This level of consumer adoption is worth noting because Sora remains an invite-only app, while ChatGPT was more publicly available at launch. That makes Sora’s performance more impressive.
That’s correct; the initial user response to Sora has been incredibly strong, almost mirroring the explosive debut of ChatGPT.
Here are the key details based on app intelligence data:
- Sora’s Downloads: OpenAI’s video-generating app, Sora, recorded an estimated 627,000 iOS downloads in its first seven days in the U.S. and Canada.
- ChatGPT’s Downloads: ChatGPT recorded 606,000 iOS downloads in its first week when it launched in the U.S.
- The Comparison: When adjusting Sora’s total to account for the U.S. only (as ChatGPT’s initial launch was U.S.-only), Sora’s downloads were approximately 96% of ChatGPT’s first-week figure.
- A Major Caveat: This near-parity is particularly notable because Sora is currently an invite-only app, whereas ChatGPT was publicly available from its initial launch. The restricted access suggests a very high level of pent-up demand and interest in OpenAI’s latest creative tool.
- App Store Ranking: Sora quickly climbed the U.S. App Store charts, reaching the No. 1 spot in the overall free app rankings within three days of its launch.
Sora allows users to create short, hyper-realistic videos with synchronized audio from text prompts, and its rapid adoption indicates the huge public appetite for sophisticated AI-powered media creation.