HeyGen vs Runway:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, HeyGen had more branded searches than Runway among AI video generators in New Zealand. HeyGen had about 3,600 branded searches, while Runway had 1,000. HeyGen made up 26.1% of all AI video generator searches we track, and Runway accounted for 7.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI video generators, Runway appeared in four of the five answers and HeyGen in three. Runway was mentioned before HeyGen in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
HeyGen, about 4 searches for every 1 for Runway
Who does AI mention more?
Runway, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, HeyGen in 3
Who does AI recommend more?
Runway, named ahead of HeyGen in 4 of 4 answers
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Top AI video generators in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Runway was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. HeyGen was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Runway was listed before HeyGen in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Runway1st
Kling AI2nd
Google Veo3rd
Adobe Firefly4th
InVideo5th- HeyGen6th
Synthesia7th
Sora8th
Pika–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Kling AI5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Adobe Firefly4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Runway4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Google Veo4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- HeyGen3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- InVideo2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sora1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Synthesia1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pika0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI video generators
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI video generator should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI video generators in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI video generator in New Zealand for social videos?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best ai video generator”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai video maker”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is HeyGen or Runway more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for HeyGen and Runway by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine AI video generators we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for HeyGen, Runway. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | HeyGen | Adobe Firefly | Kling AI | Sora | Runway | Synthesia | Google Veo | InVideo | Pika |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 8.5% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 70.1% | 3.2% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 14.4% | 7.6% | 7.4% | 51.3% | 4.9% | 5.8% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 2.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 16.2% | 9% | 14.9% | 38.9% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 3.3% | 2.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 18.8% | 8.5% | 20.8% | 29.9% | 6.6% | 6% | 2.4% | 3.1% | 4% |
| Feb 2026 | 21.7% | 11.7% | 16.4% | 28.3% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.6% | 13.9% | 12.4% | 29.7% | 7.5% | 6.7% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 24.6% | 16.4% | 14.6% | 17.6% | 10.7% | 6.3% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 4.5% |
| May 2026 | 25.9% | 17.3% | 18.6% | 15.1% | 7.8% | 6.5% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 3.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 27.9% | 18.8% | 16.2% | 13% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 5.1% | 2.5% | 2.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.2% | 19.9% | 20.5% | 12% | 5.6% | 5.5% | 7.3% | 2.1% | 2.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.3% | 19.6% | 17.1% | 11.5% | 6% | 6.3% | 5.4% | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.1% | 21.4% | 18.7% | 10.7% | 7.3% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 2.8% | 2.4% |
How has the HeyGen and Runway comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- HeyGen was ahead of Runway in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HeyGen’s share of searches among AI video generators in New Zealand moved from 8.5% to 26.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Runway’s share of searches among AI video generators in New Zealand moved from 3.2% to 7.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.4K to 1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand AI video generators in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Runway overtook Synthesia to rank 5th among AI video generators in New Zealand, with 7.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, HeyGen lost share of searches among AI video generators in New Zealand, from 29.3% to 26.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HeyGen’s and Runway’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among AI video generators
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