HEAD TO HEAD
Gen-4.5 vs Wan 2.6: which is worth your budget?
Gen-4.5 — Runway
Wan 2.6 — Alibaba
| Gen-4.5 | Wan 2.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| $ / second (base) | $0.25 | $0.05 |
| 10-second clip | $2.50 | $0.50 |
| 1 minute of output | $15.00 | $3.00 |
| Native audio | — | — |
| Max clip length | 10s | 10s |
Rates shown at each model's base tier, verified July 2026 from official vendor pricing pages and documentation. Vendors change prices without notice — see methodology.
The verdict
The most philosophical matchup on this site: the most polished closed platform versus the most open alternative. Runway sells certainty — benchmark-leading output, tools, support — at $0.25/s. Wan sells freedom at $0.05/s plus your own effort. Agencies billing clients need Runway's reliability. Technical teams building products on video generation need Wan's control and economics. Both are right; they're answering different questions.
Whichever you pick, apply a retake multiplier before budgeting: the model that gets your specific shot right in fewer attempts is often the cheaper one in practice, regardless of sticker price. Full tier breakdowns: Gen-4.5 pricing and Wan 2.6 pricing.
Run your own numbers. The cost calculator applies your clip length, resolution and a realistic retake buffer across every model at once.