OpenAI’s Sora app is struggling after its stellar launch

After quickly climbing to the top of the App Store in October, OpenAI’s video-generation app Sora is showing signs of slowing momentum. New data indicates the app is experiencing declines in both downloads and consumer spending as the initial excitement around the AI-powered video social platform begins to fade.

Powered by OpenAI’s video model Sora 2, the iOS version of the app surpassed 100,000 installs on its first day, despite launching as an invite-only product. It quickly reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store and crossed 1 million downloads faster than ChatGPT. At the time, Sora was available only on iOS and still required an invite, making its early performance particularly notable.

Image Credits: Appfigures

In the weeks following its mobile debut, however, Sora has struggled to maintain that pace.

Data from market intelligence firm Appfigures shows that Sora’s downloads fell 32% month over month in December. The drop was especially striking given that the holiday season typically drives increased app installs as people receive new smartphones and have more free time. The decline continued into January 2026, with installs dropping another 45% month over month to around 1.2 million. Consumer spending also declined, falling 32% month over month in January, according to Appfigures.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sora positions itself as something like an AI-powered version of TikTok, allowing users to generate short videos from text prompts. A standout feature lets users cast themselves or friends as characters in videos, while others can remix shared clips. Users can also add music, sound effects, and dialogue to flesh out their scenes.

To date, Sora’s app has been downloaded 9.6 million times across iOS and Android, generating about $1.4 million in consumer spending. The U.S. accounts for the majority of that revenue, at roughly $1.1 million, followed by Japan, Canada, South Korea, and Thailand. Spending in January totalled $367,000, down from a peak of $540,000 in December.

Image Credits: Appfigures

On the U.S. App Store, Sora has slipped out of the Top 100 free apps overall and currently ranks at No. 101. Its strongest showing is in the Photo & Video category, where it sits at No. 7. Performance on Google Play in the U.S. is weaker, with the app ranked No. 181 among top free apps.

While these numbers are still substantial, they point to a cooling period rather than continued breakout growth.

Several factors appear to be contributing to the slowdown. Competition has intensified, particularly from Gemini, including Google’s Nano Banana model, which has helped drive adoption of the Gemini app. Sora also faces competition from Meta’s AI offerings, including its Vibes video feature, which boosted Meta AI app downloads around the same time Sora was taking off.

At the same time, OpenAI has faced challenges managing copyright issues within Sora. Early on, the company told Hollywood studios and agencies that they would need to opt out if they didn’t want their intellectual property used in the app, prompting backlash. During that period, users could generate videos featuring popular characters like SpongeBob and Pikachu, which helped drive adoption. To address legal concerns, OpenAI later shifted from an opt-out to an opt-in approach and tightened restrictions.

Last month, OpenAI announced a deal with Disney that allows users to generate videos using Disney characters. So far, however, the agreement has not led to a noticeable rebound in downloads or spending. The partnership has also drawn scrutiny, given the nature of some user-generated content previously created with recognisable characters.

Sora 2 launched amid heavy hype, with some observers calling it a potential disruption to social media and dubbing it the “TikTok of AI.” But many users appear reluctant to let others use their likeness to create AI videos, and with limits on commercial IP, interest seems to have tapered off. Whether Sora can regain momentum through additional licensing deals or new features remains an open question.