Kling 可灵 vs Runway vs Pika vs Sora
A side-by-side look at scores, pricing and features — with RECATOOLS' ASEAN-aware verdict for each.
Kling 可灵
Kuaishou's AI video generator, with native audio, 4K output and an API
Visit
|
Runway
AI video generation and editing, from Gen-4.5 to an agent that runs ca...
Visit
|
Pika
Creative apps on Pika 2.5 and third-party video, image and audio model...
Visit
|
Sora
OpenAI's video model: app closed April 2026, API shut down September 2...
Visit
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RECATOOLS Score | 7.8 / 10 | 7.6 / 10 | 6.6 / 10 | 3.5 / 10 |
| Capability | ||||
| Value for money | ||||
| Ease of use | ||||
| ASEAN readiness | ||||
| API quality | ||||
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium | Subscription | Paid |
| Free tier | Basic plan: monthly free credits claimed on login (amount not published); no commercial use, HD/4K or watermark removal; 1 video per generation | 125 one-time credits that do not expire, 5GB storage and a selection of models to test | — | — |
| Paid from | $8.80/month (Standard, billed monthly; first month $6.99) or $79.20/year | $12/month (Standard, billed yearly; $15 monthly) for 625 credits | $10/month (Starter, 900 credits), or $8/month billed yearly | Nothing on sale: app closed 26 Apr 2026, Sora 2 API shut down 24 Sep 2026 |
| Has API | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free to use | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Users | 100M+ global registered users (60M reported Jan 2026 at CES) | ~4M registered users (≈1.2M monthly active, 2025-2026) | 500k+ users | ~9.6M lifetime app downloads; ~1M peak active users, falling under 500K by shutdown |
| Founded | 2024 | 2018 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Maker | Kuaishou Technology | Cristobal Valenzuela, Alejandro Matamala, Anastasis Germanidis | Demi Guo, Chenlin Meng | OpenAI |
| Verdict | Kling is one of the strongest commercial AI video generators: Kling 3.0 adds native audio and 4K output, motion control and an API priced per second, and Kuaishou's own results show it earning real money, above RMB 850 m... |
Runway pairs strong in-house video models, Gen-4.5 for generation and Aleph 2.0 for editing, with a broad catalogue of third-party models, an Agent, HDR and ProRes output and plugins for the main editing suites. A $315 m... |
The relaunched Pika is a credit-priced front end to many models: Video Studio, Product Shot, Color Grade and audio apps run on Pika 2.5 or on third-party models such as Seedance, and Pika says its Seedance pricing underc... |
Discontinued: the Sora app closed on 26 April 2026 and the API on 24 September 2026.There is nothing left to adopt. Sora 2 was a strong model, with synchronised audio and convincing physics, but OpenAI wound it down with... |
| Full review → | Full review → | Full review → | Full review → |
Comparisons cover up to 4 tools. Scores are RECATOOLS editorial assessments; verify current pricing on each vendor's site.