Apostle

Runway Gen-4 vs HeyGen

● Last verified: April 1, 2026
Runway
8/10
vs
HeyGen
7.2/10

We have tested both Runway Gen-4 and HeyGen extensively in production. Runway scores higher overall (8.0/10 vs 7.2/10), but HeyGen may be the better choice depending on your specific needs. Runway is more affordable starting at $12/month. For quality-critical work, we reach for the higher-rated opti...

Best for quality: Runway Best for value: HeyGen Best for ease of use: HeyGen

Feature comparison

Feature Runway HeyGen
Max Resolution 4K 1080p
Max Video Length 16s N/A
Text to Video ✓ ✓
Image to Video ✓ ✗
Video to Video ✓ ✗
Native Audio ✓ ✓
Lip Sync ✓ ✓
Character Consistency ✓ ✓
Camera Control ✓ ✗
API Available ✓ ✓
Open Source ✗ ✗
Batch Processing ✓ ✓
Commercial License ✓ ✓
Quality 9.2 7
Speed 7.5 8.5
Value 6 6.5
Ease of Use 8.5 9
Overall Rating 8 7.2

Pricing comparison

Pricing Runway HeyGen
Free Tier 125 credits, watermarked 1 free credit, watermarked
Starting Price $12/mo $24/mo
Pro Tier $35/mo $72/mo
Enterprise $95/mo $180/mo
API Cost/Second $0.12 N/A
Pricing Model credits subscription

Which should you choose?

We have tested both Runway Gen-4 and HeyGen extensively in production. Runway scores higher overall (8.0/10 vs 7.2/10), but HeyGen may be the better choice depending on your specific needs. Runway is more affordable starting at $12/month. For quality-critical work, we reach for the higher-rated option. For volume production where cost matters, the more cost-effective option wins.

Key differences

  • • Runway outputs at 4K while HeyGen maxes out at 1080p

More on Runway

Runway Review Runway Pricing Runway Alternatives

More on HeyGen

HeyGen Review HeyGen Pricing HeyGen Alternatives

Frequently asked questions

Is Runway or HeyGen better for beginners?▾
Both are accessible. Runway scores 8.5/10 for ease of use, while HeyGen scores 9.0/10.
Which is cheaper, Runway or HeyGen?▾
Runway starts at free, while HeyGen starts at free. Credits do not roll over. ~25 credits per second of Gen-4 video. Enterprise tier includes priority processing.
Can I use Runway and HeyGen together?▾
Yes. Many production teams, including ours at Apostle, use multiple AI tools for different stages of a project. You might use one tool for exploration and another for final delivery.

Related comparisons

Runway Gen-4 vs Kling 2.6→Runway Gen-4 vs Veo 3.1→Runway Gen-4 vs Pika 2.2→Runway Gen-4 vs Hailuo (MiniMax)→Runway Gen-4 vs Luma Dream Machine→Runway Gen-4 vs LTX Video (Lightricks)→Runway Gen-4 vs Higgsfield→Runway Gen-4 vs Sora→

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