Review · Runway ML
Runway Gen-4 Review
8.5/10
our rating
Cinematic image and camera movement from the prompt, plus editing of finished video in Aleph.
Strengths
- +Cinematic camera movement described in the prompt (dolly, orbit, crane)
- +Strong image-to-video, animates a product photo or a still frame
- +References: the same character or product across many shots
- +Aleph 2.0: change an object, lighting, or background in a finished clip
- +No watermark from the Standard plan up
Weaknesses
- −No motion brush or camera sliders (Gen-2 and Gen-3 features, both retired)
- −Credits go fast: Gen-4.5 costs 12 credits per second
- −Weaker Polish lip-sync than Veo 3.1
- −Free plan is a one-time 125 credits, no renewal
- −Aleph 2.0 is expensive: 140 credits per 5 seconds
Pricing
Free
Free
- ·125 credits one-time
- ·Limited model access
- ·5 GB storage
Credits do not renew
Standard
$15/mo
- ·625 credits/month
- ·All video and image models
- ·No watermark
About 52 s of Gen-4.5 video
Pro
$35/mo
- ·2,250 credits/month
- ·Brand Kit, custom voice clone
- ·100 GB storage
About 3 min of Gen-4.5 video
Max
$95/mo
- ·9,500 credits/month
- ·Early access to new models
- ·Up to 3 Brand Kits
Unused credits roll over for 1 month
Best for
- →Product ads with cinematic camera movement
- →Image-to-video from product photos and stills
- →Fixes in a finished clip without regenerating (Aleph)
- →A series of shots with the same character or product (References)
Verdict
Runway Gen-4 (8.5/10): cinematic image and camera movement from the prompt, plus editing of finished video in aleph. Best choice if you need: Product ads with cinematic camera movement, Image-to-video from product photos and stills. Main competitors: Veo 3.1, Kling 3, Luma Dream Machine.
Official website
Try Runway Gen-4
https://runway.com