AI video · head to head
Descript vs Runway
What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.
| Fact |  Descript |  Runway |
|---|---|---|
| From | $16/mo | $12/mo |
| Free plan | Yes · 1 media hour/month, 720p with watermark | Yes · 125 one-time credits |
| Best for | Podcasters and editors who need occasional AI voice | AI video generation and editing tools. |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Website | Visit | Visit |
The difference in short
- Runway costs less to start: $12/mo against $16/mo for Descript.
- Both have a free plan, trial or credit to start with.
Descript pricing
All about Descript| Plan | Price | Specs / includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 60 media minutes/month; 100 AI credits (one-time); 720p export | free |
| Hobbyist | $16/mo | 10 media hours/month; 400 AI credits/month; 1080p watermark-free export; 1 person | per person, billed annually. Monthly billing: $24/mo. Top-ups not available. |
| Creator | $24/mo | 30 media hours/month; 800 AI credits/month; 4K export; team of up to 3 billed separately; top-ups available | per person, billed annually. Monthly billing: $35/mo. Labelled 'Most popular'. |
| Business | $50/mo | 40 media hours/month; 1,500 AI credits/month; team of up to 5 billed separately; Brand Studio; priority support with SLA; top-ups | per person, billed annually. Monthly billing: $65/mo. Enterprise is custom. |
Runway pricing
All about Runway| Plan | Price | Specs / includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 125 one-time credits; 5 GB storage | free |
| Standard | $12/mo | 625 credits/month (about 52 s of Gen-4.5); all video and image models; 5 parallel generations; 3 projects; no watermark; 4K upscaling; 20 GB storage | billed annually (page: 'Save $36/year'; 7,500 credits/year). Non-annual price shown as $15/mo (struck through), consistent with the $36/year saving. Credits do not roll over. |
| Pro | $28/mo | 2,250 credits/month; 15 parallel generations; 5 projects; 1 Brand Kit; 1 custom voice clone; top-up credits; Runway MCP; unlimited 4K upscaling; 100 GB storage | billed annually (page: 'Save $84/year'; 27,000 credits/year). Non-annual price shown as $35/mo (struck through). Labelled 'Popular'. |
| Max | $76/mo | 9,500 credits/month with 1-month rollover; 20 parallel generations; 10 projects; 3 Brand Kits; 3 voice clones; early model access; HDR/ProRes output; 500 GB storage | billed annually (page: 'Save $228/year'; 114,000 credits/year). Non-annual price shown as $95/mo (struck through). Labelled 'Best value'. This is the top self-serve tier; there is no 'Unlimited' plan on the current page (Wan 3.0 is 'Unlimited in Tool Mode until October 18'). |
What's good, and what to watch for
Descript
- Hobbyist includes AI Speech with custom voice clones and 25+ stock AI speakers
- Watermark-free 1080p export from Hobbyist
- You edit audio and video by editing the transcript
- AI Speech uses AI credits, and Descript publishes no fixed rate per minute
- Unused media minutes and AI credits don't roll over
Runway
AI video generation and editing tools.
Other AI video options
Cheapest first where the prices compare.
Synthesia
HeyGen
ElevenLabs
SpeechifyFAQ
Which is cheaper, Descript or Runway?
Runway costs less to start: $12/mo against $16/mo for Descript. Prices checked Oct 18, 2026 on each company's own site.
Do Descript and Runway have a free plan?
Descript: Yes. 1 media hour/month, 720p with watermark. Runway: Yes. 125 one-time credits.
What else should I compare with Descript and Runway?
Other AI video options we've checked: Synthesia ($18/mo), HeyGen ($24/mo), ElevenLabs ($5/mo), Speechify ($8.33/mo).
Keep comparing
Built from the prices and facts we checked on each company's own site. We haven't tested either hands-on.How we work