Disclosure: ElevenLabs, Runway, Descript, Synthesia and Meshy links are affiliate links (marked). If you sign up through them I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t affect what I recommend, and there are no paid placements, ever. Prices change often, so always confirm on the official site.
Both are well-known AI video tools, but they make completely different kinds of video. Synthesia puts an AI presenter on screen to read your script for training, onboarding or product explainers. Runway generates cinematic video clips and b-roll from a text prompt or an image.
| Synthesia (affiliate link) | Runway (affiliate link) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it makes | Presenter-style talking-avatar videos from a script | Short cinematic video clips from text or images |
| Free plan | Basic plan: 500 credits/mo + first 10 video minutes included | One-time 125 credits (never refills) |
| Free plan catch | Videos are watermarked and share by link only (no MP4 downloads) | Video uses credits fast, and free exports are watermarked |
| Entry paid plan | Starter $19/mo monthly ($14/mo annual; $9 first month promo) | Standard $15/mo monthly ($12/mo annual) |
| Best for | HR, training, internal how-tos and multilingual explainers | Filmmakers, marketers and creators making b-roll or visual scenes |
Pick Synthesia if…
- You have a written script and want a clean presenter on screen reading it without setting up a camera, lights or microphone.
- You need to update training or product videos often, or translate the same explainer into several languages.
Pick Runway if…
- You want AI to generate visual scenes, b-roll or motion from a still image or a text prompt.
- You’re assembling a creative video, ad or short film in an editor and need shots you couldn’t film yourself.
Facts above come from synthesia.io/pricing and runwayml.com/pricing (checked Oct 27, 2026). The “pick if” notes are my opinion.
Where they really differ
Synthesia is built like a slide deck with an AI speaker. You type what the presenter should say, pick an avatar and layout, and generate a finished explainer video. In October 2026 Synthesia lowered its Starter plan to $19/mo billed monthly ($14/mo billed yearly, with a $9 first-month offer on Deals). Its free Basic plan gives you 500 monthly credits plus your first 10 minutes of video, though free videos carry a watermark and share by link rather than MP4 download.
Runway is a creative studio for generating short video clips. You don’t type a five-minute training script into Runway; you generate a five- or ten-second shot, then another, and cut them together. Its free plan gives you 125 credits once, and they never refill, so plan your prompt before you hit generate. Standard starts at $15/mo ($12/mo billed annually).
What if you recorded yourself on camera and just want to cut out mistakes and filler words? Neither of these is the right tool—use Descript instead. And if you only need a natural voiceover without a face on screen, ElevenLabs is cheaper and more natural.