OpenAI’s new Sora app hit the ground running in historic fashion. Today it is buoyed with other serious criticism undercut as user attrition and consumer spending have cratered. Set to great fanfare, the app quickly achieved a staggering 9.6 million downloads on iOS and Android. New app store data shows a seriously scary trend in app installs overall and revenue, too.
In October 2025, Sora shot to number one in the U.S. App Store. It set a record-breaking pace by becoming the fastest-growing app to reach over 1 million downloads — even faster than ChatGPT. This early success has turned into big consumer dollars, with the app generating nearly $1.4 million so far. Not surprisingly, the U.S. led the way, responsible for about $1.1 million of this spending.
It’s unfortunate, though, because despite this great launch, Sora’s popularity seems to already be fizzling out. In January 2026, installs tanked by 45% m/m, plummeting to 1.2 million. In-app consumer spending was impacted, falling by 32%. Revenue in January dropped to only $367,000 — a dramatic drop from December’s $540,000.
The engagement drop was first noticed when Sora’s downloads dropped by 32% month-over-month in the month of December too. This trend is worrisome for the app’s long-term viability as well as its plans for retaining users long-term.
One element that we think likely played a role in this downturn is Sora’s recent transition away from a public service operational model. The app moved from an opt-out to an opt-in model, coupled with greater limitations on exclusive features. Unfortunately, this decision could have further turned off these users who enjoyed the app’s initial freedom.
Amid these challenges, OpenAI announced a partnership with Disney that allows users to generate videos featuring Disney characters within Sora. This joint production has created a good amount of buzz and might be a way to help revitalizing interest in the app. The extent to which this deal will influence housing affordability in the region is still unclear.
When Sora 2 came out, the launch was preceded by much greater buzz and anticipation. Industry observers are abuzz with its potential to shake up social media platforms, dubbing it “the TikTok of AI.” Despite all these claims and the app’s shiny new features, excitement has quickly cooled. There is still no substitute for sustained user engagement.
Sora is now sitting at 181st overall, among all the top free apps. In the Photo & Video category, it rightfully sits in the 7th spot. This ranking represents a significant fall from grace from its prior position as number one on the App Store.
