Runway

Generate and edit video, images and audio with frontier AI models

Runway is a cloud creative platform for generating and editing video, images and audio from text, image, video or audio prompts, using its own Gen-4.5 and Aleph models alongside third-party models such as Seedance, Kling, FLUX and Nano Banana Pro. It is aimed at filmmakers, marketers and design teams, and combines a chat-driven agent, a node-based workflow builder and single-purpose apps for jobs like upscaling a shot, relighting a scene or removing an object from a take. Runway also sells a developer API with Node and Python SDKs, and ships an MCP server that connects its models to agents such as Claude and ChatGPT.

  • Gen-4.5 video generation from text, image, video or audio prompts
  • Aleph 2.0 editing: change objects, lighting, backdrop or style
  • Third-party models in one place: Seedance, Kling, FLUX, Nano Banana
  • Runway Agent builds end-to-end videos through a chat conversation
  • Node-based workflow builder for chaining custom generation steps
  • Single-purpose apps: Upscale Video, Relight Scene, Add Dialogue
  • Developer API with Node and Python SDKs for image, video and audio
  • MCP server connects Runway models to agents like Claude and ChatGPT

Based on what people have said

Every answer links back to the mentions it came from

What are the primary use cases for Runway?

Users frequently employ Runway for cinematic video generation, particularly for product shots, slow reveals, and aerial-style approaches. It is also used as part of a broader creative stack for generating reels, and for its ability to handle image-to-video workflows natively. Additionally, the platform is noted for its professional-grade tools that allow users to convert SDR video into 16-bit HDR with support for ProRes and EXR sequences.

6 mentions · r/generativeAI · r/ArtificialInteligence · @digg · r/generativeAI · r/AI_UGC_Marketing · Aug 2026

How do users feel about the cost and credit system?

Several users have expressed frustration with the pricing, noting that costs can accumulate quickly, especially when credits are consumed rapidly by unsuccessful generations. Some users have cancelled their subscriptions in favor of cheaper alternatives, while others have criticized the platform for being expensive compared to running open-source models on personal compute resources.

6 mentions · r/generativeAI · @charliebcurran · Aug 2026

How does Runway compare to other AI video tools?

Opinions vary; some users consider Runway one of the strongest options for realistic video and native image-to-video workflows. Others suggest that tools like Seedance offer similar capabilities, or that alternatives like Kling and Seedance provide longer generation times. Some users maintain a mix of tools, using Runway alongside others like DomoAI or Kling because they offer different, non-redundant features.

6 mentions · r/editors · r/generativeAI · @hasantoxr · r/RealEstatePhotography · r/generativeAI · Aug 2026

What are the common performance complaints or limitations?

Users report that the platform requires very specific and tight prompts to avoid artifacts like melting faces or background morphing. There are also limitations regarding the length of video generations, which typically cap at a shorter duration compared to some competitors.

3 mentions · @hasantoxr · r/ArtificialInteligence · Aug 2026

Are there any reported issues with the service?

At least one user has reported significant difficulties with the billing system, specifically experiencing issues where credit card information is declined or fields are incorrectly flipped during the payment process for a paid project.

1 mention · r/editors · Aug 2026

These summarise counts and dates only. Read the quotes themselves under what people are saying.

What people are saying about Runway

50% positive
“They seem to be doing very well right now in the market with strong growth and strong valuation. I know their GTM org is very young and is just starting to get built out.”
Spiritual_Boat4433 · reddit ·
“We are not ready for all these releases guys. Honestly september is not a loaded gun, it’s a warship full of updates.”
LinusEkenstam · x ·
“Between Atlas and Runway n Intron I’m going to make a crazy movie via AI”
sinzubaba · x ·
“1/ Runway and Kling - different category entirely, listed because every "best AI video editor" article shoves them in and confuses people. These make footage. They do not edit yours. Budget for re-rolls; the cost per \*usable\* second is much higher than the sticker.”
Madmahi25 · reddit ·
“Runway has introduced Solaris, its first Interface World Model, a system that generates interactive software interfaces frame by frame in real time instead of rendering pre-built coded screens.”
WesRoth · x ·
“Runway can produce some really good stuff, but it can get costly pretty quickly. Seedance 2.5 has been pretty solid too, especially for keeping characters consistent.”
CosmicSpaceTribe · reddit ·
“how the hell does runway keep pulling this off? this is what the future looks like - the video is mesmerizing to look at”
cryptopunk7213 · x ·
“What are you guys using right now? Kling? Runway? Hailuo? PixVerse? Luma? Something else?”
Reasonable-Run2845 · reddit ·
“@gokulr @c_valenzuelab @runwayml Congrats to the Runway team. The agent training side might be understated here. Generated environments that actually change have so much potential.”
jtechlover · x ·
“Very cool work by Runway. Feels like the best of both worlds -- fine grain control of a WYSIWYG editor with the creativity & speed of generative models.”
bilawalsidhu · x ·
“Not a single person on earth has used runway for anything”
nashty2004 · reddit ·
“This team keeps innovating! Go @runwayml!”
bznotes · x ·
“Huge congrats @c_valenzuelab and @runwayml team!”
gokulr · x ·
“I'm aware of Runway; this video is more like an Aprils Fool Day spoof as Google used to do.”
aaron_in_sf · reddit ·
“Runway is a legitimate company with one of the better video generation models on the market. They're partnered with Lionsgate.”
damontoo · reddit ·
“For actual video, Runway/Kling/Pika are the ones I’d test against the same product-photo brief and localization workflow, then keep a small prompt/style sheet per client. Different bucket, but on the AI visibility/reporting side we use seoforgpt when clients ask whether that content/work is showing up in ChatGPT or Perplexity-style answers.”
TheCryptoBillionaire · reddit ·
“For more specific shots I'll usually jump into Kling or Runway, but Invideo does save a ton of time.”
THECONSPICUOUS · reddit ·
“AI for coding is fun but have yall seen with runway, heygen, and fal have been doing with generative media? I think we’re entering a new renaissance”
blackgirlbytes · x ·
“I’d probably test Veo or Runway, but I wouldn’t make the whole ad AI-generated.”
Andrii_PPC · reddit ·
“Runway really cooked this time. Once this model is released, everyone’s going to go”
taherdhanera · x ·
“A real human actor acted out the scene on camera, and Runway transferred that exact facial geometry, eye movement, and micro-expression onto the AI character. That eliminates the uncanny "poker face" that usually ruins AI video.”
Simalt443 · reddit ·
“I’m looking at Kling, Runway, Veo and similar tools.”
juliuscesarus · reddit ·
“Runway is evil tho they did a bait and switch on their free tier and took everyone's credits. Running ComfyUI locally would be cheaper in the long run.”
pleasetrimyourpubes · reddit ·
“Runway shares a video highlighting what you can do with current SOTA image gen models and tooling”
TFenrir · reddit ·
“The role table at the bottom basically writes the routing policy itself. Kling for product shots, DomoAI for stylized, HeyGen for presenters, Runway for anything that needs another pass. The manual part worth keeping is agreeing the brief fields that pick a branch, and doing it once, not per video.”
Andon_Benefield · reddit ·
See what people previously said about Runway