Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
Google Veo 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: Marketers and creators who want realistic short AI video, with sound.
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 | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Google's video model: describe a scene or upload a photo and get a short clip with sound. | 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 $32.99/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 | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 4.0Winner | 3.8 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | No | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | No | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | – | 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 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | No | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 8/ 17 | 11/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free (via Flow and Gemini) Free Trying a few clips. | Basic Free Trying it out for personal projects. | Free Free Seeing what it can do before you pay. |
Google AI ProOur pick AUD $32.99/mo Marketers who already use Google's tools. | 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. | |
Google AI Ultra From AUD $149.99/mo Heavy daily video makers. | 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. | |
Gemini API From $0.05 per second of video Developers building video into an app. | 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 | If you already pay for Google AI Pro, you have Veo; use it through Flow for the most control. Developers should start on the API with Veo 3.1 Fast at $0.10 a second and only move to the Standard model for hero shots. | 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 | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Google Veo | Kling AI | Runway |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Google Veo, Kling AI or Runway?
Kling AI scores highest overall in our ratings (Google Veo 3.8/5, Kling AI 4.0/5 and Runway 3.8/5). Google Veo is best for short realistic clips with sound and vertical video for Reels and TikTok. 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, Google Veo, Kling AI or Runway?
Google Veo: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at AUD $32.99/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.
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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