HeyGen vs Runway
Which one should you try?
Pricing, capabilities and platforms side by side. Prices are as of the "Pricing checked" date in the table.
HeyGen
HeyGen addresses a real friction point: creating video content at scale without the logistics of hiring talent or renting studios. You write a script, pick an avatar (or upload your own), select a voice, and the tool generates a finished video in minutes. The core pitch is speed and repeatability for marketing teams, HR onboarding, and e-learning shops. Free tier covers basic exports; paid plans start around $25/month and unlock premium avatars, higher quality, and batch processing. The honest catch is that output still reads as synthetic—useful for internal comms or explainer videos, less so if you need to convince skeptics that a real human endorses your product.
Runway
Generate video, images and audio with Runway's creative platform, using model-dependent credits and separately priced developer API access.
| Attribute | HeyGen | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| Price | $29/mo | Free one-time credits; Standard $15/month, billed monthly |
| Pricing checked | Apr 10, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Open source | No | No |
| Has API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, API | Web, API |
| Languages | 95+ languages | — |
| Released | 2023-04 | — |
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Made up your mind?
Specs come from each tool's own site and docs (how we test). AIDiveForge is editorially independent.