Runner FAQ — Pricing, Security & How It Works
Answers to common questions about Runner, the AI chief of staff for you and your team — how it works, the apps it connects, pricing, and security.
What is Runner?
Runner is an AI assistant that connects to the apps you already use and actually does the work. Gmail, Calendar, Slack, Drive, GitHub, Notion, and more. It drafts the reply, preps the meeting, files the follow-up, pulls the data. Your day ends with things finished, not suggested.
Which apps and tools does Runner work with?
Runner ships with connectors for Gmail, Google Calendar, Drive, Sheets, Docs, Slack, GitHub, Notion, HubSpot, Salesforce, Attio, Linear, Mixpanel, Follow Up Boss, WhatsApp, and more. Runner supports MCP, so any tool with an MCP server slots right in. If something you depend on isn't supported yet, our team scopes custom connectors for business plans.
Do I need to install anything? Which platforms are supported?
No install required. Runner runs in your browser, so it works on any modern browser on Mac, Windows, or Linux — just sign in and go. The work runs in the cloud and Runner talks to your connected apps through their APIs, so there's nothing to download or keep updated.
How do I stay in control of what Runner does on my behalf?
You decide how much rope Runner gets. Every connector has three modes: read-only (look but don't touch), approvals (Runner drafts the action and waits for you to click run), and autonomous (Runner ships the work and logs what it did). Settings are per app and per workflow, so a Slack message can require approval while a calendar lookup doesn't. Every action is reviewable before or after the fact.
Where does my data go? Is Runner safe to use with sensitive work?
Your accounts, your tokens, your rules. Runner only talks to the services you explicitly connect, using your own credentials. We don't train any AI models on your data. We store only what we need to make the product work, and your data is fully encapsulated so it never touches another customer's data. Everything is protected with bank level encryption and our software is red team tested. We're currently completing SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 audits, CASA Tier 2 certification, and GDPR compliance. Our supply chain is SOC 2 compliant. For teams with stricter requirements, the business plan supports VPC and on-prem deployment so prompts and inference stay inside your approved network, alongside SSO and audit logs.
How much does Runner cost?
Runner starts at $19/month with Lite. Standard is $50/month for everyday admin work, Pro is $100/month with 3x the usage, and Ultra is $200/month with 8x for people who run Runner all day. Heavier self-serve tiers go up from there — Iron at $500, Titan at $1,000, and Olympus at $2,000 a month — before team and enterprise plans.
Can I try Runner before paying?
Yes — new Runner accounts may receive a small amount of free credits to try the application on your real work: connect your apps, run a few tasks, and see what Runner takes off your plate before you pick a plan.
Does Runner have a referral program?
Yes. Every Runner account comes with a referral code. Share it with a friend and when they sign up for a paid plan, you both get $50 in credits. There's no limit to how many people you can refer.
Does Runner have a reseller or partner program?
Yes. If you're an agency, consultant, or service provider who wants to offer Runner to your clients, we'd love to talk. We work with partners who bundle Runner into their workflows or deploy it for their customers. Reach out to us at support@runner.now and we'll figure out the right setup together.
How is Runner different from ChatGPT or Claude?
ChatGPT and Claude are great at answering questions. Runner is great at doing the work. When you ask ChatGPT to prep you for a meeting, it gives you a framework. When you ask Runner, it pulls the attendee list from your calendar, checks your last notes in Drive, scans your email threads, and builds you an actual brief. The difference is that Runner is connected to your apps and can take action across them.
How is Runner different from Zapier or Make?
Zapier and Make are powerful if you know exactly what you want automated ahead of time. You build the workflow, define the triggers, map the fields. Runner works the other way around. You tell it what you need in plain language and it figures out which apps to use and what steps to take. You don't need to pre-build anything. And because Runner connects directly to your apps and remembers your context, it can handle work that rigid, pre-wired automations can't.
How is Runner different from OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an impressive open-source project and we have a lot of respect for what they've built. The biggest difference is who it's for. OpenClaw is great if you're technical and want to self-host, customize everything, and use messaging apps like Discord or Telegram as your interface. Runner is a polished web app built for people who aren't engineers. You sign in, connect your apps in a few clicks, and it just works. Runner also has deep integrations with business tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Google Workspace, and Linear that go beyond what OpenClaw offers out of the box. If you want to tinker and own the infrastructure, OpenClaw is solid. If you want something that works on day one without touching a terminal, that's Runner.
Is Runner a Chrome extension?
No. A Chrome extension is limited to what's happening inside your current browser tab. Runner is a full web app that connects to your apps directly through their APIs, works across all of them at once, and can run multiple tasks at the same time. It can also drive a browser when it needs to, but it's not trapped inside a single tab.
What can I actually do with Runner? Give me some examples.
Here are some things people use Runner for every day: Morning inbox triage across Gmail, Slack, and WhatsApp. Meeting prep that pulls context from Google Calendar, Gmail threads, and Google Docs. Drafting and sending follow-up emails through Gmail after a call. Pulling data from Salesforce or HubSpot into Google Sheets. Searching for candidates on LinkedIn and drafting outreach through Gmail. Planning your week by looking at Google Calendar and Linear or Notion tasks. Ordering lunch on Uber Eats through browser automation. Auditing your subscriptions by scanning Gmail receipts. The list keeps growing because Runner works with so many apps.
Can Runner send emails and Slack messages for me?
Yes. Runner can draft and send emails through Gmail, post messages in Slack, send WhatsApp messages, and more. You control the permission level for each app. If you want Runner to draft but not send, set it to approval mode. If you trust it to fire away, set it to autonomous. Most people start with approvals and open things up over time as they get comfortable.
Can Runner browse the web and fill out forms?
Yes. Runner has built-in browser automation. It can navigate websites, fill out forms, book reservations, place orders, and interact with web apps that don't have an API. Think of it as Runner's hands when there's no direct integration available. Browser automation is included in the Pro and Ultra plans.
Does Runner remember things between conversations?
Yes, and this is one of the things that makes Runner feel less like a tool and more like a person you work with. Runner remembers your contacts, your preferences, your writing style, your unfinished work. That context compounds over time. The more you use it, the less you have to explain.
Can I add to and manage Runner's memory?
Yes. You can tell Runner to remember something and it saves it for future conversations. Things like your writing style, how you like your calendar organized, your team's names and roles, your go-to lunch order. You can also tell it to forget something or update what it knows. Runner also picks up on things naturally as you work together, but you're always in control of what sticks.
Can I run multiple tasks at the same time?
Yes. Runner supports concurrent tasks. You can have it drafting follow-ups in one thread, pulling analytics in another, and updating your CRM in a third. Everything runs in parallel with a full log of what happened.
How long does it take to set up Runner?
About 3 minutes. Sign in and connect the apps you want Runner to work with. Each connector takes a couple of clicks. There's no configuration files, no API keys to manage yourself, no code to write. You can start using it the same day you sign up.
Do I need to be technical to use Runner?
Not at all. Runner is built for people who aren't engineers. Founders, operators, salespeople, marketers, PMs. You talk to it in plain language and it figures out the rest. If you can use ChatGPT, you can use Runner. The difference is that Runner actually does the thing instead of just telling you how.
Can Runner work with my files?
Yes. Runner works with the files in the apps you connect — Google Drive, Sheets, Docs, and more — and with files you hand it directly. It can find documents, read PDFs, pull data out of spreadsheets, and act on them as part of a task instead of just talking about them.
Can Runner schedule tasks to run automatically?
Yes. You can set up recurring workflows that run on a schedule. A weekly pipeline report every Monday at 9am. A daily inbox triage when you start your day. A monthly investor update on the last Friday of the month. Set it once and Runner handles it from there.
Can my team use Runner together?
Yes. Runner has a Business plan designed for teams. It includes shared team memory, so Runner learns how your team works and what context matters across the group. Business plans also include VPC and on-prem deployment options, SSO, and audit logs. If you want Runner for more than just yourself, check out Runner for Business.
How do I get Runner set up for my business?
Start by heading to the Runner for Business page and telling us a bit about your team. We'll set up a call to understand your stack, your workflows, and what you're trying to get done. From there we handle the deployment, whether that's cloud, VPC, or on-prem. We'll help you connect your apps, configure permissions, and get your team onboarded. Most teams are up and running within a week. If you need custom connectors for internal tools, we scope that out together during onboarding.
Is Runner better than hiring a virtual assistant?
They're different. A human VA is better for things that need judgment, taste, or real-world presence. Runner is better for things that need to happen fast, repeatedly, and across your digital tools. Runner doesn't forget, doesn't need to be trained from scratch, works at 2am, and costs a fraction of what a part-time VA does. A lot of people use both.
What AI model does Runner use under the hood?
Runner uses Anthropic's foundation models and picks the best one for the job at hand. That mix may evolve over time, but right now it's Anthropic. You don't need to think about which model to use. Runner handles that for you.
What is Composio?
Composio is the integration layer Runner uses to connect to many of your cloud apps. They're SOC 2 compliant and work closely with us to keep your connected accounts private and secure.
What is MCP and does Runner support it?
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It's an open standard that lets AI tools connect to external services in a consistent way. Runner fully supports MCP, which means if a tool you use has an MCP server, Runner can plug into it without us needing to build a custom integration. It's also how technical users extend Runner with their own tools and data sources.
Does Runner work offline?
Runner needs an internet connection to talk to your apps and to run AI inference. If you lose connection mid-task, your work is saved — you pick back up right where you left off when you're online again.
Does Runner replace my existing tools?
No. Runner isn't trying to replace Gmail or Slack or your CRM. It connects to the tools you already have and makes you faster at using them. Think of it as a layer on top of your stack that stitches everything together. You keep using the apps you like. Runner just handles the tedious parts.
What happens if Runner makes a mistake?
Two things help here. First, you can set any connector to approval mode, so Runner drafts the action and you review it before anything gets sent. Second, every action Runner takes is logged with a full audit trail, so you can see exactly what happened and when. If something goes wrong you can catch it before it ships, or trace back exactly what happened after the fact.
Can Runner help me manage my email inbox?
This is one of the most popular things people use Runner for. It can scan your inbox across multiple accounts, figure out which messages actually need a response, draft replies in your voice, and flag anything urgent. People who used to spend an hour on email in the morning are finishing in fifteen minutes.
Can Runner prep me for meetings?
Yes, and it's honestly one of the best things Runner does. It pulls the attendee list from your calendar invite, checks your last notes and docs related to the meeting, scans recent email threads with attendees, and builds you a brief with everything you need to walk in prepared. It even flags things you might want to address proactively.
Can Runner work with my CRM?
Yes. Runner connects to Salesforce, HubSpot, Attio, and other CRMs. It can look up contacts, update deal stages, log meeting notes, pull pipeline data into reports, and keep your CRM current without you having to tab over and do data entry after every call.
How does Runner handle multiple accounts? Can I connect more than one Gmail or calendar?
Yes. Runner supports multiple accounts per service. If you have a work Gmail and a personal Gmail, or multiple calendars, you can connect them all. Runner knows which account to use based on the context of what you're asking it to do.
Is Runner available on mobile?
Runner runs in your browser today, so it works on any desktop or laptop — Mac, Windows, or Linux. We're focused on the desktop web experience first because that's where most of the deep work happens. A dedicated mobile experience is something we're thinking about for the future.