After the Sora shutdown · 3 picks
The Best Sora Alternatives in 2026
OpenAI has closed Sora, so every Sora alternative now runs on someone else's model. ImageVideoAI never offered Sora; instead it gives you Kling, Veo and Seedance, for written prompts and photos alike.
What Happened to Sora: The Shutdown Timeline
The Sora AI shutdown came in three stages, and each date below comes from OpenAI itself. As of October 2026, the consumer app, the website and the Sora 2 models in the developer API are all gone.
| Date | What changed | Where OpenAI said it |
|---|---|---|
| March 24, 2026 | OpenAI announced it would discontinue Sora in the consumer app and in the API | An OpenAI spokesperson, quoted by Engadget, plus an OpenAI post saying goodbye to Sora |
| April 26, 2026 | The Sora web and app experiences closed | OpenAI's help center article on the Sora discontinuation |
| September 24, 2026 | sora-2, sora-2-pro and the Videos API were removed from the API, with no replacement model listed | OpenAI's API deprecations page |
OpenAI's explanation was that the Sora research team would keep working on world simulation research aimed at robotics. In practice, the Sora AI video generator was not paused or rebranded, and OpenAI's deprecations notice names no newer video model to move to.
A few third-party sites still show a "Sora 2" label in their menus. Read that label with care: once OpenAI pulled sora-2 and sora-2-pro from its API on September 24, a menu entry stopped being evidence that the model behind it is still running.
Which Model Replaces Sora for Your Kind of Video
ImageVideoAI is not a Sora video generator and never was, but it can serve as a Sora 2 alternative. It is an independent site that sends your photo or prompt, through an API, to one of five model families: Kling, Veo, Seedance, Hailuo and Wan. Three of them line up most closely with the work people used to bring to Sora.
Kling 3.0 for scripted scenes with cuts
Kuaishou's Kling 3.0 handles clip lengths between 3 and 15 seconds, and its output can be 720p, 1080p or 4K. It can plan several shots inside a single generation and adds native audio when you switch sound on. A silent 5-second clip at 720p is 42 credits; the same length at 1080p with sound is 84. Shot-by-shot prompting is explained on our Kling AI video generator page, version by version.
Veo 3.1 for short single shots with sound
Google's Veo 3.1 produces clips of 4, 6 or 8 seconds, generates sound alongside the picture, and follows the shape of your upload, so a vertical portrait stays vertical. Lite costs 65 credits for 8 seconds at 720p, Fast costs 129 at 1080p, and Quality, which also reaches 4K, costs 538 at 1080p. Lite, Fast and Quality each get a column in our own Veo 3.1 AI video generator comparison, worth a look before you choose a tier.
Seedance 2.5 for long takes
ByteDance released Seedance 2.5 on July 31, 2026. A single Seedance 2.5 take can last anywhere between 4 and 30 seconds, the longest of the three, and it comes with native audio at either 480p or 720p. It is also the priciest of the three per clip: 183 credits for 5 seconds at 720p. Its cheaper siblings for drafting, the Mini and Pro Fast versions among them, sit on our Seedance AI video generator page as well.
Working from words only, with no picture at all? Paste the old prompt into the text to video AI tool and choose a model there.
Sora vs Kling 3.0 vs Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.5
Sora has no row below because the service is closed and can't be compared on price or output today. The figures are this site's own, as of October 2026, for the lowest-priced setting of each model.
| Model on ImageVideoAI | Clip length | Top resolution | Sound | Lowest listed clip | Cost on Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kling 3.0 | Between 3 and 15 s | Up to 4K | Optional switch | 42 credits (720p, 5 s, silent) | About $0.84 |
| Veo 3.1 | Fixed at 4, 6 or 8 s | 4K on the Quality and Fast tiers | Always generated | 65 credits (Lite, 720p, 8 s) | About $1.30 |
| Seedance 2.5 | Between 4 and 30 s | Up to 720p | Native audio | 183 credits (720p, 5 s) | About $3.66 |
Those are not the lowest prices anywhere for these models. As of October 2026, Kuaishou's own Kling app works out to roughly $0.40 for the same 720p Kling 3.0 clip, Google's Gemini API charges about $0.96 for 8 seconds of Veo 3.1 Fast at 1080p (we charge about $2.58), and Pika sells a 720p Seedance 2.5 clip for about $1.36 on its Starter plan. What you get here instead is all three on one balance, the credit cost on screen before each render, and failed renders refunded automatically.
Moving Your Sora Prompts to Another Model
Most prompts written for Sora carry over with small edits. These five adjustments save the most retries:
- Fit the length to the model. Veo stops at 8 seconds and Kling 3.0 at 15, so a long prompt with several beats either moves to Seedance 2.5 or gets split into separate shots.
- Write the soundtrack as objects and events. All three models above can return audio, and naming concrete noises, such as rain on a window or a crowd murmuring, gives them something specific to render.
- Number the shots for Kling. When a prompt contains a cut, label it Shot 1 and Shot 2 so the multi-shot feature knows where to switch angles.
- Begin from a still when you have one. A photo fixes the face, outfit and setting, which leaves the prompt free to describe only the motion.
- Draft on a cheap setting. Six credits buy a 480p test on Seedance 1.0 Pro Fast, the lowest price on the site, so prove the idea there before paying for a long or 4K version.
One gap to know about: there is no lip-sync tool on ImageVideoAI, and you can't upload a voice track for a character to follow.
When a Different Sora Alternative Fits Better
ImageVideoAI has no model of its own, no lip sync and no video editor. It generates clips and lets you download them. That leaves some cases where another route is the better call:
- You only need one model and want the lowest price. The maker's own product usually costs less per clip: Kling's app for Kling, Google Flow or the Gemini API for Veo, Dreamina for Seedance. As of October 2026, Flow hands every account 50 credits a day, though non-subscribers can be blocked from video during busy periods.
- You want editing tools around the generation. Runway and Pika now sell Kling or Seedance next to their own models, with editing features we don't have. Our Runway alternative page lays out that trade-off in detail.
- You want a video model made by OpenAI. None is on offer as of October 2026, and the deprecations page names no replacement.
Sora Alternative FAQ
Is Sora AI shutting down?
It already has. OpenAI announced on March 24, 2026 that it would discontinue Sora in the consumer app and the API. OpenAI's help center says the web and app experiences ended on April 26, 2026, and its API deprecations page gives September 24, 2026 as the removal date for sora-2, sora-2-pro and the Videos API, with no replacement model.
Is Sora 2 free?
No. Sora 2 can't be used at any price as of October 2026: the app has been closed since April, and both Sora 2 models left OpenAI's API on September 24. For a no-cost starting point elsewhere, ImageVideoAI lets guests make one 5-second, 480p clip daily without an account, and a free account adds 30 one-time credits plus 5 daily credits that don't carry over, all watermarked.
Is there a Sora AI video generator free to use now?
Not from OpenAI, and any site that still advertises Sora should be treated with caution after the September 24 API removal. The closest free substitute here is the daily guest clip on Seedance 1.0 Pro Fast. Sign up and the free account unlocks all models but Veo's Quality tier, capped at 720p, and each video it makes is watermarked.
Did Sora AI watermark its videos, and does ImageVideoAI?
Sora can't make new videos anymore, so its watermark rules no longer affect anything you create, and this page doesn't document them. On ImageVideoAI, clips from a free account carry a watermark, while subscribers and credit-pack buyers download clean files that come with a commercial license. The site has no tool for removing watermarks from videos made on other services.
Does ImageVideoAI offer Sora or Sora 2?
No, and it never did. ImageVideoAI is an independent site with no connection to OpenAI. It runs Kling, Veo, Seedance, Hailuo and Wan models through their providers' APIs and charges per clip in its own credits. Any mention of Sora on this page describes the shutdown, not a feature you can use here.
Which Sora alternative should I try first?
Pick by clip length. For 8 seconds or less with sound in every render, start with Veo 3.1 Lite at 65 credits. For a scene with cuts or a 4K finish, use Kling 3.0. For a single take of up to 30 seconds, use Seedance 2.5, keeping in mind it costs the most per clip of the three.
Compare AI video tools
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Runway, Google Flow, Kling, Luma, Pika and more compared for text to video, editing and sound, with prices as of October 2026 and honest pros and cons.
The Best Runway Alternative
Runway Gen-4.5 next to the Kling, Veo, Seedance, Hailuo and Wan models on ImageVideoAI: plans, free credits, watermark and cost per clip, Oct 2026.
The Best Grok Imagine Alternative
Compare Grok Imagine with the Kling, Veo, Hailuo, Seedance and Wan models: clip length, resolution, sound and API price as of October 2026.
The Best Luma Dream Machine Alternative
Luma's Ray3.2 next to the Kling, Veo, Seedance, Hailuo and Wan models on ImageVideoAI: plans, cost per clip, sound and length, as of October 2026.
Bring a Sora Idea to Kling, Veo or Seedance
Upload a still or type the prompt you once sent to Sora, pick one of the three models above, and check the credit price before anything runs. Every plan and pack is listed under plans and credits.