How to Make Videos in ChatGPT in 2026, Now That Sora Is Gone
September 29, 2026 • By motionvid.ai team
You already use ChatGPT for the hard part of a video: the hook, the script, the scene list, the call to action. The one step it can't do is turn that into a finished video. Sora used to be the answer, but OpenAI shut down the Sora app in April 2026 and its API in September. Here's how to get a finished, narrated video inside ChatGPT today, and what to watch for before you pay for anything.
Quick answer
ChatGPT can't generate video on its own in 2026: Sora's app was discontinued on April 26 and its API on September 24, and OpenAI hasn't given a timeline for video inside ChatGPT. To make one in a chat, install a video plugin from the ChatGPT plugin directory, then call it by name. With MotionVid, you type @Motionvid and describe the video, and it writes the scenes, animates them, adds narration and music, and returns an MP4 in 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5. It needs a paid MotionVid plan, from $19 a month.
Full disclosure: MotionVid is our product and we wrote this guide. We say below which other ChatGPT video plugins fit jobs MotionVid doesn't, and the steps work the same way for any of them.
Can ChatGPT make videos by itself?
No. OpenAI's help center confirms the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API followed on September 24, 2026. When a user asked on OpenAI's community forum for full video generation inside ChatGPT, OpenAI Support replied in September: “We don't have a timeline to share.”
So ChatGPT on its own will write you a script, a shot list or a storyboard, but it won't render them. What changed is the plugin directory at chatgpt.com/plugins. Video tools now plug into ChatGPT directly, so the script and the video come out of the same conversation.
How to make a video in ChatGPT, step by step
In one line: install the plugin once, mention it in any chat, describe the video, check the frames, then ask for changes until it's right.
Step 1: install the plugin. Open MotionVid in the ChatGPT plugin directory (or search “MotionVid” under Plugins in ChatGPT's sidebar) and click Install plugin.
Step 2: sign in. ChatGPT opens a MotionVid sign-in page. Sign in and allow access. This is the step where a free MotionVid account is told it needs a paid plan, so it's worth checking your plan first.
Step 3: ask for the video. In any chat, type @Motionvid followed by what you want. You can paste a script you wrote with ChatGPT earlier in the same conversation, or link your website so the video picks up your copy, colors and fonts.
Step 4: check the frames before you download. Ask to see the video and you get one frame per scene, which catches a typo in a headline or a wrong color faster than scrubbing a timeline.
Step 5: ask for changes. “Make the last scene say Free shipping instead” changes that scene and leaves the rest alone. Change one thing at a time: two small corrections beat one rewritten prompt, and they spend fewer credits.
Step 6: download the MP4. The finished file comes back as a download link in the chat, and the project is saved in your MotionVid account if you want to open it in the editor later.
How to write a prompt that ChatGPT turns into a good video
The prompt behind the example above has four parts, and each one removes a guess:
- Format and length. “A 15-second Instagram Reel” sets vertical 9:16 and the target length in five words. Treat it as a target, not a contract: ours landed at 14 seconds.
- The order of events. Hook, product, result, call to action. Name the beats and the video follows them instead of inventing its own arc.
- Exact on-screen words in quotes. “Glow Drop. Shop now.” appears exactly as written. Anything not in quotes gets paraphrased.
- What it's for. “Instagram Reel”, “investor update” or “onboarding video” tells the build the tone, pace and whether it needs narration.
Two habits make the biggest difference inside ChatGPT specifically. First, let ChatGPT do the writing before you call the plugin: ask for three hooks, pick one, then say “@Motionvid turn this into a 30-second video”. Second, give it a link. A URL in your message is read and screenshotted, so the video uses your real product copy and brand colors instead of generic ones.
A few more prompts that work as written:
- @Motionvid Turn this script into a 60-second explainer video with narration
- @Motionvid Make an animated logo reveal for my brand with a dark background and energetic music
- @Motionvid Turn these survey results into an animated infographic for LinkedIn
- @Motionvid Make a 45-second map explainer of the Silk Road trade routes
Which ChatGPT video plugin should you use?
The Creativity category of the plugin directory lists several video tools, and they don't do the same job. We've only used MotionVid hands-on, so the others are described from their own directory listings and pages, as of September 2026.
| Plugin | What it makes | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| MotionVid | Animated motion graphics videos with narration and music: product ads, explainers, logo reveals, infographics, map explainers | The video is built from words and brand assets, not filmed people |
| HeyGen | Videos fronted by AI avatar presenters, per its ChatGPT app page | You want a person talking to camera without filming one |
| invideo | “Videos of any length” from a prompt, with visuals, voiceover and music, per its listing | You want a long-form video and length matters more than the look |
| Descript | “Edit video by chatting”, per its listing | You already have a recording and need it cut, not a new video made |
| Canva | Designs: slides, posts, flyers | The deliverable is a static design or a deck rather than a video |
Where MotionVid is the wrong pick: anything that needs a real or AI presenter speaking to camera (that's HeyGen's job), cutting footage you already recorded (Descript), or a free option, since MotionVid in ChatGPT needs a paid plan.
What does it cost to make videos in ChatGPT?
Two separate bills. Your ChatGPT plan is whatever you already pay OpenAI; whether it can use plugins depends on that plan and, at work, your workspace settings. MotionVid charges on its side, in credits, from the same balance as the MotionVid app.
| MotionVid plan | Price per month | Credits per month | Works in ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | None for new accounts | No |
| Starter | $19 | 500 | Yes |
| Pro | $29 | 800 | Yes |
| Ultimate | $49 | 1,500 | Yes |
| Creator | $249 | 8,000 | Yes |
Prices are monthly billing, from our pricing page in September 2026. The 14-second Reel at the top used 44 credits on our default model, so Starter's 500 credits cover about 11 videos like it a month, Pro's about 18 and Ultimate's about 34. A longer video, one with AI-generated footage, or one you revise several times uses more, so make two or three of your usual videos and check the credit drop before choosing a plan.
What to know before you start
- You need a paid account on the plugin's side. Installing is free; making videos with MotionVid isn't. A free account is stopped at sign-in with a link to the plans.
- ChatGPT shares context with the plugin. OpenAI's own notice on every plugin listing says ChatGPT may share relevant chats and memories with the app. Don't paste anything into a video request you wouldn't send the video tool directly.
- Videos take minutes, not seconds. A multi-scene video with narration is planned, animated and rendered, so you'll wait while it builds. You can keep chatting in the meantime.
- Disconnecting is one click. Remove the plugin in ChatGPT's settings, or disconnect ChatGPT under Connected apps in your MotionVid account.
Frequently asked questions
Can ChatGPT make videos by itself?
No. OpenAI shut down the Sora web and app experiences on April 26, 2026 and the Sora API on September 24, 2026, and ChatGPT has no built-in video generation to replace them. To get a finished video inside a ChatGPT conversation, you add a video plugin from the ChatGPT plugin directory.
Is making videos in ChatGPT free?
Not with MotionVid. The plugin is free to install, but making videos needs a paid MotionVid plan, from $19 a month for 500 credits. Other video plugins set their own terms: HeyGen, for example, says its ChatGPT app is free to try with a free HeyGen account and starter credits.
Which ChatGPT plans can use video plugins?
That is decided on the ChatGPT side. OpenAI says plugin availability depends on the plugin, your ChatGPT plan and, for work accounts, your workspace settings. If you cannot install a plugin at work, ask your workspace admin.
Can ChatGPT make vertical videos for Reels, TikTok and Shorts?
Yes, through a plugin. Say "vertical" or "for Reels" in your message and MotionVid renders 9:16. It also does 16:9, 1:1 and 4:5. The example in this article is a vertical Reel made from one message.
Can I edit the video after ChatGPT makes it?
Yes. Ask for the change in the same chat, like "make the headline bigger" or "redo the last scene", and MotionVid changes only that part. The video is also saved to your MotionVid projects if you would rather fine-tune it in the editor.
Does it add a voiceover and music?
Yes. MotionVid writes and records narration and scores music as part of the same build, unless you ask for a silent video. You can say which language the narration should be in.
Using Claude, Cursor or another AI tool instead of ChatGPT? The same connector works there too; the setup guide covers each one.
Written by the MotionVid team. The example video was made and timed by us on the date shown; competitor details come from their public ChatGPT directory listings and product pages, checked in September 2026.