Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Runway.
Want the closest match?
Lumen5Most similar to Runway in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Lumen5 in a new tab)Need a free plan?
DaVinci ResolveHas a free plan, rated 4.5 out of 5. Runway has none.
Visit (opens DaVinci Resolve in a new tab)Want to pay less than Runway?
FilmoraFrom $4.17/mo, against from $15/mo for Runway.
Visit (opens Filmora in a new tab)Want the best rated?
Topaz Video AIRated 4.4 out of 5 in our review, against 4.4 for Runway.
Visit (opens Topaz Video AI in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Runway, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 RunwayBaseline | 4.4 | $15/mo | No | The category's pioneer for filmmakers, with traditional AI-VFX tools beyond generation | |
| Lumen5 | 4.3−0.1 | $29/mo$14 more | YesRunway has none | Turns a blog post into a marketing video, one of the category's older tools | vs Runway |
 Artlist | 4.2−0.2 | $11.99/mo$3.01 less | No | Creative platform combining royalty-free music, footage, and an AI Suite for generating video, image, and voiceover content. | vs Runway |
| Filmora | 4.4Same | $4.17/mo$10.83 less | YesRunway has none | A traditional, consumer-friendly video editor, not an AI avatar generator | vs Runway |
 Luma Dream Machine | 4.3−0.1 | $10/mo$5 less | YesRunway has none | One of the earliest widely praised consumer text-to-video models, from a 3D-capture company | vs Runway |
| DaVinci Resolve | 4.5+0.1 | $295/mo$280 more | YesRunway has none | A professional editing, color grading, visual effects, and audio suite with AI-assisted tools built by Blackmagic Design. | vs Runway |
 Visla | 4.2−0.2 | $9/mo$6 less | YesRunway has none | A storyboard-first workflow built around team collaboration and screen recordings | vs Runway |
 Cascadeur | 3.5−0.9 | Free | YesRunway has none | AutoPosing, a neural-network-powered smart rig, generates natural character poses from your input - plus AutoPhysics motion suggestions and one-click rigging. | vs Runway |
| Topaz Video AI | 4.4Same | $59/mo$44 more | No | Upscales and restores existing footage, rather than generating new video | vs Runway |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Runway.
Lumen5
4.3$29/mo
vs Runway$14 more−0.1Free plan
Turns a blog post into a marketing video, one of the category's older tools.
- Converts blog posts and articles directly into marketing video
- Automatic stock footage and text-overlay matching to key sentences
- Free tier for standard use
Long operating history specifically refining the blog-to-video workflow
More features require a paid plan
Artlist
4.2$11.99/mo
vs Runway$3.01 less−0.2
Creative platform combining royalty-free music, footage, and an AI Suite for generating video, image, and voiceover content.
- AI video, image, and voiceover generation under a shared credit system
- Royalty-free music and sound effects library built from the company's original catalog
- Stock footage library including footage up to 8K resolution
Combines licensed asset libraries with generation tools in one subscription instead of two separate services
No free trial for any plan as of 2026, unlike several AI generation competitors
Filmora
4.4$4.17/mo
vs Runway$10.83 lessSameFree plan
A traditional, consumer-friendly video editor, not an AI avatar generator.
- Traditional timeline-based video editing, not avatar or template generation
- AI-assisted background removal, captioning, and motion tracking
- Free tier for standard use, with a watermark on exports
Genuine timeline editing control over a user's own footage
Watermark-free export requires a paid plan
Luma Dream Machine
4.3$10/mo
vs Runway$5 less−0.1Free plan
One of the earliest widely praised consumer text-to-video models, from a 3D-capture company.
- Among the first widely praised consumer text-to-video models at launch
- Strong camera-motion realism informed by 3D-capture technology heritage
- Free tier for standard use
Founding-era reputation for output quality in the modern generative-video wave
More generations require a paid plan
DaVinci Resolve
4.5$295/mo
vs Runway$280 more+0.1Free plan
A professional editing, color grading, visual effects, and audio suite with AI-assisted tools built by Blackmagic Design.
- Combined editing, color grading, VFX (Fusion), and audio post (Fairlight) in one application
- Magic Mask AI-powered object isolation and tracking
- Speech-to-text transcription and text-based editing
Free version is a real professional tool, not a crippled trial, used on real productions
Steeper learning curve than consumer editors given the breadth of professional tools packed in
Visla
4.2$9/mo
vs Runway$6 less−0.2Free plan
A storyboard-first workflow built around team collaboration and screen recordings.
- Storyboard-first workflow with a reviewable plan before full production
- Direct screen-recording-to-video conversion
- Free tier for standard use
Storyboard step gives a reviewable plan before committing to full production
More features require a paid plan
Cascadeur
3.5Free
vs Runway−0.9Free plan
AutoPosing, a neural-network-powered smart rig, generates natural character poses from your input - plus AutoPhysics motion suggestions and one-click rigging.
- AutoPosing: neural-network-powered smart rig for natural character poses
- AutoPhysics generates realistic motion suggestions
- Animation Unbaking converts baked animations into editable keyframes
AI assistance targets the specific hard parts of animation (posing, physics), not full automation
Free tier explicitly disallows commercial use
Topaz Video AI
4.4$59/mo
vs Runway$44 moreSame
Upscales and restores existing footage, rather than generating new video.
- Video upscaling, frame-rate interpolation, and denoising
- Stabilization for shaky or poor-quality footage
- Hybrid local and cloud-based rendering
Enhancement and restoration focus fills a genuinely different need than generation tools
Doesn't generate new video content, a fundamentally different category than most tools here
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Runway free?
Runway does not list a free plan. Paid plans start from $15/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Runway?
DaVinci Resolve is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Filmora, Lumen5, Luma Dream Machine.
What is the cheapest alternative to Runway?
Among paid plans, Filmora has the lowest starting price (from $4.17/mo). If you need it free, start with DaVinci Resolve.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.