Sora
OpenAI's text-to-video generator, discontinued in 2026: the app closed on April 26 and the API shuts down on September 24.
RIP Sora
Shut down · April 2026
OpenAI officially shut down its Sora AI video generation platform on March 24, 2026, roughly six months after its launch, due to extreme operational costs, declining user interest, and a shift in company strateg
Is Sora shut down?
Yes. Sora shut down on April 26, 2026 and is no longer available. Its record is preserved in the ToolDirectory.AI graveyard, our hand-reviewed registry of AI tools that shut down or were acquired.
What to use instead
Overview
Sora by OpenAI: discontinued in 2026
Sora was OpenAI's flagship text-to-video and image-to-video generator, and it is being switched off. OpenAI announced the wind-down on March 24, 2026, discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and is discontinuing the Sora API on September 24, 2026, after which nothing remains. This page is a record of what Sora was and what happened to it.
The shutdown timeline
- March 24, 2026 — OpenAI announced it was discontinuing Sora.
- April 26, 2026 — the Sora web experience and the standalone Sora mobile app were discontinued. This is the date Sora stopped being usable for most people, and the date we record as its retirement.
- September 24, 2026 — the Sora API is discontinued, ending developer access and completing the shutdown.
OpenAI has advised users to export their Sora content before the discontinuation, as data associated with Sora may be permanently deleted afterwards. If you still have work stored there, that is the one action that remains time-sensitive.
Why OpenAI shut Sora down
The reported reasons were economic rather than technical. Sora is understood to have cost in the region of $1 million a day to operate while generating roughly $2.1 million in total revenue, against falling active use after the initial launch surge. Persistent copyright and deepfake problems, a collapsed licensing arrangement with Disney, and a sharpened focus on profitability ahead of an IPO are all reported to have contributed.
The wider lesson is one our registry keeps returning: a first-party feature from a frontier lab is not more durable than a third-party tool. It is just deprecated more politely, and usually with a longer notice period.
What Sora offered
- Text-to-video and image-to-video generation at cinematic quality
- Native audio and sound effects in Sora 2
- Longer clips with comparatively stable characters and scenes
- Remix, extend and edit workflows inside the same product
- A dedicated mobile app for capture-prompt-share workflows
- Access bundled into ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team and Enterprise plans rather than sold separately
What to use instead
The AI video field moved considerably while Sora was winding down, and the current front rank is different from the one Sora launched into:
- Google Veo — the closest like-for-like replacement, now generating 4K with native audio, and the safest default for teams that want one supported option.
- Kling AI — strongest on motion realism, with native audio and multi-language lip-sync in its current generation.
- Runway — the pick when you need directed, controllable shots and real editing tools rather than one-shot generation.
Our full comparison of the current field, including what changed after Sora's exit, is in the best AI video generators in 2026. Sora's record sits alongside every other retired product in the AI graveyard.
FAQ
When did Sora shut down? OpenAI announced the discontinuation on March 24, 2026, discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and is discontinuing the Sora API on September 24, 2026. April 26, 2026 is the date Sora stopped being usable for most people.
Is the Sora API still working? Only until September 24, 2026. The API outlived the consumer product by about five months, but it is being discontinued on that date and no replacement endpoint is being offered.
Why did OpenAI shut down Sora? Reported reasons are economic: roughly $1 million a day in operating cost against about $2.1 million in total revenue, alongside declining use, unresolved copyright and deepfake problems, a collapsed Disney licensing arrangement, and a focus on profitability ahead of an IPO.
Can I still use Sora through ChatGPT? No. Sora was bundled with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team and Enterprise plans rather than sold separately, and that access ended when the web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026.
What happens to videos I made with Sora? OpenAI has advised users to export their content before the discontinuation, warning that data associated with Sora use may be permanently deleted afterwards. Anything still stored there should be exported now.
What is the best alternative to Sora? Google Veo is the closest like-for-like replacement and the safest default. Kling is stronger on motion realism, and Runway is the better pick for directed shots and editing control. Our current comparison of the field covers where each one wins.