HeyGen vs Runway
- ✦ Talking photo
- ✦ Avatar creation
- ✦ Voice cloning
- ✦ Gen-2 video generation
- ✦ Text to video
- ✦ Image to video
HeyGen and Runway are both AI Video Tools tools. HeyGen starts at $29/mo, Runway at $15/mo. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose HeyGen vs Runway
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
Connect talking photo to a content calendar API. Generate localized promotional videos monthly without booking talent or reserving studios.
Schedule batch API calls during off-peak hours. At $0.08 per clip versus $15-40 per photoshoot, photography spend drops 85% at scale.
Voice cloning maintains a consistent teaching tone across the entire course catalog, cutting content production cost by 75% per lesson.
Background Removal preserves subject isolation for compositing. Green screen footage that needed color grading now processes in under 2 seconds per clip.
Record a product walkthrough once, then video translation generates dubbed versions in 40+ languages. Localization drops from 6 weeks to 3 days.
Creative directors run Motion Brush workflows via team chat, adjusting trajectory and speed without re-rendering. Output posts directly to the thread for review.
Chain Text to Video prompts across scenes with Camera Controls locking consistent framing. One endpoint stitches scenes and returns a single ready-to-distribute file.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified May 30, 2026
HeyGen Plans
Free tier available
Free
FreeBest for: Ideal for testing HeyGen's core AI video capabilities before committing to a paid subscription
- ✓3 videos per month
- ✓Videos up to 1-3 minutes
- ✓720p resolution
- ✓500+ Stock Digital Twins (avatars)
- ✓3 photo avatar slots
Creator
$29/moBest for: This plan is suitable for individuals or small teams beginning their AI video journey
- ✓Unlimited Avatar III videos
- ✓Videos up to 30 minutes
- ✓1080p video export
- ✓Watermark removal
- ✓200 Premium Credits per month
Pro
$49/moBest for: Recommended for professionals needing more advanced features and higher usage limits than the Creator plan
- ✓More credits than Creator
- ✓Scales up to tiers with more credits
- ✓4K export available (in higher tiers)
- ✓10x more Premium Credits (compared to Creator)
- ✓Advanced features
Business
$149/moBest for: Designed for larger teams or businesses with significant AI video production needs
- ✓Unlimited video credits (fair use policy applies)
- ✓4K resolution
- ✓5 Custom Digital Twins (avatars)
- ✓5 cloned voices
- ✓SAML/SSO
Enterprise
Contact SalesBest for: large organizations requiring custom features, dedicated support, and tailored solutions
- ✓Custom pricing
- ✓Unlimited videos
- ✓4K resolution
- ✓Custom credit allocations
- ✓Unlimited custom avatars
Runway Plans
Free tier available
Free
FreeBest for: Ideal for individuals exploring basic AI video editing features
- ✓Basic image & audio generation
- ✓Gen-4 Turbo (Image to Video)
Standard
$15/user/moBest for: individuals or small teams needing core AI video tools
- ✓Access to all apps & workflows
- ✓Generative video (Gen-4.5, Aleph, Gen-4, Act-Two, Veo 3.1, Veo 3)
- ✓All third-party video models (Seedance 2.0, Kling 3.0 Pro)
- ✓All third-party image models
- ✓Upscale resolution & remove watermarks
Pro
$35/user/moBest for: Suited for professionals or growing teams requiring advanced features and higher usage limits
- ✓All Standard features
- ✓Custom voice creation for lip sync & text-to-speech
Unlimited
$95/user/moBest for: Designed for power users, agencies, or large teams with extensive AI video production needs
- ✓All Pro features
- ✓Explore mode with unlimited generations at relaxed rate for all models
Enterprise
Contact SalesBest for: For large organizations needing custom solutions, dedicated support, and advanced security features
- ✓API access
- ✓SSO
- ✓Team management
- ✓Dedicated support
- ✓Custom credit amounts
Capability Breakdown
7 differences found across 20 standardized features
- •Talking photo
- •Avatar creation
- •Voice cloning
- •300+ avatars
- •40+ languages
- •Video translation
- •Custom backgrounds
- •Studio avatars
- •Instant avatar
- •API access
- •Team workspace
- •Webhook integration
- •Gen-2 video generation
- •Text to video
- •Image to video
- •Video inpainting
- •Motion brush
- •Camera controls
- •Green screen
- •Background removal
- •Frame interpolation
- •Color grading
- •Audio tools
- •Collaboration
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +Real-time video translation with accurate lip-syncing
- +Custom avatar creation from a single photo or video
- +Extensive library of 300+ voices in 40+ languages
- +API access for programmatic video generation at scale
- +Generous free plan with 1 minute of credit and one instant avatar
- −Free and Creator plans include a prominent HeyGen watermark
- −Custom voice cloning requires a paid plan and can take time
- −Avatar movements can feel robotic or limited in expression
- −Credit-based system can be confusing and costly for heavy users
- −Video processing times can be slow during peak usage periods
- +Gen-2 model offers state-of-the-art text-to-video quality
- +All-in-one suite: generation, editing, and VFX tools
- +Multi Motion Brush for precise, isolated animation control
- +Generous free tier with 125 credits for initial testing
- +Advanced camera controls for cinematic shots (zoom, pan, tilt)
- −Video generation is limited to 4-second clips (extendable to 16s)
- −Inconsistent character and object continuity across scenes
- −Free and Standard plans include a prominent watermark on exports
- −Credit system can be confusing and costly for high-volume use
- −Steep learning curve for mastering advanced editing features
At a Glance
Recent Price History
HeyGen removed the "Team" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
HeyGen added a new "Business" plan at $149/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
HeyGen added a new "Pro" plan at $49/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Runway raised "Unlimited" from $76/mo to $95/mo (+25%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
Runway raised "Pro" from $28/mo to $35/mo (+25%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
Runway raised "Standard" from $12/mo to $15/mo (+25%)
Price change · May 30, 2026
HeyGen removed the "Pro" plan
Plan removed · May 21, 2026
HeyGen added a new "Enterprise" plan
Plan added · May 21, 2026
Runway added a new "Enterprise" plan
Plan added · May 21, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Comparisons
Sources & Data Trail · HeyGen
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.8/5 · 1,574 reviews
- 4.Capterra·Capterra verified reviews · 4.7/5
- 5.TrustRadius·TrustRadius verified reviews
Sources & Data Trail · Runway
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.5/5 · 18 reviews
- 4.Capterra·Capterra verified reviews · 4.4/5