OpenAI’s new video-generating app, Sora, has achieved remarkable success in its first week, rivaling ChatGPT’s initial launch figures. According to data from Appfigures, Sora recorded 627,000 downloads on iOS within its first seven days. In contrast, ChatGPT had 606,000 downloads during its comparable launch period.
Sora’s Launch Details
Sora’s launch, which began on September 30, 2025, uniquely positioned it in both the U.S. and Canada. Comparatively, ChatGPT was only available in the U.S. during its first week. Despite the added market, if focusing solely on the U.S. figures, Sora’s downloads would be approximately 96% of ChatGPT’s initial performance, especially since about 45,000 of Sora’s installs originated from Canada.
Adoption Rate and Performance
Sora’s adoption rate is noteworthy, considering it is an invite-only application, unlike ChatGPT, which was more widely accessible from the outset. The app quickly climbed the U.S. App Store rankings, achieving 56,000 downloads on its first day, making it the No. 3 overall app. By October 3, just three days after launch, Sora surged to the top position.
Comparisons with Other AI Apps
This performance puts Sora ahead of other prominent AI apps, including Claude from Anthropic and Microsoft’s Copilot, while paralleling xAI’s Grok launch. Social media buzz has also highlighted the app’s capabilities, especially its functionality for generating realistic deepfakes, which has drawn attention for controversial use cases.
Ongoing Download Trends
Since its debut, Sora has sustained significant daily downloads. The highest single day recorded was 107,800 downloads on October 1, 2025. However, it experienced fluctuations, with daily downloads ranging from a low of 84,400 on October 6 to 98,500 on October 4.
Potential Future Impact
The trajectory of Sora’s initial week reflects a strong consumer interest in video generation technology. Continued adoption could reshape the landscape of AI applications and their accessibility. As more users gain access, the app could significantly influence how digital content is created and shared.
