Correction, 2026-10-02: the page still carried verdicts we have not measured: that Veo's reference mode helps hold a character, that Gen-4 Turbo is one of the cheaper ways to animate a still and the pick for cheap variants (Veo 3.1 Lite costs fewer credits per clip), that Runway's own Gen-4 gives "the most control", and that a Veo clip cannot be edited (on 8frame, editing models such as Gemini Omni Flash and Wan 2.7 VideoEdit take a clip you already have). Those lines now give prices, lengths, shapes and inputs instead. Runway's own facts were re-checked today: its editing model is now Aleph 2.0, and the plan lines are quoted as Runway's pricing page states them.
Correction, 2026-10-01: the summary and FAQ said Runway leads on consistency across scenes. That is Runway's own pitch for Gen-4, not something we have measured, so the page now says so.
Runway Gen-4 and Veo 3.1 are pitched at different jobs. Runway builds for consistency across shots and for editing video after it exists: it says Gen-4 can "precisely generate consistent characters, locations and objects across scenes", and that its Aleph 2.0 editing model can "edit clips up to 30 seconds long at 1080p". Veo 3.1 generates sound with the picture in one pass. We have not measured either model's quality, so this page sticks to what you can check: price per second, clip length, shapes, sound and inputs. On 8frame you can run both side by side: Runway Gen-4 Turbo image-to-video at 8 credits a second, Runway Act Two for performance transfer, and Veo 3.1 at 448 credits for 8 seconds with audio.
Correction, 2026-09-30: the first version of this page said Runway Gen-4 could not run on the 8frame canvas and treated performance transfer as Runway-subscription-only (Gen-4 Turbo and Act Two are both on 8frame). It also described a test with observed results we cannot reproduce, listed Veo 3.1 at 4K 60fps (1080p on 8frame), gave Runway 60-second continuous clips at 4K and native audio, put Veo at $2.80 per 5 seconds, and said Veo degrades past 7 seconds. None of those we can source. This version uses registry prices and Runway's own pages.
TL;DR
- Consistency across shots: Runway's pitch for Gen-4, not something we have measured. On 8frame, Veo 3.1 also has a reference mode (up to 3 images, 8 seconds); start every shot from the same still and check each one.
- Editing existing video: Runway Aleph 2.0, on Runway only. Veo does not edit or extend a clip on 8frame; other models there do (see edit an existing video with AI).
- Performance transfer: Runway Act Two, on 8frame at 8 credits per second of reference video (3 to 30 seconds).
- Sound in the same pass: Veo 3.1 (448 credits for 8 seconds with audio, 224 silent). Runway Gen-4 Turbo on 8frame has no audio setting.
- Price per 8-second clip on 8frame: Gen-4 Turbo 64 credits; Veo 3.1 Lite 33 silent or 54 with audio (720p); Veo 3.1 Fast 112 or 168; Veo 3.1 224 or 448.
Side by side on 8frame
| Runway Gen-4 Turbo | Veo 3.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 8 credits a second: 16 for 2 s, 40 for 5 s, 80 for 10 s | 8 s with audio: 448 (Veo 3.1), 168 (Fast), 54 (Lite); silent 224, 112, 33 |
| Length | 2 to 10 s | 4, 6 or 8 s; always 8 s from a start image, with a first and last frame, or in reference mode |
| Shapes | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 21:9 | 16:9 and 9:16 only |
| Output size | Runway's API lists 1280:720, 720:1280, 960:960, 1104:832, 832:1104 and 1584:672 | 1080p on Veo 3.1 and Fast, 720p on Lite |
| Sound | No audio setting | On by default; switch it off for the silent price |
| Inputs | A start image is required; the prompt is optional | Text alone, a start image, a first and last frame, or up to 3 reference images |
| A new node opens on | 5 s, 9:16: 40 credits | Veo 3.1 Fast, 8 s, sound on, 9:16: 168 credits |
Where each runs
| On 8frame | On Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-4 Turbo | Image-to-video, 2 to 10 s, 8 credits/s | 5 credits/s on the API |
| Runway Gen-4.5 | Not hosted | 12 credits/s on the API |
| Runway Act Two | 8 credits per second of reference, 3 to 30 s | 5 credits/s on the API |
| Runway Aleph 2.0 (edit video) | Not hosted | 28 credits/s on the API (56-credit minimum) |
| Veo 3.1 | 4, 6 or 8 s at 1080p; 56 credits/s with audio, 28 silent | 40 credits/s with audio, 20 without, on the API |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 4, 6 or 8 s at 1080p; 21 credits/s with audio, 14 silent | 15 credits/s with audio, 10 without, on the API |
Runway credits are $0.01 each on its developer API; an 8frame credit is $0.01 at pack rate. Per clip, going direct is cheaper: an 8-second Veo 3.1 clip with audio is 448 credits on 8frame, 320 on Runway's API and $3.20 on Google's Gemini API. Runway also runs other companies' models: its API lists Veo 3.1, Gemini Omni Flash, Seedance 2.5 and 2.0, Wan 3.0, MiniMax H3, Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and HappyHorse 1.0, and its plan cards name Kling, Nano Banana Pro and Seedance 2.5. What 8frame adds is a canvas where your shots from different models sit side by side on one board.
Test it yourself
Use one start image and run it through both on the canvas:
A barista in her 30s making a pour-over in a sunlit specialty coffee shop. Shot 1: medium shot, she grinds beans, warm window light from camera left. Shot 2: close-up on the pour, steam rising, same warm light. Shot 3: she slides the cup across the counter toward camera and smiles. Same person, same shop, same wardrobe across all three. Handheld, shallow depth of field.
Generate a still of the barista first (Gen-4 Turbo needs one: it does not take text alone), then use it as the start image for each shot on Runway Gen-4 Turbo and on Veo 3.1 (image-to-video on Veo runs 8 seconds). Pick 16:9 or 9:16 on both, since Veo offers only those two. For Veo, also try reference mode with the still as a reference.
What to check: whether her face, hair and apron hold across the three shots, whether the window light stays on camera left, how the steam moves in the close-up, and on Veo, whether the café sound fits the shot. Gen-4 Turbo at 8 seconds is 64 credits a shot; Veo 3.1 Fast silent is 112 (the Veo tool opens with sound on, at 168). Three shots on each: 528 credits, plus the still.
Strengths
Runway. Runway's own pitch is consistency and editing: Gen-4 for "consistent characters, locations and objects across scenes", Aleph 2.0 for changing a video you already have, Act Two for driving a character with a real performance. On 8frame, Gen-4 Turbo runs up to 10 seconds and offers six shapes, including 21:9, 4:3 and 1:1.
Veo 3.1. Sound with the picture in one generation; three tiers (Veo 3.1, Fast, Lite), with Lite at 27 credits for 4 seconds with audio (720p); text-only prompts; a first-and-last-frame mode at 8 seconds; and reference mode for up to 3 images.
Weaknesses
Runway. Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0 live on Runway, on a plan or its pay-per-credit API. Plans billed yearly are $12, $28 or $76 a month (Standard, Pro, Max; $15, $35 or $95 billed monthly) for 625, 2,250 or 9,500 credits a month. Runway's pricing page converts them itself: "625 credits monthly = 52s of Gen-4.5, 104s of Gen-4 Turbo, or 78 Gen-4 Images (1080p)", "2250 credits monthly = 187s of Gen-4.5, 375s of Gen-4 Turbo, or 281 Gen-4 Images (1080p)" and "9500 credits = 791s of Gen-4.5, 791s of Gen-4, 1900s of Gen-4 Turbo". The Gen-4 Turbo seconds on those lines do not follow one per-second rate, so check the rate inside Runway before you plan on them. On 8frame, Gen-4 Turbo needs a start image and generates no sound.
Veo 3.1. Clips of 4, 6 or 8 seconds, and 8 only from a start image. Two shapes, 16:9 and 9:16. Veo does not edit or extend a clip on 8frame: regenerate, or pass the clip to an editing model such as Gemini Omni Flash (clips of 3 to 10 seconds) or Wan 2.7 VideoEdit (68 credits for 5 seconds).
Best by use case
A recurring character across a sequence: start from one still and compare Runway Gen-4 Turbo with Veo 3.1 reference mode on your own shots; keep whichever holds your character.
Changing a clip you already have: Runway Aleph 2.0 on Runway, or an editing model on 8frame (Gemini Omni Flash, Wan 2.7 VideoEdit and others in edit an existing video with AI).
Driving a character with a real performance: Runway Act Two on 8frame, 8 credits per second of reference.
A shot that needs sound: of these two, Veo 3.1, since Gen-4 Turbo on 8frame has no audio setting. See how to use Veo 3.1.
A frame that is not 16:9 or 9:16: Runway Gen-4 Turbo (1:1, 4:3, 3:4 or 21:9); Veo offers only 16:9 and 9:16.
Many cheap drafts: compare credits per clip: Veo 3.1 Lite is 33 for 8 silent seconds at 720p (54 with sound), Gen-4 Turbo 40 for 5 seconds, Kling v3 Standard 57 for 5 silent seconds (it also needs a start image).
Pricing math
| Clip | On 8frame | Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-4 Turbo, 10 s | 80 | 50 Runway credits |
| Veo 3.1, 8 s with audio | 448 | 320 Runway credits; $3.20 on the Gemini API |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 8 s silent | 112 | 80 Runway credits |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 8 s with audio | 168 | 120 Runway credits; $0.96 at 1080p on the Gemini API |
| Veo 3.1 Lite, 8 s with audio (720p) | 54 | Not on Runway's API; $0.40 at 720p on the Gemini API |
| Runway Act Two, 10 s reference | 80 | 50 Runway credits |
FAQ
Is Runway Gen-4 better than Veo 3.1?
We have not measured either, so we do not name a winner. What you can check: Gen-4 Turbo on 8frame is 8 credits a second for 2 to 10 seconds from a start image, in six shapes, without sound; Veo 3.1 runs 4, 6 or 8 seconds in 16:9 or 9:16, with sound on by default, from text or an image. Runway pitches Gen-4 on consistency across scenes and edits existing video with Aleph 2.0 on its own platform. On 8frame, run Gen-4 Turbo and Veo 3.1 on the same start image and decide per shot.
Can Veo 3.1 keep a character consistent across shots?
Start every shot from the same image (image-to-video) or use Veo's reference mode with up to 3 images, then check each shot: neither mode guarantees a match.
How long can a clip be?
Runway Gen-4 Turbo: 2 to 10 seconds (the tool opens at 5 seconds, 40 credits). Veo 3.1: 4, 6 or 8 seconds, and 8 whenever you start from an image.
Which Runway models run on 8frame?
Runway Gen-4 Turbo image-to-video (2 to 10 seconds, 8 credits a second) and Runway Act Two (3 to 30 seconds of reference, 8 credits a second). Gen-4.5 and Aleph 2.0 are on Runway itself. More prompts in Runway Gen-4 prompts for cinematic shots.
Sources
- Runway, introducing Gen-4: runway.com/research/introducing-runway-gen-4, checked 2026-10-02
- Runway, Aleph 2.0 (clips up to 30 seconds at 1080p): runway.com/product/aleph-2, checked 2026-10-02
- Runway API pricing (Gen-4.5, Gen-4 Turbo, Act Two, Aleph 2.0, Veo 3.1 per second; $0.01 per credit): docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/pricing, checked 2026-10-02
- Runway API models (Gen-4 Turbo takes an image; other companies' models on Runway): docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/models, checked 2026-10-02
- Runway API reference (Gen-4 Turbo output sizes, 2 to 10 seconds): docs.dev.runwayml.com/api, checked 2026-10-02
- Runway plans (Standard, Pro, Max; credits and seconds per plan): runway.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-02
- Gemini API pricing for Veo 3.1 (page last updated 2026-10-01): ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing, checked 2026-10-02
- 8frame Runway, Veo and Kling prices, lengths, shapes, inputs and defaults: the 8frame tool registry and tool configuration, read 2026-10-02
For the wider field, see best Runway alternatives in 2026.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.