Runway vs Pika: Which AI Video Generator Is Cheaper?

Q: Which is cheaper, Runway or Pika?

Runway's entry plan is $15/mo ($12 billed yearly) (https://runwayml.com/pricing) and Pika's is $10/mo ($8/mo billed yearly), 900 credits (https://pika.art/pricing), both monthly, as of October 11, 2026. Sisif sells clips one at a time instead: $1 a clip, no subscription, with monthly plans from $10/month.

Side by side: what Runway and Pika give you for free, what they charge to start, and whether they stamp a watermark. Sisif sits in the third column at $1 a clip.

Runway starts at $15/mo ($12 billed yearly) and Pika at $10/mo ($8/mo billed yearly), 900 credits, as of October 11, 2026. Runway does not state a free-export watermark and Pika does not settle whether free exports carry a watermark. Both sell credits on monthly plans. Sisif runs an open-weights video model, charges $1 a clip, and never adds a watermark.

Compare

$1 a clipNo watermarkNo subscriptionCredits never expire

Sisif · terms

sisif.ai · rendered on our own GPUs

Watermarknone, ever

Credit expirynever

Failed rendercredits returned

Commercial useincluded

Subscriptionnone required

Modelopen weights, our GPUs

Agentspay per clip over the API

1 × clip, 5 s, 540x960$1

Total$1

Same terms on clips, and on every monthly plan.

Runway vs Pika vs Sisif

Feature	Runway	Pika	Sisif
Free tier	Free $0, 125 one-time credits runwayml.com/pricing as of October 11, 2026	No monthly credits; packs from $25 (1,500 credits) pika.art/pricing as of October 11, 2026	None. $1 a clip, bought one at a time
Watermark on free output	Not stated runwayml.com/pricing as of October 11, 2026	Official page contradicts itself pika.art/pricing as of October 11, 2026	None
Entry paid plan	$15/mo ($12 billed yearly) runwayml.com/pricing as of October 11, 2026	$10/mo ($8/mo billed yearly), 900 credits pika.art/pricing as of October 11, 2026	$10/month (120 credits)
Cost per second	Gen-4.5: $1.44 per 5 s (Standard); $1.15 per 5 s yearly runwayml.com/pricing as of October 11, 2026	from ~$0.07/s (Wan 3.0, 720p, Starter) pika.art/pricing as of October 11, 2026	12 credits per 5 seconds at 540x960, never more per 5 seconds. 6 credits per second at 720x1280
Credits a short clip uses	Gen-4.5 = 60 credits / 5 s runwayml.com/pricing as of October 11, 2026	Wan 3.0, 720p, 5 s = 33 credits pika.art/pricing as of October 11, 2026	12 credits for 5 s at 540x960

Verdict

Pika's entry plan is $10/mo ($8/mo billed yearly) for 900 credits. It has no monthly credits; packs start at $25 for 1,500 credits. Its pricing page contradicts itself on a free-export watermark. Runway's entry plan is $15/mo ($12 billed yearly), with 125 one-time credits on the free plan, and that page does not state a watermark for the free plan. Sisif skips the subscription: $1 a clip, paid once, and no watermark on any export. Figures as of October 11, 2026.

How it works

01

Describe the clip

Write what should happen in 5 seconds: the subject, the style, the camera move. The prompt stays attached to the render, so you can see what made each clip.

02

We render it

An open-weights model on GPUs we operate turns the prompt into a 540x960 portrait clip, most of the time in 2-5 minutes. A failed render returns the credits.

03

Download and publish

One MP4, no watermark, yours to publish anywhere, commercial use included. Pay $1 for the clip; nothing recurring.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Runway or Pika?

Runway's entry plan is $15/mo ($12 billed yearly) and Pika's is $10/mo ($8/mo billed yearly), 900 credits, both monthly, as of October 11, 2026. Sisif sells clips one at a time instead: $1 a clip, no subscription, with monthly plans from $10/month.

Do Runway and Pika watermark free videos?

Runway does not state a free-export watermark. Pika does not settle whether free exports carry a watermark. Sisif never adds a watermark, on any plan.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Runway and Pika?

Sisif runs an open-weights video model and charges per clip: $1 per clip, with no subscription. Describe the clip, render it in portrait, download an MP4 with no watermark.

Explore more

The No-Watermark Pika Alternative · A pay-per-clip Pika alternative: buy one clip at a time at $1, and export with no watermark. Built on an open-weights video model.
The No-Watermark Runway Alternative · A pay-per-clip Runway alternative: buy one clip at a time at $1, and export with no watermark. Built on an open-weights video model.
Pika vs Kling: Which AI Video Generator Is Cheaper? · Side by side: what Pika and Kling give you for free, what they charge to start, and whether they stamp a watermark. Sisif sits in the third column at $1 a clip.
Runway vs Kling: Which AI Video Generator Is Cheaper? · Side by side: what Runway and Kling give you for free, what they charge to start, and whether they stamp a watermark. Sisif sits in the third column at $1 a clip.
The No-Watermark Kling Alternative · A pay-per-clip Kling alternative: buy one clip at a time at $1, and export with no watermark. Built on an open-weights video model.
Make photo dance from one picture · One step, then a turn, from a photo of a person. A silent portrait clip you can download.

Recent renders, with the prompt that made each one 5 s · 540x960 portrait

01Uncover the history of Sorrento as an ancient Roman resort on a half day walking tour of the city centre.

02“Champagne Sandbar Soirée” – Three girlfriends clink flutes on a hidden sandbar; one splashes sparkling water at the camera while the others strike carefree, swimsuit-model poses.

03“Golden-Hour Hammock Stories” – A newlywed bride lounges in a palm-strung hammock, reading a love note aloud while her partner films close-ups of her sun-kissed skin and relaxed smile.

04Sorrento Coast, drone shot, travel, holiday video, sunny day

05beach, sexy, holiday, honeymoon, chill

06A barefoot couple wrapped in a linen sheet, standing on a balcony overlooking turquoise waves at sunrise

Ready to try the no-watermark one?

Every clip is $1. No watermark, no subscription, and the credits you buy never expire.

Render a clip See pricing