Sora's First-Week Downloads Near ChatGPT's Launch Figures
According to new data from app intelligence firm Appfigures, OpenAI's video generation app Sora has technically surpassed ChatGPT's first-week performance on iOS after rocketing to the top of the U.S. App Store. Their estimates indicate Sora amassed 627,000 iOS downloads in its first seven days, outperforming ChatGPT's 606,000 downloads in its debut week.
This comparison isn't entirely fair, however, as ChatGPT initially launched exclusively in the U.S. whereas Sora was available in both the U.S. and Canada. Appfigures notes that Canada accounted for roughly 45,000 installations; had the data been U.S.-only, Sora's launch would have represented about 96% of ChatGPT's initial figures.
Despite being an invite-only application, Sora's rapid consumer adoption is noteworthy, especially since ChatGPT was publicly available at launch, making Sora's performance particularly impressive.
Sora quickly gained 56,000 downloads on its first day, propelling it to the number three spot among top overall apps on the U.S. App Store. By October 3rd, it had claimed the top position. This powerful debut outpaced other major AI app launches, including Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot, matching the initial momentum of xAI’s Grok.
A quick glance at social media confirms Appfigures' data with numerous anecdotes. Videos generated by Sora, which utilizes the new Sora 2 model and enables users to create realistic deepfakes, appear everywhere. Some users are even creating deepfakes of deceased individuals, a trend that prompted Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, to publicly ask people to stop sending her AI-generated images of her father.

Image Credits: Appfigures Appfigures reports that the app has maintained steady adoption since its market debut on September 30, 2025. Its data shows daily iOS downloads peaked at 107,800 on October 1, 2025, with subsequent daily installs ranging from a low of 84,400 (October 6) to 98,500 (October 4).
While these numbers are slightly lower than the initial surge, they remain strong for an application that still maintains an invite-only access model.
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According to new data from app intelligence firm Appfigures, OpenAI's video generation app Sora has technically surpassed ChatGPT's first-week performance on iOS after rocketing to the top of the U.S. App Store. Their estimates indicate Sora amassed 627,000 iOS downloads in its first seven days, outperforming ChatGPT's 606,000 downloads in its debut week.
This comparison isn't entirely fair, however, as ChatGPT initially launched exclusively in the U.S. whereas Sora was available in both the U.S. and Canada. Appfigures notes that Canada accounted for roughly 45,000 installations; had the data been U.S.-only, Sora's launch would have represented about 96% of ChatGPT's initial figures.
Despite being an invite-only application, Sora's rapid consumer adoption is noteworthy, especially since ChatGPT was publicly available at launch, making Sora's performance particularly impressive.
Sora quickly gained 56,000 downloads on its first day, propelling it to the number three spot among top overall apps on the U.S. App Store. By October 3rd, it had claimed the top position. This powerful debut outpaced other major AI app launches, including Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot, matching the initial momentum of xAI’s Grok.
A quick glance at social media confirms Appfigures' data with numerous anecdotes. Videos generated by Sora, which utilizes the new Sora 2 model and enables users to create realistic deepfakes, appear everywhere. Some users are even creating deepfakes of deceased individuals, a trend that prompted Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, to publicly ask people to stop sending her AI-generated images of her father.

Appfigures reports that the app has maintained steady adoption since its market debut on September 30, 2025. Its data shows daily iOS downloads peaked at 107,800 on October 1, 2025, with subsequent daily installs ranging from a low of 84,400 (October 6) to 98,500 (October 4).
While these numbers are slightly lower than the initial surge, they remain strong for an application that still maintains an invite-only access model.
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Florida sues OpenAI, Sam Altman over violent incidents
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