OpenAI's video - generation application, Sora, made its grand entrance in the fall of 2025. On its very first day of availability on iOS, it soared past 100,000 downloads. Even though it was still in an 'invitation - only' phase, it swiftly climbed to the top of the free app chart on the US App Store. In less than five days, the number of downloads surpassed 1 million, outstripping the growth rate of ChatGPT. It was hailed as a groundbreaking product for venturing into the mobile and social realms.

However, the latest market statistics paint a rather gloomy picture for Sora, as its popularity has taken a significant hit. In December 2025, the month - over - month download count of Sora plummeted by 32%. In January 2026, it suffered another 45% month - over - month decline, with roughly 1.2 million new installations that month. At the same time, in - app consumer spending also dropped by 32% on a month - over - month basis.

Up until now, Sora has amassed approximately 9.6 million downloads across both iOS and Android platforms. The total amount spent by users has reached around $1.4 million, with the US market being the largest contributor.

Several factors have contributed to Sora's waning popularity. Firstly, there are high creative barriers, making it difficult for users to fully unleash their creativity. Secondly, numerous content restrictions limit what users can generate. Thirdly, the high usage costs put off many potential users. Fourthly, unstable service experiences have led to user dissatisfaction. Fifthly, severe content homogenization means that a large portion of the generated content lacks uniqueness. Moreover, there is a glaring lack of social interaction features, which is crucial in today's social - media - driven world.

In addition to these internal issues, Sora also faces fierce competition from rivals such as Meta. Copyright issues have further complicated its development landscape. Although OpenAI has made efforts to rekindle user enthusiasm by launching copyright collaborations, updating features, and lowering usage barriers, the impact of these measures has been rather limited.