OpenAI’s Sora AI Video App Sees Sharp Drop After Early Success

OpenAI is making headlines again as it reshapes its business and product lineup. While the company reportedly looks for new funding from major tech firms and phases out older GPT-4 models in favor of newer systems, fresh data suggests its Sora AI video app has started to slow down after an explosive debut.

According to Neowin, early signs point to fading momentum for Sora just weeks after its initial success.

Sora downloads and revenue decline in early 2026

Appfigures data shows a sharp drop in user interest. Sora downloads fell 32% in December 2025 and then slid another 45% in January 2026, settling at roughly 1.2 million installs for the month.

Spending declined at a similar pace. Consumer purchases dropped 32% month over month, reaching about $367,000 in January, which signals weaker monetization alongside falling installs.

Sora launched as a breakout hit. The app briefly claimed the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store and reached one million downloads faster than ChatGPT, a milestone that highlighted intense early demand.

That momentum has since cooled. Sora now sits near No. 101 overall on the U.S. App Store and around No. 181 on Google Play, marking a steep decline in visibility across both platforms.

Competition and constraints weigh on growth

Analysts link the slowdown to a mix of fading launch hype, copyright-related content limits, and growing pressure from rival platforms. Competing tools from Google, including Gemini, and a broader push into AI products from Meta have crowded the market and raised the bar for sustained engagement.

Despite the recent downturn, Sora still holds millions of lifetime installs and meaningful cumulative revenue, which suggests that a core group of users continues to rely on the app even as growth slows.

At the same time, OpenAI faces broader financial strain. The company reportedly expects losses of up to $14 billion this year, adding pressure to convert high-profile AI launches into durable, profitable products as competition across the AI sector continues to intensify.