Runway Gen-4.5 vs Veo 3.1 Fast
Runway's Runway Gen-4.5 and Google's Veo 3.1 Fast both target video generation, but they price and behave differently. Here is the side-by-side.
Pricing checked against provider documentation on . How we verify
The short answer
Runway Gen-4.5 is the cheaper option — roughly 1.3x less on a blended workload, and it suits runway's highest-fidelity output. Veo 3.1 Fast justifies its premium when you need veo quality at a working budget.
Runway • Runway Gen-4
$0.12 / $
/ video sec (input / output)
The quality tier of the Runway line at 12 credits per second, roughly two and a half times Turbo. Worth it only where the fidelity gain is visible in the final cut — Runway's real advantage is the surrounding editorial toolset, including the Aleph video-to-video editing model, rather than the generator alone.
Google • Veo 3.1
$0.15 / $
/ video sec (input / output)
The practical default in the Veo line: native audio included, video extension and reference-image support intact, at roughly a third of the standard model's price. Supports text-to-video, image-to-video, and generation from first and last frames, with C2PA content credentials attached to output.
Input price
Veo 3.1 Fast is 25% more expensive than Runway Gen-4.5 on input tokens.
Specification comparison
| Attribute | Runway Gen-4.5 | Veo 3.1 Fast |
|---|---|---|
| Input (/ video sec) | $0.12 | $0.15 |
| Output (/ video sec) | — | — |
| Cached input | — | — |
| Context window | — | — |
| Max output | — | — |
| Native reasoning | No | No |
| Knowledge cutoff | — | — |
| Relative latency | high | medium |
| Open weights | No | No |
| API model ID | gen4.5 | veo-3.1-fast-generate-001 |
| Status | stable | stable |
Runway Gen-4.5: Billed as 12 credits per second at $0.01 per credit. No native audio on the Gen-4 family.
Veo 3.1 Fast: Audio included. Video-only routes are cheaper at roughly $0.08–$0.10/sec, and third-party resellers vary. Clips are 4, 6, or 8 seconds.
Choose Runway Gen-4.5 if…
- Final-quality client deliverables
- Video-to-video editing workflows
- Complex camera and motion direction
- Work needing an editing suite around it
Choose Veo 3.1 Fast if…
- Social and marketing clips with audio
- Image-to-video animation
- Extending existing footage
- Volume production on a budget
Frequently asked
Is Runway Gen-4.5 or Veo 3.1 Fast cheaper?
Runway Gen-4.5 is cheaper. On a blended 3:1 input-to-output workload it costs about 1.3x less than Veo 3.1 Fast.
Which has the larger context window, Runway Gen-4.5 or Veo 3.1 Fast?
Both accept up to — tokens, so context is not a differentiator here.
Should I use Runway Gen-4.5 or Veo 3.1 Fast?
Pick Runway Gen-4.5 for runway's highest-fidelity output. Pick Veo 3.1 Fast for veo quality at a working budget. If cost dominates the decision, Runway Gen-4.5 wins; if you need the capability ceiling, benchmark both on your own evals before committing.