Sora app and web interface close April 26, 2026. Today is April 22, 2026. After April 26, sora.chatgpt.com is gone and every Sora video on OpenAI's servers is permanently deleted.
Export your archive now at sora.chatgpt.com/exports/me. Don't wait until April 25 — export turnaround has already stretched to 24 hours for users with large libraries.
The 5-step Sora export (works on desktop and mobile)
Every video you generated on Sora is stored on OpenAI's servers and gets wiped on April 26. The export tool packages them into a single ZIP with the prompts that created them. The whole process takes about 5 minutes of your time plus 1–24 hours of waiting for OpenAI to build the archive. Start now.
- Step 1: Go to sora.chatgpt.com/exports/me. Open sora.chatgpt.com/exports/me in any browser. Sign in with the same OpenAI account you used to generate your videos. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team accounts all have export access. If you used multiple OpenAI accounts to make Sora videos, you'll need to repeat the export on each one.
- Step 2: Click "Request my data export". One button, one click. OpenAI queues the job server-side. You won't see a progress bar — the page just confirms the request is in.
- Step 3: Wait for the email. OpenAI emails the address tied to your account when the archive is ready. As of April 22, 2026, typical turnaround is 1–4 hours. Users with hundreds of generations have reported waits up to 24 hours. Check your spam folder if nothing arrives in 6 hours — the sender is
[email protected]. - Step 4: Download the ZIP archive. The email contains a single download link valid for 7 days. The ZIP includes every video you generated (MP4 files), the text prompt that produced each one, generation timestamps, and a
metadata.jsonfile. Big libraries can run several gigabytes — download on Wi-Fi, not cellular. - Step 5: Verify your files. Open the ZIP and check the video count matches what you see in the Sora interface. Play 2–3 random clips to confirm they're not corrupted. If anything is missing or broken, request a second export immediately — the tool only works while the system is still online.
3 warnings that catch people out
Most export problems come from waiting too long or assuming the export covers more than it does. As of April 22, 2026, here are the three issues we're seeing creators run into:
- Don't wait until April 25. Heavy users have reported 24-hour export delays as the deadline approaches. If you request the export the day before shutdown, you may not receive the email in time. Today is April 22 — you have a 4-day buffer if you start now.
- API users: your generations are NOT included. The data export tool at sora.chatgpt.com/exports/me only covers videos created through the Sora consumer app or web interface. Anything generated via the Sora API has to be pulled programmatically using the
/v1/sora/generationsendpoint. The API stays online until September 24, 2026, so you have more time — but no new API keys are being issued. - Bulk export only works through the data export tool. You can right-click and save individual videos from the Sora interface, but there's no built-in "download all" button. The data export is the only way to grab the entire library at once. If you only want a handful of clips, manual download works fine.
What about Sora subscriptions and refunds? OpenAI is automatically issuing prorated refunds for any unused portion of your Sora subscription. You don't need to request anything — the credit appears on your next billing cycle. Source: OpenAI Help Center.
After you export: HeyGen is the most direct upgrade
If you used Sora for talking-head and explainer video, HeyGen Avatar V (launched April 8, 2026) hits 0.840 face similarity — the highest benchmark in the category. 200+ avatars, 175+ languages, free tier with 3 videos/month.
Try HeyGen Free →What to use after Sora shuts down
Sora was a Swiss Army knife — talking heads, cinematic clips, ads, narrated explainers. There's no single replacement, so match the workflow you actually used. The four tools below cover the most common Sora workflows. For the full migration matrix (Runway, Synthesia, Arcads, Pictory, Submagic), see our Sora migration guide.
| If you used Sora for… | Move to… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Talking-head / avatar video | HeyGen From $24/mo annual |
Avatar V at 0.840 face similarity (highest benchmark, April 2026). 200+ stock avatars, 175+ languages. Free tier: 3 videos/mo, no card. |
| Free generation (no budget) | Kling 3.0 Free tier — 66 credits/day |
66 free credits per day (no credit card) — enough for 5–10 short clips daily. 4K output, character consistency. No affiliate program live yet. Kling vs Veo vs Runway comparison. |
| Cinematic / camera-controlled | Veo 3.1 Via Gemini Advanced $19.99/mo |
Highest motion realism and native audio post-Sora. Accessible via Gemini Advanced subscription. No affiliate program. |
| Text-to-video at scale (multilingual) | Fliki From $21/mo annual |
2,000+ AI voices across 75+ languages, blog-to-video conversion, 180 minutes/month on Standard. Best path for high-volume narrated content. |
For the complete workflow-by-workflow matrix (including Runway, Synthesia, Arcads, Pictory, Submagic), see our step-by-step Sora migration guide.
Why is Sora shutting down?
OpenAI announced the two-stage Sora shutdown on March 24, 2026. The reasons given:
- Compute costs. Video generation consumed GPU capacity OpenAI needs for its core language model products.
- Declining users. Active users fell from a peak of around 1 million to under 500,000, per TechCrunch.
- Copyright pressure. Ongoing litigation over training data added legal risk OpenAI chose not to carry.
- Enterprise pivot. Resources are being redirected to coding agents and enterprise products ahead of OpenAI's planned IPO.
The practical impact: if you have anything stored on sora.chatgpt.com you actually want to keep, request the export today. For broader context on what's filling the gap, see our best AI video tools 2026 ranking and best free AI video generators.
Frequently asked questions
When does Sora shut down?
The Sora consumer app and web interface (sora.chatgpt.com) shut down on April 26, 2026. The Sora API for developers continues running until September 24, 2026. After April 26, all stored Sora generations on OpenAI's servers will be permanently deleted unless exported.
How long does the Sora export take?
Typical export turnaround as of April 22, 2026 is 1–4 hours. Heavy users with hundreds of generations have reported up to 24 hours. OpenAI is processing a backlog as the deadline approaches, so request the export now rather than the day before.
Will I lose my Sora videos if I don't export?
Yes. Any Sora video that exists only on OpenAI's servers is permanently deleted on April 26, 2026. Videos already downloaded to your computer or saved to other platforms remain yours under your existing license. Request the data export at sora.chatgpt.com/exports/me before the deadline.
Does the export include API-generated videos?
No. The data export tool at sora.chatgpt.com/exports/me only includes videos generated through the Sora consumer app or web interface. Generations created via the Sora API are not included. API users should pull their assets programmatically using the /v1/sora/generations endpoint, which stays online until September 24, 2026.
Can I keep using Sora videos I already created?
Yes. Once a video is downloaded, it remains yours under your existing OpenAI license terms. You can publish, edit, and reuse exported Sora clips after April 26. Only the cloud-hosted versions on sora.chatgpt.com are deleted.
Will the Sora API still work after April 26?
Yes. The Sora API continues until September 24, 2026 — five months after the consumer app shuts down. No new API keys are being issued, but existing integrations keep working. This gives engineering teams a longer migration runway to Runway, Kling, or Veo 3.1.
What's the best Sora alternative for talking head videos?
HeyGen is the best Sora replacement for talking-head and avatar video as of April 2026. HeyGen's Avatar V model launched April 8, 2026 with a 0.840 face similarity score, the highest benchmark in the AI avatar category. Plans start at $24/month (Creator annual) with 200+ stock avatars and 175+ languages. Free tier: 3 watermarked videos per month, no credit card required.
Is there a free Sora alternative?
Yes. Kling 3.0 offers 66 free credits per day (no credit card required) — enough for 5–10 short clips. For zero-cost editing, CapCut is fully free with no watermark. Most former Sora users combine Kling free for generation with HeyGen or Fliki for production work. See our best free AI video generators guide.
Done exporting? Pick your Sora replacement next.
The full migration matrix maps every Sora workflow (talking heads, cinematic, ads, captions, repurposing) to the right replacement — with pricing, free tiers, and direct links.
Open the Migration Guide → Try HeyGen Free →