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Social Media · head to head

Runway vs Toon Boom Harmony

Runway logo

Runway

Social Media

AI-powered creative tools for video and images

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Toon Boom Harmony logo

Toon Boom Harmony

Video Production

Creating worlds of Animation

From
On request
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; Toon Boom Harmony licensing is subscription only across Essentials, Advanced and Premium tiers, with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Runway and Toon Boom Harmony actually diverge.

Attributes where Runway and Toon Boom Harmony differ
AttributeRunwayToon Boom Harmony
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
CategorySocial MediaVideo Production
Founded2018Unknown

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

Only in Toon Boom Harmony

Nothing recorded that Runway does not also cover.

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

Toon Boom Harmony

  • Traditional frame by frame animation productionnot Runway
  • Cut-out character animation with rigsnot Runway
  • Studio animation pipelines on the Premium editionnot 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

Toon Boom Harmony

  • Licensing is subscription only across Essentials, Advanced and Premium tiers, with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page
  • Access beyond the 14 day free trial requires purchasing a subscription through the shop

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

Toon Boom Harmony

On request
  • Harmony Essentials$null/month
    • Fundamental drawing, painting, and animation tools
    • Designed for enthusiasts
  • Harmony Advanced$null/month
    • Full traditional, paperless style animation
    • Simple cut-out style animation
    • Designed for students and professional animators and studios
  • Harmony Premium$null/month
    • Sophisticated cut-out rigs
    • Natural and realistic character movement
    • Unlimited special effects for any style of animation

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 Toon Boom Harmony if

Nothing in the data separates Toon Boom Harmony from Runway on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Toon Boom Harmony review

Questions people ask

Is Runway or Toon Boom Harmony better?
Neither clearly leads. Runway starts at Free and Toon Boom Harmony at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Runway or Toon Boom Harmony?
Runway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Runway and On request for Toon Boom Harmony.
Does Runway or Toon Boom Harmony run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Runway for free?
Yes. Runway has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Toon Boom Harmony starts at On request.
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 Toon Boom Harmony is typically brought in for.
What can Runway do that Toon Boom Harmony cannot?
Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.

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
Toon Boom Harmony: What tiers are available for Toon Boom Harmony?

Toon Boom Harmony is available in three subscription editions: Essentials (with fundamental drawing and painting tools for enthusiasts), Advanced (with full traditional and simple cut-out animation for students and professionals), and Premium (with sophisticated cut-out rigs and unlimited special effects, recommended for studios and educational institutions).

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
Toon Boom Harmony: What does the Harmony Premium tier add?

The Harmony Premium tier adds sophisticated cut-out rigs, very natural and realistic character movement, and unlimited special effects for any animation style. It is recommended for professional studios, freelancers, and educational institutions, whereas Advanced is more suited for students and professional animators.

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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