Can I still download my Sora videos?

OpenAI's FAQ says to export from sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, and that it will email users if a final export window is offered. After that window, Sora data is permanently deleted.

What is the best alternative to Sora?

For generated cinematic footage, Runway (Gen-4.5, from $15/month) is the closest replacement and also edits existing footage. Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) includes video generation in Gemini. For avatar and presenter videos, use HeyGen or Synthesia.

Can I still download my Sora videos?

OpenAI's FAQ says to export from sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, and that it will email users if a final export window is offered. After that window, Sora data is permanently deleted.

What is the best alternative to Sora?

For generated cinematic footage, Runway (Gen-4.5, from $15/month) is the closest replacement and also edits existing footage. Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) includes video generation in Gemini. For avatar and presenter videos, use HeyGen or Synthesia.

Sora

Q: Is Sora still available?

No. OpenAI discontinued the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026.

DiscontinuedVideo Tools

OpenAI's text-to-video model, discontinued in 2026.

Sora was OpenAI's text-to-video model. OpenAI discontinued the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026, so it can no longer be used. This page explains what happened and which tools replace it, such as Runway and the video generation built into Google AI Pro.

Category	AI Video Tools
Pricing	Discontinued. OpenAI shut down the Sora app in April 2026 and the API in September 2026.
Free plan	No
Best for	No longer available — see Runway or Google AI Pro for AI video generation

Sora has been discontinued. See the alternatives below.

Pros and cons

What works

Exports of past Sora creations were offered through OpenAI's sunset page

Worth knowing

Discontinued: the app and website closed on April 26, 2026
The Sora API closed on September 24, 2026
OpenAI says Sora data is permanently deleted after any final export window

What happened to Sora

OpenAI discontinued Sora in two steps. The Sora web and app experiences closed on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API closed on September 24, 2026. Both dates come from OpenAI's own Sora discontinuation FAQ.

If you still have Sora content, OpenAI's FAQ says exports are requested from sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, that you will be emailed if a final export window is offered, and that Sora data is permanently deleted once any final export window has passed. Purchased ChatGPT/Sora credits can still be used for Codex. For refunds, OpenAI points to its ChatGPT subscription refund process.

What to use instead of Sora

For cinematic, generated footage, the closest replacement is Runway. Its Gen-4.5 model does text-to-video and image-to-video in clips of 2 to 10 seconds on the Standard plan ($15/month) and above, and Runway adds something Sora never had: Edit Studio, which removes objects or replaces backgrounds in existing footage from a text prompt.

If you already pay for Google, the Google AI Pro plan ($19.99/month) includes video generation inside Gemini. For presenter or talking-head videos rather than scenes, HeyGen and Synthesia are built for that job.

Our best AI video generators guide compares the current options by use case, and the Sora vs Runway page is written for people moving from Sora to Runway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sora compared to alternatives

Sora vs RunwaySora is discontinued. Runway is the replacement for generated and edited footage.

Shaked Arama

Founder, Tovorify — reviews every tool on this site