Pika vs Runway
A spec-by-spec comparison of Pika and Runway: pricing, free tier, clip length, resolution, watermark, commercial use and API access.
| Pika | Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan · from $10/mo | Free plan · from $15/mo |
| Free tier | Free account with no monthly credits; pay-as-you-go credit packs only | 125 one-time credits, limited model selection |
| Max clip length | 10s per generation (Gen-4.5) | |
| Max resolution | 4K (upscale) | |
| Watermark on free plan | No | Yes |
| Commercial use | Paid plans | All plans |
| Developer API | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
Pika is a consumer-focused AI video platform that combines its own Pika 2.5 and Pikaframes models with third-party video, image and audio models. It leans toward quick social content through apps like Swap Anything, Motion Transfer and Product Ad. It is aimed at creators and marketers who want fun, fast results, and it also runs a paid API membership for developers.
- Free plan downloads are not watermarked
- Access to all models on every plan, including Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0
- Top-up credit packs work on the Free plan and last 365 days
- Free plan includes zero monthly credits, so any generation requires buying credits
- Commercial license only on paid plans
- Plan credits do not roll over and payments are non-refundable
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 (Pika) and 2026-10-23 (Runway). See each tool page for sources.