OpenAI’s Sora shutting down: When it happens, 2 AI video alternatives

You may have heard that OpenAI is killing its Sora AI video generation tool. However, that doesn't mean it's the end of the line for AI video generation in general.

Sam Altman's company announced the surprising move on Tuesday afternoon, in conjunction with Disney axing its big-money partnership with OpenAI at the same time.

The nature of the announcement made it seem, at least from the outside looking in, that things are moving quickly inside OpenAI right now. In other words, when Sora will fully shut down and what that means for your creations hasn't been revealed. In an X post announcing the decision, the Sora account merely said "We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Well, OK then! While OpenAI works all of the specifics out, it's time for anyone who really liked using Sora to investigate other alternatives for AI video generation. Here are some easy options.

Google Veo 3

The most mainstream option is going to be Google's Veo 3 model, which Mashable called "shockingly realistic" when it launched last year. You can make videos that look better than most other models, but obviously, nothing is free. You'll need one of Google's paid AI plans, which also come with enhanced Gemini features and access to Nano Banana, among other things. These start at $7.99 per month, so they aren't the most expensive thing in the world, but you'll need to ask yourself if you want to pay monthly for the ability to generate videos. That question will come up again as you look for alternatives to Sora.

Luma Ray3

Speaking of money, Luma's Ray3 model is also known for producing realistic, high-quality videos, but at a cost. And it's a steep one compared to Veo 3. The cheapest plan is $30 monthly, so by comparison, Veo 3 is a steal. That said, Ray3 has a deep bench of editing tools, native 1080p video generation, and some other bells and whistles that might make it worth the price, depending on what you plan on doing with it.