Google Flow vs Runway ML
Google Flow and Runway ML side by side: what each one is, what it costs to start, and whether you can try it free. Everything below comes from the vendors' own sites and other public sources, not from hands-on testing.
At a glance
| Google Flow | Runway ML | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video & Motion | Video & Motion |
| Starting price | $4.99/mo | Free; paid plans from $12/mo (checked October 2026) |
| Free tier | Not listed | Yes |
| Profile | Read profile | Read profile |
Prices are in US dollars unless shown otherwise. Confirm the current price on the vendor's site before you buy.
Key differences
Runway ML lists a free tier and Google Flow does not.
Google Flow has the lower starting price ($4.99/mo against $12/mo for Runway ML). The cheapest plan rarely has the same limits or features, so compare plans before choosing on price.
Both are in our Video & Motion category.
About each tool
Google Flow
Google Labs tool for making video and images from prompts, metered in credits. Included with Google AI plans; AI Plus is reported at $4.99 a month, billed monthly.
Who it is for
It suits people who already subscribe to Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra and want to make short AI video clips and edits. Google requires users to be 18 or older with a verified age, in a supported region.
Strengths
- Google's credits page lists Veo 3.1 Lite, Fast and Quality video models plus Gemini Omni Flash video at 360p and 720p, with current per-generation costs viewable in Settings in the prompt box.
- Google says 1080p upscaling costs 0 credits for Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers, and 4K upscaling costs 50 credits for Ultra subscribers.
- Google says failed generations are not charged, and that credits are refunded if an "Audio Generation Failed" error occurs.
- Google lists monthly Flow credits of 200 (AI Plus), 1,000 (AI Pro), 10,000 (Ultra $100 tier) and 25,000 (Ultra $200 tier).
- Google says Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers can buy extra AI credits in supported regions (except Japan), and credits can be shared in a Google One family group.
- Google's Flow help page says all Veo, Omni and Nano Banana outputs carry an invisible SynthID watermark, and its terms say Google won't claim ownership of content you generate for some services.
Limitations
- Credits are metered per generation: Google lists a Veo 3.1 Quality video at 100 credits (8-second videos and extends), Veo 3.1 Fast at 20 (10 for Ultra), and Gemini Omni Flash video edits at 40. Google says limits can change at any time.
- Unused monthly and daily Flow credits do not roll over, and credits you buy may expire under the terms shown when you acquire them.
- Google's pages disagree on free access: the credits page says everyone gets 50 credits a day with or without a subscription (video may be unavailable around 2 PM to 5 PM UTC), while the access page says you must subscribe to Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra and ties daily credits to qualifying Workspace plans.
Runway ML
AI video and image generation and editing platform with credit-based plans. Free plan with 125 one-time credits; Standard is $12 a month billed annually ($15 monthly).
Who it is for
Creators, video editors and studios who want to make AI video and images in a browser. Higher tiers add team seats, brand kits and studio export formats, and developers can use a separate pay-per-credit API.
Strengths
- Standard and higher plans list no watermark and 4K upscaling
- Credit rates are published per model; for example, Gen-4.5 video costs 12 credits a second
- Standard, Pro, Unlimited, Max and Team can buy extra credits (minimum 1,000), and purchased credits do not expire, per the help center
- Max lists studio-grade outputs (HDR, ProRes, image sequences) and up to 500GB of storage
- Team plans share a pool of 6,900 credits per seat, and Viewers are free, per the help center
Limitations
- The Free plan is a one-time deposit of 125 credits that do not expire, with 5GB of storage, and free users cannot buy credits
- Generation is metered in credits. At 12 credits a second, a 5-second Gen-4.5 clip is 60 credits and Standard's 625 monthly credits cover about 52 seconds
- Credit rates vary widely by model. For example, Gen-4 Video Turbo is 5 a second, and Veo 3.1 is 20 a second without audio and 40 with audio
- Standard allows up to 3 projects and 5 parallel generations, and Pro allows 5 projects and 15 parallel generations
- The Unlimited plan has not been offered since 1 June 2026. The help center says legacy plans stay unchanged through 30 November 2026, then monthly subscribers move to Max at $95 a month
