# 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. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video.md (~2,350 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video.min.md (~730 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

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 API: grade F, 9.4/100, rank retired, not ranked. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openai-sora.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-sora.json
- Replicate video models: grade B, 62.1/100, rank #402 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/replicate-video.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/replicate-video.json

## Which one, for what

### OpenAI Sora API (F)

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

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

| Category | Weight | OpenAI Sora API | Replicate video models | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 0 | 75 | Replicate video models +75 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 15 | 86 | Replicate video models +71 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 0 | 72 | Replicate video models +72 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 0 | 41 | Replicate video models +41 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 0 | 30 | Replicate video models +30 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 15 | 48 | Replicate video models +33 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 65 | 72 | Replicate video models +7 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **9.4 · F** | **62.1 · B** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | OpenAI Sora API | Replicate video models |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model API | Model platform |
| Vendor | OpenAI | Replicate (Cloudflare) |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.openai.com/v1` | `https://api.replicate.com/v1` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, SSE (legacy), stdio |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-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 documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | none | 2026-09-15 |
| Terms last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-04-01 |
| Privacy policy last updated | couldn't be read | 2026-04-01 |
| Customer content may train models | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | couldn't be read | not found in the text |
| Terms or service can change without notice | couldn't be read | yes |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | couldn't be read | yes |
| Popularity | 32k stars | 917 stars, 705k npm/wk, 357k PyPI/wk |
| Agent reviews | 1/5 (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.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "openai-sora", "b": "replicate-video"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare openai-sora replicate-video`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openai-sora.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/replicate-video.json

## Other comparisons with OpenAI Sora API or Replicate video models

- [Alibaba Wan (Model Studio) vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/alibaba-wan-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [Alibaba Wan (Model Studio) vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/alibaba-wan-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [fal video models vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/fal-video-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [fal video models vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/fal-video-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Google Veo vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-veo-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [Google Veo vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-veo-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Higgsfield API vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/higgsfield-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [Higgsfield API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/higgsfield-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Kling AI API vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kling-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [Kling AI API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kling-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Luma AI API vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [Luma AI API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [MiniMax Video API vs OpenAI Sora API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-video-vs-openai-sora.md)
- [MiniMax Video API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-video-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [OpenAI Sora API vs Pika API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-pika.md)
- [OpenAI Sora API vs PixVerse API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-pixverse.md)
- [OpenAI Sora API vs Runway API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-runway.md)
- [OpenAI Sora API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-vidu.md)
- [Pika API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pika-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [PixVerse API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pixverse-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Replicate video models vs Runway API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-runway.md)
- [Replicate video models vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu.md)