Skip to content
effecthub

Runway vs vivago

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.

The short answer

Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Runway has one; not confirmed by us for vivago
Higher Trust score
Runway — 98 vs 83 for vivago
Best fit
Runway: Filmmakers and studios prototyping shots and VFX before committing budget · vivago: Creators who want a finished short video from a text brief without editing
Status
Both up at our last check — Runway Oct 15, 2026, vivago Oct 16, 2026

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

RunwayVideo, image and audio generation suite built around the Gen-4.5 model, with mobile apps and a developer APIvivagoMulti-agent video creation from one line of text, with a CLI plugin for Codex and Claude and credits metered per generation.

Side by side

FactRunwayvivago
CategoryText-to-Video GeneratorsText-to-Video Generators
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$12/mo—
Public APIYesNot confirmed
Trust score98 / 10083 / 100
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, iOS, Android
CompanyRunway AI, Inc.Sparking Innovations Limited
Launched2018—
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 16, 2026

What our research says

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
  • Suite, 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

vivago

vivago has turned itself from a credit-metered studio of video, image and 3D tools into an agent that takes one line and returns a finished video, with Codex and Claude able to drive it from the terminal. That is interesting for people who want a clip without touching a timeline, and the 30 free credits let you see what it makes before paying. What you cannot see is the price list: the site renders only in a browser, the tiers are named in page code without figures except the $100 Max, and the operating company is a bare 'Limited' with no country on the page.

Pros

  • One prompt to a complete video, with web and mobile sessions kept in sync
  • CLI plugin for Codex and Claude, so generation can sit inside an agent workflow
  • 30 free credits on signup with no payment details
  • Watermark-free downloads and unlimited relaxed-queue generations on paid tiers

Cons

  • Basic and Pro prices are not readable from the vendor pages; only the $100 Max figure is
  • Extra credit packs require an active subscription and are non-refundable
  • The earlier image, 3D and enhancement tools are no longer presented on the site
  • Operating company is Sparking Innovations Limited with no address or jurisdiction shown

Which one fits

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

Choose vivago if you need

  • Creators who want a finished short video from a text brief without editing
  • Developers experimenting with video generation from Codex or Claude via the CLI plugin
  • Budget testing of agentic video before committing to Runway or Kling

Runway vs vivago: the questions people ask

Is Runway cheaper than vivago?

Runway starts at $12/mo. vivago has a free tier; what its paid plans cost is not confirmed by us yet.

Does Runway or vivago have a free tier?

Both: Runway has a free tier, and vivago has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Runway or vivago?

Runway ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for vivago is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

More comparisons

All Runway alternatives →All vivago alternatives →Browse all Text-to-Video Generators →