Discord's upload limits in 2026
For years the free limit was 8 MB and then 10 MB, and most guides online still quote those numbers. Discord's own File Attachments FAQ now says the maximum upload for non-Nitro users is 20 MB, raised from 10 MB in August 2026. Discord also changed how the size is checked: it now measures your file before its own compression, so on Android in particular you may hit the limit with files that used to go through.
- Free account: 20 MB per file.
- Nitro Basic: 50 MB per file.
- Nitro: up to 1 GB per file.
- Boosted servers: Level 2 and Level 3 boosts raise the limit for everyone in that server.
The tool above is pre-set for the free limit: Target size 18 MB at 720p. The extra headroom avoids the annoying case where a file shows as “20 MB” on your computer but is a few bytes over by Discord's count. If you are uploading to a bot, an older client or a server that still enforces 10 MB, change the target to 9 MB — or use our 10 MB preset.
How to send a big clip on Discord without Nitro
- Drop the clip into the compressor above. Nothing is uploaded — it opens straight from your disk.
- Check the duration shown under the file name and choose a resolution using the table below.
- Press Compress video. When it finishes, compare the before and after sizes.
- Download the MP4 and drag it into the Discord message box. It will embed and play inline.
Choosing the right resolution for your clip length
File size is roughly bitrate × duration, so longer clips get less bitrate per second. For an 18 MB target, a good rule of thumb is:
- Up to 45 seconds: 1080p — sharp enough for gameplay highlights.
- 45 seconds to 2 minutes: 720p — the best balance for most clips.
- 2 to 5 minutes: 480p — keeps motion smooth instead of blocky.
- Longer than 5 minutes: trim the clip, split it into parts, or share a link from a video host instead.
Tips for gaming clips
Fast-paced games with particle effects, foliage and explosions are the hardest content to compress. If the result looks blocky, lower the resolution first rather than accepting a heavily compressed 1080p file — viewers in a Discord chat usually watch in a small embedded player anyway. Recording at 60 fps doubles the number of frames per second; if your recorder (OBS, ShadowPlay, the Xbox Game Bar or similar) allows it, 30 fps clips compress much better at small sizes. Cut the clip to the moment that matters: a tight 20-second highlight looks far better than a 2-minute recording squeezed into the same space.
Troubleshooting Discord uploads
- “Your files are too powerful”: the file is above your limit. Lower the target size by 1–2 MB and try again.
- The video uploads but shows as a file, not a player: Discord only embeds common formats. Our output is MP4 (H.264 + AAC), which embeds normally; if it does not, refresh Discord.
- No sound: make sure the original clip actually contains an audio track — some recorders save game audio and microphone separately.
- Compression is slow: browser encoding runs on one CPU thread, so a one-minute clip can take about a minute. Lowering the resolution speeds it up.
Private by design
Discord clips often include your username, friends' voices or private servers, so it matters where they go. This compressor never uploads your video: everything is processed by ffmpeg running locally in your browser tab. Close the tab and nothing remains. Recording on a phone? See our guide to reducing iPhone video size, or compress MOV files from a Mac.