AI video · head to head
Runway vs Synthesia
What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.
| Fact |  Runway |  Synthesia |
|---|---|---|
| From | $12/mo | $18/mo |
| Free plan | Yes · 125 one-time credits | Yes · 10 minutes of video/month, watermarked |
| Best for | AI video generation and editing tools. | AI avatar videos for training and business communication. |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Website | Visit | Visit |
The difference in short
- Runway costs less to start: $12/mo against $18/mo for Synthesia.
- Both have a free plan, trial or credit to start with.
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'). |
Synthesia pricing
All about Synthesia| Plan | Price | Specs / includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (shown as 'Basic') | Free | 10 min video/month, 500 credits/month, 9 avatars, watermark | free |
| Starter | $18/mo | 15,000 credits/year (1,250/month on monthly billing); video up to about 12 min/month (about 150 min/year) on top of the free allowance; 125+ avatars; no watermark; 1 editor + 3 guests | billed yearly ($216/yr). Monthly billing: $29/mo. Page estimates about 100 credits per video minute. |
| Pro (some page text calls it 'Creator') | $64/mo | 72,000 credits/year (6,000/month on monthly billing); video up to about 60 min/month (about 720 min/year) on top of the free allowance; 180+ avatars; 5 personal avatars; 1 editor + 5 guests | billed yearly ($768/yr). Monthly billing: $89/mo. Labelled 'Most popular'. |
| Enterprise | See site | Unlimited video minutes, custom credits, 240+ avatars, SAML/SSO, dedicated CSM | custom. Custom pricing; book a demo. |
Other AI video options
Cheapest first where the prices compare.
Descript
HeyGenFAQ
Which is cheaper, Runway or Synthesia?
Runway costs less to start: $12/mo against $18/mo for Synthesia. Prices checked Oct 17, 2026 on each company's own site.
Do Runway and Synthesia have a free plan?
Runway: Yes. 125 one-time credits. Synthesia: Yes. 10 minutes of video/month, watermarked.
What else should I compare with Runway and Synthesia?
Other AI video options we've checked: Descript ($16/mo), HeyGen ($24/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