ElevenLabs vs Runway: Which AI Video & Voice Tool Is Better in 2026?
ElevenLabs
From $5Runway
From $12Quick verdict
Overall pick: Tie
Pick ElevenLabs if your work centers on hyper-realistic voiceovers, audiobooks, or game audio and you want a low flat entry price of $5. Pick Runway if you need text-to-video scene generation, automatic subtitles, and brand kits for cinematic or visual-effects work, accepting a per-seat price starting at $12. Neither tool covers avatars or screen recording, so those needs require other products.
- ElevenLabs's entry plan ($5) is 58% cheaper than Runway's ($12).
- Runway charges per user while ElevenLabs uses a flat price, so ElevenLabs gets relatively cheaper as your team grows.
- Both offer a free plan, so you can test them side by side at no cost.
- Only ElevenLabs offers: custom voice cloning & multi-speaker audio.
- Only Runway offers: text-to-video scene generation, 1-click automatic subtitles & captions, brand kits, custom fonts & media library.
Cost calculator
| Tool | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs · flat | $5.00 | $60 |
| Runway · per user | $60.00 | $720 |
Based on entry-level paid plans. Prices change, so check the vendor before you buy.
Which one should you choose?
| If you need… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Producing narrated audiobooks or game dialogue | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs supports voice cloning and is positioned for game developers and audiobooks, while Runway has no voice cloning. |
| Generating cinematic scenes from text prompts | Runway | Runway offers text-to-video scene generation; ElevenLabs does not. |
| Adding captions to finished video | Runway | Runway includes 1-click automatic subtitles and captions; ElevenLabs does not. |
| Translating spoken content with lip-sync | Tie | Both tools list automatic multilingual lip-sync translation. |
| Budgeting for a small team | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs starts at $5 on flat billing, while Runway starts at $12 per seat, so costs scale with each Runway user. |
Feature comparison: ElevenLabs vs Runway
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✅ | ✅ |
| Starting price | $5 /mo | $12 /user/mo |
| Text-to-video scene generation | — | ✅ |
| Photorealistic AI presenter avatars | — | — |
| Custom voice cloning & multi-speaker audio | ✅ | — |
| 1-click automatic subtitles & captions | — | ✅ |
| Integrated screen & webcam recorder | — | — |
| Automatic multilingual lip-sync translation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Brand kits, custom fonts & media library | — | ✅ |
| Cloud video rendering API & webhooks | ✅ | ✅ |
Highlighted rows are where the tools differ.
Pros and cons
ElevenLabs
- Voice cloning and multi-speaker audio support
- Automatic multilingual lip-sync translation
- Flat pricing starting at $5
- Cloud API and webhooks available
- No text-to-video scene generation
- No automatic subtitles or captions
- No brand kits or media library
Runway
- Text-to-video scene generation with Gen-2 and Gen-3 Alpha models
- 1-click automatic subtitles and captions
- Brand kits, custom fonts, and media library
- Cloud API and webhooks available
- No voice cloning or multi-speaker audio
- Per-seat billing starting at $12, so costs rise with each user
- No AI presenter avatars
Which tool would you pick for your stack?
Cast your vote to see real-time peer recommendations from other software buyers.
At a glance
Industry-leading AI voice generator, speech synthesis, and real-time multilingual voice cloning.
Founded 2022 · From $5 · 3/8 tracked features
Best for: game developers & audiobooks, hyper-realistic voiceovers
See ElevenLabs alternatives →Pioneering generative AI video platform powered by Gen-2 and Gen-3 Alpha models.
Founded 2018 · From $12 · 5/8 tracked features
Best for: cinematic video creators, visual effects & filmmakers
See Runway alternatives →FAQ
Is ElevenLabs cheaper than Runway?
Yes at entry: ElevenLabs starts at $5 on flat billing, while Runway starts at $12 per seat.
Which tool can generate video from text?
Runway, which offers text-to-video scene generation; ElevenLabs does not list this feature.
Do both tools offer voice cloning?
No. ElevenLabs supports custom voice cloning and multi-speaker audio; Runway does not.
Do both tools include lip-sync translation?
Yes, both list automatic multilingual lip-sync translation.
Do either offer AI presenter avatars or screen recording?
Neither tool lists photorealistic AI avatars or an integrated screen and webcam recorder.
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Data last reviewed: pending verification. All AI Video & Voice tools →