OpenAI has begun selling extra credits for its Sora video generator, marking the first step in monetizing the tool while warning that free daily generations will soon drop to keep up with demand.
Users can now purchase 10 additional video creations for $4 through Apple’s App Store , on top of the current 30 free clips allowed each day. Bill Peebles , who leads the Sora team, announced the change on X , explaining that scaling the service requires adjustments.
“Eventually we will need to bring the free gens down to accommodate growth—we won’t have enough GPUs otherwise,” he wrote, promising transparency throughout the process.
Launched earlier this year, Sora turns text prompts into short, realistic videos—think a dog skateboarding through Tokyo or a historical scene unfolding in seconds.
Its accessibility has fueled a surge in creative use, but the heavy GPU load has pushed OpenAI toward a paid model. The new credits target power users who burn through the daily cap quickly.
Peebles also outlined a broader revenue vision: letting copyright holders license their characters, artwork, or likenesses for use in Sora videos.
“We imagine a world where rightsholders have the option to charge extra for cameos of beloved characters and people,” he said. The idea arrives as OpenAI faces a trademark lawsuit from Cameo , the celebrity video platform, over similar functionality.
This shift aligns with industry trends. Rivals like Runway and Pika already charge for premium access, while free tiers help hook new users. OpenAI’s move balances growth with the real costs of running cutting-edge AI.
For casual experimenters, Sora remains free to try. But as demand climbs, the era of unlimited generations is ending—and paid features may become the norm across AI creativity tools.
