COMPARISON · VERIFIED MAY 2026
Hailuo AI vs Sora
🏆 Quick Verdict
Sora
Hailuo AI (Sora discontinued)
⭐ Strongest At
Every tool has one thing it does better than its competitors. Here is each one's honest edge:
free AI video generation with prompt-following accuracy.
long, photorealistic AI video clips (consumer app discontinued April 26, 2026; kept here for historical reference).
📊 Quick Specs
Which one should you actually choose?
your daily work is mostly about free AI video generation with prompt-following accuracy. That is the one thing it does better than Sora, and the cost of switching to it is justified only if that strength matches what you actually need.
Sora was discontinued as a consumer product on April 26, 2026 and can no longer be purchased; existing API integrations keep working only until September 24, 2026. It once owned the long, photorealistic text-to-video corner of the market, but for new AI video generation work you now need a tool that is still available.
For anyone deciding today, Hailuo AI wins by default: Sora was discontinued as a consumer product on April 26, 2026 and can no longer be purchased (API access ends September 24, 2026). Start with Hailuo AI and run your real work through it; if you also need AI text-to-video generation, pick a generator that is still on sale.
Pros & Cons
Hailuo AI
- Good free tier
- Natural motion physics
- Affordable pricing
- Fast generation
- Chinese platform
- Inconsistent quality
- Limited editing
- Less control than Runway
Sora
- Was bundled with Plus
- Realistic motion
- Natural language
- OpenAI ecosystem
- Discontinued April 26, 2026
- Limited gens
- Below Runway quality
- Content restrictions
Frequently asked questions
Hailuo AI vs Sora, which one should I pick?
Hailuo AI, by default: OpenAI discontinued Sora as a consumer product on April 26, 2026, so new users can no longer buy or access it. Hailuo AI is strongest at free AI video generation with prompt-following accuracy. Sora was strongest at long, photorealistic AI video clips while it was available, and it stays on this page for historical comparison only.
Is Hailuo AI or Sora cheaper?
Hailuo AI pricing: Free / Standard $9.99/mo / Pro $29.99/mo. Sora can no longer be purchased: the consumer app shut down on April 26, 2026, and only the developer API remains available until September 24, 2026. That makes Hailuo AI the only one of the two with a price to compare today.
Does Hailuo AI or Sora have a free plan?
Hailuo AI has a free plan. Sora never had a free tier, and since April 26, 2026 it has been discontinued as a consumer product entirely, so there is no Sora plan to sign up for. Check the official Hailuo AI site before signing up, plans can change.
Can I use Hailuo AI and Sora together?
Not anymore. Sora was discontinued as a consumer product on April 26, 2026, so new users cannot run it alongside Hailuo AI. If you want Sora-style AI video clips in your workflow, pair Hailuo AI with an AI video generator that is still available.
What does Hailuo AI do that Sora cannot?
Hailuo AI's honest edge over Sora is free AI video generation with prompt-following accuracy, and above all availability: Hailuo AI is still on sale, while Sora was discontinued as a consumer product on April 26, 2026. Sora's edge was long, photorealistic AI text-to-video generation, which Hailuo AI does not attempt.