Verdict
Runway makes some of the most convincing AI clips around, and in its own January 2026 test viewers spotted Gen-4.5 fakes only 57.1% of the time. The free plan is a one-off 125 credits, Standard costs £14.99 a month in the UK app, and individual reviewers report 15 seconds of video eating half a month's credits. Inputs and outputs train its models with no opt-out, and it faces a 2026 class action over scraped YouTube videos.
Privacy note. Inputs and outputs train models with no opt-out (runway.com/terms-of-use 4.4); unresolved 2026 YouTube-scraping class action (law360.com) and EVOX photo suit (bloomberglaw.com)
Best for
Hobbyists and creators making short cinematic AI clips
Skip if
Anyone on a tight budget or unwilling to let uploads train models
Key facts
- Category
- Video making & editing
- Made by
- Runway AI, Inc.
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2023
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £14.99 a month
- Free plan
- Free plan with 125 one-time credits (not renewed) and 5GB of storage; Tom's Guide notes free output is watermarked
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (monthly) | $15 | month |
| Standard (billed annually) | $12 | month |
| Pro (monthly) | $35 | month |
| Pro (billed annually) | $28 | month |
| Max (monthly) | $95 | month |
| Max (billed annually) | $76 | month |
What it does
- generates video from text and images with models such as Gen-4.5
- generates images
- upscales video to 4K
- generates music, voice and sound effects
- edits with an AI creative assistant that works across projects
Ratings
What people say
Hobbyists who had the Unlimited plan praise how much it let them make, and some say it pays for itself on monetised channels. user threads from September 2026 complain that credits vanish fast and that 1080p and Unlimited were promised then pulled. Trustpilot (1.2 from 361) and Google Play (3.78) are far harsher than the UK App Store (4.27).
“I generated about 15 seconds and somehow used almost HALF my credits”
Individual user review, 29 September 2026 · source
“that's why i stopped using runway to be honest.”
Individual user review, 29 September 2026 · source
“I’ve been using Runway for quite a while now, and I’ve found the Unlimited subscription to be a real game changer. It has allowed me to experiment with and create so many things”
Individual user review, 12 September 2026 · source
“Literally already at 2k earned this month on my channels. Unlimited worth the full price”
Individual user review, 12 September 2026 · source
“promised 1080p then pulled it, promised unlimited then pulled it, that’s nothing to be thankful for.”
Individual user review, 12 September 2026 · source
Press reviews
- TechRadar 2026-01-21
Gen-4.5 clips were picked out correctly only 57.1% of the time in Runway's 1,000-person test, though Runway admits it still struggles with disappearing objects and cause and effect.
- TechCrunch 2026-07-23
'Runway hasn't dropped a new dedicated frontier video model in months' and its text-to-video models 'no longer lead the rankings', so it is pivoting to routing rivals' models.
- Tom's Guide 2024-08-25
Editor's Choice; 'a powerful tool for videographers and video creatives' with a good free plan to start, but a 'relatively complex user interface' and 'not cheap'.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- Yes. Terms of Use section 4.4 says 'Inputs and Outputs may be used by the Company to train and improve its AI models' for all consumer plans
- Opt-out
- No training opt-out in the Terms of Use or privacy policy; Enterprise customers are covered by separate terms
- Retention
- Kept 'only as long as necessary to provide the Service'; face scans and voiceprints deleted within three years of last interaction at most (privacy policy effective 11 May 2026)
- Incidents
- July 2024: 404 Media published a leaked spreadsheet allegedly showing Runway planned to train Gen-3 on thousands of YouTube channels (VentureBeat). Feb 2026: proposed class action in California federal court alleging YouTube scraping (Law360). July 2026: EVOX Productions sued Stability AI and Runway over 100,000 car photos used for training (Bloomberg Law). All unresolved as of 2026-10-10. No data breach or fine found in web searches.
- Age limit
- 13+ (under-18s need parental permission, Terms 2.2); UK App Store rating 4+
Official videos
- Introducing Gen-4.5 | Runway 2025-12-01
- Introducing Runway Aleph | A new way to edit, transform and generate video. 2025-07-25
FAQ
Is Runway free?
There is a free plan, but it gives 125 credits once and they are not topped up. Paid plans start at £14.99 a month in the UK App Store.
Why do Runway credits run out so fast?
Video generation is charged per second and the best models cost the most credits. A user reviews user in September 2026 said 15 seconds of video used almost half a month's Standard credits.
Does Runway use my videos to train its AI?
Yes. Its Terms of Use say inputs and outputs may be used to train its models, and there is no opt-out for consumer plans. Deleting content stops future use but cannot remove it from models already trained.
Does Runway work in the UK?
Yes. The app is on the UK App Store and Google Play in Britain, and the website works in the UK, though the web pricing page shows US dollars.
Runway vs Kling, which is better?
Both make realistic short clips and both charge by credits. Runway's own Gen-4.5 led benchmarks at its December 2025 launch, but TechCrunch reported in July 2026 that its models no longer lead the rankings; Runway now also offers rival models such as Kling inside its app.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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