Runway Gen-4.5 review
The cheapest of the three and the best value per dollar, with some standout shots. It finished #3 overall (6.9) because of more artifacts and no audio.
#3 of 3 video models
$0.12/s
| adherence | 6.9 (best of 3: 7.4) |
|---|---|
| motion | 6.7 (best of 3: 6.8) |
| quality | 7.5 (best of 3: 7.8) |
| artifacts | 6.5 (best of 3: 7.1) |
Good
- Cheapest: $0.12/s ($0.48 a clip) and the most score per dollar
- Best milk pour (8.25) and the only true camera pull-back in the dragon reveal
- Fast: about 1 minute per clip
Not so good
- No native audio
- Most artifacts of the three (6.5 average); the cyberpunk drone shot warped
- Missed the frisbee catch and the wok flip
Best for: Silent b-roll, cinematic camera moves and high-volume work where cost per clip matters. Try Runway ↗
Its best outputs
adherence 8motion 8quality 9artifacts 8
Beautiful swirl in a mug; angled rather than top-down.
Prompt 6: Milk into coffee
adherence 8motion 8quality 8artifacts 7
Smooth rotation on pedestal; shoe cropped at frame edges.
Prompt 9: Sneaker product spin (9:16)
Its weakest outputs
adherence 5motion 6quality 7artifacts 6
Dog already has the frisbee; no mid-air catch; ends sitting.
Prompt 2: Dog catches frisbee
adherence 7motion 6quality 6artifacts 6
Paper rises and flies but folds look odd; grainy.
Prompt 8: Origami crane takes flight
All 11 scores
| Prompt | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Café laugh in the rain | 7.3 | Medium-wide café scene with a second person; not a close-up; natural motion. |
| Dog catches frisbee | 6.0 | Dog already has the frisbee; no mid-air catch; ends sitting. |
| Flaming wok | 7.0 | Wide kitchen shot with a flame burst; no visible vegetable flipping. |
| Cyberpunk drone shot | 6.3 | Neon city with flying cars but scene warps/jumps; little visible rain. |
| Park bench dialogue | 6.5 | Wide shot on bench, mostly smiling; little visible dialogue. |
| Milk into coffee | 8.3 | Beautiful swirl in a mug; angled rather than top-down. |
| Kickflip down stairs | 6.8 | Board flips, landing on flat ground; stairs barely part of the trick. |
| Origami crane takes flight | 6.3 | Paper rises and flies but folds look odd; grainy. |
| Sneaker product spin (9:16) | 7.8 | Smooth rotation on pedestal; shoe cropped at frame edges. |
| Knight & dragon reveal | 7.3 | Knight walks toward camera, camera pulls back, dragon reveal; dragon a bit cartoonish. |
| Concert crowd & confetti | 6.8 | Hands up, smoke cannons, singer; no confetti visible. |
Compare: Kling vs RunwayRunway vs Google Veo · Best AI video generator · Cheapest
FAQ
Is Runway Gen-4.5 good?
The cheapest of the three and the best value per dollar, with some standout shots. It finished #3 overall (6.9) because of more artifacts and no audio. October 2026 score: 6.9/10 across 11 identical prompts.
How much does Runway Gen-4.5 cost?
$0.12 per second through the Runway Dev API, so $0.48 for the 4-second 720p clips we tested. App plan: Standard plan $15/mo.
How long does Runway Gen-4.5 take to generate?
An average of about 69 seconds per 4-second clip in our test, including queue time.
What is Runway Gen-4.5 bad at?
No native audio. Most artifacts of the three (6.5 average); the cyberpunk drone shot warped. Missed the frisbee catch and the wok flip.