At a glance
| CapCut | Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $19.99/month | $15/month |
| Category | Video & Animation | Video & Animation |
| Best for | Editing short-form videos for TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts | Filmmakers generating shots, previs and visual effects |
Prices come from each official site and can change. Check the official pricing pages before subscribing.
Key features
CapCut
- Video editor with free templates and basic editing tools
- AI video generation with Seedance models (paid plans)
- 1,200 monthly AI credits on Pro
- All premium templates and Pro editing features
- 1 TB of cloud storage on paid plans
- Teams plan with brand kit and shared Pro access
Runway
- Text and image to video with Runway's Gen-4.5 model
- Aleph 2.0 plus third-party models like Kling and Seedance
- AI image generation with Gen-4 Image and Nano Banana Pro
- Music, voice and sound effect generation
- 4K video upscaling without watermarks on paid plans
- App Studio for building creative apps and Runway Ads
- Web app plus iOS and Android apps
Pros
CapCut
- Free plan covers basic editing and templates
- Paid plans include a large 1 TB storage allowance
- AI video generation is built into the editor
- Annual Pro billing is cheaper ($179.99/year)
Runway
- Access to Runway's own and third-party video models in one place
- Paid plans remove watermarks and include 4K upscaling
- Purchased extra credits never expire
- Annual billing saves 20%
Cons
CapCut
- Advanced AI features and premium templates need a paid plan
- AI video generation uses credits, and the per-second rates add up
- Ultra plan is expensive at $79/month
- Prices and promotions can differ by region and platform
Runway
- Free plan offers only 125 one-time credits
- Video generation uses credits quickly (Standard covers about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 monthly)
- Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over
- Output quality varies and often needs several generations
Which one should you choose?
Choose CapCut if you need
- Editing short-form videos for TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts
- Creating social media ads and promos from templates
- Generating AI video clips from prompts
- Producing branded video content across a small team
Choose Runway if you need
- Filmmakers generating shots, previs and visual effects
- Marketers producing short video ads and social clips
- Designers creating concept images and mood boards
- Agencies testing multiple ad creatives quickly
CapCut vs Runway: FAQ
Is CapCut better than Runway?
Neither is better for everyone. CapCut: 💿 Hey developer 👋. Runway: Creative AI platform offering tools for image and video generation and editing. Pick CapCut for editing short-form videos for TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts, and Runway for filmmakers generating shots, previs and visual effects.
Which is cheaper, CapCut or Runway?
Runway's paid plans start at $15/month, compared with $19.99/month for CapCut, based on each official pricing page at the last update. Limits differ between plans, so compare what each tier includes.
Do CapCut and Runway have free plans?
Yes, both offer free access with usage limits. Paid plans raise those limits and add features.