This tool has been discontinued
Sora is no longer available or has been shut down by its creators. We've kept this page live so you can explore alternatives below.
About Sora
Sora, developed by OpenAI, is a text-to-video generation tool that aims to help users create cinematic short clips from written prompts or images. In practical terms, it takes your words and transforms them into moving visuals, which is pretty wild when you think about it. The promise here is straightforward: you type in what you want to see, and Sora generates video content that aligns with your descriptions. It’s designed for filmmakers, marketers, and content creators who might not have the resources or skills to produce high-quality video footage from scratch, but want to enhance their storytelling capabilities without breaking the bank.
One of the standout features of Sora is its ability to create coherent scenes that flow logically from your prompts. It doesn't just throw random clips together; instead, it tries to construct a narrative that makes sense. This is a big deal when you're trying to produce something that engages viewers. The tool also allows you to remix and extend existing footage, which means you can take a base clip and modify it to suit your needs. This is incredibly helpful for those of us who might want to repurpose content rather than starting from zero every time.
Now, let’s talk about the pricing, which is a bit of a mystery at the moment since there isn’t any clear information provided on the website. For a tool like this, I’d expect some transparency about costs, especially considering that many similar offerings have tiered pricing structures based on usage. You’d think that anyone interested would want to know if they’re going to be shelling out a small fortune or if it’s more accessible. If Sora is going to compete with other text-to-video platforms, it’s going to need to clarify this sooner rather than later.
So, who should use Sora? If you’re a creative professional looking to elevate your video content without diving into the complexities of video editing software, Sora might just be your new best friend. However, if you’re expecting a fully polished product without any input, you might want to temper your expectations. The tool can produce impressive results, but like any AI-driven technology, it has its limitations that you need to consider before diving in headfirst.
Our Review
Reviewed by Delv Editorial, Delv Team
Sora was OpenAI's ambitious text-to-video generation tool, and when it launched in December 2024, it genuinely felt like a glimpse of the future. You could type a prompt and get back cinematic-quality short clips that looked eerily real. The technology was impressive - coherent motion, consistent characters, and scenes that held together in ways that earlier video AI simply couldn't manage.
But impressive technology doesn't always make a sustainable product. By early 2025, the cracks were showing. The computational costs were astronomical - reports suggest it was burning through roughly $1 million per day to operate. Usage never hit the levels OpenAI needed to justify that kind of spend, peaking at around a million users before declining sharply.
In March 2026, OpenAI officially announced Sora's shutdown. The app closes on 26 April 2026, with the API following in September. Even Disney pulled out of a planned $1 billion partnership once the writing was on the wall.
If you were using Sora or considering it, the good news is the AI video space has matured significantly. Runway Gen-3 has become the go-to for most creators, offering reliable quality with a more sustainable pricing model. Kling from Kuaishou delivers surprisingly good results, particularly for longer clips. And Google's Veo 2 is worth watching if you're already in the Google ecosystem.
The lesson here is that being first and most impressive at launch doesn't guarantee survival. Sora pushed the boundaries of what AI video could do, but it couldn't solve the fundamental economics of running it at scale.
The Verdict
Sora has been discontinued as of April 2026. While it was groundbreaking at launch, unsustainable costs and low adoption led OpenAI to shut it down. Look at Runway, Kling, or Veo 2 instead.
Best For
- Nobody - this service has been shut down
- Historical reference only
At a Glance
Sora was OpenAI's text-to-video AI model, capable of generating cinematic short clips from text prompts. It launched in December 2024 but was shut down in March 2026 due to unsustainable operating costs and low user adoption.
Strengths
- +Sora generates coherent video narratives from prompts, ensuring that the final products make sense and are engaging for viewers.
- +The ability to remix and extend existing footage is a game-changer for those looking to repurpose content, saving time and resources during the creation process.
- +Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for creatives who may not have extensive video editing experience, allowing anyone to create professional-looking videos.
- +The cinematic quality of the output is impressive, producing visuals that can rival traditional filmmaking techniques without requiring high-end equipment.
- +Sora is suitable for a wide range of use cases, from promotional videos to educational content, making it a versatile tool for various industries.
Limitations
- -The lack of clear pricing information is frustrating and could deter potential users who want to know if it fits their budget before investing their time.
- -While the tool can produce impressive results, it still requires a bit of fine-tuning and input to get the final product just right, which can be a hurdle for some users.
- -Sora’s output may occasionally miss the mark on more nuanced prompts, leading to results that don’t fully capture the intended vision.
- -There’s currently no mobile app, which limits the accessibility of the tool for those who may want to generate videos on the go.
- -The tool may struggle with highly complex or abstract prompts, meaning that users looking for intricate storytelling might need to manage their expectations.
Use Cases
- -Social media managers looking to create eye-catching promotional videos quickly without relying on a full production team.
- -Freelance content creators who need to produce engaging video content for their clients on tight deadlines.
- -Marketers seeking to develop compelling video ads that can easily be tailored to different audiences based on input prompts.
- -Educators wanting to create engaging instructional videos that bring lessons to life in a visually appealing manner.
- -Artists experimenting with video as a medium for their work, using Sora to visualise their concepts and ideas.
