Veo 3.1 vs Runway Gen-4.5
Veo 3.1 has the higher overall score (9.3/10 vs 8.9/10). But Runway Gen-4.5 costs 3.3x less: $1.50 per 10-second video, vs $5.00.
| Criterion | Veo 3.1 | Runway Gen-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| TopVideoAI score | 9.3/10better | 8.9/10 |
| Realism | 9.6better | 9.0 |
| Motion | 9.1better | 8.8 |
| Prompt adherence | 9.2better | 8.7 |
| Art direction | 8.9 | 9.2better |
| Price of a 10 s video | $5.00 | $1.50better |
| Published API price | $4.00 per 8 s | $0.75 per 5 s |
| Generated audio | Yesbetter | No |
| Developer | Runway | |
| Released | October 2025 | December 2025 |
Provisional scores out of 10. Public API prices checked 08/20/2026.
Choose Veo 3.1 if…
you care most about realistic light and materials and ambient sound generated with the picture.
- Realistic light and materials
- Ambient sound generated with the picture
- Very good prompt understanding
- Most expensive per second
- Short clips
Choose Runway Gen-4.5 if…
you care most about polished beauty and product shots and camera control tools in the Runway app.
- Polished beauty and product shots
- Camera control tools in the Runway app
- No native sound
- 5 s clips
Videos side by side
Examples generated by each model. Click to enlarge.
Veo 3.1
Runway Gen-4.5
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Veo 3.1 and Runway Gen-4.5?
Veo 3.1 (Google): The most photorealistic output in the ranking, especially for animals, natural light and textures. Runway Gen-4.5 (Runway): The most commercial-looking output in the ranking: skin, products and studio lighting.
Veo 3.1 or Runway Gen-4.5: which one is better?
Veo 3.1 has the higher overall score (9.3/10 vs 8.9/10). But Runway Gen-4.5 costs 3.3x less: $1.50 per 10-second video, vs $5.00.
Which is cheaper, Veo 3.1 or Runway Gen-4.5?
Runway Gen-4.5, at $1.50 per 10-second video through the API ($0.75 per 5 s), vs $5.00 for Veo 3.1.