How to compress a video for Discord
To compress a video for Discord, set a target size just under your upload limit, re-encode the video to that size as an H.264 MP4, and send the new file. On a free account the limit is 20 MB per file, according to Discord's File Attachments FAQ; Nitro Basic allows 50 MB and Nitro up to 1 GB.
The 8MB Video Compressor does it in your browser: choose the video, pick 20 MB (or 8 or 10 MB if you want room to spare), press Compress and download the MP4.
Discord's upload limit: 20 MB on a free account
Discord's File Attachments FAQ says that as of August 2026 the free upload limit is 20 MB, up from 10 MB. The same page adds that Discord is "experimenting with various file upload size limits", so your account may see a different number.
| Account or server | Per-file limit |
|---|---|
| Free account | 20 MB |
| Nitro Basic | 50 MB |
| Nitro | Up to 1 GB |
| Server boosted to Level 2 (inside that server only) | 50 MB |
| Server boosted to Level 3 (inside that server only) | 100 MB |
Many tools and posts still say 8 MB, an older free limit. An 8 MB file still fits under 20 MB, so 8 MB is a safe target if you're not sure what an account allows. Our Discord file size limits page tracks the numbers on each of Discord's help pages, including the ones that still show 10 MB.
Step by step
- Open the video in the 8MB Video Compressor: MP4, MOV or WebM, up to 500 MB.
- Pick a target size. 20 MB is labelled as Discord's free limit. Choose 50 MB for Nitro Basic, or Custom for any size from 1 to 4,000 MB.
- Leave Resolution on Auto unless you want a particular size. Auto picks a resolution that suits the bits the target leaves per second.
- Press Compress. The tool works out a bitrate from the video's length. If the first try comes out over the target, it runs again with a lower bitrate.
- Download the MP4 and drag it into Discord.
The output is an H.264 MP4, one of the video formats Discord's FAQ lists (MP4 encoded with H264, HEVC/H265 or AV1). The tool counts 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes, the smaller of the two common definitions, so a file made for 20 MB fits under a 20 MB limit whichever way it's counted.
How long a video fits?
A video's size is its bitrate times its length. A target size is a fixed budget of bits, so the longer the clip, the fewer bits each second gets. The budget in bits is the size in MB × 8,000,000; divide by the length in seconds:
total bitrate = target MB × 8 ÷ seconds (in Mbps)
| Length | 8 MB | 10 MB | 20 MB | 50 MB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 2.13 Mbps | 2.67 Mbps | 5.33 Mbps | 13.3 Mbps |
| 1 minute | 1.07 Mbps | 1.33 Mbps | 2.67 Mbps | 6.67 Mbps |
| 2 minutes | 533 kbps | 667 kbps | 1.33 Mbps | 3.33 Mbps |
| 5 minutes | 213 kbps | 267 kbps | 533 kbps | 1.33 Mbps |
Audio comes out of the same budget. At 128 kbps, sound takes 128,000 × 60 ÷ 8 = 960,000 bytes a minute, about 1 MB. On an 8 MB target for a one-minute clip that's an eighth of the file, which is why removing the audio gives the picture noticeably more room.
Here is what the 8MB Video Compressor picks on Auto for a 1080p, 30 fps clip with sound at an 8 MB target:
| Length | Total bitrate | Resolution it picks |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | about 2 Mbps | 720p |
| 1 minute | about 1 Mbps | 540p |
| 2 minutes | about 500 kbps | 360p |
| 5 minutes | about 200 kbps | 240p at 24 fps |
At 20 MB every row gets 2.5 times the bits, so the same clips can keep more resolution and detail.
Why a video under 20 MB still won't send
- Discord checks the original file. The FAQ says Discord now checks file size before compression on mobile, as it always has on desktop. Discord's mobile app used to try compressing a file first; now a 30 MB phone video is refused on a free account before any compression. Discord warns that on Android "you may hit the size limit more often than you did previously".
- Your account may be in a test. Discord says it is experimenting with upload limits, so the number on your account can differ.
If the video still won't fit
- Trim it. Halving the length doubles the bitrate the same target allows.
- Remove the audio if the clip doesn't need sound.
- Use a bigger limit. Nitro Basic allows 50 MB and Nitro up to 1 GB. In a server boosted to Level 2 everyone can upload 50 MB, and at Level 3, 100 MB, but only in that server.
- Send a link instead. Upload the full-quality file to a storage service and paste the link into Discord.
Compress it with the free 8MB Video Compressor
- Open the 8MB Video Compressor and choose your video.
- Pick 8, 10, 20 or 50 MB, or a custom size.
- Press Compress and download the MP4.
The video is compressed in your browser on your own device and never uploaded. Long clips need more memory, so a computer handles them better than a phone.
Open the 8MB Video CompressorFAQ
How can I compress a video to 10MB for Discord?
Choose 10 MB as the target size in the 8MB Video Compressor and press Compress. A free account can now send up to 20 MB, according to Discord, so 10 MB leaves plenty of room. For a one-minute clip, 10 MB allows a total bitrate of about 1.33 Mbps.
How do I upload a video to Discord if it's too big?
Compress it to a target size under your limit (20 MB on a free account), trim it, or remove the audio. If it has to stay large, use Nitro Basic (50 MB), Nitro (up to 1 GB), a server boosted to Level 2 or 3 (50 or 100 MB in that server), or send a link to the file.
Can you bypass Discord's file size limit?
No. The limit is set by Discord. You can make the file smaller, use an account or server with a higher limit, or share a link to the file instead of uploading it.
How do I reduce the MB size of a video?
Lower its bitrate, resolution or frame rate, cut its length, or remove the audio. A target-size compressor does the bitrate maths for you. For a general guide that isn't about Discord, see how to reduce MP4 file size.
Is Discord's limit 8 MB, 10 MB or 25 MB?
On a free account it's 20 MB as of August 2026, per Discord's File Attachments FAQ, which says it was 10 MB before that. 8 MB is an older limit that many tools still quote. Discord's pages we read don't list a 25 MB free limit.
Does Discord compress videos itself?
Discord's mobile app has a Video Uploads setting for the quality of videos you upload; its Data Saver option uploads faster and uses less data. The size limit is checked before compression, though, so it won't get an oversized file through.
Related
Sources
Each page below was read on 27 October 2026. The bitrate table is arithmetic from the target size and length. The Auto table is what the 8MB Video Compressor's own settings pick, copied from the tool.
- Discord, File Attachments FAQ. Free uploads up to 20 MB "as of August 2026" (up from 10 MB), Nitro Basic 50 MB, Nitro up to 1 GB, that Discord is "experimenting with various file upload size limits", that size is now checked before compression on mobile as on desktop, the Android warning, the MP4 codecs (H264, HEVC/H265, AV1), and the mobile Video Uploads and Data Saving settings. Article marked as updated 26 days before reading.
- Discord, Server Boosting FAQ. "50MB Upload Limit for all members (server only)" at Level 2 and "100MB Upload Limit for all members (server only)" at Level 3.