Sora 2 vs Veo 3.1: availability, features, API and price

Quick answer

For a new project, choose an available Veo 3.1 route rather than starting a Sora 2 dependency. OpenAI closed the Sora app and web experience on April 26, 2026 and says the Sora API had a published discontinuation date of September 24, 2026. Veo 3.1 remains available through Google's Gemini API with text, image, reference-image, first-and-last-frame and extension controls. Export existing Sora work, then evaluate Veo on the exact shot and delivery requirements you need. Checked September 13, 2026 against OpenAI's shutdown notice and Google's Veo documentation.

A red ceramic mug sits on a wooden café table beside a window. Steam rises slowly while the camera makes a gentle push-in. Soft morning light, realistic materials, one continuous shot, no people or readable text.

Try in Text-to-Video

Test the workflow that matters

Run the same short brief through an available model, then compare accepted outputs, correction time and complete cost.

Try Text to Video

Sora 2 vs Veo 3.1 at a glance

Decision	Veo 3.1	Sora 2
New long-term project	Evaluate a currently available provider and model	API shutdown makes it unsuitable as a durable new dependency
Existing generated assets	Review provider storage and export options	Export existing work using OpenAI's current instructions
Inputs and controls	Depend on the provider and endpoint	Historical examples do not establish ongoing availability
Cost	Model, resolution, audio, and provider billing matter	Avoid buying access based on old app pricing

The table reflects the current buying decision. It does not claim that one model wins every prompt. Earlier Sora examples remain useful as historical output references, but they do not establish current access or future support.

The decisive difference is availability

Sora 2 is a discontinued product surface. Existing users should request an archive at OpenAI's Sora export page and verify that the downloaded files include the outputs they need. Keep prompts, source images, settings and edit notes with the media so a replacement test starts from the same brief.

Veo 3.1 is an available model family. Google currently documents Standard, Fast and Lite preview model IDs in the Gemini API. A platform may expose only a subset of Google's controls, resolutions or variants, so verify the exact provider route before comparing results or price.

What can Veo 3.1 generate?

Google documents text-to-video and image-to-video generation with native audio. Veo 3.1 supports 16:9 and 9:16 output, four-, six- or eight-second generations, and 720p, 1080p or 4K output. Higher resolutions require eight seconds; 4K is unavailable on Lite. Video extension is limited to 720p and works with previously generated Veo video.

Starting image: animate a supplied image as the first frame.
First and last frames: constrain where an eight-second shot begins and ends.
Reference images: guide a person, character or product with up to three asset images.
Extension: add seven seconds to a compatible Veo-generated video, subject to Google's current limits.
Audio: dialogue, effects and ambient sound are generated with the video and should be specified in the prompt.

These are model-level capabilities documented by Google. A browser app or third-party API can impose different limits. Confirm duration, resolution, references, safety handling, storage and download behavior on the interface you will actually use.

How much does Veo 3.1 cost?

Google's Gemini API currently lists Veo 3.1 Standard with audio at $0.40 per second for 720p or 1080p and $0.60 for 4K. Fast is $0.10 per second at 720p, $0.12 at 1080p and $0.30 at 4K. Lite is $0.05 at 720p and $0.08 at 1080p. The free tier is unavailable. See Google's current pricing.

At the listed direct-API rate, one eight-second Standard generation costs $3.20 at 720p or 1080p and $4.80 at 4K. One eight-second Fast generation costs $0.80 at 720p, $0.96 at 1080p or $2.40 at 4K. These calculations exclude retries, editing, storage and any third-party markup.

Budget with cost per accepted clip: total generation and correction spend divided by the number of outputs that satisfy the brief. A cheaper generation can cost more when it requires many retries or manual fixes.

How to run a fair Sora-to-Veo migration test

Choose one recurring shot, not a showcase prompt.
Preserve the original brief, source assets, aspect ratio, duration and audio requirements.
Adapt prompt syntax only where the new provider documents a different control.
Record every attempt, failure, charge, correction and accepted output.
Review subject fidelity, motion, camera behavior, text, audio, continuity and policy fit separately.
Scale only after the representative shot reaches an acceptable success rate.

For a product or character, test reference consistency. For a transition, test first-and-last-frame control. For dialogue, write the spoken line and sound events explicitly. This produces a decision tied to the workflow instead of a universal quality claim from one prompt set.

Which route should you choose?

Choose Veo 3.1 when its current provider route supports the inputs, resolution and delivery terms your project needs. Choose another available model when it produces a higher accepted-output rate for the same brief. Do not choose Sora 2 as a new durable API dependency after its announced discontinuation date.

You can compare a browser workflow through Magic Hour's text-to-video or image-to-video tools. Confirm the selected model and displayed settings before treating the result as a Veo test. For a broader replacement shortlist, use the Sora alternatives guide.

Frequently asked questions

Veo 3.1 is the practical choice for a new project because it has current provider routes after Sora's announced discontinuation date. Output quality still depends on the shot, settings and review criteria; run the same representative brief before scaling.

The consumer app and web experience have closed. OpenAI says the Sora API had a published discontinuation date of September 24, 2026. Existing users should export their work and verify account-specific access. See the current Sora status guide.

Google's Gemini API pricing page lists no free tier for Veo 3.1. Consumer or third-party products may bundle limited access under different terms, so check the interface and plan you intend to use.

A current like-for-like purchase comparison is not possible because Sora's consumer product has closed and OpenAI listed September 24, 2026 as the API discontinuation date. Treat old Sora rates as historical. The Sora pricing guide explains that boundary and shows how to calculate migration cost.