Runway
Video GenerationProfessional-grade AI video with real camera and character control.
Runway is the AI video generator built for people who need real creative control: camera moves, consistent characters, and performance-based animation, not just a text box and a prompt.
Visit RunwayWhat can Runway do?
Generate video from text or an image: Describe a shot or start from a reference image and Runway generates the clip using its own video model, not one licensed from another AI lab.
Control the camera like a cinematographer: Set the shot type, movement speed, and trajectory (pan, dolly, zoom) instead of hoping the AI picks a sensible angle on its own.
Animate a character from a real performance: Transfer the motion and facial expression from reference footage you film onto an AI-generated character, without needing a motion capture studio.
Keep a character or scene consistent across clips: Runway locks in how a character, object, or environment looks so it stays the same across multiple separate generations, instead of looking different each time.
Selectively animate part of an image: Paint over just the part of an image you want to move, like a bird's wings or a character's hair, and leave the rest of the frame still.
Quick Facts
Free Plan?
Yes, 125 one-time credits
Pricing
From $15/month
Launched
2023
Headquarters
New York City, USA
Pros
The most controllable AI video available: The depth of hands-on controls, camera movement, character performance, and selective animation, gives a level of direction that prompt-only video tools do not offer.
Consistency across clips is genuinely strong: Runway keeps the same character or environment recognizable across separate generations, which is what makes multi-shot, narrative work possible.
Output quality and motion coherence lead the category: Motion is noticeably steadier and more physically believable than most AI video, with strong prompt-following.
Cons
Expensive for serious use: The cheapest plan covers light use only. Complex shots often need several attempts, and real production work tends to land in the $28 to $76 a month tiers.
Clip length is still short: Individual generations are limited to a few seconds each, so longer scenes have to be stitched together from multiple clips rather than generated in one pass.
Overkill for casual, low-effort clips: If you just want a quick, throwaway video, the amount of control on offer here is more setup than the job needs.
Pricing
Standard: $15/month ($12/month billed annually)
625 credits a month, about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 video.
Pro: $35/month ($28/month billed annually)
Most popular2,250 credits a month, about 187 seconds of Gen-4.5 video.
Max: $95/month ($76/month billed annually)
9,500 credits a month, about 791 seconds of Gen-4.5 video for heavy, professional use.
Pricing and features may have changed. Check Runway's website for the latest details.
Knowtably Rating
Knowtably's Take
Runway is the pick for people who need real control over AI video: camera moves, character performance, and consistency across multiple clips, not just a single prompt and a guess. Output quality and motion coherence lead the category, and its character and consistency tools make genuinely professional, multi-shot work possible. It comes at a real cost though. Clips are short, credits burn fast on complex shots, and serious use lands well above the entry price.
We'd choose this if: You need professional-grade video with real camera and character control, and the work has to hold up as a finished film or ad, not a quick novelty clip.
We wouldn't choose this if: You are on a tight budget or just want a quick, low-effort clip, since the price and amount of control on offer here is more than a casual video needs.
Good
Knowtably Rating
Quick Facts
Free Plan?
Yes, 125 one-time credits
Pricing
From $15/month
Launched
2023
Headquarters
New York City, USA