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Social Media · head to head

Facebook vs Runway

Facebook logo

Facebook

Social Media

Meta's social network app, free to use and monetised entirely through targeted advertising

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Runway logo

Runway

Social Media

AI-powered creative tools for video and images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Facebook there is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.; 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: Facebook covers News Feed, Runway covers Gen-2 video generation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facebook and Runway actually diverge.

Attributes where Facebook and Runway differ
AttributeFacebookRunway
Pricing modelFree, funded entirely by targeted advertisingsubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Social Media).

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 Facebook

  • News Feed
  • Marketplace
  • Groups
  • Events
  • Reels and Watch
  • Ad preference controls

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.

Facebook

  • Staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feednot Runway
  • Buying and selling locally through Marketplacenot Runway
  • Joining Groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or eventnot Runway
  • Following Pages for local businesses, public figures or organisationsnot Runway

Runway

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

Where each one falls short

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

Facebook

  • There is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.
  • The default feed is algorithmically ranked for engagement rather than shown chronologically, which shapes what content a user sees in ways that are not fully transparent.
  • Cross-app and off-platform tracking through Meta's advertising tools means behaviour on other websites and apps can inform the ads and targeting shown inside Facebook.
  • Group and Marketplace content moderation is inconsistent at Facebook's scale, and scams on Marketplace and misinformation in Groups are recurring, documented problems.
  • Younger user growth has shifted to other platforms in many markets, so Facebook's core demographic skews older than some competing social apps, which matters if the goal is reaching a younger audience.

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

Facebook

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No subscription tier for personal accounts
    • Ad supported

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 Facebook if

  • You need news feed.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want marketplace.
Facebook 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 Facebook or Runway better?
Neither clearly leads. Facebook starts at Free and Runway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facebook or Runway?
Facebook starts at Free and Runway at Free.
Does Facebook or Runway run on more platforms?
Facebook runs on iOS, Android, Web. Runway runs on Web.
Can I use Facebook for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Facebook best used for?
Facebook is most often used for staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed, buying and selling locally through marketplace, joining groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or event, following pages for local businesses, public figures or organisations. Of those, staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed and buying and selling locally through marketplace are not what Runway is typically brought in for.
What can Facebook do that Runway cannot?
Facebook covers News Feed, Marketplace, Groups, Events. Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Facebook: Does Facebook have a paid ad-free version?

In the EU, Meta has offered a paid subscription for reduced ads on Facebook and Instagram; outside the EU there is generally no ad-free personal tier.

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
Facebook: How does Facebook make money if it is free?

Entirely through advertising, targeted using data about in-app behaviour and, via Meta's broader advertising tools, activity on other websites and apps.

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
Facebook: Is the feed shown in chronological order?

Not by default; it is algorithmically ranked, though a chronological "Most Recent" feed option exists and can be selected manually.

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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