Sora’s downloads in its first week was nearly as big as ChatGPT’s launch

OpenAI's new video-generating application, Sora, skyrocketed to the top of the U.S. App Store, achieving a remarkable milestone in its debut week. Recent data from app analytics firm Appfigures reveals that Sora amassed 627,000 downloads on iOS within its first seven days, slightly edging out ChatGPT's first-week downloads of 606,000. However, this comparison has its nuances. ChatGPT was exclusively available in the U.S. during its initial week, while Sora launched simultaneously in both the U.S. and Canada. This broader availability resulted in Canada contributing approximately 45,000 of Sora's installs, meaning its U.S.-only performance would represent about 96% of ChatGPT's launch figures. What makes Sora's achievement particularly noteworthy is its invite-only status at launch, contrasting with ChatGPT's more accessible rollout. On its very first day, Sora recorded an impressive 56,000 downloads, quickly climbing to become the No. 3 app in the overall rankings on the U.S. App Store. By October 3, it reached the top position, surpassing other prominent AI applications like Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot, and aligning closely with xAI’s Grok. Social media buzz further underscores the app's popularity, with Sora videos, powered by the innovative Sora 2 video model, flooding platforms. Users are even crafting deepfake videos of deceased individuals, prompting concerns from figures such as Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, who requested an end to unsolicited AI-generated images of her father. Since its launch on September 30, 2025, Sora has maintained a steady growth trajectory. Daily downloads peaked at 107,800 on October 1, before settling between a low of 84,400 on October 6 and a high of 98,500 on October 4. These figures highlight a strong ongoing interest in the app despite its limited availability.