MODEL FILE · OPENAI
Sora 2 pricing, explained
OpenAI's flagship video model with synced audio, billed per second via API. A 10-second clip runs $1.00–$5.00 depending on tier — before retakes.
Rates shown at each model's base tier, verified July 2026 from official vendor pricing pages and documentation. Vendors change prices without notice — see methodology.
How the pricing works
OpenAI bills Sora 2 per second of generated video — no credits, no subscription required for API use. The standard sora-2 model costs $0.10 per second at 720p (portrait or landscape) with fixed duration options of 4, 8 or 12 seconds. The higher-fidelity sora-2-pro costs $0.30 per second at 720p and $0.50 per second at 1024p widescreen, with 10, 15 or 25 second durations. Both tiers generate synchronized audio at no extra charge, and image-to-video costs the same as text-to-video.
What the pricing page doesn't tell you
API access requires a paid OpenAI account at usage tier 2, which means a minimum $10 top-up. Durations are fixed — you cannot request a 7-second clip, only 4, 8 or 12 seconds on the standard model — so plan shots around those lengths or you pay for seconds you trim away.
And the universal one: retakes. Budget every rate above at ×1.5 to ×3 depending on how demanding your shots are — that multiplier, not the sticker price, decides your real bill.
Best for
High-volume social content and drafts on the standard tier; hero shots and client deliverables on Pro.
Run your own numbers. The cost calculator applies your clip length, resolution and a realistic retake buffer across every model at once.