Runway vs Pika

Kling pricing · Kling vs Runway · Kling vs Pika vs Luma

Runway vs Pika compared with prices from official pricing pages (per-tool checked dates): plans, free tiers and which is better value.

Which should you pick?

Start free with Pika: only it has a real free plan; if you will pay, Pika is $5/mo ($60/yr) less on monthly billing.

Free plan, refunds, privacy and more: see what else differs ↓

Price on monthly billing: Pika $10/mo · Runway $15/mo (+$5/mo, +$60/yr)
On billed-yearly billing: Pika $8/mo · Runway $12/mo (+$4/mo, +$48/yr)
Real free plan: Runway: no · Pika: yes
Free alternative (same main job): For Runway: Pika (on this page) — Free plan: $0, credit packs only, no commercial license
ToolPick Best Value pick: Runway (for video)

Start free with Pika Paying for Runway? See your saving Open in compare builder

Rule: we only compare prices when the tools do the same main job (from what each official site says it does), and only on the same billing (monthly with monthly, billed-yearly with billed-yearly). A real free plan on only one tool comes first. Prices from official pricing pages, each with its own checked date below. No ratings or reviews. The cheaper pick comes from price alone; the Best Value label is shown separately and never replaces it — the same rule as on each tool page.

	Runway	Pika
What it is	Gen-4.5 text/image-to-video plus image and audio models in one app.	Short AI video clips from text or images.
All plans	Standard $15/mo ($12/mo billed yearly); Pro $35 ($28); Max $95 ($76)	Starter $10/mo ($8 yearly); Creator $35 ($28); Fancy $95-$880
Free tier	Free plan: one-time 125 credits	Free plan: $0, credit packs only, no commercial license
Checked	2026-11-02 · pricing page	2026-11-02 · pricing page

Beyond the price: Runway vs Pika

Free plan limits, yearly savings, student and team deals, refunds and whether your data trains their AI, side by side. Every fact is from the tool's official page, with its source and the date we read it.

What matters to you?

Tap what matters to you. We tally which tool is ahead using only the facts in the table below.

Runway vs Pika: free plan, yearly billing, student deal, team plan, refunds and data training
What you get	Runway	Pika
Free plan Free plan limits →	Yes: 125 credits, one time only Watermark: Yes, videos carry a Runway watermark Commercial use: Yes, on every plan including Freesource for Runway (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-22	Yes: 0 credits a month (buy packs) Watermark: No watermark Commercial use: No commercial licensesource for Pika (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-22
Yearly billing Monthly or yearly? →	Standard: $15/mo monthly, $12/mo billed yearly (save 20%)source for Runway (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-30	Starter: $10/mo monthly, $8/mo billed yearly (save 20%)source for Pika (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-30
Refunds and cancelling Refund rules →	Refund window: Possible within 30 days of the charge, if unused or close to unused (their call). Cancel: app.runwayml.com/settings/billing → Cancel plan → Continue to cancel plan → confirm in Stripesource for Runway (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-27	Not in our checks yet
Trains on your data? Data privacy →	Yes (no opt-out found) Runway's Terms of Use say your inputs and outputs may be used to train and improve its AI models. We found no opt-out setting on its official pages.source for Runway (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29	Not in our checks yet

“Ahead” means better on that row only, by a fixed rule: a free plan beats none; the bigger yearly saving; free student plan, then discount; the lower per-seat price on the same billing; a stated refund window, then case by case, then none; not training on your data, then opt-in, then opt-out, then no opt-out. No row is called when a tool hasn't been checked. See how we pick.

Who should pick which

Pick Runway if…

You also need image generation (from what its own site says it does).

Pick Pika if…

No clear edge in the facts we checked. Decide on price and features above.

More: best AI video tools · all video tools · cost calculator

Comparisons

FAQ

How much does Runway cost?

Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-11-02): Standard $15/mo ($12/mo billed yearly); Pro $35 ($28); Max $95 ($76).

Does Runway have a free plan?

Free plan: one-time 125 credits (checked 2026-11-02).

How much does Pika cost?

Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-11-02): Starter $10/mo ($8 yearly); Creator $35 ($28); Fancy $95-$880.

Does Pika have a free plan?

Free plan: $0, credit packs only, no commercial license (checked 2026-11-02).

What is ToolPick's best-value pick for video?

Runway: A full generative video studio, with one-time free credits to test it first.

Which should I pick, Runway or Pika?

Start free with Pika: only it has a real free plan; if you will pay, Pika is $5/mo ($60/yr) less on monthly billing (ToolPick rule using prices checked on official pricing pages).

Writing about this? Embed this price card — it updates when we re-check prices.