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Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Runway vs Synthesia:
which should you use?

Runway and Synthesia, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Runway is built for video. Synthesia is built for video.

Pricing, simplified

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

2 of 2 have a free plan 0 of 2 prices re-read automatically · how we know No paid placement

The 30-second comparison

If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.

Runway and Synthesia side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryRunwaySynthesiaBetter fit
What it's built forThe longest-running video lab, with editing tools around the generation rather than just a prompt box.Avatar-presented video from a script, in dozens of languages. Built for training and internal comms at scale.Tie
Free planYes. Free forever plan with 125 one-time credits, a selection of models to test and 5GB storageYes. Basic plan, free with no card; 1,200 credits a month for up to 10 minutes of video and 25 AI-generated assetsTie
Cheapest way to pay$15 a month.$19 a month.Runway
What the paid tiers cost
  • One person, from $15/month
  • Per seat, from $69/month
  • Enterprise, priced on request
  • One person, from $19/month
  • Enterprise, priced on request
Tie
What to watch out forCredit-based pricing burns fast when iterating. Free tier is for evaluation, not production.Unmistakably synthetic presenters. Fine for compliance training, wrong for brand storytelling.Tie
Who it is usually forworking professionals, people exploringworking professionalsTie
Made byRunway — New York, US.Synthesia — London, GB.Tie

Runway is ahead on 1 of the 7 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Synthesia are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation.

Ahead on the small print

Runway

The longest-running video lab, with editing tools around the generation rather than just a prompt box.

✓ The longest-running video lab, with editing tools around the generation rather than just a prompt box. ✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $15 against $19 ✓ You are among people exploring ✓ It is built for video
Choose Synthesia instead if…

Avatar-presented video from a script, in dozens of languages.

Synthesia is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.

✓ Avatar-presented video from a script, in dozens of languages. ✓ It is built for video ✓ Built for training and internal comms at scale. ✓ Basic plan, free with no card; 1,200 credits a month for up to 10 minutes of video and 25 AI-generated assets

How we know

Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.

The 1 row that decided this page, with the source for each.
RowFavoursWeightWhere it came from
Cheapest way to payRunwayEverything elseFrom each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below.

The prices

Runway. Read by hand off runway.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. runway.com/pricing

Synthesia. Read by hand off synthesia.io on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. synthesia.io/pricing

The ratings

The category these two share. Video — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.

The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.

What this is not

Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.

To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.

Choose based on what you’re doing

All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.

01

General-Purpose AI Assistants

Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
02

Search, Research & Academics

Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
03

Writing, Communication & Language

Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
04

Coding, Data & Technical Work

Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
06

Image & Design

Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.

Runway
Not a good fit
Synthesia
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.

Runway
Built for this
Synthesia
Built for this
Best choice: Tie
08

Audio, Voice & Music

Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.

Runway
Not a good fit
Synthesia
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
10

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.

Runway
Bad fit
Synthesia
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
Pick Runway if

The longest-running video lab, with editing tools around the generation rather than just a prompt box.

New York, US
The longest-running video lab, with editing tools around the generation rather than just a prompt box.
You want the cheaper paid plan, $15 against $19
You are among people exploring
It is built for video
Pick Synthesia if

Avatar-presented video from a script, in dozens of languages.

London, GB
Avatar-presented video from a script, in dozens of languages.
It is built for video
Built for training and internal comms at scale.
Basic plan, free with no card; 1,200 credits a month for up to 10 minutes of video and 25 AI-generated assets

Pricing, simplified

The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Runwayby Runway
Synthesiaby Synthesia
Free version
Runway
Yes — Free plan availableFree forever plan with 125 one-time credits, a selection of models to test and 5GB storage
Synthesia
Yes — Free plan available200 credits a month for up to 10 minutes of video and 25 AI-generated assets
Individual plans
Runway
Standard $15 / month$12 / month (annual)
Pro $35 / month$28 / month (annual)
Max $95 / month$76 / month (annual)
Synthesia
Starter $19 / month$14 / month (annual)
Creator $89 / month$59 / month (annual)
Business plans
Runway
From $69 / user / monthFrom $55 / user / month (annual)Team
SynthesiaNot sold to teams
Enterprise
Runway
Custom pricing
Synthesia
Custom pricing
View full details
RunwayView Runway pricing
SynthesiaView Synthesia pricing
Interactive

Tell us what you use AI for

Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.

The verdict for that job
Evenly matched
Close call. Both cover video at the same level; both have a free plan you can start on; Runway is cheaper to start paying for, $15 against $19.
7 rows compared

Frequently asked questions

Is Runway or Synthesia better?

Runway is ahead on 1 of the 7 rows compared — cheapest way to pay — and it is not about how well it does the job. On fitness for the work, it and Synthesia are level. Treat this as a tiebreaker, not a recommendation. both have a free plan you can start on; Runway is cheaper to start paying for, $15 against $19. Runway: The longest-running video lab, with editing tools around the generation rather than just a prompt box. Synthesia: Avatar-presented video from a script, in dozens of languages. Built for training and internal comms at scale.

Is Runway or Synthesia cheaper?

Runway — paid plans start at $15 a month against $19 a month.

Do Runway and Synthesia both have free plans?

Yes. Runway: Free forever plan with 125 one-time credits, a selection of models to test and 5GB storage. Synthesia: Basic plan, free with no card; 1,200 credits a month for up to 10 minutes of video and 25 AI-generated assets.

What should I watch out for?

Runway: Credit-based pricing burns fast when iterating. Free tier is for evaluation, not production. Synthesia: Unmistakably synthetic presenters. Fine for compliance training, wrong for brand storytelling.

Read more

Runway

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Synthesia

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Best AI Video Tools

Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.

How we compare AI tools
Every row is generated from the same record the rest of the site is built on, so this page cannot drift from what we say elsewhere. We separate winner, tie and depends rather than forcing each category into a ranking, and we drop rows where both sides say the same thing. A pick is only called an overall pick when it leads on rows about how well the tool does the job; a lead that rests on price or audience alone is labelled as one. Nothing here is a hands-on test — how we know lists the source and date behind every deciding row.