Hailuo AI vs Runway (2026): Which AI Tool Is Better?

Both are popular AI video generators. Here is how Hailuo AI and Runway stack up on price, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.

Hailuo AI

MiniMax's video app for MiniMax H3 and Hailuo models, plus Veo 3.1 and image models

7.8 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $14.99/mo

Pros

MiniMax H3 with up to 12 reference images and 2K output
Veo 3.1 available on paid plans
Unlimited Nano Banana / Seedream / GPT Image 1.5 images from Pro
Yearly plans cut the price by 41-47%

Cons

Monthly prices are much higher than the yearly ones
Free plan is one-time trial credits, Hailuo models only
Many clip lengths capped at 6-10 s outside H3
Plan cards still advertise Sora 2 after its retirement

Visit Hailuo AI ↗

Runway

AI video studio with Gen-4.5, Aleph editing and third-party models like Veo and Kling

8.7 /10

Pricing: Free plan, paid from $15/mo

Pros

Own Gen-4.5 and Aleph plus Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance and Wan on one credit balance
Aleph edits real footage, not only generated clips
Built-in voice, dubbing, SFX and Lyria music
MCP server, API and mobile apps
Max plan rolls credits over and exports ProRes/HDR

Cons

625 credits on Standard is under a minute of Gen-4.5
Veo 3.1 costs 320 credits per 8 s clip
Credits reset monthly on Standard and Pro
Free plan is a one-time 125 credits

Visit Runway ↗

Hailuo AI vs Runway at a glance

	Hailuo AI	Runway
Editor score	7.8 / 10	8.7 / 10
Pricing model	Freemium	Freemium
Starting price	$14.99/mo	$15/mo
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	text-to-video, minimax, reference-to-video	text-to-video, video-editing, multi-model
Model choice	Yes	Yes
Commercial use	Yes	No
No watermark (free)	No	No
API	Yes	Yes
Official MCP server	No	Yes
MCP client	No	No
Agent Skills	No	No
Brand kit	No	Yes
Teams	No	Yes
Content Credentials	No	No
Mobile app	No	Yes
20+ languages	No	No
Makes	Short-form video, Video ads & UGC, Animation & motion, Images & illustrations	Short-form video, Video ads & UGC, Animation & motion, Images & illustrations
AI models inside	6	10

Our pick

Runway edges it with a score of 8.7 versus 7.8. Runway is the better fit if you value: own gen-4.5 and aleph plus veo 3.1, kling 3.0, seedance and wan on one credit balance, aleph edits real footage, not only generated clips. Choose Hailuo AI instead if you need: minimax h3 with up to 12 reference images and 2k output, veo 3.1 available on paid plans.