HeyGen is cheaper, but covers only 5 of 11 compared capabilities
$0/mo (Free) vs Runway Standard at $15/mo — covering 45% of the 11 compared capabilities.
Cheaper. Not the same job.
Comparison scenario
Every cheaper-than claim is tied to a defined scenario — never a bare list price.
single user, monthly billing · USD · prices as observed on official pricing pages.
Standard plan at $15/mo, the cheapest paid plan.
Free: 0 USD/monthly.
Runway costs $15/mo on the Standard plan at single user, monthly billing. We found 1 assessed alternative that is cheaper in this scenario; 0 of them cover at least 75% of the 11 compared capabilities.
Capability comparison
HeyGen covers 45% of the 11 capabilities compared against Runway. ✓ native · ◐ via integration · ✗ not found.
| Capability | HeyGen | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-video | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple generation models | ↑ Pro | ✓ |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Upscaling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Watermark removal | ↑ Creator | ✓ |
| Audio generation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Image-to-video | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video-to-video | ✗ | ✓ |
| Lip sync | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voice cloning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team collaboration | ↑ Business | ✓ |
What you give up
Capabilities Runway has that HeyGen lacks.
- Multiple generation models — Choose between multiple underlying video generation models.Missing from HeyGen.
- Upscaling — Increase the resolution of generated or uploaded video.Missing from HeyGen.
- Watermark removal — Export video without the provider's watermark.Missing from HeyGen.
- Audio generation — Generate music or sound effects to accompany video.Missing from HeyGen.
- Video-to-video — Transform an existing video into a new style or version.Missing from HeyGen.
- Team collaboration — Share projects and collaborate with teammates.Missing from HeyGen.
Plans & pricing, side by side
Advertised prices in USD as observed on the official pricing pages — per-seat and transaction-fee plans are marked.
| Free | Free |
| Creator | $29/mo |
| Pro | $49/mo |
| Business | $149/mo |
| Enterprise | Contact sales |
| Free | Free |
| Standard | $15/mo |
| Pro | $35/mo |
| Max | $95/mo |
| Enterprise | Contact sales |
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Frequently asked
How much cheaper is HeyGen than Runway?
100% cheaper in our scenario (single user, monthly billing): $0/mo on Free vs $15/mo on Standard. That is $180 a year. But it covers only 5 of 11 compared capabilities, so it isn't a like-for-like replacement.
What does HeyGen lack compared with Runway?
Multiple generation models, Upscaling, Watermark removal, Audio generation, Video-to-video, Team collaboration — 6 of the 11 compared capabilities.
When were these prices checked?
Runway: 2026-10-26; HeyGen: 2026-10-29 — on the official pricing pages.
Who switched
Anonymous: no account, no email, no IP stored. Reports are shown once a switch has 3 or more and never change ranking or order — alternatives are computed from prices and capabilities only.
Sources & freshness
- https://runwayml.com (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- https://runwayml.com/pricing (official_pricing, checked 2026-10-26)
- https://runwayml.com/product (feature_page, checked 2026-10-26)
- HeyGen data last verified 2026-10-29