Sora (Discontinued)

Sora has been discontinued. OpenAI notified developers on 24 March 2026, shut down the Sora app and web experience on 26 April 2026, and scheduled the Sora 2 API for removal on 24 September 2026. If you still have an integration calling it, migrate now.

What happened to Sora?

Sora was OpenAI's text-to-video model, first previewed in early 2024 and relaunched as Sora 2 in September 2025 with synchronised native audio, the cameo feature that let people insert their likeness into generated clips, and a social feed at sora.com where output was shared and remixed. It briefly became the most visible product in AI video. In 2026 OpenAI reversed course: the consumer app and web experience closed on 26 April 2026, Sora 2 moved to API-only access, and consumer subscribers lost Sora access entirely. The API itself is scheduled to sunset on 24 September 2026. Reporting at the time tied the decision to deepfake and likeness concerns around the cameo feature, and a planned Disney partnership was cancelled as part of the wind-down.

What should you use instead?

• Google Veo 3.1: 4K and 1080p output with native audio, available in the Gemini app on paid tiers and via Vertex AI. Veo 3.1 Lite covers cost-sensitive work.
• Gemini Omni Flash: Google's conversational video generation and editing model, announced at I/O 2026 and live across the Gemini app, YouTube Shorts and Flow.
• Runway Gen-4.5: The professional editing-first option, with credits-based plans from $12 to $76 per user per month.
• Kling 3.0: Native 4K with per-second credit billing, strong on realistic motion.
• Luma, Pika and HeyGen: Depending on whether you need cinematic clips, short social video or presenter-style avatars.

Pricing

Sora is no longer sold. It is not included with any ChatGPT plan. The Sora 2 API is billed per second of generated video — roughly $0.10 per second at 720p on the standard model, around three times that for Pro at higher resolutions — but only until the 24 September 2026 removal date.

Bottom Line

Sora's shutdown is the clearest example so far that a category-defining AI product can be withdrawn outright. If you built on it, the migration deadline is 24 September 2026 and the practical replacements are Google's Veo 3.1 and Gemini Omni line, Runway for editing-heavy professional work, and Kling for high-resolution realistic motion. This page remains as a reference; there is nothing left to sign up for.