OpenAI’s new Sora app for AI-powered videos has quickly become a viral sensation, even though it’s currently invite-only and available only to users in the U.S. and Canada. On its very first day, the app was downloaded 56,000 times and climbed to the No. 3 spot on the U.S. App Store’s overall rankings. Over its first two days, Sora racked up an estimated 164,000 installs, according to data from app analytics firm Appfigures.
This early success puts Sora ahead of other notable AI app launches like Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot and puts it on par with the launch of xAI’s Grok. However, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini apps had even stronger debuts, each achieving over 80,000 downloads on day one. It’s important to note that Sora’s invite-only status likely limited its download numbers, so it might have performed even better if it were open to all users from the start.
Despite its limited availability, Sora’s rapid rise highlights strong consumer demand for AI-driven video tools that offer a more social, interactive experience. Interestingly, some within OpenAI express concern that focusing on such consumer-facing features might detract from tackling more complex challenges that could have broader societal benefits. Still, playful moments—like deepfake videos of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joking about “piggies enjoying their slop”—have undoubtedly helped fuel interest.
When comparing Sora’s performance to other AI apps, Appfigures carefully analyzed downloads from just the U.S. and Canada to create a fair comparison, since each app followed different launch strategies. For example, ChatGPT initially launched only in the U.S., Grok released in the U.S., Australia, and India, while Claude had no apparent geographic restrictions.
Based on this data, ChatGPT and Gemini led with about 81,000 and 80,000 day-one downloads respectively, while Sora and Grok tied at 56,000 downloads. Claude and Copilot trailed with 21,000 and 7,000 downloads on their first days. By the second day, Sora had secured the No. 3 spot on the U.S. App Store charts, behind ChatGPT at No. 1. Grok was No. 4, Gemini No. 6, Copilot No. 19, and Claude No. 78.
Overall, Sora’s impressive debut shows there’s a real appetite for AI video tools that blend creativity and social engagement, even in a limited, invite-only release phase.
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