According to recent data from app intelligence provider Appfigures, OpenAI's video generation app Sora has technically surpassed ChatGPT's initial week performance on iOS after rocketing to the top spot in the US App Store. The estimates indicate that Sora achieved 627,000 iOS downloads within its first seven days, compared to ChatGPT’s initial week download count of 606,000.
However, this comparison isn’t entirely fair since ChatGPT was only available in the US during its first week, while Sora launched in both the US and Canada. Still, Appfigures reports that Canada contributed approximately 45,000 installations, meaning that if the data were limited to the US alone, Sora’s launch would account for about 96% of ChatGPT’s initial release volume.
This level of consumer adoption is notable given that Sora remains an invite-only application, whereas ChatGPT was more widely accessible at launch. This makes Sora's performance even more impressive.
On day one, Sora reached 56,000 downloads in a short time span, making it the third-highest ranked app overall in the US App Store. By Friday, October 3rd, it had reached the number one position. This surge has positioned Sora’s debut ahead of other major AI applications like Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft’s Copilot, placing it in the same league as xAI’s Grok launch.
A quick look at social media provides ample anecdotal evidence supporting Appfigures’ data. Powered by the new Sora 2 video model, Sora videos allow users to create realistic deepfakes and appear to be everywhere. Users are even generating deepfakes of deceased individuals, prompting Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor Robin Williams, to ask people to stop sending her AI-generated images of her father.
According to Appfigures, the app has seen steady adoption since its launch on September 30, 2025. Their data shows that iOS daily downloads peaked at 107,800 on October 1, 2025. Since then, daily installations have fluctuated between a high of 98,500 (October 4) and a low of 84,400 (October 6).
While these numbers are lower than earlier in the week, they still represent a strong performance for an app that isn’t yet universally accessible.
