The old Sora-versus-Runway verdicts are no longer a useful live comparison. OpenAI’s discontinuation notice says the Sora web and app experiences ended April 26, 2026, and scheduled the API’s discontinuation for September 24, 2026; that API date has passed as of this check. OpenAI also directs users to an export flow for existing creations and warns that associated data may be deleted after the export window. Runway’s current official catalog still lists active video models, including Gen-4.5 with text or image input, and its product page presents a broader creative workspace. The evidence supports an availability and workflow update—not claims that one model looks better, that Sora access remains open, or that we tested either output.
There is no current, like-for-like Sora-versus-Runway generation choice in the reviewed documentation: OpenAI reports that Sora’s web and app ended and scheduled its API shutdown for a date that has now passed. For new work, Runway remains the current option documented here; its model catalog describes input types and available models, but that does not prove a visual-quality advantage. For an existing Sora project, prioritize the official export path and verify the current status directly with OpenAI. Treat this page as a dated status note, not a benchmark or a promise that any legacy account can still generate.
A product-status update—not a live model-quality comparison
Sora: OpenAI Sora (openai-sora).
Runway: Runway (runway).
Can you start a new generation now?: Runway. OpenAI’s notice records the Sora web/app discontinuation and gives September 24, 2026 as the API shutdown date; that date is past at review. Runway’s current catalog lists active video-generation models. Because status notices can change or be extended, check the live vendor pages before relying on access, but do not present Sora as an available peer in this comparison.
Documented text and image inputs: Runway. Runway’s model catalog currently lists Gen-4.5 as accepting text or image input for video output. This is a precise, documented product capability, not a quality ranking. The reviewed OpenAI notice concerns Sora’s discontinuation rather than an available Sora generation flow, so it cannot support a present-day input-control comparison.
Existing Sora work and export: Sora. For an existing Sora project, OpenAI’s discontinuation notice gives an export path for previously created content and says associated data may be deleted after any final export period. That makes Sora relevant as an archive to retrieve, not as a current tool to generate with. Export availability and timing are time-sensitive; follow the current OpenAI notice rather than assuming old outputs remain hosted.
Post-production deliverables: Runway. Runway’s model documentation describes output-format options for Gen-4.5, including editorial containers and HDR formats. These are documented delivery controls, not evidence that every plan or interface exposes every option. Confirm the exact model, format, account access, and any associated charge in the current API documentation before basing a pipeline on them.
Sora’s archived reputation and old comparisons do not establish current availability; OpenAI’s discontinuation notice is the relevant source for today’s status.
Runway lists multiple model providers and input modes in its current catalog. That adds choice, but a catalog entry is not a guarantee of access in every account or of a particular output quality.
OpenAI offers an export path for prior Sora creations but warns that associated data may be deleted after the export period. Treat retrieval as time-sensitive and follow the official instructions.
Runway’s documented editorial and HDR formats can matter to a post-production handoff, but verify supported model, interface, account access, and any surcharges before planning delivery.
Generate a new text- or image-led video: Runway. Evaluate Runway’s currently listed model and input path, confirm it is enabled in your account, and pilot the exact shot before committing a production workflow.
Retrieve clips or other work already made in Sora: Sora. Follow OpenAI’s export instructions promptly and confirm the live export window. Do not treat archive access as evidence that Sora generation is still available.
Hand generated video to an editorial or HDR pipeline: Runway. Check Runway’s documented output-format options against your editor and delivery specification, then verify the required model, account entitlement, and charges.
Decide whether Runway is a good replacement for an older Sora clip: Either. Use the archived Sora clip only if you can export it, generate a new candidate in Runway, and review both against the same brief. This is a project-specific comparison, not a vendor-level quality verdict.
Do not choose Sora for a new generation workflow on the strength of an old feature comparison. OpenAI’s notice says the web/app experience was discontinued on April 26, 2026 and the API was scheduled to end September 24, 2026. If your goal is to retrieve earlier Sora creations, use OpenAI’s official export instructions promptly and confirm the available window; that is an archive task, not access to a current generator.
Evaluate Runway for new video work because its current official model catalog lists video-generation endpoints, including Gen-4.5 accepting text or image input, and its product page presents current video tools within a creative workflow. Match the model and output settings to your production needs, verify access and current terms in your own account, and test the result. This recommendation is based on documented current availability, not an independent visual-quality comparison.
OpenAI’s discontinuation notice says the Sora web and app experiences ended on April 26, 2026, and scheduled the Sora API’s discontinuation for September 24, 2026. That API date has passed as of this review, so this page does not treat Sora as an active generation option. Check OpenAI’s current notice for any updated exception or status before relying on access.
OpenAI’s notice describes an export flow at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and recommends exporting content as soon as possible. It says a final export window, if offered, would be announced and that associated data may be permanently deleted after the applicable export period. The window is time-sensitive; use OpenAI’s live instructions and do not assume older content will remain available.
Yes. Runway’s available-model documentation currently lists video output models, including Gen-4.5 with text or image input. The list also includes other models and input combinations; availability and output settings can change. Verify the current catalog and the model enabled in your account rather than relying on an older Runway feature summary.
The reviewed evidence cannot answer that as a current head-to-head question: Sora is discontinued according to OpenAI’s notice, and we did not run visual tests. Runway’s own Gen-4.5 research page describes its model, but vendor statements are not an independent comparison with a currently available Sora model. Choose by documented availability and workflow, and evaluate Runway against your own brief or another current alternative.