Sora alternatives: the best AI video generators now that Sora is gone

Is Sora shut down?

Yes. OpenAI says the Sora product is no longer available as of April 26, 2026. That covered the Sora app and sora.com. The Sora API for developers (the sora-2 and sora-2-pro models) followed on September 24, 2026, and OpenAI didn't name a replacement.

There's no Sora plan to buy and no Sora access inside ChatGPT Plus or Pro anymore. If you made videos there, OpenAI's help page points you to an export page at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, and it says Sora data will be deleted after the final export window. So grab your clips if you haven't. Any ChatGPT or Sora credits you bought can still be used for Codex, OpenAI's coding agent.

What are the best Sora alternatives?

Prices are in US dollars, before tax, as listed on October 31, 2026.

Which Sora alternative is best for beginners?

Google Veo is the simplest switch. You make videos inside the Gemini app you may already have, or in Google Flow, Google's video tool. The free Gemini plan doesn't include video generation, so you'll need a paid plan. Google AI Plus is US$4.99/month and comes with 200 Flow credits and 400 GB of storage. Google AI Pro is US$19.99/month or US$199.99/year, with 1,000 Flow credits and 5 TB. The current video model is Veo 3.1, and Pro gets a limited trial of Veo 3.1 Lite, a lighter version. Heavy users can go up to Google AI Ultra at US$99.99 or US$199.99 a month.

If you want a wider tour of beginner-friendly picks, read our guide to the best AI video tools for beginners.

Are there free Sora alternatives?

Yes, several. They all watch credits closely, so "free" means a taste rather than a full workload.

• Kling AI has a free Basic plan. For paid plans, see Kling's site for the current price.
• Pika has a free plan with pay-as-you-go credits. Starter is US$10/month or US$8/month billed yearly (US$96/year) for 900 credits.
• PixVerse gives you 60 credits to start plus 30 a day on its free plan, at up to 540p (a fairly small, phone-ish resolution). Standard is US$10/month or US$8/month yearly, adds 720p and drops the watermark.
• Runway hands out 125 credits once, and they don't expire.
• Vidu gives credits when you sign up and when you log in each day.
• Hailuo AI offers a one-time pack of trial credits, then you'll need a paid plan.

Which Sora alternative is best for polished, longer projects?

Runway is the pick if you want to edit and shape clips, not just generate them. Standard is US$15/month or US$12/month billed yearly (US$144/year) with 625 credits. Pro is US$35 (US$28 yearly), and Max is US$95 (US$76 yearly). Right now Runway has 25% off Kling 4.0 generations until November 30, 2026, on Standard, Pro and Max.

Luma Dream Machine has turned into a studio that runs many models in one place, including its own Ray models plus Kling, Veo 3.1 and others. There's no free plan. Plus is US$30/month or US$25/month yearly (US$300/year) with 10,000 credits and commercial use. Pro is US$90 (US$75 yearly). If Luma's price makes you wince, we also have a page on cheaper Luma alternatives.

What about Hailuo, Higgsfield and Vidu?

These are worth a look, but their pricing pages load in ways that make prices hard to pin down, so check the site before you pay.

• Hailuo AI is MiniMax's video app (models include MiniMax H3 and Hailuo 2.3). Its Standard plan starts at US$8.40/month billed yearly (US$100.80/year) with 1,000 credits a month. The free plan is a one-time trial.
• Higgsfield is known for camera moves and cinematic effects. There's a limited free plan. Its paid prices have changed several times in October, so see the site for the current price.
• Vidu is running promos on yearly plans and a low-cost trial offer, with no end date shown. See the site for current plan prices.

How do these tools charge?

Almost all of them use credits. Each video costs a number of credits based on length, resolution and which model you pick, so the same plan can make a lot of short, small clips or a few long, sharp ones. Before you commit to a year, spend the free credits or one month on the kind of clip you actually make. Yearly billing is usually about 20% cheaper, and Hailuo's yearly discount is bigger still.

Which Sora alternative should you pick?

Start with Google Veo if you want the closest thing to "type a prompt, get a good clip" at the lowest price. Go with Kling or PixVerse if you'd rather start free. Pick Runway or Luma when the video is for a client or a channel and you want more control. And if you still have old Sora videos, export them before OpenAI deletes them.