How to compress a video for Discord
Discord rejects anything over 20 MB on a free account. The fix isn't a "Low quality" preset — it's an exact size. Here's the whole workflow.
Last updated: October 2026
Discord's limits in 2026
Discord's free upload limit is 20 MB (raised from 10 MB in August 2026). Nitro Basic raises it to 50 MB and full Nitro to 500 MB. The full table, with verification dates, lives on the Discord size limit page.
Everything below assumes the free 20 MB limit, since that is what most people hit.
Step 1: Check your video's size and length
Right-click the file and check its size. If it is already under 20 MB, you don't have a compression problem — Discord may be rejecting it for another reason (format or length).
Length matters more than people expect: 20 MB holds roughly 30 seconds of 1080p or about a minute of 720p at clean quality. A 10-minute clip cannot look good at 20 MB, no matter the tool — trim it first if you can.
Step 2: Compress to exactly 20 MB
Open the compress-to-20MB tool (or the Discord compressor), drop the video in, and download the result. The tool computes the exact bitrate for your clip's duration and verifies the output is provably under 20 MB — no guessing with Low / Medium / High.
Everything runs in your browser. The video is never uploaded anywhere.
Step 3: If it still won't fit
If the clip is simply too long for 20 MB, you have three honest options: trim it shorter, accept softer quality at a lower resolution, or step up to a Nitro target — 50 MB or 500 MB.
What doesn't work: re-compressing an already-compressed file over and over. Each pass loses quality. Compress once, from the original.
Compress a video for Discord
Free, in your browser. Your video never leaves your device.
FAQ
Why does Discord say my video is too large?
Free accounts cap uploads at 20 MB. If your file is bigger, Discord rejects it before it even starts uploading. Compress to exactly 20 MB and it goes through.
Is 20 MB still the free limit?
Yes — Discord raised it from 10 MB to 20 MB in August 2026. Guides that still say 10 MB are out of date.