# Langfuse vs Runway

> Langfuse: Open-source platform to trace, evaluate and improve LLM applications and agents
> Runway: AI video, image and audio creation suite with Gen-4.5, agents and an API

- Langfuse profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/langfuse
- Runway profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/runway
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/langfuse-vs-runway
- Last reviewed: November 2026

## Verdict

Langfuse is listed under Developer Tools and Runway under Image & Visual AI. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Langfuse is available on CLI. Only Runway is available on iOS and Android.

### Choose Langfuse if

- You want a tool built for production tracing and debugging of LLM apps and agents, prompt versioning, and systematic evaluation on real data.
- MIT-licensed core with free self-hosting, avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Covers tracing, prompt management and evaluation in one platform.

### 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

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

## Features

| Feature | Langfuse | Runway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tracing | Yes | Not listed |
| Evaluation | Yes | Not listed |
| Prompt Management | Yes | Not listed |
| Playground | Yes | Not listed |
| Datasets and Experiments | Yes | Not listed |
| Cost and Latency Dashboards | Yes | Not listed |
| Open-Source Self-Hosting | Yes | Not listed |
| APIs and MCP Servers | 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 | Langfuse | Runway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | No | No |
| macOS | No | No |
| iOS | No | Yes |
| Android | No | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | No |
| CLI | Yes | No |

## Langfuse strengths

- MIT-licensed core with free self-hosting, avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Covers tracing, prompt management and evaluation in one platform.
- Free Hobby tier with 50k units per month and no credit card required.
- Over 100 integrations, plus OpenTelemetry for languages without a native SDK.
- Core plan at $29/month with unlimited users.

## Langfuse limitations

- Hobby is limited to 2 users and 30 days of data access.
- SOC 2, ISO 27001 and HIPAA support start at the $199/month Pro plan, and SSO and RBAC need a $300/month add-on.
- Audit logs, SCIM and SLAs are restricted to the $2,499/month Enterprise plan.
- Usage-based unit overage adds cost for high-volume tracing.

## 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 Langfuse better than Runway?**

It depends on your workflow. Langfuse is built for production tracing and debugging of LLM apps and agents, prompt versioning, and systematic evaluation on real data. Runway is built for Text-to-video and image-to-video generation.

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

Langfuse: Open-source platform to trace, evaluate and improve LLM applications and agents. Runway: AI video, image and audio creation suite with Gen-4.5, agents and an API.

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

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

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

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