Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
HeyGen 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: Founders, marketers and trainers who need lots of on-camera video but hate filming.
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 | HeyGen | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | Type a script and a lifelike presenter reads it on camera, in your voice or any language. | 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 | $29/mo | $8.80/mo ($6.99 first month) | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | HeyGen | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.1Winner | 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 the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 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. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | HeyGen | 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 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | 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 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | No | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 12/ 17 | 11/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | HeyGen | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Testing an avatar and the translation feature. | Basic Free Trying it out for personal projects. | Free Free Seeing what it can do before you pay. |
CreatorOur pick $29/mo, or $24/mo billed yearly Solo founders and marketers publishing regularly. | 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. | |
Pro From $49/mo Heavier users who want 4K and flexible usage. | 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. | |
Business $149/mo Teams with several presenters. | 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. | |
Enterprise Custom Large companies producing video across departments. | 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 | 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. | 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 | HeyGen | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standout features |
|
|
|
Pros and cons
| Attribute | HeyGen | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
Who each one is for
| Attribute | HeyGen | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for |
|
|
|
| You'll find it used by |
|
|
|
Questions people ask
Which is better, HeyGen, Kling AI or Runway?
HeyGen scores highest overall in our ratings (HeyGen 4.1/5, Kling AI 4.0/5 and Runway 3.8/5). HeyGen is best for explainer and product videos and translating your videos. 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, HeyGen, Kling AI or Runway?
HeyGen: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $29/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, HeyGen, Kling AI or Runway?
HeyGen rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Founders, marketers and trainers who need lots of on-camera video but hate filming.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
Swap in another tool
More tools from Video & Audio in the library.
