FrameSurfer publishes this guide and is one of the tools covered.
The best Sora alternative depends on what you made with Sora. For cinematic clips with dialogue and sound, use Google's Veo 3.1. For clips up to 15 seconds with sound at 1080p, use Kling 3.0 or Seedance 2.0. For one long shot, use Alibaba's Wan 3, which makes up to 30 seconds in a single clip. All of them make sound together with the picture, as Sora 2 did.
You need a replacement because Sora is gone. OpenAI closed the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026, and shut down the Sora API on September 24, 2026 (OpenAI deprecations). OpenAI named no successor video model.
We gave the same prompt to six Sora alternatives on October 3, 2026. The clips, prices and limits are below.
The best Sora alternative for each job
| If you used Sora for | Use instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematic shots with dialogue and sound | Veo 3.1 | The closest match to Sora 2's look, with audio made in the same pass |
| Social clips up to 15 seconds at 1080p | Kling 3.0 or Seedance 2.0 | Sound, 1080p, and a start and end frame you choose |
| One long, unbroken shot | Wan 3 or Seedance 2.5 | Up to 30 seconds per clip in FrameSurfer, longer than Sora's 20-second cap |
| Cheap, fast drafts | MiniMax H3 or Grok Imagine | Low official prices per second; H3 rendered fastest in our test |
| The same character across shots | Seedance 2.0 | Takes reference pictures of a character or product |
What happened to Sora
Sora 2 lasted less than a year as a public product. The key dates, from OpenAI's deprecations page and Help Center:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| September 30, 2025 | OpenAI released Sora 2 and the Sora app. |
| March 24, 2026 | OpenAI told developers the Videos API and all Sora 2 models would be removed. |
| April 26, 2026 | The Sora app and website closed. |
| September 24, 2026 | The Sora API shut down, including Sora 2 Pro. |
| October 15, 2026 | Microsoft's hosted sora-2 preview on Foundry is scheduled to retire. |
If you still have videos in Sora, OpenAI says to export them at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset before any final export window closes. Our Sora 2 pricing guide has the last official prices and the full shutdown details.
One prompt, six Sora alternatives
We ran this prompt on six models inside FrameSurfer on October 3, 2026:
A golden retriever puppy in a yellow raincoat splashes through puddles on a city sidewalk at dusk, low tracking shot, neon reflections on wet pavement, rain falling, cinematic.
Every clip was 720p and 16:9 with sound switched on. MiniMax H3 Max Turbo came back at 768p. Veo 3.1 Fast ran for 6 seconds, because it offers only 4, 6 or 8; the others ran for 5. We took one take of each, with no retries and no editing.
The previews below are short silent loops so the page loads fast. Every model also returned a soundtrack.
Veo 3.1 Fast (Google). The puppy runs straight at the camera and ends in a big splash, with strong neon reflections on the wet street. This was the most cinematic of the six. It took 58 seconds to render.
Kling 3.0 (Kling). The most natural light of the test: a real-looking dusk street with softer neon. The puppy trots more than it splashes. Its soundtrack came back far quieter than the other five, more than 20 decibels lower on average. It took 170 seconds, the slowest of the six.
Seedance 2.0 (ByteDance). It took "tracking shot" most literally: the camera moves alongside the puppy from the side, past bright shop signs. Some sign lettering came out as made-up words, which is common in AI video. It took 130 seconds.
Wan 3 (Alibaba). Also a side view, with the most detailed fur and raincoat and a splash at each step. The puppy walks rather than runs. It took 144 seconds.
Grok Imagine (xAI). The puppy runs toward the camera down the middle of a long, symmetrical street. The look is brighter and more cheerful, closer to early evening than dusk. It took 60 seconds.
MiniMax H3 Max Turbo (MiniMax). The fastest by far, at 18 seconds. The street is darker and moodier, and the puppy leaps mid-clip, though detail goes soft while it moves.
What this test shows: for a polished hero shot, Veo 3.1 Fast and Wan 3 looked strongest here. For natural light, pick Kling 3.0. For quick drafts, MiniMax H3 is hard to beat on speed. One prompt is not a benchmark, and every model varies from take to take, so try your own prompt on two or three models before you commit.
Sora 2 vs the alternatives: price and limits
These are the official API prices per second at 720p, as published by each maker, as of September 2026. The clip lengths are what each model offers inside FrameSurfer; a maker's own app may differ.
| Model | Maker | Official price per second, 720p | Longest clip in FrameSurfer | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sora 2 (shut down) | OpenAI | $0.10 | No longer available | Yes |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.10 | 8 seconds | Yes | |
| Kling 3.0 | Kling | $0.126 with sound | 15 seconds | Yes |
| Seedance 2.0 | ByteDance | About $0.15 | 15 seconds | Yes |
| Seedance 2.5 | ByteDance | About $0.23 | 30 seconds | Yes |
| Wan 3 | Alibaba | $0.10 | 30 seconds | Yes |
| Grok Imagine | xAI | $0.07, or $0.14 on Video 1.5 | 15 seconds | Yes |
| MiniMax H3 | MiniMax | $0.08 (768p) | 15 seconds | Yes |
Sources: Gemini API pricing, Kling API pricing, BytePlus ModelArk, Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, xAI docs and MiniMax.
So 10 seconds of 720p video with sound costs about $1.00 on Veo 3.1 Fast or Wan 3, the same as Sora 2 did. It costs $1.26 on Kling 3.0, about $1.50 on Seedance 2.0, and $0.70 to $1.40 on Grok Imagine, depending on the version. Google's full-quality Veo 3.1 costs $0.40 per second, four times as much.
Where each Sora alternative lives
Each maker also has its own app with monthly plans. Prices as of September 2026:
| Model | Maker's own app | Cheapest paid plan | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 | Google Flow | Google AI Pro, $19.99 a month with 1,000 Flow credits | 50 Flow credits a day |
| Kling 3.0 | Kling AI | Standard, $8.80 a month ($6.99 the first month) | Basic plan: watermark, no 1080p, not for commercial use |
| Seedance 2.0 | Dreamina | Credit plans, prices vary by region | Free daily credits |
| Wan 3 | Wan (create.wan.video) | Pro, $6.50 a month | Daily check-in credits |
| Grok Imagine | Grok | SuperGrok Lite, $10 a month | None listed for video |
| MiniMax H3 | Hailuo AI | Standard, $10.50 a month | One-time trial credits |
The catch is that each app covers one maker. If you want Veo for one scene and Kling for the next, you need two subscriptions. Our model guides go deeper on each one: Veo 3 pricing, Kling AI pricing, Seedance 2.0 pricing, Wan AI video generator, Grok Imagine video and Hailuo AI video.
Is there a free Sora alternative?
Yes, with limits. None of the APIs is free, but several apps let you try their model:
- Kling AI: a free Basic plan with monthly credits. Clips keep a watermark, stop below 1080p and are not for commercial use.
- Dreamina: free daily credits for Seedance 2.0.
- Wan: daily check-in credits in the Wan app.
- Google Flow: 50 Flow credits a day, per Google's plan page.
- Hailuo AI: one-time trial credits for MiniMax's models.
FrameSurfer's free credits make picture-based videos. AI video clips like the ones above need a paid plan.
Moving from Sora to FrameSurfer
FrameSurfer runs every model in this test on one plan, plus Seedance 2.5, Seedance 2.0 Fast and Pruna P-Video-2. You pick a model for each scene, or let FrameSurfer choose.
It also does the work around the clip. You describe an idea, and FrameSurfer writes the script, generates each shot, and adds voiceover, captions and music. You can then fix timing and text in the editor and export an MP4 up to 1080p.
- Closest to Sora's cinematic look: Veo 3.1 Fast.
- Up to 15 seconds with sound at 1080p: Kling 3.0 or Seedance 2.0.
- One long shot: Wan 3 or Seedance 2.5, up to 30 seconds.
- Fast drafts: MiniMax H3 Max Turbo.
Paste your old Sora prompt into FrameSurfer's text to video tool and run it on two or three models to compare. If your idea starts from a photo, use image to video. To compare every model on clip length, sound and inputs, see AI video models compared.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Sora?
It depends on the job. Veo 3.1 is the closest match for cinematic clips with dialogue and sound. Kling 3.0 and Seedance 2.0 make clips up to 15 seconds with sound at 1080p. Wan 3 makes single clips up to 30 seconds.
Is Sora shut down?
Yes. OpenAI closed the Sora app and website on April 26, 2026, and shut down the Sora API, including Sora 2 Pro, on September 24, 2026. Microsoft's hosted sora-2 preview is scheduled to retire on October 15, 2026.
Is there a free Sora alternative?
Several apps let you try a model for free with limits: Kling AI's Basic plan, Dreamina's daily credits for Seedance 2.0, the Wan app's check-in credits, Google Flow's daily credits and Hailuo AI's trial credits. No video API in this guide is free.
Which Sora alternatives make sound?
All six models in our test made sound in the same pass as the picture: Veo 3.1 Fast, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, Wan 3, Grok Imagine and MiniMax H3 Max Turbo.
Which Sora alternative is the cheapest?
On official APIs, as of September 2026, xAI's original Grok Imagine video model costs $0.07 per second at 720p and MiniMax H3 costs $0.08 at 768p. Veo 3.1 Fast and Wan 3 cost $0.10, the same as Sora 2. Kling 3.0 with sound costs $0.126, and Seedance 2.0 about $0.15.
Can I still download my old Sora videos?
OpenAI says to export them at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset. It will permanently delete Sora data after any final export window, so export soon.
Did OpenAI release a new model to replace Sora?
No. OpenAI's deprecations page lists no replacement for the Videos API or the Sora 2 models, as of September 24, 2026.
