How many free credits does Runway give?
Runway gives new free accounts a one-time deposit of 125 credits (as of July 2026). They don't expire but don't renew once spent—so it's about 25 seconds of Gen-4 Turbo video total. For a recurring monthly allowance, you upgrade: Standard gives 625 credits/month at $12 billed annually.
Why — the first-principles explanation
Free credits are a fixed sample size, calibrated to let you judge quality without giving away enough to finish a project. Runway lands on 125 because that's roughly a couple of short generations—enough to see the model in action, not enough to replace a subscription. Every second of video costs Runway GPU time, so the free grant is intentionally small.
The defining trait is that these 125 credits are one-time, not monthly. They don't refill at the start of a new month the way subscription credits do. Once you've spent them, the counter stays at zero until you either buy credits or subscribe. This is what separates a 'free trial' allowance from a 'free plan' allowance—Runway's is closer to a trial.
Do the math to see the intent: at 5 credits per second on Gen-4 Turbo, 125 credits buys about 25 seconds of footage—say, two or three 10-second attempts. That's precisely enough to answer 'is this good enough for me?' and no more. If the answer is yes, the built-in next step is Standard's 625 monthly credits.
An example that makes it click
Imagine a video-game arcade that gives every new player exactly 125 free tokens at the door—once. The racing game eats 5 tokens per second, so you get about 25 seconds of driving: two or three quick races. It's enough to feel whether you like the game, but when the tokens run out, the machine goes quiet until you buy a token pack. Runway's 125 free credits are those door tokens: a real, one-time gift meant to get you hooked.
Key facts
- New free accounts receive a one-time deposit of 125 credits (as of 2026-07).
- The 125 credits do not expire but do not renew once spent.
- At 5 credits/second on Gen-4 Turbo, 125 credits is about 25 seconds of video.
- The free plan also includes 3 video editor projects and 5GB storage.
- For a recurring allowance, Standard gives 625 credits/month at $12 billed annually.
A pro video-generation and editing suite used in film production.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
How many free credits does Runway give? A one-time deposit of 125 credits when you make a free account—as of July 2026. The word to underline is one-time. Unlike a paid plan's monthly refill, these 125 credits don't come back each month. Once you spend them, your balance sits at zero until you buy more or subscribe. So what can 125 credits actually make? At 5 credits per second on Gen-4 Turbo, about 25 seconds of video—two or three short clips. That's by design: enough to judge whether the quality works for you, not enough to finish a real project. The free credits also come with a few editor projects and 5 gigabytes of storage. If you like what you see, the next step up is the Standard plan, which gives you 625 credits every month for 12 dollars billed annually. Bottom line: 125 free credits, once, then you decide.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
Do the 125 free credits reset each month?
No. They are a one-time deposit that does not renew once spent.
How much video is 125 credits?
About 25 seconds of Gen-4 Turbo video, since Turbo costs 5 credits per second.
How do I get more credits after the free ones?
Subscribe to a paid plan (Standard gives 625/month) or buy add-on credit packs.
Do free credits expire?
They don't expire by date, but they never refill, so they simply run out when spent.