How much does Sora cost?
While Sora was live, the app was free to try with limits, and fuller access came with ChatGPT Plus at $20/month or ChatGPT Pro at $200/month. The developer API charged about $0.10 per second (Sora 2) or $0.30 per second (Sora 2 Pro). The consumer app shut down April 26, 2026.
Why — the first-principles explanation
Sora's pricing followed a simple logic: video generation is expensive to run, so OpenAI tied heavier use to paid plans. A single clip can consume thousands of times the compute of a text chat, so free access always had tight caps, and if you wanted more or higher quality, you paid.
There were three price points while Sora operated. The Sora app was free to download and gave a limited number of generations. ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) raised those limits and unlocked the video features on the web. ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) added Sora 2 Pro: higher resolution, longer clips, more generations, and fewer restrictions. For developers, the API billed by the second — roughly $0.10/second for standard Sora 2 and $0.30/second for Sora 2 Pro — so a 10-second Pro clip cost about $3.
Here's the key update: those consumer prices are now historical. OpenAI reported Sora cost about $1 million per day to run while earning only about $2.1 million total from in-app purchases over its life. That gap is exactly why OpenAI discontinued the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026. The API remains (still billed per second) but is scheduled to end September 24, 2026, so do not subscribe to ChatGPT Pro today just for Sora.
An example that makes it click
Think of Sora like an arcade. Walking in was free, and you got a few tokens to play, that was the free app. Want a big handful of tokens? That was the $20 Plus pass. Want the VIP machines with the best graphics and no wait? That was the $200 Pro pass. Developers, meanwhile, paid by the ride, about 10 cents for every second of video. Then the arcade found it was spending a million dollars a day to keep the lights on, so it closed.
Key facts
- The Sora app was free to download with a limited number of generations.
- ChatGPT Plus cost $20/month and ChatGPT Pro cost $200/month while Sora was included.
- The API cost about $0.10/second for Sora 2 and about $0.30/second for Sora 2 Pro.
- Sora reportedly cost about $1 million per day to operate.
- The consumer app and web shut down April 26, 2026; the API ends September 24, 2026.
OpenAI's text-to-video model for short cinematic clips.
Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
How much did Sora cost? It depended on how you used it. The Sora app itself was free to download, with a limited number of videos. For more, ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month raised your limits, and ChatGPT Pro at $200 a month unlocked the best quality, longer clips, and Sora 2 Pro. Developers paid by the second through the API, roughly 10 cents a second for standard, 30 cents for Pro. But here's the twist: Sora cost OpenAI about a million dollars a day to run while barely making money, so they shut down the app and website on April 26, 2026. The API still runs for now but closes September 24, 2026. So don't pay for ChatGPT Pro today just to get Sora, it's no longer there.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
Was Sora free?
The app was free to try with limits; higher use required ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) or Pro ($200/mo).
Do I need to pay for Sora now?
No. The consumer app shut down April 26, 2026, so there is nothing to subscribe to for it.
How much did the Sora API cost?
About $0.10 per second for Sora 2 and $0.30 per second for Sora 2 Pro, billed per generation.
Is ChatGPT Pro worth it for Sora?
Not anymore. The Sora product is gone for consumers, so Pro no longer includes it.