Free Runway Alternatives
Runway’s free credits against four verified free AI video generators - Hailuo, Vidu, fal MiniMax, Leonardo - with refresh rates and watermark rules.
Runway’s free plan is a one-time pool of credits that never refreshes. The free AI video generators below refill daily or monthly instead, each with its own trade-off on resolution, watermarks, and commercial use. All rows come from the free AI video tools hub data, re-checked monthly.
| Option | What is free | Card | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Free Planbaseline | 125 free one-time credits for Runway AI video and image tools | no card | Catch: Credits are one-time and don't refresh; free access covers only a selection of models, and watermark removal is paid-only. |
| Hailuo AI Video Free Plan | Free AI video generation with a welcome credit package on signup | no card | Catch: Free downloads include a watermark, and the new-user welcome credits expire three days after being granted. |
| Vidu Free Plan | Free AI video and image creation with signup and daily login credits | no card | Catch: Exact free credit amounts are not published; subscription credits expire after 30 days and subscriptions auto-renew via Stripe. |
| fal.ai MiniMax H3 Max Free Daily Generations | Five free AI videos a day, up to 15 seconds each with audio, on fal | no card | Catch: Requires a fal account; the free allowance is sandbox use only and paid API access is needed beyond 5 generations per day. |
| Leonardo.Ai Free Plan | 150 free fast tokens a day for Leonardo.Ai image and video creation | no card | Catch: Leonardo holds the rights to images created on the free tier (you get a non-exclusive royalty-free license, including commercial use), generations are public, and daily tokens do not roll over. |
The 5 options, in detail
Runway Free Plan
125 free one-time credits for Runway AI video and image tools
- 125 one-time credits that don't expire
- No monthly credit refresh
- Only a selection of generative creative models
- 5GB asset storage
Catch: Credits are one-time and don't refresh; free access covers only a selection of models, and watermark removal is paid-only.
Hailuo AI Video Free Plan
Free AI video generation with a welcome credit package on signup
- One-time welcome package of free credits for users registered on or after June 18, 2025; one package per user
- Welcome credits expire 3 days after being granted
- Free users: up to 3 tasks in the sequential queue, 1 video at a time in parallel
- Free downloads are watermarked; watermark-free downloads require Standard plan or higher
Catch: Free downloads include a watermark, and the new-user welcome credits expire three days after being granted.
Vidu Free Plan
Free AI video and image creation with signup and daily login credits
- Sign-up bonus: trial credits on registration (amount not published)
- Daily login credits for active users (amount not published)
- Bonus credits from events/Artist Program valid 2 years; subscription credits valid 30 days
- No refunds; subscriptions auto-renew via Stripe
Catch: Exact free credit amounts are not published; subscription credits expire after 30 days and subscriptions auto-renew via Stripe.
fal.ai MiniMax H3 Max Free Daily Generations
Five free AI videos a day, up to 15 seconds each with audio, on fal
- 5 free video generations per 24 hours (rolling reset)
- Up to 15 seconds per video
- Synchronized native audio included in the same pass
- Requires fal account sign-in
Catch: Requires a fal account; the free allowance is sandbox use only and paid API access is needed beyond 5 generations per day.
Leonardo.Ai Free Plan
150 free fast tokens a day for Leonardo.Ai image and video creation
- 150 tokens/day, resetting every 24 hours
- Unused daily tokens do not roll over
- Leonardo holds rights to free-tier images; royalty-free commercial-use license granted
- Generations are public in the community feed
Catch: Leonardo holds the rights to images created on the free tier (you get a non-exclusive royalty-free license, including commercial use), generations are public, and daily tokens do not roll over.
Free forever by self-hosting
Open-source projects that do the same job on your own hardware, with no quota.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Runway free?
- Runway gives 125 one-time credits that do not expire but also never refresh; free access covers a selection of models and watermark removal is paid-only. It is in the comparison below as the baseline.
- Which free AI video generator refreshes credits?
- fal’s MiniMax H3 Max allows 5 free generations a day of up to 15 seconds with native audio, and Leonardo.Ai refreshes 150 tokens daily. Runway’s pool never refreshes.
- Can I make AI videos without a watermark for free?
- Not on most free plans. Hailuo watermarks free downloads, and Runway charges for watermark removal. Check each row’s catch before you plan a project around it.
- Can I use free AI videos commercially?
- It depends on the plan. Leonardo.Ai grants a royalty-free license that includes commercial use for free-tier output, though Leonardo keeps the rights; check each row’s catch for the others.