What is Discord's video upload limit?

10 MB on the free tier. 25 MB if your server has Level 2 boost. 500 MB with Nitro. The cap is per-file, not per-message.

How do I compress a video to under 10MB for Discord?

Drop the file here, pick the 10 MB target, and the tool calculates the right bitrate from your video's duration. The output is an MP4 just under 10 MB.

Why is my Discord video still too big after compressing?

Most generic compressors use a fixed quality (CRF), which doesn't guarantee a final size. Targeting an MB cap requires bitrate-based encoding: bitrate = (target size in bits) / (duration in seconds). Our tool does that math for you.

Compress video for Discord

Pick a target — 10 MB (free), 25 MB (boosted), 50 MB, or 500 MB (Nitro). Drop your video. We calculate the bitrate from your video length to land just under the cap. Nothing uploads.

drop a video here

or click to choose

Discord upload limits, by tier

Free — 10 MB per file. The default for every account.
Server boost level 2 — 25 MB. Requires 7 boosts.
Server boost level 3 — 50 MB. Requires 14 boosts.
Nitro — 500 MB. Per-user, applies in any server.

How we hit the cap exactly

Most "compress for Discord" tools use a fixed quality target (CRF), which doesn't guarantee an output size. Files come out either oversized or way too small. We use bitrate-based encoding: bitrate = (target_size_in_bits) / (duration_seconds). The encoder gets a hard ceiling and respects it.

The math we use, with a 5% safety margin:

video_bitrate_kbps = (target_MB × 8000 × 0.95 / duration_seconds) - audio_bitrate_kbps

Audio defaults to 96 kbps AAC for the 10 MB target (acceptable for speech and music) and 128 kbps for larger targets.

What resolution should I pick for 10 MB?

For most videos longer than 30 seconds, drop to 480p when targeting 10 MB. At 1080p with a 10 MB cap on a 2-minute video, you'd get roughly 600 kbps for video — H.264 produces visible blocking at that bitrate. 480p at 600 kbps is sharp.

For Nitro 500 MB, leave it at 1080p — you have plenty of headroom.

Why not just upload the video to a Discord server with higher caps?

You don't always have one. Pasting a YouTube/Streamable link works but leaks the moment to anyone who finds the URL. Compressing locally and dropping the file into the chat keeps it inside Discord.

Privacy — this matters more than you'd think

The clip you're about to share might be a screen recording of your work, a personal video, a gameplay highlight that doxxes your real name in the corner. Every "compress for Discord" website uploads your file to a third-party server first. Here, nothing leaves your tab.

FAQ

Will the output be exactly 10 MB?

No — just under. Bitrate encoding has a ~5% variance. We aim for 9.5 MB so you never go over 10.

What if my video is longer than 5 minutes?

Long clips at a 10 MB cap will look rough no matter what tool you use — you simply don't have the bitrate budget. Consider trimming first with our trim tool, or pick a higher Discord target.

What format is the output?

MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. Plays in every Discord client — web, desktop, mobile.

Can I just rename a video to .mp4 and upload?

Discord checks the actual content, not the extension. If your file is over the cap, renaming won't help. A real re-encode is the fix.

Does this work with screen recordings?

Yes. Screen recordings are usually the easiest to compress because they have lots of flat areas. iPhone screen recordings often go from 200 MB to 8 MB at 480p.

Does the file get uploaded anywhere?

No. The page runs FFmpeg in your browser via WebAssembly. Disconnect your internet after loading — conversion still works.