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DeepMake vs Runway

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors. Runway publishes a starting price ($12); DeepMake does not. Both have a free tier. Only Runway ships a public API.

DeepMakeGenerative image and video tools that run on your own GPU and drive from After Effects, free on the core plan.RunwayVideo, image and audio generation studio built around the Gen-4.5 model, with mobile apps and a developer API

Side by side

FactDeepMakeRunway
CategoryAI Video EditingText-to-Video Generators
Pricing modelFreeFreemium
Starts at—$12 month
Public APINoYes
PlatformsmacOS, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android, API
CompanyArkavian IncRunway AI, Inc.
Launched—2018
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

DeepMake

For VFX work the local-only model is the point: no credits ticking down, no client footage leaving the building, and no queue behind other users. Masking faces and objects directly inside After Effects is the practical win over generic image tools. The costs are shifted rather than removed — you need an Nvidia card or Apple Silicon with real memory, and support is a Discord channel rather than a helpdesk.

Pros

  • Runs locally, so there are no per-generation fees or usage caps
  • Automatic masking for faces and for arbitrary objects in video
  • Integrates with Adobe After Effects on both Windows and macOS
  • Open-core with public GitHub repositories and a Discord community
  • The Community plan is genuinely free rather than a trial

Cons

  • Needs an Nvidia 20-series with 8GB VRAM or Apple Silicon with 16GB+
  • No web or cloud option at all, and no API
  • Studio tier is quote-only with no published figure
  • Support is Discord-based; the company publishes no address or jurisdiction

Runway

One of the few AI video vendors with a full pipeline — generation, editing, upscaling, API — rather than a single model demo, and its film-industry adoption is real. The catch is credit economics: high-resolution generations drain a month's allowance quickly, so the advertised entry price rarely reflects working costs.

Pros

  • Gen-4.5 delivers strong motion consistency and prompt adherence
  • Studio, mobile apps and API cover creation through delivery
  • Max tier exports ProRes and 16-bit HDR for professional finishing
  • Long operating history (since 2018) compared with newer video startups

Cons

  • Credit-metered pricing makes real monthly cost hard to predict
  • Premium models and formats sit behind the more expensive tiers
  • The free plan is effectively a one-time demo

Which one fits

Choose DeepMake if you need

  • After Effects artists who want generative steps inside the timeline
  • studios that cannot upload client footage to a cloud service
  • anyone with a capable GPU who wants unmetered generation

Choose Runway if you need

  • Filmmakers and studios prototyping shots and VFX before committing budget
  • Marketing and social teams producing short generated clips at volume
  • Developers who want a video-generation API from an established vendor

More comparisons

All Runway alternatives →Browse all AI Video Editing →