Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
CapCut vs Kling AI vs Runway
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Anyone making short social videos who wants a capable editor without a steep learning curve.
Pick it if: Marketers, creators and agencies who want realistic AI footage on a modest budget.
Pick it if: Creators, marketers and agencies who need custom footage without a shoot.
Overview
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Free phone and desktop editor for TikToks and Reels, with auto captions and templates. | Make realistic AI video clips up to 30 seconds, with sound, from a prompt or a photo. | Make short AI video clips from text or images, then edit footage by describing changes. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | AUD $37.99/mo | $8.80/mo ($6.99 first month) | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | No | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | – | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | – |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 11/ 17 | 11/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Most everyday social editing. | Basic Free Trying it out for personal projects. | Free Free Seeing what it can do before you pay. |
ProOur pick AUD $37.99/mo, or AUD $299.99/yr Anyone posting several times a week. | Standard $8.80/mo ($6.99 first month), or $6.60/mo billed yearly Occasional clips for social. | Standard $15/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly Occasional clips and short social videos. | |
Ultra AUD $111.99/mo, or AUD $1,299.99/yr Heavy users of CapCut's AI video and image generation. | ProOur pick $32.56/mo ($25.99 first month), or $24.42/mo billed yearly Anyone making video most weeks. | ProOur pick $35/mo, or $28/mo billed yearly Anyone making video most weeks. | |
Teams From AUD $18/seat/mo Small teams sharing templates and a brand kit. | Premier From $80.96/mo, or $60.72/mo billed yearly Agencies and heavy users. | Max $95/mo, or $76/mo billed yearly Agencies and heavy daily users. | |
Ultra $159.99/mo, or about $119/mo billed yearly Studios making video every day. | Team and Enterprise See website Companies that need shared workspaces and security controls. | ||
Team and API Team from $79/seat/mo (3 to 15 seats); API pay per second Businesses sharing credits or building Kling into their own tools. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Stay on Free until a template or effect you need turns out to be Pro-only. When that happens, take Pro on the yearly plan. Ultra's extra AI credits only matter if you generate a lot of AI video or images inside CapCut. | Test on the free credits, then take Pro if you make video every week. Standard's 660 credits go quickly once you start redoing clips. Paying yearly saves about a third, but only commit once you know you'll keep using it, because cancelling is the most common complaint. | Use the free credits to learn what prompts work, then go straight to Pro. Standard sounds cheap, but 625 credits is only a few minutes of good video a month and you'll spend more topping up than you saved. |
Key features
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | CapCut | Kling AI | Runway |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, CapCut, Kling AI or Runway?
They tie on our overall rating (CapCut 4.0/5, Kling AI 4.0/5 and Runway 3.8/5). CapCut is best for TikToks, Reels and Shorts and automatic captions. Kling AI is best for realistic product and lifestyle clips and longer single shots up to 30 seconds. Runway is best for B-roll and product clips and editing existing footage with a prompt.
Which is cheaper, CapCut, Kling AI or Runway?
CapCut: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at AUD $37.99/mo. Kling AI: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8.80/mo ($6.99 first month). Runway: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $15/mo.
Which is easier to use, CapCut, Kling AI or Runway?
CapCut rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone making short social videos who wants a capable editor without a steep learning curve.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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