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Social Media · head to head

Runway vs Synthesia

Runway logo

Runway

Social Media

AI-powered creative tools for video and images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Synthesia logo

Synthesia

Video Production

AI video creation with digital presenters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Runway the free tier is 125 one-time credits rather than a monthly allowance, so it runs out and does not refill; Synthesia free plan limited to 10 minutes of video per month
  • They diverge on capability: Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Synthesia covers AI avatars.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Runway and Synthesia actually diverge.

Attributes where Runway and Synthesia differ
AttributeRunwaySynthesia
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
CategorySocial MediaVideo Production
Founded20182017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), 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 Runway

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

Only in Synthesia

  • AI avatars
  • 140+ languages
  • Video templates
  • Brand customization
  • LMS integrations
  • PowerPoint
  • Api support

Both cover

  • API access
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Runway

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

Synthesia

  • Training video creation with AI avatarsnot Runway
  • Multilingual video localisation with AI dubbingnot Runway
  • Enterprise video production and managementnot Runway

Where each one falls short

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

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

Synthesia

  • Free plan limited to 10 minutes of video per month
  • Starter plan limited to 10 minutes of video per month
  • Creator plan capped at 30 minutes of video per month
  • SSO/SAML authentication restricted to Enterprise tier

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Synthesia

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 1,200 credits per month
    • Up to 10 minutes of video per month
    • 9 AI avatars
  • Starter$29/month
    • 14,500 credits per year
    • Up to 120 minutes of video per year
    • 125+ AI avatars
  • Creator$89/month
    • 44,000 credits per year
    • Up to 360 minutes of video per year
    • 180+ AI avatars

Which should you pick?

Choose Runway if

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

Choose Synthesia if

  • You need ai avatars.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want 140+ languages.
Synthesia review

Questions people ask

Is Runway or Synthesia better?
Neither clearly leads. Runway starts at Free and Synthesia at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Runway or Synthesia?
Runway starts at Free and Synthesia at Free.
Does Runway or Synthesia run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Runway for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Runway best used for?
Runway is most often used for generating video clips from text or image prompts, extending or editing existing footage with generative models, removing objects and backgrounds from video, storyboarding and previsualisation for production. Of those, generating video clips from text or image prompts and extending or editing existing footage with generative models are not what Synthesia is typically brought in for.
What can Runway do that Synthesia cannot?
Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution. Synthesia covers AI avatars, 140+ languages, Video templates, Brand customization. Both handle API access, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Synthesia: How much does Synthesia cost?

Synthesia offers a free Basic plan with 10 minutes of video per month, Starter at $29 per month with 120 minutes per year, and Creator at $89 per month with 360 minutes per year. Annual billing provides 38% savings. Enterprise plans are available with custom pricing.

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
Synthesia: What is included in Synthesia's free plan?

The free Basic plan includes 1,200 credits per month (approximately 10 minutes of video), 9 AI avatars, 3 personal avatars, and access to 160+ languages and voices. No credit card is required.

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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