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Music · head to head

Ableton Live vs Runway

Ableton Live logo

Ableton Live

Music

Digital audio workstation built around a Session View for arranging ideas live

From
$99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Runway logo

Runway

Social Media

AI-powered creative tools for video and images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Runway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ableton Live live 12 Intro is capped at 16 audio and MIDI tracks, where Standard and Suite are both listed as Unlimited; Runway the free tier is 125 one-time credits rather than a monthly allowance, so it runs out and does not refill

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ableton Live and Runway actually diverge.

Attributes where Ableton Live and Runway differ
AttributeAbleton LiveRunway
Starting price$99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsmacOS, WindowsWeb
CategoryMusicSocial Media
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ableton Live

Nothing recorded that Runway does not also cover.

Only in Runway

  • Gen-2 video generation
  • Green screen
  • Inpainting
  • Super resolution
  • Motion tracking
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Final Cut Pro
  • API access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ableton Live

  • Music productionnot Runway
  • Live performancenot Runway
  • Electronic musicnot Runway
  • Audio recordingnot Runway
  • Sound designnot Runway

Runway

  • Generating video clips from text or image promptsnot Ableton Live
  • Extending or editing existing footage with generative modelsnot Ableton Live
  • Removing objects and backgrounds from videonot Ableton Live
  • Storyboarding and previsualisation for productionnot Ableton Live

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ableton Live

  • Live 12 Intro is capped at 16 audio and MIDI tracks, where Standard and Suite are both listed as Unlimited
  • Intro includes 8 software instruments and 27 audio effects, against 20 instruments and 58 effects in Suite
  • Max for Live is listed as Suite only, so neither Intro at USD 99 nor Standard at USD 349 includes it
  • Intro ships 5+ GB of sound content, against 38+ GB in Standard and 71+ GB in Suite
  • MIDI Tools are listed as 0 in Intro, against 14 in both Standard and Suite
  • Sold as a paid licence per edition, USD 99 for Intro, USD 349 for Standard and USD 749 for Suite, with no free tier

Runway

  • The free tier is 125 one-time credits rather than a monthly allowance, so it runs out and does not refill
  • Outputs carry a watermark until the Standard plan at $12 a month
  • Everything is metered in credits, and Gen-4.5 video costs 60 credits per 5 seconds, so a Standard plan covers roughly 125 short videos a year
  • Only the Max plan at $76 a month rolls unused credits over, and only for one month
  • The free tier gives a selection of models rather than the full set

Pricing, plan by plan

Ableton Live

$99/one-time
  • Live 12 Intro$99/one-time
    • Perpetual licence
    • Entry edition
  • Live 12 Standard$349/one-time
    • Perpetual licence
    • Not available on rent-to-own
  • Live 12 Suite$749/one-time
    • Perpetual licence
    • Available rent-to-own at $31.21 per month

Runway

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 125 credits
    • Basic tools
    • 720p exports
  • Standard$12/month
    • 625 credits/month
    • Gen-2 access
    • 4K exports
  • Pro$28/month
    • 2250 credits/month
    • All tools
    • Priority processing
  • Unlimited$76/month
    • Unlimited generations
    • Custom models
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Ableton Live if

  • You work on macOS, Windows.
Ableton Live review

Choose Runway if

  • You need gen-2 video generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want green screen.
Runway review

Questions people ask

Is Ableton Live or Runway better?
Neither clearly leads. Ableton Live starts at $99/one-time and Runway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ableton Live or Runway?
Runway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/one-time for Ableton Live and Free for Runway.
Does Ableton Live or Runway run on more platforms?
Ableton Live runs on macOS, Windows. Runway runs on Web.
Can I use Runway for free?
Yes. Runway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ableton Live starts at $99/one-time.
What is Ableton Live best used for?
Ableton Live is most often used for music production, live performance, electronic music, audio recording. Of those, music production and live performance are not what Runway is typically brought in for.
What can Ableton Live do that Runway cannot?
Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ableton Live: How much does Ableton Live cost?

Ableton sells three perpetual editions: Live 12 Intro at USD 99, Live 12 Standard at USD 349 and Live 12 Suite at USD 749. Suite is also offered rent-to-own at USD 31.21 per month.

Source
Runway: How much does Runway cost?

Runway publishes four tiers on annual billing: Standard at $12 per month, Pro at $28 and Max at $76, against monthly rates of $15, $35 and $95. Enterprise is quoted. Annual billing is advertised as 20% off.

Source
Ableton Live: Is there a free version of Ableton Live?

There is no free edition. Ableton offers a free trial of Live 12, after which one of the three paid perpetual licences is required to keep using it.

Source
Runway: Does Runway have a free plan?

Yes. The free plan costs nothing and includes 125 one time credits to explore the AI tools, plus 5GB of asset storage. The credits are one time rather than monthly.

Source
Runway: How many credits does each Runway plan include?

Standard includes 625 credits a month, Pro includes 2,250 and Max includes 9,500. Only Max offers credit rollover, and it rolls over for one month.

Source
Runway: When do I need Runway Pro rather than Standard?

Pro adds custom voices for lip sync, raises storage to 500GB and gives access to the best models, on top of Standard's AI image and video models, 4K upscaling and watermark free output.

Source
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