Short answer
Sora 2’s historical maximum depended on the product surface. OpenAI’s archived API guide listed clip lengths of 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 seconds. In the Sora app and web product, reporting on an October 2025 update said regular users could make clips up to 15 seconds, while ChatGPT Pro users could make clips up to 25 seconds on the web. Those are different limits for different surfaces—not one universal maximum. (developers.openai.com)
You can’t use either official Sora channel now. OpenAI says the Sora web and app experiences ended on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API was discontinued on September 24, 2026. So the figures above describe historical limits, not a currently available production API capability. (help.openai.com)
| Sora 2 surface (historical) | Reported maximum | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI API | 20 seconds per generated clip | The archived OpenAI guide listed selectable lengths of 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 seconds. The API has since been discontinued. (developers.openai.com) |
| Sora app and web, standard access | 15 seconds | Reported after the October 2025 duration update; the app and web experiences have since been discontinued. (livemint.com) |
| Sora web, ChatGPT Pro | 25 seconds | Reported as a web-only Pro option; it was not the API’s documented per-clip limit. (livemint.com) |
Why you may see different duration numbers
The 20-second figure is the clearest Sora 2-specific limit for API clip generation in OpenAI’s archived developer guide, which says the maximum had increased from 12 to 20 seconds by March 2026. The 25-second figure refers to the former Pro web experience, not that API setting. (developers.openai.com)
Don’t substitute the original Sora’s duration for Sora 2’s. OpenAI’s December 2024 announcement said the original Sora could create videos up to 20 seconds; that is a separate product/version and does not establish Sora 2’s limit. (openai.com)
What this means for production use
If you’re choosing a model for a new production workflow, Sora 2 is not currently an option through OpenAI’s app/web product or API: OpenAI lists the respective discontinuation dates as April 26 and September 24, 2026. The historical API maximum of 20 seconds may help explain old integrations or documentation, but it is not a presently usable capacity. (help.openai.com)
Sources
Sora 2: Prompting Guide — OpenAI Cookbook
What to know about the Sora discontinuation — OpenAI Help Center
Sora 2 update: OpenAI lets all users create 15-second videos, Pro users up to 25 seconds — Mint