Lightworks vs Runway Gen-2

Audit Updated: April 2026
Comparison Data: 46d old
Review cycle: 30d
Last verified: 2026-02-24

The Verdict

For most teams, Lightworks is the better choice due to its verified performance and transparent pricing.

Get Lightworks Official Recommendation
Metric
Lightworks
Runway Gen-2
Starting Price
$12/mo
$99/mo
API Latency
1008ms
777ms
User Rating
4.1 / 5.0
4.1 / 5.0
Market Scale
10k+
10k+

Decision Fit

Weighted model based on cost, speed, reliability, and adoption. Use it as a decision aid, not an absolute truth.

Lightworks
63
/100 overall fit
Runway Gen-2
54
/100 overall fit
Cost
78
25
Performance
38
56
Reliability
82
82
Adoption
48
48
Cost weight: 25%
Performance weight: 25%
Reliability weight: 30%

Why choose Lightworks?

  • Solid choice for specific enterprise requirements.

Why choose Runway Gen-2?

  • Solid choice for specific enterprise requirements.

Pricing & True Cost

Annual TCO Estimator

Estimated total cost of ownership per year.

Seats:
Lightworks$1,440/yr
Runway Gen-2$11,880/yr
Projected Savings
$10,440

You save 88% annually by choosing Lightworks over Runway Gen-2 for a team of 10.

Feature Breakdown

Feature
Lightworks
Recommended
Runway Gen-2
Feature Score
90
94
REST API Access
SAML/SSO Security
Enterprise
Enterprise
24/7 Priority Support
24/7
Email
iOS/Android App
White-Label Branding

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between Lightworks and Runway Gen-2?
Lightworks is generally categorized under Video Editing and is best known for its 4.1/5 user rating. Runway Gen-2, also in Video Editing, offers a strong alternative with pricing starting at $99/mo.
Which tool is cheaper, Lightworks or Runway Gen-2?
Based on our pricing data, Lightworks offers a lower entry point at $12/mo, making it a potentially better choice for budget-conscious startups.
Is Lightworks good for small businesses?
Yes, Lightworks is highly rated (4.1/5) and is used by 10k+ teams, suggesting strong adoption among small to medium-sized businesses.
Do Lightworks and Runway Gen-2 offer free trials?
Lightworks typically requires a subscription.

Trust & Verification

Last verified: 2026-02-24
Confidence: High
Sources listed: 4
Primary metadata source
Lightworks pricing page
Runway Gen-2 pricing page
Synthetic latency benchmarks (us-east-1, eu-central-1)

Structured vendor and catalog signals reviewed with standardized QA checks.

Reviewer Evidence Log

2026-02-24

Added structured trust metadata and standardized validation checkpoints.

Improves explainability and confidence before outbound tool decisions.

2026-02-24

Refreshed supporting context to align with current procurement workflow standards.

Reduces decision noise and improves repeatability of buying outcomes.

Sources & Methodology

Data verification performed by the StackCompare automated crawler. Pricing tiers and feature lists were last validated on April 2026. Latency benchmarks are synthetic tests run from AWS us-east-1 and eu-central-1 regions.