Sora is gone: what to use instead
OpenAI closed the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026 and switched off the Sora API on September 24, 2026, with no direct replacement.
Dates checked on , from each company's own pages. See the sources
Sora at a glance
| Status | Shut down |
|---|---|
| Announced | March 24, 2026 |
| App and website | Closed on April 26, 2026 |
| API | Closed on September 24, 2026 (Sora 2, Sora 2 Pro and the Videos API) |
| Replacement | None: OpenAI says no one-to-one replacement is available. |
| ChatGPT | Makes images, not videos. |
What to use instead
- CirrelaThe closest to Sora's "type a sentence, get a video with sound", with templates that write the sentence for you. New accounts get 60 free credits.
- Google Flow50 free credits a day, about five short clips, from the company behind Veo and Gemini Omni.
- KlingLow prices per clip, and Kling 4.0 makes clips up to 30 seconds long.
- RunwayFor editing real footage, with plugins for Premiere Pro and After Effects.
- HiggsfieldFor one-click effects, presets and ad tools.
- LumaCheap drafts and many labs' models, from $30 a month.
What Sora users miss
- Video with sound from one sentence, which most tools now do.
- Cameos: putting yourself or friends in a video, with consent built in.
- A social feed of AI videos you could remix.
- Reusable characters are the closest thing to Sora's cameos: save a person, place or object once and reuse it. Krea calls them Elements, and Kling and OpenArt have their own. Krea changelog: Elements
- Gemini can make an AI avatar of you that only you can use in your videos. Gemini: video generation
- In October 2026, OpenAI was reported to be discussing a sale of Sora to a new startup. Nothing was confirmed. Digital Today, citing The Information
Start from a template
All templatesEach one is a sentence with blanks for your own words. Fill them in and the studio makes the video.
Questions, answered
Is Sora shut down?
Yes. OpenAI closed the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026 and the Sora API on September 24, 2026.
Can I still get my Sora videos?
OpenAI's help article on the Sora discontinuation explains what happened to accounts, data and remaining credits. Check it for the latest steps.
Is Sora coming back?
OpenAI hasn't announced a return. In October 2026, reports said OpenAI was discussing a sale of Sora to a new startup; nothing was confirmed.
What is the best Sora alternative?
It depends on what you used Sora for. For free daily clips, Google Flow. For low prices per clip, Kling. For the simplest way to turn one sentence into a video with sound, Cirrela.
Does ChatGPT make videos now?
No. Since Sora closed, ChatGPT makes images but not videos.
Sources
Read on unless a date says otherwise. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.