Kaiber vs Runway: which makes the better AI music video?
Kaiber is a creative studio whose Music Video Montage cuts generated visuals to a song and whose Beat Sync cuts your own clips to the beat. Runway is a clip generator with top-tier video models for filmmakers who cut the video themselves. Here is what each costs, how each handles the singer, and when each is the better choice. We make Reelody, a third option, and compare it alongside.
Free demo of your own song. No credit card.
The short answer
Pick Kaiber if this describes you: If you already have footage or images and want them cut to the beat with no prompting, Kaiber's Beat Sync does that. Its Canvas is a flexible space for mixing image and video models, its credits roll over and do not expire, and its entry plan is $10 a month.
Pick Runway if this does: If you want the best single shots and full control of every frame, and you are happy to cut the video yourself in an editor, Runway's models are among the strongest, and consistent characters from one reference image carry across your clips.
Pick Reelody if the video should tell a story and the singer should sing it: a cast that stays the same in every scene, more than one singer when the song is a duet, and lip-sync that holds when the singer is small in a wide shot. Every plan and the free demo render in 1080p.
| Kaiber | Runway | Reelody | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts from | Music Video Montage: your audio and a description. Beat Sync: your own images or clips cut to a track | Text or image prompts per clip; a single reference image for a consistent character. No song-to-video feature | Upload an MP3 or WAV (no link import) |
| Story | "It's a montage, not a story"; no plot or character arc | None; you plan the shots | Writes a scenario with a story arc, cast, locations and shot plan; all editable before rendering |
| Characters | One character per montage, re-rendered from 11 angles | Consistent characters from a single reference image, clip by clip | The same characters in every scene; upload your photo to be the singer |
| Lip-sync | Separate Canvas tool: one forward-facing face; up to 300 s from an image, 30 s from a video; may fail when the face is far from the camera | An "Add Dialogue" tool animates a still photo to audio, best with a front-facing face; singing is not mentioned | The singer’s mouth matches the words (lip-sync) on every line you choose, in close-ups, wide shots and duets; a dial sets choruses, verses or every line |
| Length | Montage: 1, 2 or 3 minutes | Clips; plan on 25 to 40 clips for a three-minute song | Whole songs |
| Free | No free tier; $5 for 5 days, then the Creator plan | 125 one-time credits | Three scenes of your own song, usually around 7 seconds, 1080p, watermarked, the singer’s mouth matching the words on two lines, no card |
| Paid plans | $10, $29 or $99 a month (20% off yearly): 500, 1,500 or 5,000 credits; credits roll over; Beat Sync from the $29 plan | $15 a month (Standard, 625 credits: about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5), or $12 billed yearly | $29, $59 or $99 a month: 2,900, 6,195 or 10,890 credits, up to 2, 4 or 8 full videos |
| Video models | Seedance, Minimax, Kling, Veo, Wan, FLUX | Gen-4.5 and other Runway models | Kling 3.0 Omni, Kling 2.6, Veo 3.1, Gemini Omni, Wan 2.6, Luma, MiniMax H3, or automatic |
| Formats | Montage: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 3:4, 4:3 | Per clip; the music video is assembled in your editor | 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 1:1 |
Kaiber facts from kaiber.ai, its pricing and terms, and its help center articles on Music Video Montage, Beat Sync and Lip Sync, checked September 30, 2026. Runway facts from runwayml.com and its pricing page, checked October 1, 2026. Prices change; check their sites. Reelody's column matches its pricing page.
When Kaiber is the better choice
If you already have footage or images and want them cut to the beat with no prompting, Kaiber's Beat Sync does that. Its Canvas is a flexible space for mixing image and video models, its credits roll over and do not expire, and its entry plan is $10 a month.
When Runway is the better choice
If you want the best single shots and full control of every frame, and you are happy to cut the video yourself in an editor, Runway's models are among the strongest, and consistent characters from one reference image carry across your clips.
Where Reelody fits
Reelody does one job: upload an MP3 or WAV and it hears the vocals, writes a story with a cast and locations, renders 1080p scenes and makes the singer's mouth match the words on the lines you choose, in close-ups, wide shots and duets. You can be the singer from your own photo. Plans start at $29 a month, and the free demo is three scenes of your own song with two lines synced, no card. See how the lip-sync works or the full roundup of tools by need.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kaiber or Runway better for a music video?+
Kaiber is a creative studio whose Music Video Montage cuts generated visuals to a song and whose Beat Sync cuts your own clips to the beat; Runway is a clip generator with top-tier video models for filmmakers who cut the video themselves. If you already have footage or images and want them cut to the beat with no prompting, Kaiber's Beat Sync does that. If you want the best single shots and full control of every frame, and you are happy to cut the video yourself in an editor, Runway's models are among the strongest, and consistent characters from one reference image carry across your clips.. For a story video where the singer sings across the whole song, including wide shots and duets, Reelody is a third option.
Can Kaiber and Runway lip-sync a singer?+
Kaiber: Separate Canvas tool: one forward-facing face; up to 300 s from an image, 30 s from a video; may fail when the face is far from the camera. Runway: An "Add Dialogue" tool animates a still photo to audio, best with a front-facing face; singing is not mentioned. Reelody syncs the singer on every line you choose, in close-ups, wide shots and duets.
What do Kaiber and Runway cost?+
Kaiber: $10, $29 or $99 a month (20% off yearly): 500, 1,500 or 5,000 credits; credits roll over; Beat Sync from the $29 plan. Runway: $15 a month (Standard, 625 credits: about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5), or $12 billed yearly. Reelody: $29, $59 or $99 a month: 2,900, 6,195 or 10,890 credits, up to 2, 4 or 8 full videos. Prices were read from each site on the dates below and change.
Do Kaiber and Runway have a free plan?+
Kaiber: No free tier; $5 for 5 days, then the Creator plan. Runway: 125 one-time credits. Reelody: Three scenes of your own song, usually around 7 seconds, 1080p, watermarked, the singer’s mouth matching the words on two lines, no card.
Turn your song into a story, free
Three scenes of your own song, around 7 seconds, and the singer's mouth matches the words on two lines. No credit card.
Start freeKaiber and Runway are trademarks of their owners. Reelody is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by either. All comparisons. This page: /compare/kaiber-vs-runway.