Shutdown tracker / OpenAI / AI video generation API
Sora API shuts down September 24, 2026
The Sora app is already gone - OpenAI closed the website and mobile apps on April 26, 2026. The Sora API is a separate deadline: it keeps serving requests for five more months and stops working on September 24, 2026. If anything you built calls sora-2, sora-2-pro or the Videos API, this is the date that actually breaks your product.
Sora & video-API watch - live
Key dates
- Mar 24, 2026OpenAI announces the two-stage Sora shutdown
- Apr 26, 2026Sora web + mobile apps discontinued - this date has already passed
- Sep 24, 2026Sora API discontinued - every integration stops working
Why it happened: Heavy GPU costs, shrinking usage (downloads fell from a 3.3M peak to about 1.1M/month) and copyright pressure pushed OpenAI to fold Sora into a two-stage wind-down: kill the consumer surfaces first, give developers a longer runway on the API, then shut both down for good.
What exactly breaks
The app - already gone (April 26, 2026)
sora.chatgpt.com and the Sora mobile apps stopped working in April. This date is in the past: if you are a consumer user, there is nothing left to log into.
The API - dies September 24, 2026
Every request to the Sora API - the sora-2 and sora-2-pro models, and the Videos API - keeps working right up to that date. After it passes, calls fail outright. OpenAI has not published a grace period and has not named an official replacement model for the video API.
Your migration options
| API | Cost | Max clip | Audio | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Veo 3.1 | $0.10-$0.60/sec by tier (Fast to 4K); audio included | 8s per generation; Extend chains longer sequences | Yes, native, no extra charge | Instant self-serve via Google AI Studio / Gemini API |
| Runway (Gen-4.5 / Gen-4 Turbo) | $0.05/sec (Gen-4 Turbo) to $0.12/sec (Gen-4.5); credits at $0.01 each, $10 minimum | Up to 16s per generation, reported | Yes, billed separately (unbundled in 2025) | Instant self-serve via dev.runwayml.com, no waitlist |
| Kling AI (Kling 3.0 / V3) | ~$0.03-0.04/sec estimated (6-8 credits/sec) - not published on a public vendor page | ~10s per generation reported; longer-duration claims vary by source | Yes, native audio generation | Requires a KlingAI account - the developer pricing table sits behind login |
| Luma (Ray3.2 API) | $0.06/sec at 720p ($0.30 per 5s clip) to $0.24/sec at 1080p ($1.20 per 5s clip); HDR is 2x, HDR+EXR is 3x | 10s per generation on the official pricing table | No native audio - pairs with a separate ElevenLabs integration | Instant self-serve, pay-per-video, no subscription or minimum |
Google Veo 3.1
Closest quality match to Sora and the only one of the four with a fully transparent, official per-second price sheet straight from Google. Audio is baked into every tier so there is no surprise line item, and the Fast/Lite tiers give real budget flexibility. If you want the safest, best-documented swap, start here.
Runway (Gen-4.5 / Gen-4 Turbo)
Best if creative control matters more than the cheapest rate - camera moves, motion brush and character consistency are Runway's strengths. Watch the credit math: Runway unbundled audio into a la carte charges in 2025, and its old Unlimited plan is mid-migration to a new Max plan (existing subscribers cut over September 1, 2026), so re-check current credit costs before committing budget.
Kling AI (Kling 3.0 / V3)
On paper the cheapest per second and, with Veo, one of only two with native audio - but also the hardest to verify. Kling's own developer pricing page is not publicly browsable; every number here comes from independent trackers, not klingai.com itself. Budget for it, but confirm the real rate inside your own dev console before relying on it.
Luma (Ray3.2 API)
The most transparent pricing of the four - genuinely pay-per-clip, nothing held hostage in a subscription - but the jump from 720p to 1080p is steep (roughly 4x, not linear), and there is no audio generated in the model itself. Solid for short-form b-roll and prototyping; budget separately for sound.
Options listed in the order researched, not ranked - pick by your constraint (price, stack, control). No winner is declared.
Migrate before the deadline
- Export everything you still have in Sora now: go to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and click Export. OpenAI emails you when the file is ready - this is separate from, and later than, the April app shutdown.
- Pick a replacement by your real constraint: Veo 3.1 for documented, audio-included pricing; Runway for creative control; Kling for the lowest sticker price (verify it yourself first); Luma for pay-per-clip with zero subscription.
- Run an actual budget comparison before committing: render the same 10-second test clip on your shortlisted API and compare the real invoice, not just the headline per-second number - audio, resolution tier and minimum credit purchases all move the true cost.
- Swap the integration in staging first and re-test your best prompts - motion, camera behavior and audio timing all behave differently model to model.
- Set a hard internal cutover date before September 24, 2026. After that date, Sora API calls simply fail, with no grace period and no official OpenAI fallback.
Swapping out more than one tool in your AI stack this year? Compare replacements for other apps in App Swap, and if you are weighing the cost of AI tools broadly, run the numbers in the AI Coding Cost Calculator.
FAQ
Is Sora shutting down?
Yes, in two stages. OpenAI discontinued the Sora website and mobile apps on April 26, 2026 - that has already happened. The Sora API, the developer-facing service other products build on, keeps running for five more months and shuts down on September 24, 2026, per OpenAI's own help center.
What happens to the Sora API on September 24, 2026?
Every call to the Sora API - including the sora-2 and sora-2-pro models and the Videos API - stops working. OpenAI has not announced a grace period or an official replacement endpoint, so any product, app or workflow calling Sora directly needs a new video-generation backend in place before that date.
What is the best Sora API alternative?
There is no single best answer - it depends on your constraint. Google's Veo 3.1 API has the most transparent official pricing and includes audio by default. Runway gives the most creative control. Kling is reportedly the cheapest per second, though its pricing is not published on a public page. Luma's Ray3.2 API is the only pure pay-per-clip option with no subscription, but it has no native audio.
Can I still use the Sora app after April 2026?
No. The Sora web and mobile apps were already discontinued on April 26, 2026 - that date has passed. What is still running, for now, is the separate Sora API, which developers can keep calling until September 24, 2026.
Does OpenAI recommend a replacement for the Sora API?
No. OpenAI's official discontinuation notice covers exporting your data and refunds, but does not name a recommended successor model or migration partner for the video API. You need to choose and test a third-party replacement yourself.
Sources
More shutdowns
Facts current as of July 2026 - dates come from official announcements (see sources). Always verify against the vendor before making migration decisions.
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