No. Sora isn't free, and as of October 2026 you can't use it at all, free or paid. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experience on April 26, 2026, and shut down the Sora API on September 24, 2026. If you want Sora-style AI video today, you need a different model. Below we cover what happened, what to do with old Sora content and credits, and the cheapest legitimate alternatives.
Dates and details below come from OpenAI's help centre and API deprecations page, both read on 23 October 2026.
Is Sora free in 2026?
There is no Sora to use, free or paid. OpenAI's help article "What to know about the Sora discontinuation" gives two dates:
- April 26, 2026: the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued.
- September 24, 2026: the Sora API was discontinued.
Both dates have now passed. That means:
- sora.com and the Sora apps no longer make videos.
- ChatGPT plans (Free, Plus or Pro) no longer include Sora video generation.
- The OpenAI API no longer serves the Sora 2 models.
- Third-party sites that sold "Sora 2" through OpenAI's API lost access when the API closed.
If a site still advertises "free Sora 2" today, it is either out of date or running a different model under Sora's name. Check which model actually makes the video before you sign up or pay.
Sora status at a glance (October 2026)
| What | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sora web app and mobile apps | Discontinued April 26, 2026 | OpenAI Help Center |
| Sora API | Discontinued September 24, 2026 | OpenAI Help Center |
Videos API, sora-2, sora-2-pro and their dated snapshots | Removed from the API September 24, 2026, no replacement listed | OpenAI API deprecations page |
| Deprecation notice to developers | Sent March 24, 2026 | OpenAI API deprecations page |
| Exporting your old Sora content | Via sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, then an email when ready | OpenAI Help Center |
| Leftover ChatGPT/Sora credits | Can still be used for Codex | OpenAI Help Center |
Can I still use Sora 2 through the API?
No. OpenAI's API deprecations page lists the Videos API, sora-2, sora-2-pro, sora-2-2025-10-06, sora-2-2025-12-08 and sora-2-pro-2025-10-06, all with a shutdown date of 2026-09-24 and no recommended replacement. Developers were notified on March 24, 2026.
So there is no paid route, no free tier and no API key that gets you Sora 2 any more. If your app or workflow used it, you need to move to another video model.
What happens to my Sora videos and credits?
According to OpenAI's help article:
- Export your content now. Go to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and click Export. OpenAI emails you when the export is ready. If it offers a final export window, it says it will email you before it starts.
- After that, your data is deleted. Once Sora is discontinued and any final export window has passed, OpenAI says it will permanently delete data associated with your use of Sora.
- Credits aren't lost. Purchased ChatGPT/Sora credits can still be used for Codex.
- Refunds follow OpenAI's standard ChatGPT subscription refund process, which the help article links to.
Is "Sora" the reading app free?
That's a different product. Sora by OverDrive is a reading app for students, with ebooks and audiobooks from school libraries. Its site describes it as a free app that students sign in to with their school credentials. It has nothing to do with OpenAI's video generator and was not affected by the shutdown.
What are the best alternatives to Sora now?
Several AI video models now do what Sora did (text-to-video and image-to-video, often with sound), and some go further. Here is where the main options stand on price, from each vendor's own pages:
| Option | Is it free? | Cheapest paid route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Gemini app (Gemini Omni) | No video on the free plan | Google AI Plus, $4.99/mo (US) | Google says Gemini Omni replaces Veo in the Gemini app |
| Gemini API (Gemini Omni Flash) | Paid tier only | About $0.10 per second of 720p video | For developers |
| Kenerate AI | 25 free credits, but video needs a paid pack | $15 one-time pack (1,300 credits) | Veo 3.1, Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0, Kling v3, Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash in one studio |
For a wider comparison that includes other vendors' free tiers, see our best free AI video generators roundup.
Which model is closest to Sora 2?
It depends on what you used Sora for:
- Dialogue and lip-synced speech: Veo 3.1 is the closest match. It generates speech, sound effects and ambience together with the picture.
- Long single takes: Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 both go up to 30 seconds per clip, longer than Sora 2's 20-second maximum.
- Expressive character motion: Kling v3.
- Cheap drafts: Wan 3.0 at 480p, or Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash at 360p.
We compared the two flagship models in detail in Sora 2 vs Veo 3.1, and our Sora alternative page goes through the options model by model.
What is the cheapest legit way to make Sora-style videos now?
- Rewrite your old Sora prompts for the new model. The structure (style, scene, one camera move, action beats, dialogue) carries over. Our Sora 2 prompts guide has 32 prompts rewritten to run on today's models.
- Draft short and low-res. Use 4–5 second clips at 480p or 720p while you test. Most of the cost of AI video is in length and resolution.
- Turn sound off when you don't need it. On several models a silent clip costs less than one with audio.
- Upscale only the keeper. Re-run the winning prompt at 1080p or 4K, or upscale it, instead of generating everything at full quality.
- Pick pay-as-you-go if you generate in bursts. A subscription you don't use every month costs more per clip than it looks.
- Avoid "free Sora" sites. Since the API closed, they can't be running OpenAI's Sora. At best they are another model with a misleading name.
Can you use Sora on Kenerate AI?
No. Kenerate AI listed Sora 2 Pro while OpenAI's API was live, but it was removed from the video studio's model picker after OpenAI shut the API down. What Kenerate runs instead, with credits taken from our own model settings on 23 October 2026:
| Model on Kenerate AI | Credits per second | Example clip | About, on the $15 pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wan 3.0 | 15 (480p), 30 (720p), 60 (1080p) | 5 s at 720p: 150 credits | $1.73 |
| Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash | 9 (360p), 30 (720p), 45 (1080p), 90 (4K) | 5 s at 720p: 150 credits | $1.73 |
| Kling v3 Standard | 25.2 silent, 37.8 with sound | 5 s with sound: 189 credits | $2.18 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 30 silent, 45 with sound (720p/1080p) | 4 s with sound: 180 credits | $2.08 |
| Seedance 2.5 | 108 at 720p | 5 s at 720p: 540 credits | $6.23 |
| Veo 3.1 | 60 silent, 120 with sound (720p/1080p) | 8 s with sound: 960 credits | $11.08 |
How free and paid work on Kenerate:
- Every new account gets 25 free credits. They work on the free-plan image models (such as Flux 2 Dev and Qwen Image 3.0), not on video.
- Video needs a paid pack. The video studio is locked on the free plan.
- Packs are one-time, not subscriptions, starting at $15 for 1,300 credits, and the credits don't expire. See the current packs on the pricing page.
To get started, open the AI video generator or go straight to a model page such as Wan 3.0.
Verdict
Sora is not free, and in October 2026 it isn't available at all: OpenAI closed the Sora apps on April 26, 2026 and the API on September 24, 2026. Export anything you made via sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, use any leftover credits in Codex, and move your prompts to a model that's still running. For dialogue, Veo 3.1 is the nearest match; for long or cheap clips, Wan 3.0 and Seedance 2.5; for a low-cost consumer option, Google's AI Plus plan with Gemini Omni. None of the good options is free for video, so compare the cost of a short draft before you commit.
Sora details were read from help.openai.com and developers.openai.com on 23 October 2026, Google's plan prices from gemini.google on the same date, and Kenerate AI's credits from its own model settings and pricing. All can change.
