Compare · AI video generators

Runway vs HeyGen

Runway: An AI creative suite for video, images and audio, with its own Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0 plus other labs' models. HeyGen: AI avatar videos: your digital twin or a stock avatar speaks your script, with translation into 175+ languages.

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Updated October 16, 2026

Runway and HeyGen details as published on runway.com and heygen.com (and their official app store listings), checked October 16, 2026. Luren AI shown for reference.
	Runway	HeyGen	Luren AI
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android	iPhone and Android app
Mobile app	Yes	Yes	Yes, iPhone and Android
Free plan	Free plan with 125 one-time credits and a selection of models.	Yes: 3 videos a month up to 1 minute each, 500+ stock avatars, 1 custom video avatar and up to 3 photo avatars; free videos carry a HeyGen watermark.	Free to download and try
Pricing	Credit-based plans: Standard $15, Pro $35 and Max $95 a month, or $12, $28 and $76 a month billed yearly (as listed on its pricing page). Extra credits can be bought, from 1,000 credits.	Free plan, then subscriptions: Creator at $29 a month, Pro from $49 a month with larger credit tiers, and Business at $149 a month plus $20 per seat (as listed on its pricing page), and Enterprise on request.	Pay per creation with coins, or a weekly or yearly Pro subscription
What you need to start	None: start from a text prompt, or upload an image, video or audio as a reference.	None for stock avatars; one face photo for a photo avatar, or one short video clip for a video avatar of yourself.	One photo, or just a prompt; no training
AI models	Its own Gen-4.5, Gen-4 Image and Aleph 2.0, plus models from other labs such as Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0, Nano Banana Pro, Nano Banana 2.1, Seedream 5.0, Wan 3.0 and FLUX.3.	Its own avatar models (Avatar IV and Avatar V on its site) and Seedance 2.0 integrated into the platform; the Pro plan adds access to all its advanced AI models.	Nano Banana Pro, Nano Banana 2.1, GPT Image 2.5, Seedream, Qwen-Image 3.0, Grok Imagine; Veo 3.1, Kling, Seedance
Images	Images from a prompt or a reference photo, with consistent characters, objects and locations	Not offered	300+ styles, your own prompt with a model picker, and an AI agent
Video	Text-to-video, image-to-video and video-to-video, plus Runway Agent for complete videos from a conversation	Talking avatar videos from a script, prompt-to-video with Video Agent, and highlights from long videos	Image to video, text to video, UGC videos and 40+ AI dances
Editing	Aleph 2.0 edits existing footage up to 30 seconds: change one element, the lighting or the background and keep the rest	Captions, video translation with lip-sync, and script editing	Restore, upscale, change clothes, backgrounds, pose and expression

Choose Runway if…

Filmmakers, agencies and brands making ads, short films and music videos
Editing existing footage without a reshoot
Creators who want several top video models in one place

Runway is a cloud-based creative suite for generating and editing video, images and audio, on the web and in apps for iPhone and Android. It pairs its own models, such as Gen-4.5 for video and Aleph 2.0 for editing existing footage, with models from other labs including Seedance, Kling and Nano Banana, and Runway Agent plans and assembles a whole video from a conversation. Its site says it is used by more than 60 million creators.

Strengths

Its own video models, Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0, alongside models from other labs in one subscription
Aleph 2.0 edits footage you already have and changes only what you ask for
Runway Agent plans the shots, generates them and assembles the finished video
Work syncs between the phone apps and the web, with plugins for Premiere Pro and After Effects

Limits to know

The free plan is a one-time 125 credits rather than a monthly allowance
Monthly credits do not roll over on the Standard and Pro plans
Its store listing ties more credits, higher resolution and faster generation to paid plans
The iOS app is for iPhone only, and its App Store listing is in English

Runway alternatives →

Choose HeyGen if…

Founders, sales teams and real estate agents who want to appear on video without filming each time
Training and e-learning videos
Translating existing videos into other languages

HeyGen makes AI videos starring a digital avatar of you, built from a short clip or a photo, or one of its stock avatars. You type a script and the avatar delivers it; it also offers a prompt-based Video Agent and video translation into 175+ languages and dialects, on the web and in iPhone and Android apps.

Strengths

Avatars of yourself from one short clip or one photo
Video translation into 175+ languages and dialects
Available on the web and as iPhone and Android apps, with team and enterprise plans

Limits to know

Free plan videos are limited to 1 minute, 3 a month, with a watermark
4K export starts on the Pro plan
Built around talking presenters rather than photo generation

HeyGen alternatives →

Key differences

Runway generates images; HeyGen is built around other jobs.
Runway is listed among ai video generators and ai image generators and ai product photo tools; HeyGen among ai video generators and ai ugc and ad makers.
Free plans: Runway: Free plan with 125 one-time credits and a selection of models. HeyGen: Yes: 3 videos a month up to 1 minute each, 500+ stock avatars, 1 custom video avatar and up to 3 photo avatars; free videos carry a HeyGen watermark.

A third option

Both kinds of model, in one phone app

Luren AI puts Nano Banana Pro, GPT Image 2.5, Seedream, Veo 3.1 and Kling side by side on iPhone and Android, with 300+ ready-made styles, UGC ads, AI dances and an AI agent that makes the picture for you. Start from one photo, no training.

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FAQ

Runway vs HeyGen: questions

Is Runway better than HeyGen?

It depends on the job. Runway suits filmmakers, agencies and brands making ads, short films and music videos; editing existing footage without a reshoot; creators who want several top video models in one place. HeyGen suits founders, sales teams and real estate agents who want to appear on video without filming each time; training and e-learning videos; translating existing videos into other languages.

Is Runway free?

Free plan with 125 one-time credits and a selection of models.

Is HeyGen free?

Yes: 3 videos a month up to 1 minute each, 500+ stock avatars, 1 custom video avatar and up to 3 photo avatars; free videos carry a HeyGen watermark.

Which is better for video, Runway or HeyGen?

Runway: Text-to-video, image-to-video and video-to-video, plus Runway Agent for complete videos from a conversation. HeyGen: Talking avatar videos from a script, prompt-to-video with Video Agent, and highlights from long videos.

Is there an alternative to Runway and HeyGen on my phone?

Luren AI is an iPhone and Android app with image models like Nano Banana Pro, GPT Image 2.5 and Seedream, video models like Veo 3.1 and Kling, 300+ ready-made styles and an AI agent. It is free to download and try.

More comparisons

Sources

Runway and HeyGen are trademarks of their owners. Luren AI is not affiliated with either. Details are as each company publishes them on its own site and store listings on the date above; plans and prices change, so check their sites before you buy.