Free
$0
Comparison · prices checked every day
Runway vs HeyGen: which is worth paying for?
The current plans and our verdict on each tool, side by side. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page and are checked every day.
The short answer
Choose Runway if…
- you need parallel generations and up to 10 projects with Runway's Standard plan at $12/month
- you want to generate images, audio, and video in one tool with Runway's Pro plan at $28/month
Choose HeyGen if…
Our pick for most people
- you need 4K video exports and unlimited photo avatars with HeyGen's Pro plan at $49/month
- you want to create videos up to 60 minutes long with HeyGen's Business plan at $149/month per user
Bottom line: HeyGen is the better paid choice for dedicated video creators who need higher resolutions and longer durations.
Key differences
- Runway offers a Standard plan at $12/month with 625 credits and up to 3 projects. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (runwayml.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- HeyGen offers a Creator plan at $29/month with 600 credits and videos up to 30 minutes. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (heygen.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Runway's Pro plan costs $28/month and includes 2250 credits and up to 5 projects. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (runwayml.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- HeyGen's Pro plan costs $49/month, provides 1,000 credits, and allows 4K video exports. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (heygen.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Runway's Max plan is $76/month with 9500 credits and up to 10 projects. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (runwayml.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- HeyGen's Business plan is $149/month per user with 1,500 credits and videos up to 60 minutes. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (heygen.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
Plans and limits side by side
| Plans | Runway | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free $0Credits 125 one-time credits, Asset storage 5GB | Free $0Video Generation 3 videos per month, Max duration per video 1 minute, Custom Video Avatar… |
| Paid plans | Standard $12/moCredits 625 credits/mo, Projects Up to 3 projects, Storage 20GB storagePro $28/moCredits 2250 credits/mo, Projects Up to 5 projects, Brand Kit 1 Brand Kit, Custom voice c…Max $76/moCredits 9500 credits/mo, Projects Up to 10 projects, Brand Kits Up to 3 Brand Kits, Custo… | Creator $29/moCredits 600 credits, Max duration per video 30 minutes, Custom Video Avatars 1+, Photo Av…Pro $49/moCredits 1,000 credits, Max duration per video 30 minutes, Custom Video Avatars 1+, Photo… |
| Business plans | — | Business $149/user/moCredits 1,500 credits, Max duration per video 60 minutes, Custom Video Avatars 5+, Photo…Enterprise CustomMax duration per video No video duration max, Custom Video Avatars 10+, Photo Avatars Unl… |
From each vendor's own pricing page · Runway checked Sep 27, 2026 · HeyGen checked Sep 27, 2026.
Our tests
We have not run our task suite on Runway or HeyGen yet, so this comparison has no test scores.
Questions people ask
Which tool is cheaper for basic video generation?
Runway's Standard plan is $12/month, while HeyGen's Creator plan is $29/month.
Can I export videos in 4K resolution?
HeyGen offers 4K exports on its Pro and Business plans. Runway includes 4K upscaling on its paid plans.
What is the maximum video duration?
Runway's plans are credit-based without a strict duration limit per se, but HeyGen limits videos to 30 minutes on Creator/Pro and 60 minutes on Business.
Do credits roll over?
Runway's Max plan allows credits to roll over for one month. HeyGen's Creator and Pro plans include credit rollovers.
Sources
Drafted with AI from these pages, our tests and the linked user reports, and checked automatically against them before publishing: every price, score and report above is tied to the tool it is about.
Runway
- Pricing page · checked Sep 24, 2026runwayml.com/pricing ↩ text
HeyGen
- Pricing page · checked Sep 24, 2026heygen.com/pricing ↩ text
Each tool's verdict and plans
Runway
DEPENDS DEPENDS — worth it for some people
Pay if you need monthly credits and parallel generations; stick to free if you only need to try the tools once.
Based on pricing & docs — not yet tested by us
- Cheapest paid
- $12/mo
- What's free
- $0
- Our test score
- —
Standard
$12/mo
Pro
$28/mo
Max
$76/mo
HeyGen
DEPENDS DEPENDS — worth it for some people Re-checking after a price change
The free plan is too limited for regular use, but the right paid tier depends on your video length and resolution needs.
Based on pricing & docs — not yet tested by us
- Cheapest paid
- $29/mo
- What's free
- $0
- Our test score
- —
Free
$0
Creator
$29/mo
Pro
$49/mo
Business
$149/user/mo
Enterprise
Custom
How we make money
The "Visit" buttons go through shouldipay.ai/go/ and may be affiliate links, but commissions never decide a verdict or a comparison: the evidence does. Affiliate disclosure