HeyGen vs Runway

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Data last refreshed October 2026

HeyGen

AI videos starring you, made in minutes

Freemium

80% verification coverage

Runway

Runway AI, Inc.

Building Real-World Intelligence

Freemium

80% verification coverage

Trust & Reliability

HeyGen

Uptime:99.83%Status page

Users:10M-50M

Customers (per vendor):Google, Workday, JPMorgan +7

GDPR

SOC 2

Runway

Uptime:99.99%Status page

Users:50M-100M

Customers (per vendor):Paramount, Nvidia, Miro +7

GDPR

SOC 2

Too Close to Call

HeyGen (6.2) vs Runway (6.0) — difference of 0.2 points

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

AI Comparison Summary

HeyGen

6.2

avg score

Runway

6.0

avg score

Both tools score very similarly overall — the best choice depends on your specific priorities.

Based on 6 dimensions

Scores are AI-estimated from publicly available data — not an independent test or a verified user rating. How we rank →

Too close to call — it's a tie

HeyGen

Best For

Creators and marketers testing AI video tools

Solo creators needing advanced generative AI video features

Advanced individuals creating premium content at scale

Teams and businesses requiring secure, scalable video creation

Runway

Best For

Individuals exploring AI video and image creation

Creative teams looking to scale content production

Advertising agencies creating marketing campaigns

VFX professionals reducing timelines and costs

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

HeyGen is best for

🎬Video6.4🎨Image & Design6.0🎵Audio & Voice6.0

Runway is best for

🎨Image & Design7.7🎧Customer Support7.5✍️Writing & Content7.0

Filter by your use case:

Limitations

HeyGen

Cons

Free plan is capped at 3 videos per month with videos up to 1 minute and access to Avatar IV only
Non-enterprise customers' data may be used to train models, though opt-out is available
Custom avatars require on-camera identity verification
Strict prohibitions on violent, hateful, deceptive, sexually explicit, infringing, abusive, political, or harmful content

Runway

Cons

Monthly credits on Standard and Pro plans do not roll over (Max plan rolls over for 1 month)
Minimum purchase of 1,000 credits for additional top-ups
Brand Kits are read-only via MCP, creation and editing done in product
Some advanced features like HDR video conversion are limited to Max+ plans

Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You

Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.

Quick profiles:

Ease of Use5

Customization5

Support5

Integration5

Compliance & Data Protection5

Performance5

Planning Quality5

Dimension Comparison

HeyGen

6.2

/ 10

Your pick

Runway

6.0

/ 10

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How intuitive is onboarding, UI navigation, and day-to-day usage for the target audience?

HeyGen

6.0

Runway

6.0

Customization

Calculated

How much can users tailor workflows, settings, prompts, or outputs to their needs?

HeyGen

7.0▲ +1.0

Runway

6.0

Support

How strong is the documentation, customer support, community, and learning resources?

HeyGen

7.0

Runway

8.0▲ +1.0

Integration

Calculated

How well does it connect with other tools, APIs, and workflows?

HeyGen

8.0▲ +2.0

Runway

6.0

Compliance & Data Protection

Calculated

Compliance certifications and data-protection posture, counted from ten verified signals: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR compliance, HIPAA, WCAG AA/AAA, PII redaction, licensed-only training, a published sub-processor list, a downloadable DPA, not training on user data, and a documented deletion path

HeyGen

4.0

Runway

5.0▲ +1.0

Performance

Calculated

Latency + throughput speed

HeyGen

5.0

Runway

5.0

Planning Quality

Calculated

Multi-step planning depth + replanning capability

HeyGen

—

Runway

—

Calculated = derived from structured signals (integration count, API/open-source config, compliance certs, response-time). AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

HeyGen

Task

Runway

8.0

Text To Video

9.0

8.0

Clip Duration

7.0

9.0

Visual Quality

9.0

7.0

Motion Consistency

8.0

10.0

Avatar Creation

7.0

6.0

Scene Transitions

6.0

9.0

Audio Sync

6.0

Style Control

8.0

7.0

Batch Rendering

7.0

Template Variety

5.0

6.0

Auto Editing

6.0

8.0

Subtitle Generation

3.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main differences between HeyGen and Runway?

HeyGen — "AI videos starring you, made in minutes". Runway — "Building Real-World Intelligence". The Features section on this page compares them side by side.

Who is HeyGen best for compared with Runway?

HeyGen is best for Creators and marketers testing AI video tools; and for Solo creators needing advanced generative AI video features. Runway is best for Individuals exploring AI video and image creation; and for Creative teams looking to scale content production.

How does the pricing of HeyGen compare with Runway?

HeyGen is freemium, includes a free plan, paid plans start at $29/month. Runway is freemium, includes a free plan. Always verify current pricing with the vendor.

Does HeyGen or Runway have a free plan?

HeyGen has a free plan. Runway has a free plan. Always verify current pricing with the vendor.

Do HeyGen and Runway offer an API?

HeyGen offers a public API. Runway offers a public API.

Explore Alternatives

HeyGen Alternatives

Tools similar to HeyGen

Runway Alternatives

Tools similar to Runway

Compare More AI Tools

Use our comparison tool to compare up to 5 AI tools side-by-side with AI-powered recommendations.