Compress a video for Discord
Your files are processed on your device. We never upload them.
Video is read and written with Mediabunny, under the Mozilla Public License. Browsers without their own AAC encoder use FFmpeg's, under the GNU LGPL.
How to compress a video for Discord
- 01A ▸Choose your videos, or drop them on the page.
- 02A ▸The size is already set to 20 MB, Discord's free limit. Enter 50 for Nitro Basic.
- 03A ▸Select Compress, then download each video and drag it into Discord.
About Discord
The limit
Discord lets accounts without Nitro upload files of up to 20 MB each, raised from 10 MB on 14 August 2026. Nitro Basic allows 50 MB and Nitro 500 MB. A phone records 20 MB in about ten seconds of 1080p, so most clips need compressing before they'll send.
- Dexerto: Discord raises free upload limit to 20MB (13 August 2026) (checked 2026-11-13)
How the tool gets there
The tool divides 20 MB by the video's length to get the bits a second it can spend, keeps 6% back because encoders overshoot, and gives the sound 64 to 128 kbps of it. If the rest is too little for the picture's size, it makes the picture smaller (1080p, then 720p, 540p, and so on) rather than blocky. If the result still comes out over 20 MB, it encodes once more at a lower bitrate.
What fits in 20 MB
For a 1080p phone video at 30 frames a second, worked out with the same arithmetic the tool uses:
| Length | Bitrate (picture and sound) | From 30 fps video | From 60 fps video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:15 | 9,926 kbps | 1080p at 30 fps | 1080p at 60 fps |
| 0:30 | 4,963 kbps | 1080p at 30 fps | 1080p at 30 fps |
| 1:00 | 2,482 kbps | 720p at 30 fps | 720p at 30 fps |
| 2:00 | 1,241 kbps | 540p at 30 fps | 540p at 30 fps |
| 5:00 | 496 kbps | 360p at 30 fps | 360p at 30 fps |
| 10:00 | 248 kbps | 240p at 30 fps | 240p at 30 fps |
Measured
Our one-minute 1080p sample at 30 frames a second (H.264 at 8 Mbps with AAC sound, 61.1 MB; a synthetic test pattern, which is easier to encode than real footage), compressed in Chrome on a laptop. Phone timings are still to be measured.
| One minute of 1080p, 61.1 MB | 18.6 MB at 1280 × 720, in 5.4 seconds |
|---|---|
| Fits Discord's free limit | Yes, at the first try |
| Time on phones | still to be measured |
If it doesn't fit
- Trim the video to the part worth sharing with Trim video; it takes seconds and loses nothing.
- With Nitro Basic, enter 50 MB; the picture stays sharper.
- For a short, silent loop, Video to GIF may suit better, though GIFs are larger than MP4s at the same length.
Other options
- Compress video to 10 MB: for servers and bots that still cap uploads at 10 MB.
- Trim video: shorter videos keep more quality at the same size.
- Compress video: to choose a strength instead of a size.
Questions
Are my videos uploaded?
No. Your files are processed on your device. We never upload them.
What is Discord's upload limit?
20 MB per file without Nitro, since 14 August 2026 (it was 10 MB before). Nitro Basic allows 50 MB and Nitro 500 MB. Enter your limit in the size box.
How long a video fits in 20 MB?
About a minute of 1080p looks good, and a few minutes at a lower resolution; the table on this page shows the arithmetic. For longer videos, trim to the part worth sharing first.
Will Discord show a preview?
Yes. The result is an MP4 with H.264 and AAC, which Discord plays in the chat on desktop and phones.
Why does the file end up below 20 MB, not right at it?
Video encoders don't hit a size exactly, so the tool aims a few percent under it. If a first try still comes out over, it tries once more, lower.