Sora Surpasses ChatGPT in Initial Downloads, Despite Limited Access
OpenAI's innovative video generation application, Sora, has made a splash on the U.S. App Store, quickly climbing to the top spot and demonstrating remarkable early adoption. Data from Appfigures suggests that Sora's first week on iOS saw an estimated 627,000 downloads, exceeding the 606,000 downloads ChatGPT garnered during its own initial week.
While ChatGPT was initially available solely in the U.S., Sora launched in both the U.S. and Canada. Appfigures estimates that approximately 45,000 of Sora's installs originated in Canada. This suggests that, had Sora been exclusive to the U.S. like ChatGPT initially was, its performance would have reached around 96% of ChatGPT's launch numbers.
What makes Sora's achievement even more noteworthy is its invite-only status. Unlike ChatGPT, which had broader public accessibility upon launch, Sora's adoption numbers have been driven by a select user base.
Sora's debut was marked by rapid growth, with 56,000 installations on its first day alone, propelling it to the No. 3 spot on the U.S. App Store charts. By October 3, it had claimed the coveted No. 1 position. This impressive start surpassed other notable AI app launches like Anthropic's Claude and Microsoft's Copilot, and rivaled the launch of xAI's Grok.
The popularity of Sora is evident on social media, where videos generated using the new Sora 2 model are widely shared. This model's ability to create realistic deepfakes has captured significant attention, though not without controversy. The technology has even sparked ethical concerns, such as the creation of deepfakes of deceased individuals. This has led to requests for restraint from individuals such as Zelda Williams, daughter of the late Robin Williams, who has asked users to refrain from sharing AI-generated images of her father.
According to Appfigures, Sora has maintained consistent adoption since its launch on September 30, 2025. Daily iOS downloads peaked on October 1, 2025, with 107,800 installs. Subsequent days saw download numbers fluctuating between 84,400 (October 6) and 98,500 (October 4).
Despite these slight fluctuations, the consistent download numbers demonstrate significant consumer interest in Sora, especially considering its limited availability.
