Free AI video in 2026: Runway's free plan only covers one video

If you want to make a short AI video without paying, you should read the fine print. Free usually means a small trial, not unlimited use.

Runway: Free, but only a taste

Runway is one of the best-known tools for making video with artificial intelligence. The free plan gives 125 credits, and they are given once. According to one review, that covers about one video. Exported videos also get a watermark.

The paid plans start at $12 a month (Standard). Pro costs $28, and Unlimited costs $76 a month.

The alternatives

Several names keep coming up in comparisons of Runway alternatives:

- Kling AI: Has a free plan and gets the highest rating among the alternatives in one comparison (4.0 out of 5). - Luma Dream Machine: Mentioned among the best free tools for turning an image into a video. - Pika: The free plan gives about 10 videos a day. They are at most 3 seconds long and have a watermark. Longer videos and watermark-free export require payment. - Upsampler: Here the free version requires no account and has no watermark. The clips are 2 to 5 seconds long and in low resolution (480p to 512p). There is a daily limit, and higher resolution requires a subscription.

Note that the information comes from comparison sites and from the services' own descriptions. Prices and limits change often, so always check the service's own site.

What does it mean for you?

Free AI video is fine for trying out the technology or making short clips for fun. For professional use, such as in marketing, you will usually run into watermarks, short clips and low resolution.

So check three things before choosing a tool: whether there is a watermark, how long the clips can be, and whether the credits renew every day or are only given once.