HEAD TO HEAD
Sora 2 vs Gen-4.5: which is worth your budget?
Sora 2 — OpenAI
Gen-4.5 — Runway
| Sora 2 | Gen-4.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| $ / second (base) | $0.10 | $0.25 |
| 10-second clip | $1.00 | $2.50 |
| 1 minute of output | $6.00 | $15.00 |
| Native audio | Yes | — |
| Max clip length | 12s | 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
Sora 2 standard at $0.10/s versus Gen-4.5 at $0.25/s is really a question of what you're buying. Sora gives you synced audio and the cheapest premium-quality iteration loop. Runway gives you the benchmark leader plus motion control, video-to-video and an editor. Solo creators lean Sora; teams shipping client work lean Runway.
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: Sora 2 pricing and Gen-4.5 pricing.
Run your own numbers. The cost calculator applies your clip length, resolution and a realistic retake buffer across every model at once.