Imaginode vs Runway: two ways to pay for AI video
Runway bills monthly credits that expire, Imaginode bills per-cent credits that stay. An honest comparison: price per video, available models, tools, free trial.
Competitor data verified on August 13, 2026
Runway is the AI video tool of the studios: Gen-4.5, Motion Brush, Director Mode, a post-production timeline. Imaginode plays a different tune: a simple, multi-model canvas where every generation displays its price before it runs.
The most concrete difference is the lifespan of your credits. At Runway, monthly credits expire at the end of the month (rollover of one month at most on the Max plan); at Imaginode, your balance stays. A 5-second Kling 2.5 Turbo video costs 26 credits (26 cents), a Seedance 2.0 goes up to 4K, and a failure is refunded automatically.
Since 2026, Runway also hosts third-party models (Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1, Seedance): on that point, the two platforms are converging. What remains is the price, the interface and the philosophy: compare them line by line.
| Feature | Runway | Imaginode |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/month billed annually (Standard, 625 credits/month) | €13 excl. VAT/month (900 credits) or a one-off top-up from €15 with no subscription |
| Billing | Monthly credits, lost at the end of the month (1-month rollover on Max only) | Per-cent credits, non-expiring balance, price shown before every click |
| Cost of a 5 s video | 60 credits on Gen-4.5, i.e. ~10 videos/month on Standard | 26 credits (Kling 720p) up to ~330 credits (premium 4K), your choice |
| Models | Gen-4.5/Gen-4 (in-house) + recent third parties: Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1, Seedance, Nano Banana Pro | 48 multi-provider models, image + video + LLM + voice, all included in every plan |
| Free trial | 125 credits one time only (~2 Gen-4.5 videos) | 25 free credits (~25 images or one short video), no card required |
| Failed generation | Refunds are not systematic | Credits refunded automatically |
| Interface | Post-production suite (timeline, Motion Brush, Director Mode) | Node-based canvas: text, image, video, camera and references wired together |
Runway prices collected on August 13, 2026 from runway.com/pricing ("billed yearly" rates, in US dollars excluding taxes; monthly billing is more expensive). Check the official site.
When to choose Runway
- You do post-production: Motion Brush, Director Mode and the timeline have no equivalent on our side.
- You work in a studio with professional API and pipeline needs.
- The Gen-4.5 look is exactly what your art direction expects.
When to choose Imaginode
- You refuse to lose your credits every month: here the balance stays.
- You want the same Kling or Seedance, but paid 26 cents per test video rather than a flat fee.
- You build shots with camera direction, recurring characters and moodboards on a single canvas.
- You are just getting started: the interface takes two minutes to learn and the AI assistant wires workflows for you.
- You create from a phone: the canvas is designed for mobile.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't Runway more complete for video?
For post-production, yes. For pure generation, both give access to the same model families (Kling, Seedance, Veo); Imaginode adds the choice of provider at the best price and automatic refunds on failure.
Do my credits expire at Imaginode?
No. Purchased or monthly credits are added to your balance and stay there. At Runway, unused monthly credits are lost (except for a one-month rollover on Max).
What is the real price of a 5-second video?
At Imaginode: 26 credits on Kling 720p, ~48 on Seedance 2.0 Fast, up to ~330 on premium 4K. At Runway: 60 credits on Gen-4.5, out of a monthly allowance that expires.
Sources
Judge for yourself: 25 free credits
Try Imaginode