Sora
Overview
⚠️ Sora has been discontinued. OpenAI announced the shutdown in March 2026. The web/app experience ends on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API ends on September 24, 2026.
Sora was OpenAI's text-, image-, and video-to-video generation model. First announced as a research preview in February 2024, released to the public in December 2024, and launched as an iOS app in September 2025. On March 24, 2026, OpenAI abruptly announced that Sora would be shut down: sora.com and the mobile apps on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026.
⚠️ Shutdown Details
- April 26, 2026: sora.com and iOS/Android apps end
- September 24, 2026: Sora API completely discontinued
- Announcement date: March 24, 2026 (via X)
- Reported reason: OpenAI is reallocating compute to higher-revenue workloads like coding, reasoning, and text generation
- Collateral: Disney's planned ~$1B partnership was also cancelled
New projects should not adopt Sora. Existing Sora-based workflows should migrate to Runway Gen-4.5, Kling 3.0, or Pika 2.5.
Key Features (pre-shutdown reference)
1. Text-to-Video
Generated clips of up to ~20 seconds from natural-language prompts.
2. Cameo
Let users insert their own face and voice into generated videos — a flashpoint for privacy and IP concerns.
3. Remix / Blend
Edit and blend existing clips into new ones.
Recommended Alternatives
| Use Case | Recommended Alternative |
|---|---|
| High-quality general video | Runway Gen-4.5, Kling 3.0 |
| Short social clips | Pika 2.5 |
| Avatar / narration videos | HeyGen, Synthesia |
Strengths (pre-shutdown)
- Strong OpenAI brand and ecosystem tie-ins
- Easy-to-use iOS app
Weaknesses / Reasons for Shutdown
- High compute cost, low monetization
- Outpaced on quality by Runway and Kling
- Frequent deepfake and copyright issues
- Failed to win enterprise customers
Official Resources
- Website: https://sora.com/
- OpenAI Help Center: "What to know about the Sora discontinuation"