TL;DR: This comparison has an unusual winner by default. OpenAI discontinued Sora — the web and app experiences closed on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API followed on September 24, 2026 — so you cannot buy or use Sora at any price today. Kling AI is still live, still shipping new models, and starts at $10 a month list price. If you need AI video now, Kling is the pick; Sora is a history lesson and an export-your-old-clips warning.
Bottom line: Pick Kling AI if you want to generate video today. There is no current Sora plan, trial, or API to pick instead.
Sora vs Kling AI at a glance
| Feature | Sora (OpenAI) | Kling AI (Kuaishou) | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available today? | No — discontinued April 26, 2026 (app/web) and September 24, 2026 (API) | Yes — live, with Kling 4.0 released to everyone on October 15, 2026 | Kling AI |
| Starting price | None — no plan is sold | Standard: $10/mo list, $6.99 first month, $8.80 on renewal, 660 credits/mo | Kling AI |
| Free tier | None | Basic at $0 with monthly free credits claimed by logging in; watermarked, no commercial use, no fixed monthly credit pool published | Kling AI |
| Higher plans | None | Pro $37/mo list (3,000 credits), Premier from $92/mo list (8,000 credits, tiers up to 38,000), Ultra+ $619/mo list (57,000 credits) | Kling AI |
| Commercial use | N/A | Included on paid plans; not allowed on the free Basic plan | Kling AI |
| Developer API | Shut down September 24, 2026, with no replacement named by OpenAI | Available through Kling’s platform and third-party providers | Kling AI |
| Your old content | Export at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset before OpenAI deletes Sora data after the final export window | N/A | — |
What happened to Sora?
OpenAI’s own help center states the timeline plainly: the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API was discontinued on September 24, 2026. No ChatGPT plan brings it back — ChatGPT’s current plan pages list image generation, not video. We covered the shutdown and its fallout in our Sora 2 explainer, and in Veo 3 vs Sora the same problem applies: Sora keeps appearing in “best AI video generator” lists that were never updated after the shutdown.
What the shutdown notice doesn’t make obvious
Two things from OpenAI’s discontinuation page deserve attention. First, old Sora creations are not stored forever: OpenAI says that after the discontinuation and any final export window, it will permanently delete data associated with your use of Sora. If you made anything in Sora you want to keep, export it from the sunset page now. Second, OpenAI names no one-to-one replacement for the Sora API — developers who built on it had to migrate to a different vendor entirely.
What Kling AI actually costs
Kling prices in credits, and its headline price is not the price most people quote. Standard lists at $10 a month, but new subscribers pay $6.99 for the first month and $8.80 on renewal before reaching the list price — three different numbers for the same 660 monthly credits. Pro lists at $37 a month (3,000 credits), Premier starts at $92 (8,000 credits, with slider tiers up to 38,000 credits), and the top Ultra+ plan lists at $619 a month (57,000 credits), each with a discounted first month. Yearly billing discounts the paid tiers further. One more detail from Kling’s own FAQ that roundups miss: monthly credits are valid for only 31 days, so unused subscription credits do not pile up — while separately purchased credits last two years.
The free Basic plan is easy to overstate: Kling’s own plan guide lists it with no monthly credits, and its credits policy makes 1080p output, watermark removal, fast-track generation, and video extension paid-only features. Treat free Kling as a sampler, not a production tier. Paid plans remove the watermark, unlock 1080p, and allow commercial use.
For how Kling stacks up against other live generators, see our Kling AI vs Pika and Runway vs Kling AI comparisons.
Which should you pick?
Pick Kling AI if you want to make AI video today — it is the only one of these two you can actually sign up for, its $10 list-price entry tier is cheap for the category, and the credit system scales cleanly up to high-volume Ultra+ plans.
Pick Sora only if you are here to recover old work: export your clips from OpenAI’s sunset page before the data is deleted, then move your workflow to a live tool.
Consider neither if native audio is your top priority — in that case a Veo-based tool is worth a look alongside Kling.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sora still available in 2026?
No. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API on September 24, 2026. No subscription brings it back.
How much does Kling AI cost?
Standard lists at $10 a month with 660 credits, with a $6.99 first month and an $8.80 renewal price. Pro is $37, Premier starts at $92, and Ultra+ is $619 a month at list price.
Can I use Kling AI for free?
Yes, on the Basic plan, but free output is watermarked, capped below 1080p, and not licensed for commercial use.
What should former Sora users do?
Export any Sora creations you want to keep via OpenAI’s sunset export page, then switch generation to a live tool such as Kling AI.