Sora's API is gone. Here's what Australians should use instead.

Posted: 11 September 2026 · Updated: 25 September 2026 · Category: Video AI

Update, 25 September 2026: the shutdown has happened. OpenAI's developer documentation now says the Sora 2 models and Videos API "were shut down on September 24, 2026 and are no longer available." We first published this piece on 11 September as a countdown and have rewritten it in the past tense. The alternatives below are unchanged.

Sora is gone. OpenAI closed the consumer app and website on 26 April 2026. On 24 September 2026 it switched off the developer API, the last way to reach the model. OpenAI's own documentation says there is "no one-to-one replacement API".

If you are an Australian who used Sora, two things are left to do. Try to export anything you want to keep, and pick a replacement.

What changed

The API went dark on the date OpenAI had published for months. We re-read the developer model page live on 25 September: Sora 2 is labelled "Legacy", and the page states the models and Videos API were shut down on 24 September and are no longer available.

OpenAI's Help Centre notice has not been updated since. It still points to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset for exports. It also says OpenAI will "permanently delete any data associated with your use of Sora" once any final export window passes. OpenAI has not published a date for that window. If anything in your Sora library matters, try the export today. Don't assume the export will still be there next week.

Any ChatGPT or Sora credits you bought can still be spent on Codex. Refunds go through the normal ChatGPT refund process.

Why it matters for Australians

Sora was never built for us. It never billed in AUD, never offered Australian data residency for the consumer product, and never issued a GST tax invoice. Yet Australians still search for it every day. The shutdown mainly hits the small number of developers and agencies who wired the API into a content pipeline. If that is you, the pipeline is already broken, and OpenAI offers nothing to swap in.

For everyone else, the practical question is simpler. Which AI video tool can an Australian sign up for today, pay for in a sensible currency, and keep using next year?

What to use instead

• Google Veo 3.1 (18/25) is our pick, and the closest thing to Sora in output. Native synced audio and 1080p clips. It is bundled into Google AI Pro at A$32.99 a month, GST included, billed by Google's Australian entity with a claimable tax invoice. The serious tier is Google AI Ultra from A$149.99 a month.
• Runway (19/25) is the strongest tool if you want a proper editor around the model rather than one-shot prompts. The catch is Australian fit: USD-only billing from US$12 a month on the annual Standard plan (about A$17 ex-GST) and no local data region.
• Canva Magic Studio (19/25) is the answer for a business owner who wants short social video and design in one place. Sydney-built, Pro at A$20 a month GST-inclusive, and a genuine free tier. Less raw video power than the two above, far less friction.

Kling AI (18/25) matches any of them on output, from under US$10 a month. It stores data in Singapore under a Chinese parent. Fine for non-sensitive marketing clips; read the review before putting anything confidential through it.

AUD conversions use 1 USD ≈ 1.40 AUD, verified 5 September 2026, shown ex-GST. A GST-registered business that supplies its ABN is not charged GST on an imported digital service; other buyers should allow about 10% on top. Veo and Canva prices are the vendors' own Australian prices and need no conversion.

Does this change our recommendation?

No. Our Sora review scored it 9/25 in June and told readers to walk away. There is now nothing left to review. The only open question is your own library, and that one has a clock on it.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sora still available?

No. The consumer Sora app and website closed on 26 April 2026, and the developer API was shut down on 24 September 2026. OpenAI's developer documentation says the Sora 2 models and Videos API are no longer available and there is no one-to-one replacement.

Can I still get my Sora videos out?

Possibly, but act now. OpenAI's Help Centre still directs users to sora.chatgpt.com/sunset to export. It says data will be permanently deleted once any final export window passes, and it has not published when that is.

What should Australians use instead of Sora?

Google Veo 3.1 is our pick: comparable output with native audio, bundled into Google AI Pro at A$32.99 a month GST-inclusive. Runway (from US$12 a month, USD-only) suits people who want a full editor. Canva Magic Studio (Pro A$20 a month) suits a business owner who wants social video and design in one Australian-priced tool.

Sources

• Primary — OpenAI developer documentation, Sora 2 Model ("The Sora 2 models and Videos API were shut down on September 24, 2026 and are no longer available. There is no one-to-one replacement API."; labelled "Legacy"). Read live 11 and 20 September 2026, and again 25 September 2026 via the in-app browser after the shutdown. https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/models/sora-2 · Wayback snapshot 10 September 2026 (pre-shutdown). Save Page Now returned HTTP 500 on 25 September, so the post-shutdown text is held as a dated local capture: Dossiers/captures/openai-sora-2-model-page-2026-09-25.txt.
• Primary — OpenAI Help Centre, What to know about the Sora discontinuation (app discontinued 26 April 2026; API discontinued 24 September 2026; export via sora.chatgpt.com/sunset; permanent deletion after any final export window; credits usable for Codex; refunds via the ChatGPT process). Read live 11, 20 and 25 September 2026; unchanged on 25 September. https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001152-what-to-know-about-the-sora-discontinuation · Wayback snapshot 19 September 2026
• Our reviews — Sora (9/25, 20 June 2026; shutdown dates re-confirmed 20 September) · Google Veo 3.1 (18/25) · Runway (19/25) · Canva Magic Studio (19/25) · Kling AI (18/25). Alternative prices are as verified in each review; USD figures re-based to 1.40 ex-GST on 6 September 2026.

The AI Directory Australia is independent. We review and score AI tools for Australian users — AUD pricing, AU availability, data residency, GST. We don't write ads; affiliate links are disclosed and sponsored content is labelled. Edited by Adam.