Sora alternative
Sora alternatives you can use today
OpenAI closed the Sora app in April 2026. If you came for text-to-video, these 6 models do the same job on PopNow: describe a scene, get a clip with sound. We gave all of them the exact same prompt, so you can compare before you spend a credit.
Clips from 28 credits. New accounts get 30 free credits.
What happened to Sora?
According to OpenAI’s help center (checked October 17, 2026), the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API followed on September 24, 2026. OpenAI says people who made videos there can still export them, and that leftover ChatGPT/Sora credits can be used for Codex instead.
That leaves a lot of people with a prompt habit and nowhere to run it. Several video models released in 2026 handle the same kind of request — a scene, a camera move, people, sound — and you can use these apps-like-Sora models side by side without a subscription.
PopNow doesn’t offer Sora and isn’t connected to OpenAI. This page is about the models you can use instead.
One prompt, 6 models
One 5-second, 16:9 prompt with people, a camera move and sound, run once on each model on October 17, 2026. No retries and no cherry-picking: each clip is the first one the model returned.
Golden hour on an old wooden pier by the sea. A Black street musician in his forties, wearing a gray knit beanie, sits on a crate playing acoustic guitar with his case open in front of him. A young woman with red hair and a denim jacket glides past on roller skates, spins once, and drops a coin into the guitar case; he grins and nods to her. Seagulls drift overhead and the water glitters behind them. Camera: a smooth tracking shot that follows her, then settles on him in a medium shot. Sound: a warm fingerpicked guitar melody, skate wheels rolling on wooden planks, waves, gulls, and the clink of the coin.
MiniMax H3
28 creditsBest for: cheap first drafts with a big camera move.
Nailed the spin — she twirls with her arms out — then pushes in to a clean, well-lit medium shot of the guitarist. The coin drop happens off screen.
Try this promptKling 3.0
76 creditsBest for: believable motion, and 4K when you need it.
The smoothest, most natural skating of the six, and she clearly leans in to drop the coin. The camera stays almost locked off instead of tracking her.
Try this promptSeedance 2.5
208 creditsBest for: cinematic light, and single takes up to 30 seconds.
A moody, backlit sunset look. She bends to the case, skates out of frame, and the camera glides into a medium shot just as the prompt asked. It’s also the most expensive of the six at 720p.
Try this promptWan 3.0
68 creditsBest for: following every step of a long prompt.
Hit the most beats: a tracking shot, the coin going into the case, then a settle on his grin. The sky ends up with a few too many seagulls.
Try this promptHappyHorse 1.1
105 creditsBest for: film-like openings and unusual aspect ratios.
Opens on a low tracking shot of the skates, like a real film cut, then she reaches for the case and the shot settles on him. It moved the scene to a harbor.
Try this promptSeedance 2.0 Mini
40 creditsBest for: testing an idea with sound for the fewest credits.
Gets the whole sequence in a softer, backlit style. The musician came out older than the prompt asked, with a gray beard.
Try this prompt
The price on each card is what the Generate button shows for these exact settings, and it’s what you pay. If a clip fails, the credits come back.
Specs side by side
What each model can do on PopNow today, read straight from our model catalog.
| Model | Clip length | Max resolution | Aspect ratios | Photo to video | Clip above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MiniMax H3MiniMax | 5–15 s | 2K | 6 | Yes | 28 credits |
| Kling 3.0Kuaishou | 3–15 s | 4K | 3 | Yes | 76 credits |
| Seedance 2.5ByteDance | 4–30 s | 1080p | 6 | Yes | 208 credits |
| Wan 3.0Alibaba | 2–30 s | 1080p | 5 | Yes | 68 credits |
| HappyHorse 1.1Alibaba | 3–15 s | 1080p | 9 | Yes | 105 credits |
| Seedance 2.0 MiniByteDance | 4–15 s | 720p | 6 | Yes | 40 credits |
Higher resolutions and longer clips cost more. The Generate button always shows the exact number before you start.
Which one should you pick?
- You want to try lots of ideas cheaplyStart with MiniMax H3 or Seedance 2.0 Mini. They cost the fewest credits of the six and still returned a full scene with sound.
- You need more than 15 secondsSeedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 go up to 30 seconds in one take. For anything longer, extend a finished clip with the video extender.
- You need 4KKling 3.0 is the only one of the six with a 4K option.
- You want a cinematic moodSeedance 2.5 gave the most film-like frame in our test; HappyHorse 1.1 had the most film-like opening.
- Your prompt has many stepsWan 3.0 followed the most of ours. Keep each clip to one or two actions on the other models.
- You’re starting from a photoAll six also turn a photo into a video. Switch to Image to video in the generator and upload your picture.
How to use them on PopNow
1. Open the video generator
Go to Video, keep Text to video, and pick one of the models above from the model menu.
2. Paste your prompt
Prompts written for Sora work as they are: describe the subject, the action, the camera and the sound. Or press Try this prompt on any card to start from ours.
3. Check the price, then generate
The exact credits are on the Generate button before you start. Clips land in your library, and a failed clip is refunded automatically.
Honest limits
- None of these is Sora, and none copies its look exactly. Each model has its own style, which is why trying two or three is worth it.
- Every model missed something in our prompt — the spin, the coin or the camera move. Five seconds of choreography is still hard, so split important details into shorter clips.
- Clips top out at 15 to 30 seconds depending on the model. Longer stories need several clips or the extender.
- Sound comes from the model and varies from clip to clip. You can swap in your own music afterwards in the editor.
Keep comparing
Questions people ask
Is Sora still available?
OpenAI’s help center says the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026 (checked October 17, 2026). PopNow doesn’t offer Sora; the models on this page are alternatives you can use now.
Is there a free Sora alternative?
New PopNow accounts get 30 free credits, and the cheapest clip on this page costs 28 credits, so you can try a Sora alternative without paying. After that it’s pay as you go, with no subscription.
Which Sora alternative should I try first?
For quick, cheap tests, start with MiniMax H3. For a detailed prompt, try Wan 3.0, and for a cinematic look, Seedance 2.5. Running the same prompt on two of them is the fastest way to find your favorite.
Do these models make videos with sound, like Sora 2?
Yes. All six clips on this page came back with a soundtrack. Kling 3.0, Seedance and Wan let you turn sound on or off; MiniMax H3 and HappyHorse 1.1 add it on their own.
Will my Sora prompts work here?
Mostly, yes. Plain-language prompts that describe the subject, action, camera and sound carry over well. Leave out references to features that only existed in the Sora app, and keep each clip to one or two clear actions.
Can I make these videos inside ChatGPT?
Yes, if your ChatGPT plan lets you add a custom MCP server: connect PopNow once, then ask for a clip in the chat. It works in Claude too. The PopNow MCP page has the steps.
Is PopNow affiliated with OpenAI?
No. PopNow isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI. Sora is mentioned here only to explain which models can do the same kind of work.
Run your prompt on a Sora alternative
Pick a model, paste your prompt and see the price before you generate. New accounts start with 30 free credits.
Open the video generatorSora and OpenAI are trademarks of OpenAI. PopNow is not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI.