How does Runway pricing work?
Runway Creative combines a plan with a credit balance. Current annual-billing equivalents are Free at $0 with 125 one-time credits, Standard at $12 per month with 625 monthly credits, Pro at $28 with 2,250, and Max at $76 with 9,500; Enterprise is custom. Model, duration, resolution and output count determine credit use. Web-app plans and credits are completely separate from Runway API billing. Verified 2026-08-09.
Runway Creative plans and credit rules
| Plan | Current annual-billing equivalent | Included credits | Credit renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 125 one time | Does not expire, but does not renew |
| Standard | $12 per month | 625 per month | Resets each billing cycle; no rollover |
| Pro | $28 per month | 2,250 per month | Resets each billing cycle; no rollover |
| Max | $76 per month | 9,500 per month | Up to one month of unused credits can roll over |
| Enterprise | Custom | Contract-specific | Check the signed contract terms |
Why — the first-principles explanation
Runway Creative pricing has two separate quantities. The subscription controls the account's available plan features and provides an included credit allocation. Each generation then spends part of that allocation according to the selected model, duration, resolution and number of outputs. A plan name alone does not tell you how many usable videos it will produce.
The current public plan ladder gives Free a one-time 125-credit deposit, Standard 625 monthly credits, Pro 2,250 and Max 9,500. The displayed $12, $28 and $76 monthly figures are annual-billing equivalents; live month-to-month prices can differ. Standard and Pro monthly credits expire at the billing reset. Max can carry up to one month of unused credits. Additional purchased credits do not expire, but the minimum current purchase is 1,000 credits and Free accounts cannot buy them.
Model rates must be checked live. The current pricing page, for example, lists Gen-4.5 at 60 credits for five seconds, or 12 credits per second. Other video, image and audio models use different units and rates. Finally, Runway Creative and Runway API are separate billing systems: a web subscription or web credit balance never appears in an API account, and API charges should not be estimated from the Creative plan table.
An example that makes it click
At the current published Gen-4.5 rate of 60 credits for a five-second output, a Standard plan's 625 monthly credits cover 10 complete five-second generations with 25 credits left, before retries or other tools. That arithmetic is only for Gen-4.5 at that rate. A different model, duration, resolution or output count changes the result.
How to do it
- Decide whether you need the Runway Creative app or the separate Runway API; their plans and credits do not transfer.
- List the current models, duration, resolution and number of outputs in your expected monthly workflow.
- Use Runway's live per-model credit table to estimate credits for that workflow, including test generations and retries.
- Compare the estimate with the Free one-time grant or the Standard, Pro and Max monthly allocations.
- Check annual versus monthly billing, rollover, extra-editor charges and purchased-credit rules before subscribing.
- Recalculate when Runway adds or reprices a model rather than assuming an old per-second rate still applies.
Key facts
- Runway Creative pricing combines plan features with a metered credit balance (verified 2026-08-09).
- Current annual-billing equivalents are Standard $12 per month for 625 credits, Pro $28 for 2,250, and Max $76 for 9,500; the Free plan has 125 one-time credits.
- The public annual option is discounted; compare the live monthly option before purchasing rather than assuming the same price.
- Generation cost varies by model, duration, resolution and output count; the current pricing page lists Gen-4.5 at 60 credits for five seconds.
- Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over; Max can roll over up to one month; purchased credits do not expire.
- Web-app subscriptions and credits are completely separate from Runway API plans and credits.
- One plan-credit pool is shared across editors in a workspace; adding an editor does not add another monthly credit allocation.
Open the current plans, credits, usage limits and cancellation terms before you subscribe.
Match a Runway plan to the credits your workflow uses
Compare the Free grant, monthly credit rules, model costs and refunds before choosing or changing a plan.
▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
How does Runway pricing work? First choose between Runway Creative and the separate Runway API, because their plans and credits never transfer. In Creative, Free includes 125 one-time credits. The current annual-billing equivalents are Standard at 12 dollars per month with 625 monthly credits, Pro at 28 dollars with 2,250, and Max at 76 dollars with 9,500. Every generation then consumes credits according to the model, duration, resolution and number of outputs. For example, the live pricing table lists Gen-4.5 at 60 credits for five seconds. Standard and Pro credits reset without rollover; Max can carry one month, and purchased credits do not expire. Verify the live table before buying. Updated 2026-08-09.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
Is annual or monthly Runway billing cheaper?
The current pricing page discounts annual billing and displays Standard, Pro and Max at $12, $28 and $76 per month equivalent. Check the live monthly option for its current price before purchasing.
What do I get for the higher tiers?
Higher tiers add monthly credits and plan features. Max currently includes 9,500 credits and up to one month of rollover; verify storage, editor and model access on the live comparison.
Can I buy more credits without upgrading?
Paid Standard, Pro and Max users can currently buy at least 1,000 additional credits from Plans and Billing. Purchased credits do not expire; Free users cannot buy them.
Is there a truly free option?
Yes. The Free plan includes a one-time 125-credit deposit that does not expire but does not renew. Check its current model, export and watermark restrictions separately.