What is Runway Gen-4.5?
Gen-4.5 is Runway's own video model and, with the Aleph 2.0 editing model, one of the two it calls its flagships. It makes 720p clips at 24 or 25 frames a second from a text prompt, or from a prompt plus a starting image, and it does not generate sound. Runway built it for long, detailed prompts: camera moves, busy scenes and physics such as weight and flowing liquid, and it says Gen-4.5 topped the Artificial Analysis text-to-video leaderboard when it launched.
It is still Runway's newest video generation model. Runway's plans now also run outside models such as Kling 3.0 and Seedance 2.5, which add audio and longer clips.
What changed from Gen-4?
Better motion and prompt following, text-only prompts and true HDR, at a higher credit cost than Gen-4 Turbo.
- Inputs
- Gen-4.5 takes a text prompt alone or with a starting image; Gen-4 Turbo on the API needs an image.
- Quality
- Runway says motion, physics and prompt following all improved, and recommends Gen-4.5 when quality matters most.
- Cost
- Gen-4.5 uses 12 credits a second against 5 for Gen-4 Turbo, so Standard buys about 52 seconds instead of 104.
- Output
- Only Gen-4.5 renders true HDR, as wide-gamut video with HDR10 metadata rather than a converted SDR clip.
Who is Runway Gen-4.5 best for?
Runway Gen-4.5 is best for filmmakers, marketers and developers who need short, silent clips that follow a detailed prompt, with physics and camera moves that hold together.
Detailed prompts
It keeps multi-object scenes, camera moves and small details such as hair and fabric in line with a long written prompt.
Realistic motion
Collisions, weight and flowing liquids look believable, which matters for product shots and action scenes.
Post-production teams
It is the only Runway model that renders true HDR, and it exports ProRes or PNG sequences for grading in Resolve or Premiere.
Developers adding video to an app
Runway's API sells Gen-4.5 by the second with no subscription, alongside other video, image and audio models on one bill.
What's included with Runway Gen-4.5?
Text or image to video, 2 to 10 second clips, six aspect ratios, true HDR and ProRes output, and 4K upscaling on paid plans.
- Text or image to video
- Start from a prompt alone, or add an image that becomes the first frame and describe the motion.
- Clip length and frame rate
- Choose any length from 2 to 10 seconds and 24 or 25 frames a second.
- Six aspect ratios
- Image to video covers 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4 and 21:9; text to video is 16:9 only.
- True HDR output
- HDR10, HLG and 12-bit wide-gamut masters, on the Max plan and the API, where HDR adds 20 credits a second.
- ProRes and PNG sequences
- Editorial formats instead of a compressed MP4, on Max and Enterprise plans and the API, for 5 more credits a second.
- 4K upscaling
- Paid plans can upscale finished clips to 4K, with unlimited video upscaling from Pro up.
How much does Runway Gen-4.5 cost?
Runway Gen-4.5 costs $0.12 a second on Runway's API, or comes with paid Runway plans from Standard at $15 a month (about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5); it is not on the Free plan.
- Credits cost $0.01 each; Gen-4.5 uses 12 a second
- No subscription; buy credits per project
- ProRes adds 5 credits a second, HDR 20
- 625 credits a month, about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5
- All video and image models, no watermarks
- Up to 3 projects and 20GB of storage
- 2,250 credits a month, about 187 seconds of Gen-4.5
- Top-up credits, 1 brand kit and 1 custom voice
- Unlimited 4K upscaling and 100GB of storage
- 9,500 credits a month, about 791 seconds of Gen-4.5
- Unused credits roll over for one month
- HDR, ProRes and image-sequence output, 500GB of storage
Billed yearly, Standard is $12, Pro $28 and Max $76 a month. Runway's Free plan gives 125 one-time credits for a selection of models, but Gen-4.5 needs Standard or higher. Team costs $69 per seat per month ($55 billed yearly) for 2 to 9 people, with 13,800 shared credits a month for two seats; Enterprise is priced on request. Extra credits have a 1,000-credit minimum and never expire. Full pricing on runway.com. We checked these prices on .
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Runway Gen-4.5 pros and cons
Users like its motion and cinematic look, but it has no audio or end-frame control, stops at 720p, and many say rivals now look more real.
Pros
- Motion and prompt following are its strong suit: users say people and objects do what the prompt asks, and Runway built it for multi-step camera and scene directions.
- Early viewers called its footage cinematic, and it is the only Runway model with true HDR output, plus ProRes and PNG sequences for editors.
- The same Runway credits also run Kling 3.0 and, on Pro and Max, Seedance 2.5, so users switch models when Gen-4.5 misses.
Cons
- No end frame or keyframes: it takes a prompt or a first frame only, and users keep asking for start-and-end frame control.
- No sound: Runway says Gen-4.5 does not generate audio, so dialogue and effects need a second tool.
- Output stops at 720p and 10 seconds, and several users say faces and fine detail look soft next to newer models.
- Many users say their own results fall short of Runway's demos, with morphing and stiff motion, and some moved to Kling or Seedance.
What are the best Runway Gen-4.5 alternatives?
Kling 3.0 for sound and 15-second shots, Veo 3.1 for audio and 4K from an API, and Ray 3.2 for video-to-video edits at a lower price per second.
Kling 3.0FreemiumChoose it when you need sound or longer shots: it makes clips of up to 15 seconds with native audio and multi-shot scenes, and Runway's own plans include it.
Veo 3.1FreeChoose it when you want audio and sharper output from an API: it adds native sound and renders 1080p or 4K, and Veo 3.1 Fast costs $0.10 a second at 720p on the Gemini API.
Ray 3.2FreemiumChoose it when you need video-to-video edits or 1080p from one model: Luma's API charges $0.30 for a 5-second 720p clip, half Gen-4.5's rate.
Questions about Runway Gen-4.5
What is Runway Gen-4.5?
Runway Gen-4.5 is Runway's flagship video model: it turns a text prompt or a starting image into 2 to 10 second clips with realistic motion, on paid Runway plans and the Runway API.
Who is Runway Gen-4.5 for?
Runway Gen-4.5 is best for filmmakers, marketers and developers who need short, silent clips that follow a detailed prompt, with physics and camera moves that hold together.
Is Runway Gen-4.5 free?
No. Runway's Free plan gives 125 one-time credits for a selection of models, but Gen-4.5 needs the Standard plan or higher, from $15 a month. On the Runway API there is no subscription, but every second of Gen-4.5 costs $0.12.
How much does Runway Gen-4.5 cost?
Runway Gen-4.5's paid plans are Runway API at $0.12 per second of Gen-4.5 video, Standard at $15 per month, Pro at $35 per month and Max at $95 per month.
What are the best Runway Gen-4.5 alternatives?
The closest alternatives on Recaply are Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1 and Ray 3.2.
Where can I try Runway Gen-4.5?
On its official website, runwayml.com.
How many credits does a Runway Gen-4.5 video use?
Gen-4.5 uses 12 credits per second, so a 5-second clip costs 60 credits. Standard's 625 monthly credits cover about 52 seconds, Pro about 187 seconds and Max about 791 seconds. On the API, credits cost $0.01, or $0.12 per second of Gen-4.5.
Does Runway Gen-4.5 generate sound?
No. Runway says Gen-4.5 does not generate embedded audio, so you add voice, sound effects or music afterwards with Runway's audio tools, or pick a model with native audio such as Kling 3.0 or Seedance 2.5 inside Runway.
Can Runway Gen-4.5 use a start and end frame?
Only a start frame. Runway lists text to video and image to video for Gen-4.5, where your image becomes the first frame; it offers no last-frame, keyframe or video-to-video mode for this model.
Our verdict
Gen-4.5 is a good motion model for short silent shots, but it is no longer the obvious pick for most AI video.
It follows long prompts, renders believable physics and is Runway's only model with true HDR, but it stops at 720p and 10 seconds, makes no sound and takes only a first frame; many users say Kling and Seedance look more real.
- Skip it for
- Anyone who needs dialogue, sound effects or end-frame control from the same generation.
- Check first
- The same Runway credits also run Kling 3.0 and, on Pro and Max, Seedance 2.5, so test your shot on all three before choosing a plan.
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