# DeepSeek vs Runway

> DeepSeek: Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models
> Runway: AI video, image and audio creation suite with Gen-4.5, agents and an API

- DeepSeek profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/deepseek
- Runway profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/runway
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/deepseek-vs-runway
- Last reviewed: October 2026

## Verdict

DeepSeek is listed under AI Assistants and Runway under Image & Visual AI. DeepSeek scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.8 vs 8.4 out of 10). Both have a free plan or trial. Only DeepSeek is available on Windows and macOS.

### Choose DeepSeek if

- You want a tool built for Low-cost API integration.
- Web chat and mobile apps are free.
- API output costs from $0.60 per 1M tokens (Flash, off-peak), well below most frontier providers.

### Choose Runway if

- You want a tool built for Text-to-video and image-to-video generation.
- Combines video, image and audio generation and editing in one workspace.
- Offers Runway's own Gen-4.5 plus third-party models such as Seedance 2.0.

## Pricing

| | DeepSeek | Runway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | DeepSeek | Runway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| V4 model family | Yes | Not listed |
| Thinking mode | Yes | Not listed |
| Open weights | Yes | Not listed |
| OpenAI and Anthropic compatible API | Yes | Not listed |
| Tool calls and JSON output | Yes | Not listed |
| Search and Fetch APIs | Yes | Not listed |
| Agent tool integrations | Yes | Not listed |
| DeepSeek Harness | Yes | Not listed |
| Vision on Flash | Yes | Not listed |
| Gen-4.5 video model | Not listed | Yes |
| Creative Agent | Not listed | Yes |
| Multiple models | Not listed | Yes |
| Characters | Not listed | Yes |
| Aleph and Act-Two | Not listed | Yes |
| Audio tools | Not listed | Yes |
| Workflows and Recipes | Not listed | Yes |
| Runway Dev API | Not listed | Yes |
| Runway MCP | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | DeepSeek | Runway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | No |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | No |

## DeepSeek strengths

- Web chat and mobile apps are free
- API output costs from $0.60 per 1M tokens (Flash, off-peak), well below most frontier providers
- Open weights for V4 and earlier models on Hugging Face
- 1M-token context and 384K max output on both API models
- API works with both OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs and several coding agents

## DeepSeek limitations

- Peak-hour API rates are double the off-peak rates on weekday mornings UTC
- deepseek-v4-pro does not support vision input
- No image generation
- Data is processed by a company based in China, which some organizations cannot accept

## Runway strengths

- Combines video, image and audio generation and editing in one workspace
- Offers Runway's own Gen-4.5 plus third-party models such as Seedance 2.0
- Creative Agent builds videos from a conversation
- Runway Dev API with Node and Python SDKs
- Free plan with 125 credits that do not expire
- Native iOS and Android apps

## Runway limitations

- Credit-based pricing: a 5-second Gen-4.5 clip costs 60 credits, so the 625 credits on Standard cover about 10 such clips
- Standard and Pro credits do not roll over at the end of the month
- Some App Store reviewers complain about the cost of failed or unusable generations
- 4K upscaling is unlimited only on Pro and Max

## FAQ

**Is DeepSeek better than Runway?**

It depends on your workflow. DeepSeek is built for Low-cost API integration. Runway is built for Text-to-video and image-to-video generation.

**What are the key feature differences between DeepSeek and Runway?**

DeepSeek: Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models. Runway: AI video, image and audio creation suite with Gen-4.5, agents and an API.

**Does DeepSeek or Runway have a free plan?**

Yes, both do. DeepSeek is freemium and Runway is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

**Which is cheaper, DeepSeek or Runway?**

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.