Design Tools · head to head
Affinity Designer vs Runway
Affinity Designer
Design Tools
Professional graphic design software for everyone
- From
- $69.99/one-time
- Rated
- -
Runway
Social Media & Content
AI-powered creative tools for video and images
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Runway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Affinity Designer sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024); Runway the free tier is 125 one-time credits rather than a monthly allowance, so it runs out and does not refill
- They diverge on capability: Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Runway covers Gen-2 video generation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Affinity Designer and Runway actually diverge.
| Attribute | Affinity Designer | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $69.99/one-time | Free |
| Pricing model | one-time | subscription |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Windows, Macos, Ios | Web |
| Category | Design Tools | Social Media & Content |
| Founded | 1994 | 2018 |
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 Affinity Designer
- Vector drawing
- Bezier tools
- Gradient tools
- Typography
- Pixel-perfect editing
- Artboards
- Symbols
- Non-destructive effects
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.
Affinity Designer
- Logo designnot Runway
- Vector illustrationnot Runway
- Icon designnot Runway
- Brandingnot Runway
Runway
- Generating video clips from text or image promptsnot Affinity Designer
- Extending or editing existing footage with generative modelsnot Affinity Designer
- Removing objects and backgrounds from videonot Affinity Designer
- Storyboarding and previsualisation for productionnot Affinity Designer
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Affinity Designer
- Sold as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription: the Windows or macOS edition was priced at CA$94.99, the cross-platform Universal License at CA$224.99, and the standalone iPad edition at CA$24.99 (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2024)
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
Affinity Designer
$69.99/one-time- Standard$69.99/one-time
- Full version
- All features
- Lifetime updates
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 Affinity Designer if
- You need vector drawing.
- You work on Windows, Macos, Ios.
- You also want bezier tools.
Choose Runway if
- You need gen-2 video generation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want green screen.
Questions people ask
- Is Affinity Designer or Runway better?
- Neither clearly leads. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time and Runway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Affinity Designer or Runway?
- Runway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69.99/one-time for Affinity Designer and Free for Runway.
- Does Affinity Designer or Runway run on more platforms?
- Affinity Designer runs on Windows, Macos, Ios. Runway runs on Web.
- Can I use Runway for free?
- Yes. Runway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Affinity Designer starts at $69.99/one-time.
- What is Affinity Designer best used for?
- Affinity Designer is most often used for logo design, vector illustration, icon design, branding. Of those, logo design and vector illustration are not what Runway is typically brought in for.
- What can Affinity Designer do that Runway cannot?
- Affinity Designer covers Vector drawing, Bezier tools, Gradient tools, Typography. Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.
Related pages
More on Affinity Designer
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