OpenAI's Sora app is losing altitude fast. The AI video generation app that rocketed to No. 1 on the App Store in October has seen downloads crater 45% in January, while consumer spending dropped 32% month-over-month, according to new data from Appfigures. The decline signals that early hype around the TikTok-style AI video platform is evaporating as users grapple with copyright restrictions and competition from Google's Gemini and Meta's AI tools heats up.
OpenAI's Sora app is experiencing a harsh reality check. After hitting 100,000 installs on day one and reaching 1 million downloads faster than ChatGPT, the AI video generation platform is now watching its user base erode at an alarming pace.
The numbers tell a concerning story. Downloads fell 32% month-over-month in December - a particularly troubling sign since the holiday season typically pumps up mobile app adoption as people unwrap new smartphones and have extra downtime. January brought even steeper losses, with installs dropping 45% to just 1.2 million, according to market intelligence firm Appfigures.
Consumer spending followed the same trajectory, declining 32% in January to $367,000, down from December's peak of $540,000. Across its lifetime, Sora has generated $1.4 million in revenue from 9.6 million total downloads, with the U.S. accounting for $1.1 million of that figure. But the momentum that once had analysts calling Sora a potential disruption to social media seems to have stalled.
The app's chart performance reflects the slide. Sora now sits at No. 101 on the U.S. App Store's overall free apps ranking - outside the coveted Top 100 - with its highest placement at No. 7 in the Photo & Video category. On Google Play, it's faring worse at No. 181 overall.
Powered by OpenAI's Sora 2 model, the app works like an AI-flavored TikTok, letting users create videos from text prompts, cast themselves and friends as characters, and remix each other's creations with music, sound effects, and dialogue. The concept generated massive initial buzz when it launched as an invite-only iOS exclusive in October.
