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Photo to Video AI 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. Photo to Video AI starts at $15.90, Runway at $12. Both have a free tier. Only Runway ships a public API.

Photo to Video AIFront end that runs your still image through Veo 3.1 Fast, Kling, Seedance or Wan and returns a short clipRunwayVideo, image and audio generation studio built around the Gen-4.5 model, with mobile apps and a developer API

Side by side

FactPhoto to Video AIRunway
CategoryText-to-Video GeneratorsText-to-Video Generators
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$15.90 month$12 month
Public APINoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, API
Company—Runway AI, Inc.
Launched—2018
Last verifiedSep 6, 2026Sep 6, 2026

What our research says

Photo to Video AI

Model choice is the honest selling point: four families behind one credit balance means you can try Veo against Kling on the same still without four subscriptions. Everything else argues for caution — no named operator, 404s where the terms and privacy policy should be, and credits that vanish quickly at roughly 60 per generation.

Pros

  • Four model families — Veo 3.1 Fast, Kling 2.6/3.0, Seedance, Wan 2.6 — behind one credit balance
  • Free tier of 60 credits with no card required
  • Aspect ratios 9:16, 16:9 and 1:1 at 720p or 1080p
  • Published credit-per-plan figures, so generations per month are calculable

Cons

  • No company name, address or country published anywhere on the site
  • The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy links both return 404
  • Add-on credit packs expire 30 days after purchase
  • Free output carries a watermark, so quality can only be judged partially before paying

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 Photo to Video AI if you need

  • Comparing Veo, Kling, Seedance and Wan on the same source image
  • Occasional short clips where a direct model subscription would be overkill
  • Vertical, square and widescreen social clips from an existing photo

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 Photo to Video AI alternatives →All Runway alternatives →Browse all Text-to-Video Generators →