Is Sora AI video generation free?
No—not through OpenAI’s own Sora service. OpenAI says its Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and its Sora API was discontinued on September 24, 2026. Those services are no longer available to use, so there is no current OpenAI Sora subscription or direct API price to budget for. (OpenAI Help Center)
What about free Sora videos through another service?
Microsoft announced Bing Video Creator as a free, Sora-powered tool launching in the Bing mobile app in June 2025. That announcement documents the launch offer, not whether the service or its free terms are still available now. (Microsoft’s launch announcement)
Separately, The Verge reported on June 3, 2025 that Bing Video Creator offered free Standard generation and 10 free Fast generations. It described five-second, vertical clips. These are historical terms—not confirmation of current US availability, access requirements, or free usage. Current no-payment access through Bing is unconfirmed based on the available evidence. (The Verge)
A third-party site’s “free” Sora offer is not the same as free access through OpenAI. Unless that provider clearly states its current allowance and terms, the word “free” alone does not show whether you can complete a video without buying credits.
Is there a Sora API for production, and what is its status?
OpenAI’s direct Sora API has been discontinued. (OpenAI Help Center) Microsoft documents a separate Sora 2 API in preview through Azure OpenAI, with billing per second and an Azure subscription and Azure OpenAI resource as prerequisites. The documentation does not establish that a deployment is available for every account or region, or that this preview is a production-ready service. (Microsoft Learn: Sora 2 video generation overview)
The available Azure pricing page does not establish a specific Sora 2 rate. Check the price and deployment availability that apply to your Azure account and region before budgeting; Microsoft notes that actual prices can vary by agreement, purchase date, and currency conversion. (Azure OpenAI pricing)
Bottom line: OpenAI’s own Sora video service is no longer available, free or paid. Bing’s free Sora-powered offer is documented historically, but its current availability and terms are unconfirmed here. Azure documents a separate Sora 2 preview API, but the available pricing information does not establish its specific rate.
Sources
What to know about the Sora discontinuation — OpenAI Help Center
Create videos with your words for free – Introducing Bing Video Creator — Bing Blogs
Bing lets you use OpenAI’s Sora video generator for free — The Verge
Sora 2 video generation overview (preview) — Microsoft Learn