Side-by-side comparison · Video & Audio
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 2 tools. Add one more if you like.
At a glance
Overview
| Attribute | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | 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 |
| Starting price | $8.80/mo ($6.99 first month) | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0Winner | 3.8 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 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 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | No | No |
| Browser extension | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | ||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | – |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No |
| AI abilities | ||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | No | No |
| Runs agents or automations | No | No |
| Learns your brand or style | – | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | – |
| Capabilities score | 11/ 17 | 9/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Basic Free Trying it out for personal projects. | Free Free Seeing what it can do before you pay. |
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. | |
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. | |
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 | 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
Pros and cons
| Attribute | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
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| Cons |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Kling AI | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Best for |
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| You'll find it used by |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Kling AI or Runway?
Kling AI scores highest overall in our ratings (Kling AI 4.0/5 and Runway 3.8/5). 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, Kling AI or Runway?
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, Kling AI or Runway?
Kling AI rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Marketers, creators and agencies who want realistic AI footage on a modest budget.
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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