Compare · Last checked October 20, 2026
Luma vs Runway for creating and editing images
Luma has moved from Dream Machine to creative agents and its own Uni-1.1 image model, and its docs say editing "is prompt-based: describe the change in natural language", with up to 8 reference images for edits. Runway is video first but prices Gen-4 Image and Nano Banana Pro per image and edits by description. Luma's plans start at $30 a month with commercial use; Runway starts at $15, or $12 yearly, and has a free plan. Luma suits teams that want agents across media; Runway suits budget and editing plugins.
We make ImageQuarry, which is not one of these two products. We compared Luma and Runway using their own public pages, checked October 20, 2026.
Last updated October 20, 2026
At a glance
| Luma | Runway | |
|---|---|---|
| Image model | Uni-1.1, plus GPT Image, Nano Banana and Seedream priced per image | Gen-4 Image, Gen-4 Image Turbo, Nano Banana Pro |
| Editing in words | "describe the change in natural language" | Describe the change (shown for video); Agent in plain language |
| References | Up to 9 for generation, 8 for editing | Style references in Brand Kits |
| Entry plan | Plus $30 a month, or $300 a year | Standard $15 a month, or $12 billed yearly |
| Free start | Free trial credits on all plans, per Luma's info page | Free plan with 125 one-time credits |
Luma and Runway: the differences that matter
Luma documents prompt editing for stills
Luma's model guide says "Editing is prompt-based" and that uni-1 accepts up to 8 reference images for image editing, across nine aspect ratios. Runway shows editing by description on video and offers image apps such as Change Image Style and Reshoot Product.
Image utilities priced one by one at Luma
Luma lists background removal at 1 credit, reframing at 2, upscaling to 8K at 25 and layered output at 75 to 175 credits per image. Runway includes 4K upscaling from its Standard plan.
Runway costs less to start
Runway Standard is $15 a month, or $12 billed yearly, and its free plan gives 125 credits that do not expire. Luma Plus is $30 a month, and its pricing page lists no free plan.
Product status
Luma's own pages disagree: its info page calls Dream Machine "deprecated", and the old Dream Machine address now opens Luma's agents app. Runway moved from runwayml.com to runway.com and groups its products into Creative, Dev and Robotics.
Android and plugins
Runway lists iPhone and Android apps and plugins for Premiere Pro and After Effects. Luma lists an iOS app and browser access, and mentions no Android app.
Luma vs Runway, side by side
Checked against each vendor's public pages on October 20, 2026. "Not stated" means the pages we read do not say; it is not a claim that the feature is missing.
| Topic | Luma | Runway |
|---|---|---|
| Text to image | Yes, Uni-1.1 and third party models | Yes, Gen-4 Image and others |
| Background removal | 1 credit per image | Change Backdrop described for video |
| Upscaling | Up to 8K at 25 credits | 4K upscaling from Standard |
| Commercial use | Listed on Plus | Not stated on the pages read |
| Collaboration | Edit access for guest collaborators on Plus; Team workspaces on request | Not stated on the pages read |
| Platforms | Browser and iOS; API | Web, iPhone, Android, API, MCP, plugins |
As of 2026-10-20
Sources: Luma homepage; Luma app; Luma llm info; Luma pricing; Luma model; Runway homepage; Runway product; Runway pricing; Runway agent
Pricing
Prices as of October 2026, from each vendor's own pages. Credits are not comparable across products, because each vendor defines its own credit. Check the vendor for current pricing.
| Product | Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luma | Plus | $30 per month | 10,000 credits, commercial use, guest collaborator edit access |
| Luma | Pro | $90 per month | 40,000 credits |
| Luma | Ultra | $300 per month | 150,000 credits |
| Luma | Plus, Pro, Ultra (yearly) | $300, $900, $3,000 per year | Billed yearly; "Save up to 20% with yearly" |
| Luma | Team, Enterprise | Contact us | Projects, team organization, shared credits, SSO |
| Runway | Free | $0 | 125 one-time credits |
| Runway | Standard | $15 per month, billed monthly | 625 credits a month |
| Runway | Pro | $35 per month, billed monthly | 2,250 credits a month |
| Runway | Max | $95 per month, billed monthly | 9,500 credits a month |
| Runway | Standard, Pro, Max (yearly) | $12, $28, $76 per month, billed yearly | Yearly 20% off |
Prices as of 2026-10
About each product
Luma
Luma now presents itself as a creative partner whose agents "research, generate, and refine across video, image, audio, and text". Its image model is Uni-1.1, and its pricing page also offers GPT Image, Nano Banana and Seedream models per image. Editing works by describing the change, with reference images, and utilities such as background removal, reframing and 8K upscaling are priced per image. Plus, Pro and Ultra cost $30, $90 and $300 a month, with commercial use listed on Plus.
Runway
Runway, at runway.com, centers its Creative platform on video generation and editing, with images and audio in the same workspace. It prices image models per image, offers image apps for restyling and reshooting products, and runs an Agent that edits in plain language. Plans run from a free tier to Max at $95 a month, with yearly discounts and storage up to 500GB.
Which one fits your work
Choose Luma when
- You want to edit stills by describing the change
- You want commercial use stated on the entry plan
- You want image utilities such as 8K upscaling or layers
- You want agents that work across media for a team
Choose Runway when
- You want a lower monthly price or a free plan
- You need Android or editing software plugins
- You want node-based workflows
- You want 4K upscaling included in the plan
Where ImageQuarry fits
ImageQuarry is focused on images: you describe one or upload one, ask for changes in words, and keep every version together with the prompts, references and conversation that produced it. It suits people who want that history in one place. Plans are paid monthly, from $9.
Questions about Luma vs Runway
Is Luma Dream Machine still available?
Luma's info page calls Dream Machine deprecated, and the old Dream Machine address now opens Luma's agents app. Another Luma page still refers to Dream Machine as the consumer product.
Can I edit an image by describing the change in Luma?
Yes. Luma's docs say editing is prompt-based and that its model accepts up to 8 reference images for editing.
Is Runway cheaper than Luma?
Runway Standard is $15 a month, or $12 billed yearly, and it has a free plan. Luma Plus is $30 a month or $300 a year. Credits are different units on each platform.
Can I use the images commercially?
Luma lists commercial use on its Plus plan. The Runway pages read do not state commercial terms.
Which works on Android?
Runway lists an Android app. Luma lists iOS and browser access and mentions no Android app.
Sources
Every competitor fact on this page comes from the vendor's own pages, checked on the date shown. Recheck them before you buy.
Checked October 20, 2026
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