Runway alternative
A professional AI video suite for filmmakers and editors, with its own models (Gen-4.5, and Aleph for editing footage) plus models from other labs.
Prices checked on , from each company's own pages. Prices in this market change often, so check before you buy. See the sources
Runway at a glance
| Cheapest plan | Standard, $15 a month ($12 a month billed yearly) for 625 credits. |
|---|---|
| Free plan | 125 credits once, on a limited set of tools. Videos carry a watermark, and Gen-4.5 needs a paid plan. |
| A 5-second video | Gen-4.5: 60 credits, $1.44 on Standard. Veo 3.1 with audio: 320 credits for 8 seconds, $7.68. |
| Failed renders | Credits come back only when a generation errors. Finished videos that miss the prompt are charged. |
| Best for | Editors and filmmakers who want to change existing footage, not only generate it. |
What Runway does well
- Aleph edits existing footage from a text instruction.
- Plugins for Premiere Pro and After Effects (September 2026) and DaVinci Resolve.
- Gen-4.5 plus other labs' models, such as Kling, Seedance and Veo, in one account.
- HDR output up to 16-bit on the Max plan.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Runway if
- You edit professionally and want AI inside Premiere, After Effects or Resolve.
- You need to change existing video, not only make new clips.
- You work in a team that shares credits.
Pick Cirrela if
- You're making your first videos and want one simple screen instead of a pro suite.
- You want more than one-time free credits: Cirrela adds 5 free credits a day while your balance is low.
- You want templates that write the prompt for you.
Start from a template
All templatesEach one is a sentence with blanks for your own words. Fill them in and the studio makes the video.
Questions, answered
Is Runway free?
Runway gives 125 credits once, with a watermark and a limited set of tools. The credits don't refresh. Paid plans start at $15 a month.
How much is a 5-second Runway video?
With Gen-4.5, 60 credits, which is $1.44 on the $15 Standard plan (625 credits). Veo 3.1 with audio costs 320 credits for 8 seconds, $7.68 on Standard.
Does Runway refund bad generations?
Only generations that end in an error get their credits back. A finished video that doesn't match your prompt is charged.
What's a simpler Runway alternative?
Cirrela: write one sentence or start from a template, pick a style and a quality level, and press Create. New accounts get 60 free credits.
Sources
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