footage, Agent assembles finished videos, and pro finishing tools connect it to real post-production. Pro at $35 per month is the practical starting point for regular work, because Standard’s credits run out fast. If you mainly need quick text-to-video clips rather than editing, compare Kling AI and Google Flow before committing.
Sources
- Runway pricing
- How do credits work? (Runway Help Center)
- Pro plan details (Runway Help Center)
- Free plan details (Runway Help Center)
- Standard plan details (Runway Help Center)
- Introducing Team Plan (Runway News)
- Runway product updates and changelog
- Runway homepage
- Introducing Runway Gen-4.5 (Runway Research)
- Creating with Gen-4.5 (Runway Help Center)
- Introducing Runway Aleph (Runway Research)
- Introducing Aleph 2.0 and Edit Studio (Runway News)
- Performance Capture with Act-Two (Runway Help Center)
- Creating with Gen-4 Image References (Runway Help Center)
- Introduction to Workflows (Runway Help Center)
- AI Lip Sync: How to Make Any Video Talk (Runway Resources)
- Introducing Runway Agent (Runway News)
- Introducing Runway GWM-1 (Runway Research)
- Introducing Runway Characters (Runway News)
- Introducing Runway Dev (Runway News)
- Introducing Runway Media Router (Runway News)
- API Pricing and Costs (Runway Dev docs)
- Runway API FAQs (Runway Help Center)
- Creating HDR videos with Runway Ruby (Runway Help Center)
- Can I use the content I made in Runway for commercial purposes? (Runway Help Center)
- Usage rights (Runway Help Center)
- AI video startup Runway raises $315M at $5.3B valuation (TechCrunch)
- Runway launches AI model router as generative media gets crowded (TechCrunch)
- Runway's new Ruby model converts SDR video into 16-bit HDR (VP Land)
- AI video startup Runway reportedly trained on thousands of YouTube videos without permission (Engadget)
- Runway (company) (Wikipedia)
- Introducing Seedance 2.5 (ByteDance Seed)
- New agents, mobile apps and Gemini Omni for Google Flow (Google blog)
- Learn about Google Flow models and supported features (Google Flow Help)
- Kling AI launches 3.0 model (Kuaishou Technology)
- Luma AI pricing
- Adobe Firefly AI video generator
- Pika pricing
