Runway Gen-4 Turbo is the only model on this canvas priced per second: 8 credits each. Every other model charges per clip at fixed durations, and that difference changes the arithmetic in one specific way worth knowing.
TL;DR
- 8 credits per second. A 5-second clip is 40, a 2-second clip is 16
- Short clips are genuinely cheaper here. Nothing else lets you pay for 2 seconds
- At 5 seconds and up, flat-rate models win. Wan 3.0 at 480p is 24 for 5 seconds
- Silent. Budget a separate audio pass
- Runway's own plans are separate. These are 8frame credit prices
The per-second arithmetic
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Duration | Gen-4 Turbo | Wan 3.0 480p | Veo 3.1 Lite silent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2s | 16 | n/a | n/a |
| 3s | 24 | n/a | n/a |
| 5s | 40 | 24 | n/a |
| 8s | 64 | n/a | 33 |
Where it wins: anything under about 4 seconds, because no other model sells you a short clip. If you need a 2-second insert, 16 credits is the cheapest route on the canvas.
Where it loses: at 5 seconds it is 40 against Wan 3.0's 24, and at 8 seconds it is 64 against Veo 3.1 Lite's 33 silent. Flat-rate pricing beats per-second once you are buying a full clip.
Why short clips matter more than they sound
Generated video is cut short in practice. Inside a real edit, a generated cutaway holds for about 1.5 to 3 seconds before artefacts become visible: morphing accumulates, flicker shows, and the eye gets time to notice what is subtly wrong.
So the working pattern with flat-rate models is generate 5 seconds and use the best 1.5, discarding most of every clip. Per-second pricing lets you buy only the seconds you will keep, which for a tight edit is a real saving.
Twelve two-second inserts: 192 credits on Gen-4 Turbo against 288 on Wan 3.0 at 480p.
Where it fits
Short inserts in a cut edit. Its best use.
Fast iteration on a specific beat. Two-second tests at 16 credits.
Explicit camera controls. Runway's interface exposes camera direction more directly than prompt-only steering on most models, which matters when you know the move you want.
Where to use something else
Volume b-roll at full clip length. Wan 3.0 at 480p, 24 credits for 5 seconds.
Audio in the same pass. Veo 3.1 Lite at 54 for 8 seconds includes it.
Long takes. Base Wan 3.0 does 30 seconds for 142 credits at 480p.
Physics and product labels. Seedance 2.5 at 157.
The quality ceiling. Veo 3.1 Standard at 448.
A note on Runway's own pricing
Runway sells its own plans directly, and those are separate from the credit prices here. As of our check on 2026-09-05, their plans were Free with 125 one-time credits, Standard at $12/month annual with 625 credits a month, Pro at $28 with 2,250, and Max at $76 with 9,500 rolling over one month. Monthly billing was $15, $35 and $95. Gen-4.5 was 12 credits per second on their API and Gen-4 Turbo 5 credits per second.
There is no "Unlimited" Runway plan; that name is retired, and articles still using it are stale. We corrected that across this blog after a reader flagged it.
Check runway.com/pricing directly before relying on any of those figures, including ours.
The workflow
- Decide the cut length first. This is the whole advantage, so use it.
- Buy the seconds you will keep, plus a small margin.
- Name one camera move, in film language. One per clip.
- Plan audio separately. ElevenLabs SFX at 5 credits, or a music bed at 13 for 30 seconds on Lyria 2.
- Generate at delivery resolution, since there is no video upscaler on this canvas.
FAQ
How much does Runway Gen-4 Turbo cost on 8frame? 8 credits per second. A 5-second clip is 40.
Is it cheaper than Wan 3.0? Only under about 4 seconds. At 5 seconds Wan 3.0 at 480p is 24 against 40.
Does it generate audio? No. Budget a separate pass.
What about Runway's own plans? Separate from 8frame credits. Check runway.com/pricing directly.
Buy only the seconds you keep. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.