Pika vs Runway

Pika is a creative platform for generating and editing video, images, audio, speech, sound effects, music and soundtracks. Its video tools include text-to-video and image-to-video generation, video extension, color grading and soundtrack features; Video Studio can create clips up to 30 seconds long at resolutions up to 4K. Other tools cover image editing, character and image studios, and product shots. Pika is available on web and iOS, with API access. The free plan includes all models, two video generations, and two image and audio generations in parallel, with no watermark. It has no monthly credits and is limited to credit packs; commercial licensing, priority queue and early access to new models are excluded. Paid annual pricing starts at $8 a month, while monthly Starter costs $10 a month. Yearly billing saves 20% against monthly pricing. Monthly plan credits do not roll over, and top-up credits expire after 365 days. Plans can be canceled anytime, remain active through the billing period and are non-refundable. Pika serves ad creatives, editors, marketers and filmmakers.

Runway is an API-based video-generation service offering text-to-video, image-to-video, and AI avatars. Commercial use is supported, with maximum output resolution listed as 4k and maximum video length shown as 0.25. A Free plan lasts forever and includes 125 one-time credits and 5 GB storage. Standard costs $12.00 per month when billed annually, with 625 credits per month, up to three projects, and 20 GB storage. Pro is $28.00 per month billed annually and includes 2,250 monthly credits, up to five projects, and 100 GB storage. Max is $76.00 per month billed annually, with 9,500 monthly credits, up to ten projects, and 500 GB storage. The paid plans list annual savings of $36, $84, and $228 respectively. The pricing summary describes paid access as starting at $12/mo (annual). API access and commercial use are listed capabilities, and the service uses freemium pricing.