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Social Media · head to head

Runway vs Tidal

Runway logo

Runway

Social Media

AI-powered creative tools for video and images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tidal logo

Tidal

Music

High fidelity music streaming

From
$10.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Runway has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Tidal tIDAL has no permanently free listening tier; after a 30-day trial a paid subscription is required
  • They diverge on capability: Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Tidal covers HiFi streaming.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Runway and Tidal actually diverge.

Attributes where Runway and Tidal differ
AttributeRunwayTidal
Starting priceFree$10.99/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategorySocial MediaMusic
Founded20182014

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
  • API access

Only in Tidal

  • HiFi streaming
  • Master quality
  • Music videos
  • Exclusive content
  • High-end audio systems
  • Smart speakers
  • Download protection
  • Account security

Both cover

  • 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 Tidal
  • Extending or editing existing footage with generative modelsnot Tidal
  • Removing objects and backgrounds from videonot Tidal
  • Storyboarding and previsualisation for productionnot Tidal

Tidal

  • Streaming music in HiRes lossless up to 24-bit 192 kHz and Dolby Atmosnot Runway
  • Offline listening to a personal librarynot Runway
  • Casting lossless audio to supported hi-fi hardware over TIDAL Connectnot 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

Tidal

  • TIDAL has no permanently free listening tier; after a 30-day trial a paid subscription is required
  • The subscription renews automatically on a monthly basis
  • Lossless quality on external hardware needs TIDAL Connect and a supported device
  • The iOS app requires iOS 17 or later

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

Tidal

$10.99/month
  • HiFi$10.99/month
    • Lossless audio
    • Downloads
  • HiFi Plus$19.99/month
    • Master quality
    • Direct artist payouts

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 Tidal if

  • You need hifi streaming.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want master quality.
Tidal review

Questions people ask

Is Runway or Tidal better?
Neither clearly leads. Runway starts at Free and Tidal at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Runway or Tidal?
Runway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Runway and $10.99/month for Tidal.
Does Runway or Tidal run on more platforms?
Runway runs on Web. Tidal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Runway for free?
Yes. Runway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Tidal starts at $10.99/month.
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 Tidal is typically brought in for.
What can Runway do that Tidal cannot?
Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution. Tidal covers HiFi streaming, Master quality, Music videos, Exclusive content. Both handle 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
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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