OpenAI’s Sora app for AI-generated videos is off to a strong start, despite being invite-only and limited to users in the U.S. and Canada at launch. According to app intelligence provider Appfigures, the app saw 56,000 downloads on its first day, September 30, and reached a total of 164,000 installs by October 1.
The performance places Sora’s debut ahead of other major AI app launches, such as Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot, and on par with xAI’s Grok. However, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini had stronger openings, each exceeding 80,000 downloads on day one.
Despite restrictions, Sora quickly climbed the U.S. App Store charts, ranking as the No. 3 Top Overall app by its second day. For comparison, ChatGPT reached No. 1 on day two, Grok landed at No. 4, Gemini at No. 6, Copilot at No. 19, and Claude at No. 78.
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The early success highlights growing consumer demand for AI-powered video tools. While some within OpenAI prefer focusing on broader societal benefits, Sora’s viral reception suggests that AI creativity apps are rapidly finding their place in mainstream digital culture.
