Runway vs Synthesia
Synthesia uniquely has 10 features · Runway uniquely has 7 features.
| Runway | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2018 | 2017 |
| HQ | New York, USA | London, United Kingdom |
| AI model | Gen-4.5, GWM-1 (Proprietary) | Proprietary |
| User base | 50M+ creators | 50,000+ teams |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Languages | English (primary), multi-language interface support | 80+ |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No - 125 one-time free credits | Yes — free plan with 10 minutes of video/month, 9 stock avatars, no credit card required |
| Starting price | $15/mo | $29/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing — contact sales | Custom pricing |
| All plans | FreeFreeStandard$15/moPro$35/moMax$95/moEnterpriseCustomPay as you goCustom per credit | BasicFreeStarter$19/moCreator$89/moEnterpriseCustom |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | Creators, filmmakers, enterprises, and researchers building AI-generated video and world simulations | Enterprise teams and L&D professionals creating multilingual training, onboarding, and sales enablement videos at scale |
| Differentiator | 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. | Used by over 90% of Fortune 100 companies, Synthesia combines AI avatars in 160+ languages with enterprise-grade compliance (SOC2, GDPR, ISO42001) and a full video workflow including creation, translation, collaboration, and LMS-ready SCORM export on one platform. |
| Competitors | Sora (OpenAI), Pika Labs, Kling AI, Synthesia, HeyGen, Midjourney, Stable Video Diffusion | HeyGen, D-ID, Colossyan, Veed.io, Lumen5 |
| Features | ||
| AI Avatars | — | ✓ |
| AI Dubbing | — | ✓ |
| AI Image Generation | ✓ | — |
| AI Video Assistant | — | ✓ |
| AI Video Generation | ✓ | — |
| API Access | — | ✓ |
| Aleph 2.0 Model | ✓ | — |
| Custom on Brand Avatars | — | ✓ |
| Gen 4.5 Model | ✓ | — |
| Monthly & Yearly Billing | ✓ | — |
| Scorm Export | — | ✓ |
| Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p | ✓ | — |
| AI Video Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Subtitles | — | ✓ |
| Avatar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Background Removal | ✓ | — |
| Batch Processing | — | ✓ |
| Commercial Rights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export Resolutions | 1080p standard; 4K Upscaling available on Standard and above; 2K image generation | MP4 download (resolution not explicitly stated in scraped text) |
| Screen Recording | ✕ | ✓ |
| Talking Head | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team Collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Text to Video | ✓ | ✓ |
| TTS Voices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Templates | — | ✓ |
| Voice Cloning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Watermark Free Plan | ✕ | ✕ |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Capcut | ✕ | ✕ |
| Key Integrations | Runway API, NVIDIA architecture integration, Lionsgate partnership, enterprise SSO | LMS integration (SCORM export), Synthesia API, PowerPoint import, Getty Images, Pexels, Soundstripe, Icons8, AI Dubbing API |