HeyGen vs Runway
HeyGen uniquely has 10 features · Runway uniquely has 6 features.
| HeyGen | Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2020 | 2018 |
| HQ | Los Angeles, USA | New York, USA |
| AI model | Proprietary (Avatar IV/V, integrates Sora, Veo, Kling, Flux, ElevenLabs) | Gen-4.5, GWM-1 (Proprietary) |
| User base | 100,000+ businesses | 50M+ creators |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Languages | 175+ | English (primary), multi-language interface support |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No—permanent free plan with 3 videos/month limit | No - 125 one-time free credits |
| Starting price | $29/mo | $15/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom pricing — contact sales |
| All plans | Creator$29/moPro$49/mo (up to $4,300/mo)Business$149/moEnterpriseCustom | FreeFreeStandard$15/moPro$35/moMax$95/moEnterpriseCustomPay as you goCustom per credit |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | Solo creators and advanced individuals creating AI videos at scale | Creators, filmmakers, enterprises, and researchers building AI-generated video and world simulations |
| Differentiator | Generative B-roll with Veo 3, Seedance 1.0, Sora 2 and Veo 3.1 integrations; 4K export; Voice Cloning; Avatar IV generation | Runway combines a best-in-class generative video model (Gen-4.5) with proprietary General World Models (GWM-1) for real-time interactive simulation, robotics, and conversational avatars — positioning it as both a creative tool and foundational AI research platform. |
| Competitors | Synthesia | Sora (OpenAI), Pika Labs, Kling AI, Synthesia, HeyGen, Midjourney, Stable Video Diffusion |
| Features | ||
| 4K Video Export | ✓ | — |
| AI Image Generation | — | ✓ |
| AI Video Generation | — | ✓ |
| Aleph 2.0 Model | — | ✓ |
| Avatar Iv Generation | ✓ | — |
| Credit Rollovers | ✓ | — |
| Gen 4.5 Model | — | ✓ |
| Monthly & Yearly Billing | — | ✓ |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p | — | ✓ |
| Unlimited Photo Avatars | ✓ | — |
| Voice Cloning | ✓ | — |
| Watermark Removal | ✓ | — |
| AI Video Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Subtitles | ✓ | — |
| Avatar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Background Removal | ✓ | ✓ |
| Batch Processing | ✓ | — |
| Commercial Rights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export Resolutions | 1080p (Creator), 4K (Pro and above) | 1080p standard; 4K Upscaling available on Standard and above; 2K image generation |
| Screen Recording | ✓ | ✕ |
| Talking Head | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team Collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Text to Video | ✓ | ✓ |
| TTS Voices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Templates | ✓ | — |
| Voice Cloning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Watermark Free Plan | ✕ | ✕ |
| Integrations | ||
| Adobe Premiere | ✕ | — |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Capcut | ✕ | ✕ |
| Davinci Resolve | ✕ | — |
| Key Integrations | ElevenLabs (voice), Sora (video generation), Veo (video generation), Kling (video generation), Flux (image generation), PowerPoint import, PDF import, SCORM export | Runway API, NVIDIA architecture integration, Lionsgate partnership, enterprise SSO |
