- What Runway's free plan includes
- What 125 free credits buys
- Runway plans and prices
- What the paid plans add besides credits
- How Runway credits reset and roll over
- How to get the most from Runway's free credits
- Is a paid Runway plan worth it for a small business?
- My verdict: is Runway free?
- Frequently asked questions
Runway has a free plan, but it's a one-time allowance rather than a free monthly tier. Runway's pricing page says the Free plan includes 125 one-time credits that don't expire, enough to test its tools, and anything more needs a paid plan starting with Standard.
That one-time detail is what trips people up. You sign up, make a couple of clips and the credits are gone, with no top-up next month. Here's what 125 credits buys, what each paid plan costs and how Runway's credits work, all from Runway's own pricing page, checked as of October 2026.
What Runway's free plan includes
Runway describes the Free plan as free forever, for people exploring its AI tools. It includes 125 credits as a one-time deposit, a selection of generative models to test ideas, and 5GB of asset storage. Runway's FAQ confirms the free credits don't expire, so there's no rush to use them.
Look at what's missing from the Free card, too. No watermarks appears in the Standard plan's feature list, not the Free one, and paid plans add access to every AI video and image model.
What 125 free credits buys
Credits are spent per generation, and each model costs a set amount. Runway's pricing page lists Gen-4.5 at 60 credits for 5 seconds of video, which its FAQ explains as 12 credits per second. Here's what that means for the free allowance:
| What you make | Credits per Runway's page | On 125 free credits |
|---|---|---|
| Gen-4.5 video | 60 credits per 5 seconds | Two 5 second clips, with 5 credits left |
| Gen-4 Image 1080p | 8 credits per image | 15 images, with 5 credits left |
| Gen-4 Image Turbo | 2 credits per image | 62 images, with 1 credit left |
So the free plan is enough to see whether Runway suits you, not to run a content calendar on. If you want to plan your first clips before you spend anything, my guide on how to use Runway AI walks through prompts and settings so you don't waste credits on retries.
Runway plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 125 one-time |
| Standard | $15 a month | $12 a month | 625 a month |
| Pro | $35 a month | $28 a month | 2250 a month |
| Max | $95 a month | $76 a month | 9500 a month |
Prices are as listed on Runway's pricing page as of October 2026. Runway says yearly billing saves $36 a year on Standard, $84 on Pro and $228 on Max. It describes Standard's 625 monthly credits as 52 seconds of Gen-4.5, 104 seconds of Gen-4 Turbo or 78 Gen-4 images at 1080p.
What the paid plans add besides credits
| Feature | Standard | Pro | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel generations | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| Projects | Up to 3 | Up to 5 | Up to 10 |
| Storage | 20GB | 100GB | 500GB |
| Custom voice clones | None listed | 1 | Up to 3 |
| 4K upscaling | Yes | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Every paid plan also lists access to all of Runway's AI video and image models, music, voice and sound effects generation, and no watermarks.
How Runway credits reset and roll over
- Standard and Pro: monthly credits don't roll over. They reset within 24 hours of your billing date each cycle.
- Max: up to one month of unused credits rolls over to the next month.
- Extra credits: you can buy more from the Plans and Billing page, with a minimum purchase of 1,000 credits, and purchased credits never expire.
- Free: the 125 credits are a one-time deposit that doesn't expire.
Runway's FAQ also says upgrades take effect immediately and are prorated, so you get the extra credits straight away. If you downgrade, your unused balance becomes a credit on your next bill and your current plan runs until then.
How to get the most from Runway's free credits
- Start with a still image you like. Runway's image to video tools work best when the starting frame is strong.
- Write your prompt about movement, not the scene, so the first try is closer to what you want.
- Use cheaper image models to test a look before spending 60 credits on a Gen-4.5 clip.
- Keep clips to 5 seconds while you're testing.
- Download anything you like straight away and keep a note of the prompt that worked.
Publishing the clips on YouTube? The channel tool many creators ask about is covered in the vidIQ guide.
Is a paid Runway plan worth it for a small business?
For most small businesses, Standard is the sensible test: 625 credits a month covers short clips for social posts and ads. Pro makes sense once you're producing video weekly, and Max is for heavy solo use. If you're still working out what Runway does, my explainer on what Runway AI is covers its tools and who makes it. In 23 years in marketing I've seen plenty of tools sold on what they could do; with credit-based AI video, the real question is how many clips you'll use each month.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My verdict: is Runway free?
Only to try. Runway's free plan gives you 125 credits once, which is about two short Gen-4.5 clips, and they don't refill. To keep creating you'll need a paid plan: as of October 2026 Standard is $15 a month or $12 a month billed yearly, with 625 credits that reset each month. Use the free credits to test one idea well, then decide.
For stills rather than clips, an image generator is covered in the Krea AI plan check.
Frequently asked questions
Is Runway AI free?
Runway has a free plan with 125 one-time credits that don't expire. After those are used, you need a paid plan or extra credits.
How many videos can I make on Runway for free?
Gen-4.5 costs 60 credits per 5 seconds on Runway's pricing page, so 125 free credits covers two 5 second clips.
How much does Runway cost?
As of October 2026 Standard was $15 a month or $12 a month billed yearly, Pro $35 or $28, and Max $95 or $76.
Do Runway credits roll over?
On Standard and Pro they don't; they reset each billing cycle. On Max up to one month of unused credits rolls over. Bought credits never expire.
Does Runway's free plan have watermarks?
No watermarks is listed as a Standard plan feature, not a Free plan feature, on Runway's pricing page.
Can I buy Runway credits without a subscription upgrade?
You can buy extra credits from the Plans and Billing page in your dashboard. The minimum purchase is 1,000 credits.
Does Runway have a phone app?
Yes. Runway's pricing page links to a Runway app for iPhone and for Android.
