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OpenAI’s Sora downloads nearly match ChatGPT’s launch in first week

Sora quickly rose to become the third-most popular app overall on the US App Store.

Sora quickly became the third-most popular app overall on the US App Store, racking up 56,000 installs on its first day and reaching number one by Friday, October 3. (File Photo)

OpenAI’s video-generating app Sora had a debut week that nearly matched ChatGPT on iOS, soaring to the top of the US App Store, according to recent data from app intelligence company Appfigures.

Estimates suggest Sora received 627,000 iOS downloads in its first seven days, compared with ChatGPT’s 606,000 downloads during its initial week. However, the comparison isn’t exact: Sora launched in both the US and Canada, while ChatGPT was initially available only in the US. Reports indicate that Canada contributed over 45,000 installs, meaning that US-only figures would put Sora’s debut at roughly 96% of ChatGPT’s launch.

Sora’s performance is notable because, unlike ChatGPT, it remains an invite-only app. Despite this limitation, Sora quickly became the third-most popular app overall on the US App Store, racking up 56,000 installs on its first day and reaching number one by Friday, October 3. That surge puts its debut on par with xAI’s Grok launch and ahead of other major AI releases, such as Microsoft’s Copilot and Anthropic’s Claude.

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Also read | OpenAI launches Sora App alongside Sora 2 for improved audio, video generation AI platform

Appfigures’ data aligns with social media reports. Sora Films, powered by the new Sora 2 video model, allows anyone to create realistic deepfakes. The technology has already sparked controversy: Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, asked people to stop sending her AI-generated images of her father, highlighting concerns over deepfakes of deceased individuals.

Since its launch on September 30, 2025, Sora has shown steady growth. Appfigures reports that on October 1, daily downloads reached a record-breaking 107,800. Daily installs have since fluctuated, hitting 98,500 on October 4 and 84,400 on October 6 — still impressive numbers for an app not yet open to all users.

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