Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
Google Veo vs Runway vs HeyGen
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
Google Veo
3.8Pick it if: Marketers and creators who want realistic short AI video, with sound.
Runway
3.8Pick it if: Creators, marketers and agencies who need custom footage without a shoot.
HeyGen
4.1Pick it if: Founders, marketers and trainers who need lots of on-camera video but hate filming.
Overview
| Attribute | Google Veo | Runway | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Google's video model: describe a scene or upload a photo and get a short clip with sound. | Make short AI video clips from text or images, then edit footage by describing changes. | Type a script and a lifelike presenter reads it on camera, in your voice or any language. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | AUD $32.99/mo | $15/mo | $29/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 | Runway | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.1Winner |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| FeaturesHow much it can do, 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 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Google Veo | Runway | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Makes video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | No | No | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | – | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 8/ 17 | 9/ 17 | 12/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Google Veo | Runway | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free (via Flow and Gemini) Free Trying a few clips. | Free Free Seeing what it can do before you pay. | Free Free Testing an avatar and the translation feature. |
Google AI ProOur pick AUD $32.99/mo Marketers who already use Google's tools. | Standard $15/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly Occasional clips and short social videos. | CreatorOur pick $29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly Solo founders and marketers publishing regularly. | |
Google AI Ultra From AUD $149.99/mo Heavy daily video makers. | ProOur pick $35/mo, or $28/mo billed yearly Anyone making video most weeks. | Pro From $49/mo Heavier users who want 4K and flexible usage. | |
Gemini API From $0.05 per second of video Developers building video into an app. | Max $95/mo, or $76/mo billed yearly Agencies and heavy daily users. | Business $149/mo Teams with several presenters. | |
Team and Enterprise See website Companies that need shared workspaces and security controls. | Enterprise Custom Large companies producing video across departments. | ||
| 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. | 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. | Creator covers most solo founders and marketers: no watermark, your own avatar and 30-minute videos. Move to Business only when you need SSO, more than one custom avatar or a team sharing the account. |
Key features
| Attribute | Google Veo | Runway | HeyGen |
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Pros and cons
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Google Veo | Runway | HeyGen |
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How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability. The "Visit" buttons may use affiliate links, which never affect a score.
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