Sora adds paid option for extra AI videos, trimming free allowance
When I first played around with OpenAI’s Sora platform, the biggest draw was the ability to crank out short AI-generated clips without spending a dime. For a while, each account got a modest batch of free renders every month - enough to keep hobbyists tinkering and marketers testing ideas. Lately, though, OpenAI signaled a shift: the free quota will shrink and a pay-per-use option will appear for anyone who needs extra output.
Bill Peebles, who heads the Sora team, hinted the move is tied to “curre…” - a nod, perhaps, to the service’s cost structure. If you’ve been counting on that zero-cost allowance, you’ll probably start worrying about budgets and whether your workflow can stay smooth. Will the new pricing bite small creators harder than big studios?
OpenAI’s own notes try to spell it out.
In short, Sora now offers a paid tier for generating additional AI videos.
Sora now lets you pay extra to make more AI videos More monetization is on the way, including cuts to free AI video allowances. More monetization is on the way, including cuts to free AI video allowances. Bill Peebles, who leads the Sora team at OpenAI, said the video platform's economics are "currently completely unsustainable." Power users "clearly" aren't satisfied with the number of free generations they get each day -- 100 for users of the higher-end Pro model and 30 for everyone else -- so Peebles said OpenAI is going to let creators "get as much usage as they want to pay for." Ten extra video generations will cost $4, according to Sora's listing on Apple App Store, though the number of credits used per video depends on "length, resolution, and other factors," according to OpenAI's support page.
OpenAI has started letting Sora users buy extra video-generation credits once they burn through the free quota. Bill Peebles, who runs the Sora team, said the economics are “curre…” - which seems to hint that the free tier isn’t holding up forever. He’s hinted that the free allowance could be cut back sometime, but nobody knows exactly when or how much it will change.
The new pay-for-credits option means creators can keep churning out AI videos without waiting for the monthly reset, yet it also puts a price tag on something that was previously free. Some folks will probably like the flexibility; others may wonder whether the cost matches the value they get. We might see a dip in casual users who only needed occasional clips, while power users could spend a few dollars each month.
Exact prices aren’t public yet, so it’s hard to tell if it’s affordable for small creators. If the free tier tightens later, more people may go paid or some might quit. As OpenAI rolls this out, it’s still unclear how the mix of free and paid access will affect who sticks around and how often they use Sora.
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Common Questions Answered
What change is OpenAI making to Sora's free video‑generation allowance?
OpenAI will reduce the number of complimentary AI video renders each month and introduce a pay‑per‑use credit system for users who exceed the new, lower free quota. This shift aims to address the platform's unsustainable economics while still offering a limited free tier.
How many free AI video generations do users of the higher‑end Pro model currently receive?
Users subscribed to Sora's higher‑end Pro model are allotted 100 free video generations per day. This figure is part of the existing free allowance that will be trimmed under the upcoming monetisation plan.
Who is Bill Peebles and what did he say about Sora's economics?
Bill Peebles leads the Sora team at OpenAI, and he described the service's current economics as "completely unsustainable." He noted that power users are clearly dissatisfied with the limited free generations, prompting the move toward paid credits.
What option will Sora users have once they exhaust their free video‑generation credits?
After using up their free allowance, Sora users can purchase additional video‑generation credits on a pay‑for‑credits basis. This model allows continued access to AI video creation while generating revenue for the platform.