Criterion RunwaySynthesia
CategoryAI Video GeneratorsAI Video Generators
In one sentenceAI video studio offering Runway's Gen-4.5 plus partner models, with a pay-per-credit developer API.Business-focused AI video platform for training, communication and dubbing with AI avatars.
Problem it solvesFilming or animating short clips is expensive and slow; Runway generates and edits footage from text and images.Corporate training and internal videos are slow to film and update; Synthesia lets teams produce and revise them from text.
Free planYesYes
Developer APIYes — docsYes — docs
Open sourceNoNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, APIWeb, API
Pricing (summary)Free (125 one-time credits), Standard $15/mo ($12 annual), Pro $35/mo ($28 annual) and Max $95/mo ($76 annual) with 625 to 9,500 monthly credits. Enterprise is custom. The API is separate at $0.01 per credit.
Checked 2026-10-19
Free Basic plan with 10 minutes a month (watermarked). Starter is $29/month ($18 annual) and Pro $89/month ($64 annual), with credit allowances that convert to video minutes. Enterprise is custom with unlimited video minutes.
Checked 2026-10-19
Strengths
  • Clear per-second API pricing
  • Multiple frontier video models in one place
  • Max plan offers HDR/ProRes outputs
  • Credits on Max roll over one month
  • Enterprise focus and governance
  • Wide avatar library
  • Clear per-minute API rates for interactive avatars
Limitations
  • Free credits are one-time only
  • Standard and Pro credits do not roll over
  • Clip lengths are short
  • Commercial-rights terms not stated on the pricing page
  • Free plan videos are watermarked
  • Minutes are limited on Starter
  • Plan structure changed on 1 Oct 2026, so older guides are outdated
  • Legacy video API limited to Pro and Enterprise