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Runway vs Wan

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

Cheaper paid plan
Wan — $5/mo vs $12/mo for Runway
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Both have one
Higher Trust score
Runway — 98 vs 72 for Wan
Best fit
Runway: Filmmakers and studios prototyping shots and VFX before committing budget · Wan: Creators on a budget who want long, watermark-free clips

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 APIWanAlibaba's video and image generation platform built on its Wan models, with clips up to 30 seconds and reference-based editing.

Side by side

FactRunwayWan
CategoryText-to-Video GeneratorsText-to-Video Generators
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$12/mo$5/mo
Public APIYesYes
Trust score98 / 10072 / 100
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, iOS, Android, API
CompanyRunway AI, Inc.Alibaba Cloud
Launched20182025
Last verifiedOct 15, 2026Oct 29, 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

Wan

Wan is one of the cheapest ways to get watermark-free 1080p AI video with long clips, and its open-weight older models suit developers who want to self-host. Users who need clear commercial terms in writing or a non-Chinese provider for compliance reasons should check the terms before committing.

Pros

  • Paid plans start at $5/month on yearly billing
  • Native clips up to 30 seconds with sound
  • Earlier Wan models are open weights under Apache 2.0
  • Web, iOS and Android apps

Cons

  • Watermark-free downloads, 1080p and clips over 10 s are paid features; Free runs one job at a time
  • First paid period is non-refundable
  • Platform credits do not cover API or other Alibaba products

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 Wan if you need

  • Creators on a budget who want long, watermark-free clips
  • Developers who want open-weight video models to run locally
  • Users who edit existing footage by text instruction

Runway vs Wan: the questions people ask

Is Runway cheaper than Wan?

On published entry prices, Wan starts lower — $5/mo against $12/mo for Runway. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Runway or Wan have a free tier?

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

Which has a public API, Runway or Wan?

Both ship a public API, so either can be built on; the fact table above shows the platforms each one runs on.

More comparisons

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