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Music · head to head

REAPER vs Runway

REAPER logo

REAPER

Music

Full digital audio workstation with a 60 day evaluation and a USD 60 personal licence

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: REAPER the USD 60 discounted licence requires that yearly gross revenue does not exceed USD 20,000, above which the commercial licence at USD 225 applies; 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 REAPER and Runway actually diverge.

Attributes where REAPER and Runway differ
AttributeREAPERRunway
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb
CategoryMusicSocial Media
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 REAPER

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.

REAPER

  • Music productionnot Runway
  • Audio recordingnot Runway
  • Audio editingnot Runway
  • Post productionnot Runway
  • Podcast editingnot Runway

Runway

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

Where each one falls short

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

REAPER

  • The USD 60 discounted licence requires that yearly gross revenue does not exceed USD 20,000, above which the commercial licence at USD 225 applies
  • The commercial licence at USD 225 is nearly four times the discounted one for identical software, since the price is set by who is using it rather than by what it does
  • The evaluation lasts 60 days, after which continued use requires a purchased licence
  • Sold as a paid licence with no free tier beyond the evaluation period

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

REAPER

Free
  • Discounted License$60/one-time
    • For individuals using REAPER personally
    • For businesses with yearly gross revenue under 20000 USD
    • For educational and non-profit organizations
  • Commercial License$225/one-time
    • For commercial use by businesses exceeding revenue threshold
    • Includes free upgrades through REAPER version 8.99

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 REAPER if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
REAPER 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 REAPER or Runway better?
Neither clearly leads. REAPER 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, REAPER or Runway?
REAPER starts at Free and Runway at Free.
Does REAPER or Runway run on more platforms?
REAPER runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Runway runs on Web.
Can I use REAPER for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is REAPER best used for?
REAPER is most often used for music production, audio recording, audio editing, post production. Of those, music production and audio recording are not what Runway is typically brought in for.
What can REAPER do that Runway cannot?
Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

REAPER: How much does REAPER cost?

REAPER costs 60 USD for a discounted license (individuals, non-profits, organizations under 20000 USD annual revenue) or 225 USD for commercial use. All licenses include free updates through version 8.99.

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
REAPER: Can I try REAPER before buying?

Yes, REAPER offers a 60-day full evaluation period with no artificial feature limitations, allowing you to test all capabilities before purchasing.

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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