Luma Dream Machine vs Runway
A spec-by-spec comparison of Luma Dream Machine and Runway: pricing, free tier, clip length, resolution, watermark, commercial use and API access.
| Luma Dream Machine | Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | from $30/mo | Free plan · from $15/mo |
| Free tier | 125 one-time credits, limited model selection | |
| Max clip length | 10s per generation (Ray3.2) | 10s per generation (Gen-4.5) |
| Max resolution | 1080p native (HDR/EXR); 4K via upscale or partner models | 4K (upscale) |
| Watermark on free plan | Yes | |
| Commercial use | All plans | All plans |
| Developer API | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
Dream Machine is Luma AI's creative app built around its Ray3 family of video models, which can output HDR and EXR footage for post-production. The same credit balance also covers partner models such as Seedance and Kling, plus reframing, extending and upscaling tools. It fits filmmakers and studios who care about color-grade-ready footage; there is no free plan.
- Ray3 models can render HDR and EXR output for grading workflows
- Cheap draft mode (e.g. 20 credits per 5s on Ray3.2) for iterating
- Commercial use included from the entry Plus plan
- No free plan; cheapest plan is $30/month
- 1080p Ray3.2 generations are expensive (400 credits per 5s)
- Team features and SSO require contacting sales
Runway is a browser and mobile creative suite centered on its in-house Gen-4.5 video model, with partner models such as Seedance, Kling and Nano Banana available on the same credit balance. It covers text-to-video, image-to-video, video editing (Aleph), audio and upscaling in one workspace. It suits filmmakers, agencies and creators who want several frontier models plus a developer API under one account.
- Hosts Gen-4.5 plus partner models (Seedance, Kling, Nano Banana) on one credit pool
- Pro and Max plans include an Unlimited mode for supported models
- Separate developer API with per-second pricing ($0.12/s for Gen-4.5)
- Free credits are one-time only and do not renew
- Standard's 625 credits equal only about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 per month
- Monthly credits on Standard and Pro do not roll over
Specs last verified 2026-10-23 (Luma Dream Machine) and 2026-10-23 (Runway). See each tool page for sources.