OpenAI introduces a freemium model for Sora: 10 videos for 4 dollars

OpenAI Introduces a Freemium Model for Sora: 10 Videos for 4 Dollars

OpenAI has announced a major update for Sora, its AI video generation platform: users can now purchase additional credits to continue creating videos once their free quota is exhausted.

Sora: Paid Credits for Heavy Creators

Previously, Sora offered a limited number of free generations per day:

100 videos per day for Pro plan users,
30 videos per day for others.

However, according to Bill Peebles, head of the Sora team at OpenAI, this model has become “economically unsustainable”. “Heavy users are clearly not satisfied with the current limits. We will therefore allow them to use as many resources as they wish… as long as they pay for it.”

We are launching the ability to buy extra gens in Sora today. We are doing this for two main reasons:
First, we have been quite amazed by how much our power users want to use Sora, and the economics are currently completely unsustainable. We thought 30 free gens/day would be…
— Bill Peebles (@billpeeb) October 30, 2025

Specifically:

10 additional generations cost 4 dollars, according to Sora’s listing on the Apple App Store.
The number of credits required depends on the length, resolution, and other parameters of the video.
Credits expire after 12 months and can also be used on other OpenAI products, such as Codex.

When you reach your free limit, a purchasing option will appear directly in the app.

Toward a Reduction of Free Quotas

Peebles warned that these high quotas will not last forever: “We will need to reduce free generations to support growth. In the meantime, enjoy the current limits, which are quite generous.” OpenAI promises to communicate transparently when this change occurs, without providing a specific timeline.

This decision is part of a broader strategy to monetize Sora and encourage a new economy for AI creators. In recent weeks, OpenAI has added editing tools like clip stitching, leaderboards for popular videos, and notably, the controversial “cameos” feature, which allows the creation of realistic avatars (sometimes based on real people or fictional characters).

Peebles indicates that the monetization of creators will be tested “soon”, envisioning a scenario where “rights holders will be able to charge for the use of their characters or images for cameos.”

This aims to regulate the use of deepfakes following controversies surrounding videos featuring avatars of characters like Pikachu, SpongeBob, or Martin Luther King Jr. created without permission.

Making Sora Economically Viable

OpenAI is striving to make Sora economically viable while laying the groundwork for a creative ecosystem around AI video. Paid credits mark the first step towards a freemium model, where regular users will pay for more flexibility, while creators can monetize their avatars and virtual characters.

In other words: Sora is transitioning from an experimental lab to a real economic platform for AI creation, complete with its rules, pricing… and soon, revenue-sharing models.