The Sora app for AI-generated video, developed by OpenAI, has shown impressive results in its first week after launching on iOS.
This is reported by Business • Media
- In the seven days following its release, Sora achieved 627,000 downloads.
- ChatGPT’s download count in its first seven days was 606,000 installations.
- Although the Sora app is currently available by invitation only, it has already topped the US App Store charts.
Comparison with ChatGPT and Launch Geography
Analysts note that directly comparing the results of Sora and ChatGPT is not entirely accurate, as at the time of ChatGPT’s launch, the app was only available in the US, while Sora launched simultaneously in both the US and Canada. Approximately 45,000 downloads were made by Canadian users. If we consider only the US, Sora achieved about 96% of ChatGPT’s launch figures.
Rapid Rise in Popularity and the Impact of Viral Videos
Despite currently operating on an invitation-only basis, Sora is quickly gaining popularity among users. On its very first day post-launch, it was downloaded over 56,000 times, allowing Sora to rank third among all apps in the US App Store. By October 3, 2025, the app reached the top position, surpassing other popular AI products, including Claude from Anthropic, Copilot from Microsoft, and Grok from xAI.
Additional interest is fueled by viral videos created using the Sora 2 model, which are actively shared by users on social media. Among these, hyper-realistic deepfakes, including controversial videos featuring images of deceased individuals, have drawn particular attention.
It was the videos featuring celebrities who have passed away that prompted Zelda Williams, the daughter of actor Robin Williams, to publicly request the cessation of such video distribution.
According to analytics from Appfigures, since its launch on September 30, 2025, Sora has shown consistent user interest. The peak download count reached 107,800 on October 1, after which the daily rate stabilized between 84,000 and 98,000 installations.
Experts consider Sora’s results impressive for an app with limited access and note that Sora currently ranks among the top releases from OpenAI, second only to the initial launch of ChatGPT.