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Runway's API costs $0.12/s (checked Nov 5, 2026) for Gen-4.5, $0.05/s (checked Nov 5, 2026) for Gen-4 Turbo and $0.28/s (checked Nov 5, 2026) for Aleph 2.0 (credits at $0.01 each). In the app, Gen-4.5 costs 60 credits for 5 seconds, so a clip costs more or less depending on your plan, from Runway Standard: $15.00/month, 625 credits (checked Nov 5, 2026) to Runway Max: $95.00/month, 9,500 credits (checked Nov 5, 2026).
Runway API price per second
The developer API sells credits at $0.01 each. Credits per second times $0.01 is the price per second.
| Model | Route | Basis | Per second | Per clip | Flags | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen-4 Turbo Runway Gen | API Runway API | any listed resolution | $0.05/s | - | - | source | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Gen-4.5 Runway Gen | API Runway API | any listed resolution | $0.12/s | - | - | source | Nov 5, 2026 |
- Gen-4 Turbo: 5 credits per second. It is an image-to-video model and the cheapest Runway tier. Audio is not stated on the pricing page.
- Gen-4.5: 12 credits per second.
- Aleph 2.0: 28 credits per second, a video-to-video editing model, with a minimum charge of 56 credits ($0.56) per generation.
- ProRes or PNG-sequence output adds 5 credits per second ($0.05) on Gen-4.5.
The Runway API also resells other makers' models in credits. Kling 4.0 costs 15.7 credits a second at 720p and 23.5 at 1080p. Runway sells it at 20% off through 2026-11-30 UTC: 12.56 credits a second at 720p and 18.8 at 1080p. List price applies from 2026-12-01. Plan the budget on the list number. See Kling vs Runway price.
Runway plans and credit cost
| Plan | Per month | Per month, annual | Credits / month | Credit value | Cost of one clip | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Free | $0.00 | - | 125 | - | 60 credits per 5 s clip | source | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Runway Standard | $15.00 | $12.00 | 625 | $0.024 | 60 credits per 5 s clip = $1.44 | source | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Runway Pro | $35.00 | $28.00 | 2,250 | $0.0156 | 60 credits per 5 s clip = $0.933 | source | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Runway Max | $95.00 | $76.00 | 9,500 | $0.01 | 60 credits per 5 s clip = $0.60 | source | Nov 5, 2026 |
The credit value is plan price divided by monthly credits, and the "per month, annual" column is the discount for annual billing. Annual billing lowers the credit value, for example Standard from $15 to $12 a month. Key plan facts:
- Free: 125 one-time credits that do not expire and no monthly refill. That is two 5-second Gen-4.5 clips, with a selection of models only.
- Standard: 625 credits a month, which is 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 or 104 seconds of Gen-4 Turbo by Runway's own figure. Credits reset monthly with no rollover.
- Pro: 2,250 credits, 187 seconds of Gen-4.5, 15 parallel generations, and Seedance 2.5 and Kling 4.0 included.
- Max: 9,500 credits, 791 seconds of Gen-4.5. Unused credits roll over for one month.
- Extra credits cost the monthly credit value, with a minimum purchase of 1,000, and never expire.
The old Unlimited plan is no longer on the current pricing page, so do not plan around "Runway unlimited". Paid plans say "no watermarks". The pricing page does not spell out commercial-use wording, so read the terms before client work. Plan credits assume you use every one; a light user pays more per clip.
Worked example: one clip
A 5-second Gen-4.5 clip is 60 credits in the app and 5 times the API rate. On the API that is 5 s times $0.12/s, about $0.60. In the app it is 60 times the credit value of your plan:
| Gen-4.5, 5 s, 60 credits | Cost at monthly billing |
|---|---|
| Standard | about $1.44 |
| Pro | about $0.93 |
| Max | $0.60 |
The API matches Max and beats Standard and Pro by a wide margin. Runway lists a 1080p Kling 4.0 clip at 118 credits for 5 seconds (89 on the 25% promo until 2026-11-30) and a 4-second 1080p Seedance 2.0 Pro clip at 160 credits.
Worked example: a 30-second finished video
Six 5-second clips make 30 seconds. At an assumed 50% keeper rate you generate 12, which is 60 seconds of output. The keeper rate is an assumption, so substitute your own in the calculator.
| Route | Cost for 12 attempts |
|---|---|
| Gen-4 Turbo, API | about $3.00 |
| Gen-4.5, API | about $7.20 |
| Gen-4.5, Max plan | about $7.20 |
| Gen-4.5, Pro plan | about $11.20 |
| Gen-4.5, Standard plan | about $17.28 |
12 attempts on Gen-4.5 use 720 credits, more than the monthly Standard allowance of 625. Aleph 2.0 edits, upscales, voice and lip-sync are not included.
Plan or API?
For Gen-4.5, the API is as cheap as the best plan and cheaper than Standard and Pro, but it has no editor, no parallel workspace and requires code. Plans make sense for people who work in the interface, want Aleph and Kling or Seedance in the same place, or need rollover on Max. For heavy use of Gen-4 Turbo the API at 5 credits a second is hard to beat inside Runway. Other credit systems are covered in credits explained.
Verdict
Pick the API if you automate or generate more than a Pro plan's 187 seconds of Gen-4.5 a month. Pick Pro if you work in the app and use most of 2,250 credits. Standard is the most expensive per credit, so choose it only for light use or the annual discount. Pick Max for volume and rollover. Buy Kling 4.0 through Runway only if the 2026-11-30 promo suits you.
Questions people ask
How much does Runway cost?
Plans start free with 125 one-time credits. Paid plans are Runway Standard: $15.00/month, 625 credits (checked Nov 5, 2026); Runway Pro: $35.00/month, 2,250 credits (checked Nov 5, 2026); Runway Max: $95.00/month, 9,500 credits (checked Nov 5, 2026).
How much does a Runway credit cost?
$0.01 on the API. In the app it depends on the plan, from the Max credit value up to Standard's.
What does Runway cost per second?
Gen-4.5 is 12 credits a second, so $0.12/s (checked Nov 5, 2026) on the API.
How much does Runway Aleph cost?
$0.28/s (checked Nov 5, 2026) on the API with a minimum of 56 credits, and 140 credits per 5 seconds in the app.
Is there an unlimited Runway plan?
Not on the current pricing page.
Sources
Prices and limits were read from the sources below on the dates shown. They change often: confirm on the provider's page before you pay.
- Runway API pricing and costs - 2026-11-05
- Runway pricing - 2026-11-05