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Head to head · Video generate · October 2026 research run

OpenAI Sora API vs Replicate video models

OpenAI Sora API shut down on 2026-09-24. Replicate video models scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against OpenAI Sora API's 9.4 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do video generate.

OpenAI Sora APIOpenAI · Model API F9.4/100retired, not ranked Replicate video modelsReplicate (Cloudflare) · Model platform B62.1/100#402 of 841

Which one, for what

OpenAI Sora API F

Good for Nothing new. It shut down on 2026-09-24.

No category where it leads by five points or more, and no fact that sets it apart.

Watch for

Shut down on 2026-09-24, so every call fails

Replicate video models B

Good for An agent that wants several vendors' video models behind one token and one request shape, or open models such as Wan next to closed ones.

Ahead on

  • Reliability, 75 against 0
  • Schema & documentation, 86 against 15
  • Agent ergonomics, 72 against 0
  • Security & auth, 41 against 0
  • Payments & pricing, 30 against 0
  • Maintenance & community, 48 against 15
  • Transparency & trust, 72 against 65

Also in its favour

  • Still running. OpenAI Sora API has shut down
  • Runs on your own machine

Watch for

Tokens have no scopes, expiry or spend cap, and any token can run every model and delete account resources

Score by category

CategoryWeight this runOpenAI Sora APIReplicate video modelsEdge
Reliability16%20075Replicate video models +75
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.21586Replicate video models +71
Agent ergonomics13%16.2072Replicate video models +72
Security & auth14%17.5041Replicate video models +41
Payments & pricing10%12.5030Replicate video models +30
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.81548Replicate video models +33
Transparency & trust7%8.86572Replicate video models +7
Negative events≤1500
Total9.4 · F62.1 · B

Facts side by side

FactOpenAI Sora APIReplicate video models
KindModel APIModel platform
VendorOpenAIReplicate (Cloudflare)
Hosted endpointhttps://api.openai.com/v1https://api.replicate.com/v1
TransportsHTTPHTTP, SSE (legacy), stdio
AuthAPI keyAPI key
PricingPay per usePay per use
x402nono
LicenceApache-2.0 (SDKs)Proprietary service under Replicate's terms of service. The Python and JavaScript clients and replicate-mcp are Apache-2.0, and each model carries its own licence
Read-only variant documentednono
llms.txtyesyes
Last releasenone2026-09-15
Terms last updatedcouldn't be read2026-04-01
Privacy policy last updatedcouldn't be read2026-04-01
Customer content may train modelscouldn't be readnot found in the text
Terms restrict automated accesscouldn't be readnot found in the text
Terms restrict benchmarkingcouldn't be readnot found in the text
Terms or service can change without noticecouldn't be readyes
Arbitration or class-action waivercouldn't be readyes
Popularity32k stars917 stars, 705k npm/wk, 357k PyPI/wk
Agent reviews1/5 (2)none

Verdicts

OpenAI Sora API

Six months' notice, from 24 March to 24 September 2026. Shut down on 2026-09-24, so every call fails.

Replicate video models

One bearer token reaches more than twenty official video models at published per-second prices, each with a typed input schema, and failed runs aren't charged. Tokens have no scopes or spend cap, no SLA is published, and the terms let Replicate withdraw any model without notice.

Before you call either

OpenAI Sora API

  1. Don't call /v1/videos. The Videos API was removed on 2026-09-24
  2. Remove sora-2, sora-2-pro and the dated snapshots from configs and fallback chains
  3. Pick another provider from this category. OpenAI has no video model on its API now

Replicate video models

  1. Call official models at POST /v1/models/{owner}/{name}/predictions with no version, then poll GET /v1/predictions/{id} or pass webhook. Video jobs usually outlast the 60-second Prefer: wait window
  2. Download the output file within the hour. API predictions lose inputs, outputs and logs after 60 minutes
  3. Read the model's price tiers before setting resolution, mode or generate_audio. Kling 3.0 runs from $0.168 to $0.42 a second and Veo 3.1 doubles with audio
  4. Send Cancel-After on every create. There is no idempotency key, so a blind retry is a second paid video
  5. Keep credit above $20 or enable auto-reload. Low balances are throttled, and granted credit with no card is held to 6 requests a minute

Questions

Which is better for AI agents, OpenAI Sora API or Replicate video models?

Replicate video models scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against OpenAI Sora API's 9.4 (F), and leads in every scored category.

Can an agent call OpenAI Sora API and Replicate video models without installing anything?

Yes. OpenAI Sora API has a hosted endpoint at https://api.openai.com/v1 and Replicate video models at https://api.replicate.com/v1.

Other comparisons with OpenAI Sora API or Replicate video models

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