OpenAI's Sora app sees downloads and consumer spending decline

OpenAI’s video-generation app, Sora, is experiencing a decline in downloads and consumer spending after its initial launch. The app, which hit the top of the App Store in October, topped 100,000 installs on day one and reached the 1 million downloads milestone. However, recent data from market intelligence provider Appfigures indicates that the early hype has slowed. Sora’s downloads dropped 32% month-over-month in December. This decline continued into January 2026, with installs falling 45% month-over-month to reach 1.2 million. Consumer spending has also decreased, falling 32% month-over-month as of January.

The decline in Sora’s performance is likely caused by multiple factors working together. The app faces fierce competition from Google’s Gemini and Nano Banana model, which have provided competition for users. Additionally, Meta AI has competed for user attention with its own video features. At the same time, user interest in Sora seems to have faded due to limits on commercial intellectual property (IP) and a lack of interest among users in letting others use their likenesses to generate videos.

OpenAI has also struggled with containing copyright infringement within the app. To address backlash and legal threats, the company shifted from an opt-out model—where content is used unless the owner explicitly requests removal—to an opt-in model, where content is only used if the owner explicitly grants permission. This shift, along with increased restrictions, limited the use of popular commercial characters. A deal with Disney, which allowed users to generate videos using Disney characters, has so far not increased Sora installs or consumer spending. This partnership has also faced challenges, partly because some Sora users had made depraved videos using those characters.

Despite the recent slump, Sora has accumulated usage and revenue since its launch. Appfigures data outlines the app’s current financial and marketplace standing:

• Total Downloads: Sora has reached 9.6 million downloads across iOS and Android.
• Total Consumer Spending: The app has generated $1.4 million in consumer spending to date.
• Geographic Breakdown: The U.S. accounts for the majority of spending at $1.1 million, followed by Japan, Canada, South Korea, and Thailand.
• Recent Monthly Spending: Customers spent $367,000 in Sora’s app in January, down from December’s peak of $540,000.
• App Store Rankings: The app sits at No. 101 on the U.S. App Store overall, and No. 7 in the Photo & Video category.
• Google Play Rankings: On Google Play in the U.S., the app ranks at No. 181 overall.

Why it matters

The decline in Sora’s app performance highlights the challenges OpenAI faces in maintaining user interest and navigating copyright concerns despite high-profile partnerships.