Sora’s free video generations slashed as OpenAI adds fees: All you need to know

OpenAI has begun rolling out a monetisation model for its Sora video generation app on iOS, marking a shift away from its previously free offering. The company confirmed on Thursday that users who hit their daily generation limits will now have the option to purchase additional video credits.

Bill Peebles, Head of Sora at OpenAI, announced the change in a post on X, writing, “We are launching the ability to buy extra gens in Sora today.” Each bundle costs $4 (around ₹350) and provides 10 additional video generations. There is no cap on how many bundles a user can buy, allowing unlimited paid use.

Who all will be affected by the update?

The update affects all tiers of users, including those on free, ChatGPT Plus, and Teams subscriptions, who will now be limited to 30 free generations per day. Pro subscribers will receive up to 100 daily video generations before needing to pay for more. Once users exhaust their allotment, they will be prompted to purchase the $4 add-on to continue generating videos.

Peebles explained that the move is driven by sustainability concerns, saying the company could no longer afford to offer unlimited video generation for free. “Letting users generate Sora videos for free is becoming unsustainable,” he said, adding that the change would allow OpenAI to manage platform growth while catering to power users.

What’s next

In addition to reducing daily generation limits in the coming months, OpenAI is also exploring new ways to monetise Sora’s “Cameo” feature, which allows users to recreate videos featuring real people or fictional characters using text prompts.

According to Peebles, the company plans to introduce a system where users will be charged extra for generating videos that involve copyrighted characters or likenesses of others. A portion of this revenue may be shared with creators and rightsholders, rewarding those who adopted the platform early.