Is Sora 2 free?
Not through the API, which no longer exists: OpenAI shut down the Sora 2 models and its Videos API on 2026-09-24[1]. Before that the API was paid, at $0.10 a second for Sora 2[1]. We could not verify the current status or price of the consumer Sora app, so we do not repeat claims about free Sora access.
What happened to Sora
OpenAI notified developers on 2026-03-24 that the Videos API and Sora 2 models would be removed from the API on 2026-09-24[2]. Its model page now says they were shut down on that date, are no longer available, and have no one-to-one replacement API[1].
The consumer app is a separate question we could not answer. The help center pages that describe it did not load for us, and the reports we saw were secondhand. If you have the app, its status is visible in your own account. Be wary of any site that still sells Sora 2 generations: OpenAI says the models are no longer available through its API[1].
What the Sora API cost and allowed, for the record
- $0.10 a second for Sora 2, and $0.30, $0.50 or $0.70 a second for Sora 2 Pro depending on output size[1].
- 16- or 20-second generations, extendable up to six times to 120 seconds in total[3].
- Reusable non-human Characters, up to two per video; uploads depicting a human likeness were blocked by default[3].
- Real people, copyrighted characters, copyrighted music and input images with human faces were rejected[3].
We could not verify whether Sora videos carried a visible watermark or whether the app needed a ChatGPT plan; those pages were not readable to us.
Free alternatives to use instead
| Tool | Free option | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Google Flow (Veo 3.1)[4] | 50 credits a day, per the credits page[4] | Another help page lists a paid Google AI plan as required[5] |
| Dreamina (Seedance) | Free daily credits[6] | Watermark removal is a paid benefit[7] |
| Kling | Free tier for eligible users[8] | Free exports generally watermarked[8] |
| Runway | 125 one-time credits[9] | Free-plan videos carry a Runway watermark[10] |
| Vidu | Free credits for all users[11] | Amount and terms not verified |
| Cast | First 5-second video free, no sign-up | Short vertical clips; characters from text, not photos |
Which to pick
- Closest to Sora's long takes: Kling 4.0, up to 30 seconds per generation[8], or Seedance 2.5, up to 30 seconds[12].
- A pay-per-second API like Sora's: Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 a second at 720p, or Veo 3.1 Fast at $0.10[13].
- Free on a phone with no account: Cast, for short character clips; see free AI video without sign-up.
- More options by use case: the Sora alternatives page.
Where Cast fits
- You want a free clip with sound now, without an account: the first 5-second video is free.
- Short vertical character videos from one line of text.
- A recurring character you describe in a sentence and reuse.
Where it does not:
- Long single takes: Cast clips are 5 to 15 seconds.
- Videos of real people or yourself: Cast characters are drawn from text.
- An API to replace the Sora API.
People also ask
- Does Sora need ChatGPT Plus?
- We could not verify Sora's consumer access or plan requirements, because the help pages did not load for us. The developer API is shut down[1].
- Do Sora videos have a watermark?
- We could not verify this on a vendor page. Google's Veo, by comparison, adds an invisible SynthID watermark to every video[14].
- What did the Sora API cost?
- $0.10 a second for Sora 2 and up to $0.70 a second for Sora 2 Pro, before the 2026-09-24 shutdown[1].
- How do I get Sora now?
- Through the API, you cannot[1]. For the app, check your own account; we could not verify its status.
Sources
Claims about other companies come from their own pages, read on the date shown. Products and prices change; check the link for the current version.
- OpenAI API docs: Sora 2 model page (read )
- OpenAI API docs: deprecations (read )
- OpenAI API docs: video generation guide (read )
- Google Flow Help: credits (read )
- Google Flow Help: get started (read )
- Dreamina: home page (read )
- Dreamina: pricing (read )
- Kling AI: AI video generator (Kling 4.0) (read )
- Runway: pricing (read )
- Runway Help: Free plan details (read )
- Vidu: home page (read )
- ByteDance Seed: introducing Seedance 2.5 (read )
- Gemini API: pricing (read )
- Gemini API: Veo video generation (read )
Related answers
- What are the best Sora 2 alternatives?
- Veo 3 vs Sora 2: which is better?
- Is Veo 3 free?
- What is a good free alternative to Veo 3?
- What is the best free AI video generator in 2026?
Part of the Cast answers library (Veo and Sora).
Updated